Mowing trac vac mower deck boot

[raykos]

Hi all,

I have the John Deere 54" mid mount mower deck on my 2305. I also have a Trac Vac that I used with my old Craftsman tractor for vacuming up leaves. Of course the old leaf discharge chute doesn't fit my new mower deck and a new chute(or boot?) costs around $200; which is a little to much for me.

While searching for an alternative,(dare I say it), on the Kubota site a gentlemen said he found a Agri-Fab boot that after some modifications worked for him.

Does anyone have any other suggestions or has anyone tried the Agri-Fab on the John Deere?

Thanks,
Ray

 

[VA_Joe]

The agrafab boot that I am familiar with is a plastic universal boot that is "cut to fit" by the purchaser. It may or may not work well for your application.

The trac vac boot is a steel boot that is made specifically to fit your deck. Up until a couple of years ago - the trac vac boots were about $125 or so. I was told that when they realized that people were buying other company's vacuums for several hundred less but purchasing their custom boots - they increased the price of the boot to make up for the lost sale/profit.

Joe

 

[dmg]

Hello Raykos , I do have the agi fab unit on my 2305 , and it is plastic and I had to cutom cut it to fit , I have the 62C deck and I have been using bungy cords to attach it to the deck as the manufacurer suggest. It works ok , but not as good as the Trac Vac custom connections that my neighbor has in my opinion. The patterns that Agri Fab included with the unit do not include the
larger John Deere mower decks so you will be on your own. I used a dremel tool at very high speed with a side cutting drill bit , and just removed a little at a time.

 

[zzvyb6]

I have both. The metal Trac-vac housing was thin steel and folded easily if it got hooked on a fence post, etc. The plastic agri-fab deal works well on my 48" traditional deck (JD525) and on my 72" JD MMM. Because it's a bit big for my 48" deck, I've padded the housing with closed cell foam to seal it relative to the deck housing. That way the suction all applies to the deck contents. I also expanded the hose size (12") because the 72" deck can push a lot of volume (leaves and grass). The plastic is actually a vinyl flexible material so it stays in shape yet can give if I strike something. I also have used a custom funnel made from a large traffic cone. It tore at the attachment points so I went with the commercial Agri unit. Once you get it sealled up, everything goes thru it. Also, I found that the wet grass, leaves and dirt don't stick inside the plastic chute like the metal one. That can be a nightmare as you imagine having to clear out a blockage (certain types of sticks) and realize the mower is still turning. My mowers have safetys to actually prevent this, but I always get paranoid when the time comes. Its hooked up to a Woods all metal collector trailer. Best action was when I ran thru some glowing ashes and set the trailer contents on fire. The blower acts as a blast furnace system. When I got back to the dump area, 2 yds of leaves were all gone. The smoke trail was awesome ! All I lost was some paint.

 

[raykos]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the repliies, I think I just might gamble and try the Agri-Fab. And, "VA_Joe", when I first talked to my dealer he thought he remembered the price being around the $100-$125 price range, but when he got back to me he said it had gone up to $200, just like you said. Now, I wonder if Trac Vac made back the money they thought they were losing, or if they are now losing even more? I know I would have bought the boot if it was still in the $100-$125 price range; but not now!

 

[VA_Joe]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the repliies, I think I just might gamble and try the Agri-Fab. And, "VA_Joe", when I first talked to my dealer he thought he remembered the price being around the $100-$125 price range, but when he got back to me he said it had gone up to $200, just like you said. Now, I wonder if Trac Vac made back the money they thought they were losing, or if they are now losing even more? I know I would have bought the boot if it was still in the $100-$125 price range; but not now!

Tough to say. Given their better fit and hassle-free" first time set-up (no cutting required - you should have seen the butcher job a neighbor of mine did), the extra $100 or so is not that big a deal if the mower deck, tractor, and leaf vacuum is over ten or twenty grand (it's in the noise). Odds are that most folks in this category are buying a "professional" leaf vac to begin with (Trac Vac, Hasty Vac, etc.) vice a more "consumer-oriented" home store unit.

 

[getindirty]

Try this site for a deck adaptor. I do not know if the hose will work.

Mower Deck Adapter connects the Cyclone Rake lawn vacuum to Your Mower Deck

$100 to your door

Good luck

 

[keeney]

I purchased the JD material collection boot for my 60" deck as a "part" to adapt an agri-fab impeller unit and it works just great. There was a bit of an issue with the hose size, but I don't remember what it was. 9" vs 8" maybe?

Check out the JD parts website. Once you have the right P/N, any JD dealer can order it for you.

- Rick