Leaf blowers are demonstrably faster than raking, though. So... I don't get your point.
Even more, it isn't like rakes don't have a horrible sound of their own, as soon as you get a single paved section involved.
Even more, it isn't like rakes don't have a horrible sound of their own, as soon as you get a single paved section involved.
Please define your terms. I have seen the people wielding these monstrosties piss around for hours chasing one or two leaves or meaninglessly form pile of leaves that have no function other than to appear large so that the other inefficient human can stop only once to load them onto their gasoline chariot.
Most of this work could easily be either: 1) solved by refusing the scorched earth, anal standard of lawn care ; 2) good old fashioned, quiet wheel barrows and rakes operated by people paid a fair wage for manual labor instead of externalizing costs onto the rest of us.
Used even remotely competently, a blower beats a rake. Hands down.
Now, there is a solid argument that for small yards, a rake and broom are fine. And indeed, that is what I use when doing my yard. With a large yard, though, blower with bagging lawn mower could accomplish in one day and ten bags what would take three days and forty bags. Easy.
With a rake or broom you can remove the leafs/dust, a blower mostly just makes it someone else's problem.
I can't hear your rake through my headphones two blocks and three stories up.
That said, I definitely have a push broom I use to finish off the sidewalk. Have to first rake, though, as i am moving a lot of leaves over it.