Leaf Blower

Up here, a rake works fine, our lot is only 100'x100'.....perhaps you are dealing with more real estate.
Are you sure you're not shooting yourself in the foot by using tools that permit you to do less work?......a rake is not that challenging, but does require more effort than a leaf blower.
I am a committed deciple of the "use it or loose it" theory.
No... I am not bragging.
It does worry me that people prefer to buy and use a tool that permits them to do less physical work, thus permitting their bodies to, shall we say, be at less than an optimal state of condition.
I guess I should add that I don't do the sports or gym thing.

Also..... where do the blown leaves go?

I've had a Stihl gas-powered leaf blower for about 10-12 years. It's a nice little machine. Back when I lived in Nebraska, I maintained my own 3/4 acre of bluegrass, and my neighbor lady's lot of the same size; after mowing both, I would run the blower for 15 minutes to blow the clippings off the driveways and sidewalks. The Stihl started easy and did a good job.

Then I moved to the High Rockies, el. 8500 feet. The Stihl became hard to start, and would barely blow air. Had to take it to a mower shop and have the carburetor adjusted to beyond any factory settings because of the elevation. But it runs good again, blows like crazy.

But if it ever bites the dust, I'll replace it with a battery-op, and stick with Stihl. I have this theory: the fewer small gas engines in your life, the better off you are. These modern-day batteries are amazing. I have a DeWalt string trimmer and just bought a Stihl chainsaw, both battery-powered. And both work amazingly well for the light work I do these days. And I have a battery-powered Ryobi sawzall that I use to trim my pine trees; I beat the crap out of that thing. When it croaks I'll replace it with a Stihl or DeWalt.

I bought a Stihl battery powered unit (BGA 57), with an extra battery this past Summer and it works well. I even used it to blow snow off the deck and my truck this winter. 

I have a large lot adjacent to woods. I tried raking the first year and it became obvious that raking that many leaves over that big am area was not going to work.

I bought a stihl backpack blower. I just blow em down into the woods. It's been great so far but I've only had it a year.

As far as small engines go, I buy no ethanol gas, treat it with stabil and that's it for storage. Everything just works.

^^Good advice^^

I live in a townhouse and since I have a small front and back yard, I use a corded electric Toro. A 50-foot sxtension cord allows me to reach anywhere on my property. I use the thing more as a dust blower than a leaf blower. It's perfect for blowing out all the dust from my shop. And it's as powerful as the gas pro-level Echo I had for many years.

\This model Toro is no longer available, but it looks similar to and functions exactly like this current one:

www.toro.com/en/homeowner/yard-tools/ultra-blower-vac-51609

I have one of those Toro's as well. It's a beast. I also have a gas powered Hitachi I got at Lowes that works well. It doesn't compare to the Toro as far as the amount and force of the air it blows. The only time I use the Hitachi is when it's too far away for my 100' extension cord to reach or have lots of blowing to do. It's not worth the time to mix a little bit of gas for something within range of electricity. The Toro blows so hard you almost need to use 2 hands to hold onto it or it gets very fatiguing after a short time. I use it for blowing the grass clippings out of all the nooks and crannies on my zero turn mower after mowing. That helps keep the mess out of my shed when I put the mower away.

For me, they go over the edge of the hill.  We have a ravine 50 feet deep that goes down to a creek on the east side of our property.  In the fall I move a rather gargantuan 3 foot tall X 50 foot long pile of leaves across the yard and over that hillside into a densely wooded area.  The ones that don't blow away end up decaying and making new dirt for the weeds and bushes to grow in.  By this late in the winter they are all gone.  It takes me a couple hours 2 to 3 times every fall to get rid of them all.  We have a few large oak, elm, and maple, trees in our front yard.  There are a lot of leaves that blow over from the woods across the road as well.  They get too deep to mulch with the mower.

Ever since I replaced all my in-house carpeting with tile, I've relied on a Black and Decker electric leaf blower for cleaning. I start at one end of the house, and using controlled bursts, I'm able to corral all the dust, dirt and cat hair into one corner by my fireplace hearth, where the Dyson vacuum scoops it up. No need to bother with long reach dust wands or whatever, to get under couches and chairs, as the B&D whisks everything right outta there.
I've heard you can use leaf blowers outside as well, but I'd probably go with a gas powered unit for that. 

Dude, that would be overkill. I use one dish, one cup, one bowl and a fork in a typical 24 hour period. 

When I had a 1/4acre property I bought a DeWalt battery powered leaf blower. When I moved to 3/4acre, it was clear that it was no longer enough. Got a Stihl backpack gas-powered one and couldn't be happier. I still use the cordless one for small things and, as others above, clearing the deck of my lawn tractor.

The Devils' own implement...IMHO...scourge of the neighbourhood....I'll stick to my trusty yard broom...

Our town has a city compost site. The city picks it up if it is out on the curb.