The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Inc.

Consumer Guide To Environmentally Helpful Outdoor Power Equipment

Portable Hand-Held Outdoor Power Equipment

Hedge Trimmers

These gasoline, electric or rechargeable battery-powered tools are perfect for trimming overgrown shrubs and hedges that border yards, houses and walkways. Hedge clippings can also be recycled back into your yard with a shredder/grinder or a garden tiller. Two-cycle gasoline engine sizes range from 16cc to over 25cc's. Clean running, four-cycle engines are also now available.

New blade designs with weight-reducing holes reduce vibration and make some hedge trimmers more comfortable to operate. In addition, safety advancements now bring the cutting blade to a full stop in less than half a second once the operator releases the trigger.

Hand-Held Leaf Blowers

Leaf blowers are handy, portable, clean-up tools
that generate a powerful stream of air to move leaves, twigs and yard debris from hard surfaces like lawns, patios, garages and walks.

There are two basic variations of hand-held blowers. These include portable hand-held models and backpack models for easier "hands free" mobility. Portable hand-held blowers use small electric, 2-cycle and low emission 4-cycle gasoline engines. Backpack blowers are mostly powered by 2-cycle and 4-cycle gasoline engines (25-30cc).

Several blowers feature optional vacuum accessory kits
as well as gutter kits. They have replaced leaf rakes to a great extent among many homeowners and suburbanites with larger lots.

Safety Reminder

REMEMBER: Wear Hearing Protection. When working with equipment that generates increased sound levels be sure to protect your ears. Wear hearing protection such as special earmuffs to prevent potentially damaging sounds from reaching your ears without eliminating the sounds you'll NEED to hear. So protect your ears from sounds that are too LOUD and too CLOSE for too long.

Edger/Trimmers

There are two basic kinds of edger/trimmers: wheeled, walk-behind edger/trimmers that use steel blades to cut and edge turf around walkways and patios, and portable hand-held or "stick" style string trimmers that use a spool of trimmer line to cut high grass and unsightly weeds in out-of-the way places that are too difficult to cut with a lawn mower.

Safety Reminder

REMEMBER: Always be sure to wear proper protective clothing and eyewear when using edgers/trimmers and blowers. Consult the operator's manual before using.

These useful yard machines are available in 2-cycle models with 25cc to 30cc engines, low emission 4-cycle models or as an electric-powered model. (See page 3 for definition of 2-cycle vs. 4-cycle engines.) There are also cordless, 12-volt rechargeable units available. Electric start is also available on some models. A newer variation of hand-held power trimming tools includes a modular system where one engine serves as the power base for operating a variety of power head attachments, including a brushcutter, mini-blower, edger and cultivator.

Chain Saws

For homeowners with lots of trees on their property,
a chain saw is a handy, time-saving device for clean-up after severe storms when fallen limbs can be cut into manageable pieces for removal, or cut and stored as firewood.

Traditionally, chain saws were primarily powered by 2-cycle gasoline engines using a mix of oil and gasoline. Two-cycle engines range from 30cc to over 80cc in size. (See page 3 for definition of 2-cycle vs. 4-cycle engines.) In recent years, outdoor power equipment companies and engine manufacturers have been developing a new generation of lightweight, 1hp to 3hp, low emission 4-cycle engines that meet and surpass state and federal emissions regulations.

Cutting bar sizes vary in length from 12" to 24" for handling most household tree trimming and small log cutting chores -- and up to 43" bar sizes for professional work.

Safety features found on chain saws include chain brake systems,
anti-kickback devices, and built-in gear-driven oiling systems.

Safety Reminder

REMEMBER: Always be sure to wear proper protective clothing and eyewear when using edgers and trimmers.

Read the operator's manual for proper instructions regarding safety precautions and lubrication of the cutting bar and chain before operating.