I fully support banning them on Saturday and Sunday mornings before 9am. That and lawn mowers

What's next Lawnmowers? There are already noise laws in place and if you don't like where you live the you are free to move. If anything how about just set some reasonable hours of operation.

What are they in Arlington? Nuts? Do you think you could afford for a crew to rake up every leaf and blade of grass? If you're allergic or something, stay inside until they're done! BUT, I do agree about this NOT happening before 8am at least!

Common Sense wins the day: "A proposal to ban leaf blowers in Marblehead was defeated at Town Meeting Tuesday night."

It seems that there is some consensus around regulating the hours of operation for leaf blowers.

I do not support banning leaf blowers. Although they can be annoying at times, there usefulness out weighs the noise. I use one myself. Also as others have stated, what next?

What did we do before leaf blowers?

Ban them!! Who needs them! Either rake up the leaves or grass clippings or leave them for nature to get rid of by wind, rain or whatever. Just alot of energy used for nothing, like an electric tie holder. Silly!

Perhaps we should ban motorcycles, wow are they noisy and annoying.
Are electric and battery leaf blowers that much quieter?
Where will the illegals work if we shut down their landscape businesses?

The operation of gasoline powered leaf blowers and other other noise makers (lawnmowers, noisy motorcycles, chain saws, jet skis,etc) should responsibly be curtailed until after noon on Sundays and in communities in the evening. I try to observe these neighborly considerations in my neighborhood and wish that others would as well.

I would bet a noise ordinance already exists. This is silly.
It many be a sign of improving economy, where people have nothing else to worry about. Nah, probably not. More likely it is desire to control others thru increased legislation.

Motorcycle drivers mostly appear in packs and are inconsiderate and extremely noisy. Let's put a stop to them!!!

Let's not forget the snow blowers, I expect to see all you leaf blower hating people out there raking leaves and shoveling snow. Sounds like a fun time in the city. I'm going to ride my motorcycle around town to see that spectacle as soon as I figure out where my "pack" went... I guess it's not just the police that like to profile, go figure.

Let's get those damn stereos in the cars that rattle my windows in the house as they drive by a couple of miles away.

Ollie and Vinny DeMacedo did all the leaf raking at our place in Kingston, Mass. They did a great job and they were nice and quiet too!

Is this for real? WTF

These people are NUTS. You think the mosquitos are bad now, wait until you have 2 feet of leaves around your yard. Can you say E.E.E. Where do these WACO'S come from? I'll stop using my leaf blower when you pry it from my cold dead fingers. Oh yeah, and the anti motorcycle people should crawl back in their caves too. In the summer, I use one fourth the amount of fuel that I would battling the stupid tourist traffic around the wonderfull Cape. They should ban the stupid RIPOFF FAIR, too

... Only in MA. This is now a national story! Does anyone realize how off-the-wall crazy this makes us look? This state is the lead turd as the toilet flushes. Thanks liberals.

The simple solution would be to ban all trees with leaves. Cut down all of the oaks! It worked in the Lower Cape, where removing the trees helped create a National Park!

Lets ban:
Concerts at the band shell,...... its too loud, I want to enjoy the harbor
Kids ban them..... they make noise, and sometimes before 9am I am lazy and sleep all day.
Ambulances....... it annoying when I am sleeping and get woke up
Bikes on roads. its a hazard to drivers.
Smoking and drinking...... no one really needs that.
Spoons..... they make people fat, make it only legal to use chopsticks.
Freedom- I am smarter than you, and know what is best........So I will make laws so you will comply to my ideas.

Ban trees?! But then I can't park my hybrid Prius in the shade...and all of my liberal/socialist/Obama-loving bumper stickers will peel off! And, if I cut down my oak tree, I will be contributing to global warming. I'd park the car in the garage, but then the toxic fumes might leach into my kitchen and contaminate my organic veggies which may in turn cause me to go into a mental state which would cause me to have crazy thoughts...like BANNING LEAF BLOWERS in my community "for the better good of society". Are there no true Americans left in this state? Country? What will be next? Banning crying babies, airplanes, police sirens, whisles, balloon popping, fireworks displays (oh, wait, we ban them on the Cape for the comfort of the birds)?

Tim,
You are killing the environment with your Prius, 5 batteries, and 10 batteries over the life of the vehile......lead and acid are not easily recycled and are detriment to the environment...... but thats facts and liberals can't deal with facts.........

I'm just going to ride my bicycle, recycle the tires when they wear out, and rake my parents lawn; because even though I live far, far away from them, I can get over there on the weekend to do it. Even if they do have over an acre of property and about 20 trees. I have a good pair of gloves.

Cut the trees down......no more leaves..............

Massachusetts has noise ordinances which should be enforced instead. If Arlington wants stricter hours they can make more stringent regulations.

WOW! This article obviously hit a nerve! I can't believe people don't have anything better to do with their time than sit around trying to make life more difficult for everyone. Yes, I said everyone. Do you realize how your streets are cleaned? They use a vacuum! I guess we should ban that too? Do you really want debris left on the roadway after an accident? Have you seen how they clean that up? Duh. People, please, what does this have to do with "quality of Life"? Help your neighbors, clean up after yourself, AND your Pets. WAIT! Let's ban PETS! After all, they don't even pay Taxes! Also, wild Animals! They don't even have an owner who may or may not pick up after them! Do we see the point here? Thjis is sheer craziness! GET A LIFE!!!

Wow, pretty extreme, but not a lot of solutions. Why not require that the manufacturers rework the mufflers to make them less loud? The picture shows the operators with ear protection but this is often not the case. Are they required? Should they be to protect the employees? How loud must those commercial units be that close??? Make them more efficient so they don’t send so much oil/gas fumes in the air? The two stroke emission is particularly bad for our air quality. Yes this will probably make the machine cost a little more, but that was the same cry we heard from the auto industry about seat belts and air bags. Who wants to buy a car without belts or bags?

I support a ban on liberal thought.

Liberal thought is an oxymoron Tim!!!!

I must chime in here, this nuisance has naturally kept me focused on it a while now:
I have been living next door to nerve-wracking, commercial landscaping practices like clockwork every week, sometimes twice in one week, for 4 years now! Not only the noise but the air pollution has been driving me ballistic, and no, you just can't pick up and move! Do I consider myself a nut for being bothered by the idea of having to either hold my breath or suck in toxic air pollution? Do I need to get a life because I'm disturbed over having to stop all that I am doing in my own home when these loud-asses come spend two-hours on that silly property, and evacuate to someplace quiet where I could hear myself think? No! I do not.

Them heavy duty tractor lawnmowers sound like bulldozers coming into my home; next it's the trimmers, then the blowers... sometimes it's the blowers first AND last! From across the street, parked in my car, I've watched the guy wandering around with that thing, looking as though he had no direction of where he was going, what he was doing as he just swung that blower back and forth in sweeping motion creating unnecessary dirt and whatnots to be taken up into the air on already windy days, and right into any open windows if you don't have air conditioning. Luckily this time I got mine all closed in time! Pathetically, he seemed to be going over spots he already did even though there was nothing there... just something for him to do I guess, and waste more fuel, create more noise pollution... what the heck he's getting paid for time, not so much the job!

From April through November this crew spends a good two hours here as I'm forced to shut my windows, or evacuate so I could breathe fresh air!
People here are mentioning 10 minutes or less, but this blowing goes on for way longer than that here in Riverhead, NY! The pruning is unbelievable too... I could see if a vine was growing across a sidewalk putting someone at risk of twisting an ankle, but I've watched people go nuts over a weed poking through the fence (which always amuses rather than sickens me, any shows nature surprises us with!) and those people will viciously tear it down!

It was also mentioned on this thread that it's not a 'neighborly thing' to leave everything to nature and let your leaves be taken in the wind, but what do you think the blower is doing? Those clippings, leaves, dirt, and whatnots are blown right onto my property, my windowsills, my car -- all over the place! It does not disappear because they blow it away! I think it's a sloppy, lazy, and negligent alternative to raking and bagging leaves just like our elders survived doing in the old days. I can see large properties with lots of trees during the fall when leaves need to be handled easier with a blower, but all summer long just for clippings, dirt, and whatnots? This has gone too far! Put a bag on that lawnmower, get out your rakes and brooms or just leave it the hell alone! And if this occurs in a commercial area where there is a residence, more respect ought to be given for that resident, especially if they have a complaint about it due to health problems!

Blowers ought to be banned during spring and summer and only allowed for the major clear-up times when fall leaves are in abundance. We have enough noise and pollution from the lawnmowers and trimmers! Yes, not to mention the motorcycles and pick-ups if you live on a main road!
As for GETTING A LIFE, I think those that desire peace and quiet in their homes they pay for and deserve to enjoy, already have a life, despite those who are too wired-up and wrapped in other menial things disabling them from focusing on the vital well-being peace and quiet brings! Sorry they're too busy to have a 'life'. Those who create a nuisance need to be more considerate of those around them, not selfishly expect people not to be effected by that nuisance and complain! I don't think it's a matter of anyone trying to make things harder on anyone, we're just trying to enjoy our lives and save our health!

Deb, I am thankful I do not have to live next to you. You sound like one heck of joyful bundle. Therapy may not be cheap, but, may be well worth it. Good luck with your grass clippings and whatnots...