My leaf blower is also a vacuumn, so leaves are sucked up, chewed up, and spewed into a bag. Great if you have a compost heap! While I, too, don't especially like the noise, it is easier on this ole girl's back to heft the blower/vacuumn than to swish a broom. Sorry, I don't have a gardener, but maybe soon. He will like the instrument, too. I'm sure.