hazmat
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2002
- Messages
- 4,034
- Location
- West Newbury, MA & Harrison, ME
- Tractor
- Kubota L5460HSTC
trac vac 662 or "truck loader" with existing dump wagon for leaf & grass pickup?
Hi gang,
I've got a side discharge mowing deck on order to replace my rear discharge unit. As such I'm ready to declare war on grass clippings and leaves.
Tractor - 18HP New Holland TC18 small compact (not sub) w/ 54" MMM.
Yard - 1 acre of actual grass with 3 dozen mature apple and other trees "in lawn" plus bordering "forest".
Uses - Suck up leaves, apples (I've heard I will make apple sauce if I can pick up the apples), and once in a while grass. I try to mulch the grass, but occasionally it gets away from me - esecially with spring rains or if I go on vacation.
Up for consideration trac vac Model 662 "three point hitch" model w/ pony moter. On their website they claim that the unit mounts to the "stabilizer arms" so as not to interfere with the MMM raising and lowering. I've got to give them a call to clarify as their online manual mentions nothing about installation
Cost $1,895 MSRP (2006) w/ 6.5HP Briggs
PRO model w/ Kohler and improved impeller is $2,195 (2006)
Capacity - 20 ft^3
8" intake tube, ?? impeller diameter
Pros - less engineering/fabrication required, manuverable,
Cons - low capacity, low power, ??? How long to hook unit up - disables three point use when attached, very manual dumping - you lift buckets.
Behind curtain #2 Billy Goat Truck Loader attached to country manufacturing trailer. I already have the trailer complete with hydraulic dump. I'd have to fabricate a "leaf box" for it and figure out a way to mount the unit (which is on a skid). I'm considering a high box for the trailer anyway as my new chipper has a discharge chute.
Cost $2,000 for 11HP Briggs
$2,400 for 13HP Honda
Capacity 128ft^3
8" intake tube, 14.24" impeller, 2013 cubic feet per minute
Pros, High power (Honda available), 5X capacity, relatively quick hookup - place vac unit on trailer & go, power dumping, smaller storage footprint in shed
Cons, Higher cost, some engineering/fabrication required (can use trac vac "boot" to adapt to mower deck), less manuverable.
So, long story short, which approach would you use? Anybody running the trac vac 662 care to comment on performance? I'm not interested in one of their tow behind models, as I already have a trailer & no room to store another.
Here's a shot of my backyard
and the trailer
Hi gang,
I've got a side discharge mowing deck on order to replace my rear discharge unit. As such I'm ready to declare war on grass clippings and leaves.
Tractor - 18HP New Holland TC18 small compact (not sub) w/ 54" MMM.
Yard - 1 acre of actual grass with 3 dozen mature apple and other trees "in lawn" plus bordering "forest".
Uses - Suck up leaves, apples (I've heard I will make apple sauce if I can pick up the apples), and once in a while grass. I try to mulch the grass, but occasionally it gets away from me - esecially with spring rains or if I go on vacation.
Up for consideration trac vac Model 662 "three point hitch" model w/ pony moter. On their website they claim that the unit mounts to the "stabilizer arms" so as not to interfere with the MMM raising and lowering. I've got to give them a call to clarify as their online manual mentions nothing about installation
Cost $1,895 MSRP (2006) w/ 6.5HP Briggs
PRO model w/ Kohler and improved impeller is $2,195 (2006)
Capacity - 20 ft^3
8" intake tube, ?? impeller diameter
Pros - less engineering/fabrication required, manuverable,
Cons - low capacity, low power, ??? How long to hook unit up - disables three point use when attached, very manual dumping - you lift buckets.
Behind curtain #2 Billy Goat Truck Loader attached to country manufacturing trailer. I already have the trailer complete with hydraulic dump. I'd have to fabricate a "leaf box" for it and figure out a way to mount the unit (which is on a skid). I'm considering a high box for the trailer anyway as my new chipper has a discharge chute.
Cost $2,000 for 11HP Briggs
$2,400 for 13HP Honda
Capacity 128ft^3
8" intake tube, 14.24" impeller, 2013 cubic feet per minute
Pros, High power (Honda available), 5X capacity, relatively quick hookup - place vac unit on trailer & go, power dumping, smaller storage footprint in shed
Cons, Higher cost, some engineering/fabrication required (can use trac vac "boot" to adapt to mower deck), less manuverable.
So, long story short, which approach would you use? Anybody running the trac vac 662 care to comment on performance? I'm not interested in one of their tow behind models, as I already have a trailer & no room to store another.
Here's a shot of my backyard
and the trailer