Gutter cleaning tool
- Thread starter DAustin
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Yankee2bbq
Well-known member
I have one on my leaf blower. They work…somewhat. You gotta make sure the leaves and gutter is dry. Also, if the gutter is to much packed with leaves…it doesn’t work good. Overall, I still use it.
For what it's worth, the roof slope on our one-story house is shallow enough that I walk the roof with a leaf blower.
This time of year there are many leaves and other debris, so I use the corded (more powerful) blower. I also bring a set of long (24-inch) tongs with me to extract the more stubborn clogs. But from spring into early fall, I use just a 40v B+D cordless.
Besides clearing the leaves, it gives me an opportunity to inspect the roof for problems — damaged shingles, flashings, etc.
But clearly a steeper pitch or a two-story height would change the procedure!
This time of year there are many leaves and other debris, so I use the corded (more powerful) blower. I also bring a set of long (24-inch) tongs with me to extract the more stubborn clogs. But from spring into early fall, I use just a 40v B+D cordless.
Besides clearing the leaves, it gives me an opportunity to inspect the roof for problems — damaged shingles, flashings, etc.
But clearly a steeper pitch or a two-story height would change the procedure!
iamhomeless
Well-known member
I have one for my sh86, it does work, the hardest part is actually controlling the whole thing, between force of the blower and the weight of the pipe running up in the sky, it can be a bear to hold onto. It does take multiple passes since some of the leaves you just blew out of one section will settle into the section you just cleaned.
It works better when the gutters are dry, but with a bigger blower, it can move wet leaves, but it will also blow the nasty water out and that will get on your windows, siding, and face, so it's better to so it dry.
It works better when the gutters are dry, but with a bigger blower, it can move wet leaves, but it will also blow the nasty water out and that will get on your windows, siding, and face, so it's better to so it dry.
captain14
Well-known member
I have the gutter attachment set up on corded leaf blower. As stated above, leaves have to be dry and don’t wait until the gutter is packed full. Sometime in the late summer, I’ll climb a ladder to make sure the gutters are clear of debris, then when the leaves start dropping, it’s every 5-7 days using the blower. It takes multiple passes to clear but once you get a system down, it’s easier. One story house on a basement.
Schurkey
Well-known member
I bought one of those extra-long compressed-air blow-guns. The sort with the four-foot nozzle. Then I put it into a tubing bender for a not-quite 180-degree bend close to the tip.
Plugged into 130 psi and two hundred feet of air hose, it works "ok" and I don't have to climb on the roof. It doesn't work any better than "ok", though.
Most of the time, I've still gotta climb on the roof and scoop the debris out by hand.
Plugged into 130 psi and two hundred feet of air hose, it works "ok" and I don't have to climb on the roof. It doesn't work any better than "ok", though.
Most of the time, I've still gotta climb on the roof and scoop the debris out by hand.
HPRifleman
Member Emeritus
I made my own out of PVC pipe.
It seems like a good idea but the biggest problem is that you still can't see if you got all the leaves out of the gutters. It blows air into the gutter, and leaves fly out, but you can only really verify if you get on a ladder and look. I have found that it's just as efficient to get up there and clean the leaves out by hand.
It seems like a good idea but the biggest problem is that you still can't see if you got all the leaves out of the gutters. It blows air into the gutter, and leaves fly out, but you can only really verify if you get on a ladder and look. I have found that it's just as efficient to get up there and clean the leaves out by hand.
Skiff Builder
Well-known member
Clamp your wireless security camera on top of the elbow.
Mount a wireless camera looking over gutter as well as area of yard.
Mirror on a pole.
Visual inspection best if you can do it.
Mount a wireless camera looking over gutter as well as area of yard.
Mirror on a pole.
Visual inspection best if you can do it.
I made my own out of PVC pipe.
It seems like a good idea but the biggest problem is that you still can't see if you got all the leaves out of the gutters. It blows air into the gutter, and leaves fly out, but you can only really verify if you get on a ladder and look. I have found that it's just as efficient to get up there and clean the leaves out by hand.
Clever! Where does the Stihl blower stop and the PVC homebrew begin?
HPRifleman
Member Emeritus
The black is Stihl. The white is me. 3" PVC reduced down to 2".
The 3" pipe just slides over the tapered Stihl nozzle and the weight holds it in place. Simply lifting on the PVC will remove it.
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
I've got one from Stihl for my backpack blower. It works wonderfully. Dry leaves just flutter away at about 100mph. 4 inches of wet glop will blast out of there like an elephant with explosive diarrhea. I had to pressure wash the house, the walk and me.
alfadan
Well-known member
Ditto on the hard to control comment. I too walk along on the roof.
The very first time I used the blower on the gutter it was the corded one, and in a stroke of genius I decided the best approach was to remove & collect the leaves, vacuum-shredding them using the blower in vac mode.
But many leaves were wet, and of course the vac bag is somewhat porous cloth. So the vac sprayed me through the bag with filthy schmutz from the gutter: dirty leaf water, teeny bits of shredded leaves, plain ol' dirt, and (presumably) residue of raccoons using the roof as a toilet.
Now I do the inspection walk first to deal with any problems where a fast jet of air could be problematic. That vac bag has been permanently retired from the job — and I always note where the wind is coming from...
I just got done installing this new gutter cleaning tool called gutter guards. Never clean another one again and it took about an hour to install on the whole house. It goes for as cheap as 89c a foot screws included. Wished I woulda done this from day one.
I do it with a DIY setup similar to HPR's. My ship vac can also be a leaf blower. Rather than directly attach the blower to my pvc, I use the original hose and leave the blower on the vacuum canister/base. The shop vac came with a nozzle that accelerates the air as it leaves. I attached that to the far end of my pvc works with some tape. I need to reach second floor gutters so my pvc section is quite long. I'm not sure I would want too attach the blower to the pvc directly even if I could.
And this is the rub. It makes such a mess.
I had to clean mine, this year, while it was wet and nasty… like Kay’s… it stained my driveway. If you can do it while the leaves are dry… it is so much less messy. I used nitrile gloves, with work gloves over, for about half the house. It was a lot more work, but the lack of mess was worth it.
I always put it off until it is a gross job. I am my own worst enemy sometimes.
toplessHO
Well-known member
attach to the large wet vac
no mess to clean up
Thanks to everyone for all the post. I went and got a gutter kit for my leaf blower and as soon as it dries out a little, I'll give it a try. It looks like the trick is to do it when leaves are dry. The kit didn't cost a whole lot, and if it works great if not, looks like I'll have to get gutter guards next year.
george4
Well-known member
Ditto, the larger the vac and dryer the debris the better.
captain14
Well-known member
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Unless you clean the gutters frequently through the year, the leaves will get wet and dry over and over. They'll start to decompose and compress into a hard cake that you won't be able to get out by just blowing on it.