In reply to Greenbanks:
Guilty!
I'm happy to come out and stand proud as a member of the leaf blowing brethren.
I invested in a leaf blower 2 years ago as my house has a large gravel driveway. I am not sure if you have tried using a grass rake or broom (your suggestion) on gravel but it is not very effective.
To maximise the utility in my investment the leaf blower is shared with my parents who live close by.
Leaves are only gathered on still days and we typically collect them over three session over the course of the winter. Total hours of leaf blowing perhaps 3-4 hours. Not too much of disruption for you is it over a 5-6 month period?
Leaf blowers are also a fantastic tool for getting a reluctant fire going in less than ideal conditions.
We only collect the leaves from the gravel and not the lawns, we're not that retentive.