Chipper Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper.

   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper. #1  

DocHeb

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Joined
May 24, 2001
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2,384
Location
Michigan
Tractor
New Holland TC40D Supersteer
I have a walk-behind 9 hp Cub Cadet vacuum/shredder/chipper that works OK on smaller jobs, but I'm looking for a heavier duty unit. The chipper on the Cub Cadet gives out too much punishment (noise and vibration) - I never use it. I'd rather have a PTO shredder unit that has multiple swinging hammers and vacuums up the material like my Cub Cadet. I really don't have any need for a chipper for material > 1". All the chipper/shredder units I've seen have hoppers that require lifting the material. I'd rather drive along and have a 10" vacuum hose be guided to lift up leaves and garden debris, shred it up, and blow it into the following trailer. Any ideas? I could even use a source for the vacuum/shredder/flywheel housing by itself, and make my own.
 
   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper. #2  
Maybe something exists exactly like you want: I haven't seen it. I've been thinking about the same idea. The vacuums I've seen aren't designed to shred and the shredders aren't designed to vacuum.

If you want a flywheel driven shredder, you're looking at a housing that will probably require top feed. I'd think turning it on its side might result in feeding problems. It seems to me you either have to blow the material through the shredder or suck it through from the discharge end or maybe even do both.

Running all that off the pto could be done but it might be more trouble than it's worth. Bearcat/ Woods makes a pto unit that although it incorporates a chipper, does allow for an optional fan and chute to move the shredded material into a trailer. Making up a hitch to pull a trailer behind the chipper could be done but it would be ugly.

I've looked at it with that thought in mind. An offset framework that would look like something out of an Escher drawing would have to be built around the shredder so that the load from the trailer wasn't transferred through the shredder. Beyond that the easiest thing to do would be to add a separate engine driven vacuum unit that would feed material to a sheet metal box enclosing the top of the shredder hopper.

Another problem is that the small shredder/vacuum units may not have the power needed to move material through a long hose. I've got a small one that has a 5 or 6 hp motor I was looking at as a donor machine. It came with a suction hose but it never worked well with anything that was the least bit damp. I'm wondering if a larger engine would make it work better

Another thing is that a lot of hose on the end of something to guide it is going to be difficult to handle while operating the tractor unless it's fixed to something. That's what I've come up with over the last year.
 
   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper. #3  
Well there is something close, but not exactly as you describe. Bluebird International (www.bluebirdintl.com) makes a lawn vac that has BOTH an internal shredder and a small chipper. It is powered by an 8 hp engine (no PTO version available) and the suction hose is normally hooked to the midmount or frontmount mower deck on the tractor, but you can also use it with a hand wand to vacuum in tight spaces. I have had mine for several years and like it very much. I only use the chipper function for small sticks and branches that happen to drop onto the lawn--not big cleanup jobs. The shredder reduces the volume of the grass and debris significantly.

This is the only lawn vac system with a built-in shredder that I have been able to find.
 
   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper.
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks for the Bluebird URL. I never came across that site during my searches.
 
   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper. #6  
I use a Trac-Vac / Shredder Vacuum and find it reallly useful. Hooked to the mower deck it will clean the lawn like a vacuum cleaner - shreading leaves twigs grass into fines. I use it in the fall to pick up leaves, and in the spring to 'bag' the lawn - adding loads of grass clippings (Nitrogen) to the compost piles. Detach hose from the mower deck - add a 10' extenstion hose - and clean out beds and such within a 25' radius from the unit. Load up the bigger sticks in a wagon and take it to a stand alone chipper.

Rural King a Tractor Supply sell a similar unit - but lots more plastic.
 
   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper. #7  
Bruce,

I've also been looking, did find one at Cyclone Rake www.cyclonerake.com - they make two, a small 27CF, and 40CF with higher HP. Both have molded impeller and offer a suction pipe, and dump or blow out discharge.

They attach to the mower deck appears like the Trac Vac. Also Cost is $1000 for the small and $1300 for the larger version. Whats the cost on the Trac Vac, as I'm still looking?

Carl
 
   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper. #8  
Carl,
The Cyclone Rake also has a great video plus infomation..just submit little info and they will send you a package.
 
   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper. #9  
All
I'm still in the looking phase also.
Looked at the Cyclone site and it looks appealing enough that I sent off for more info. Price looks good also.
Does anyone have any expereance with their product?
Are they durable?
Just had my spring cleaning done this weekend and Trac Vac was recomended to me by the landscaper (had to hire it out this year but that's another story).
I looked at their web site several times over the last year but never got around to looking at them at a dealer so I have no idea about pricing. Guess it's time to go to pay a visit to the dealer, besides it's another excuse to kick a few CUT tires.
Keith

PS Thomas, good to see you posting again, maybe one day Muhammad will get us that spell checker! Keith
 
   / Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper.
  • Thread Starter
#10  
The CycloneRake's impeller appears to be a radial fan blade, not a shredder. Although they say it reduces volume, I'd really prefer something with swinging hammers that would really "mulch-it-up". The best I found was as suggested above, at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluebirdintl.com/products/vacuums_chippers/46cv_86cv.html>Bluebird 46CV/86CV</A>. Although it isn't PTO driven, it may be more convienent to pull a trailer only, rather than try to have a TPH/PTO unit and an additional trailer after it. However, the Bluebird unit has a 8hp B&S engine, while my Cub Cadet has a 9hp. The local distributer lists the 86CV at $2500. I may just adapt my trailer to my Cub Cadet and use that.
 
 
 
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