Trac Vac 580 modify for 8inch hose?

[Just2quickz28]

Guys I bought a used Trac Vac 580 6hp leaf vac a while back for 200$. I am using it behind my BX24 with a 54in mower. I find that for grass clippings the 6inch hose is not a problem, but this time of year the leaves tend to build up and even going slow tend to clog up the hose.

I was looking at the unit doesn't look like it would be too hard to swap the front plate over to one with a 8in adapter on the front of course I would have to change my mower boot. Any one have any input?

 

[art]

I'd think that a better investment would be the larger machine.

 

[Just2quickz28]

How so. even a bigger used unit is 1300$. I already need a new hose so that money will be spent. The boot I have is AgriFab that I got for 45$ so loosing that isn't a big deal. The only real cost will be changing the front of the impeller housing. Which is just a plate with a 6inch tube sticking out......

 

[Tompet]

I've had a 6in and 8in model of Trac Vac. Your idea is excellent. An 8in hose makes a large difference picking up leaves especially when they are thick and wet. To keep my same deck boot a friend made an adapter for the 8in hose. IMO the 580 model and similar should have the 8in hose option.
tp

 

[Just2quickz28]

The local shop has 8in hose for 13.95$ a foot and the 6in hose for 11.95$(plus shipping since its special order for them). I took a look at my cheap plastic AgriFab boot and it has a place for an 8in hose (just need to cut the 6in section back) I will talk to the local welding shop to see how much to make me a new impeller cover for 8in. I could make it but just be time that I don't have.

Last concern: Any issue if the intake is 8in and the exhaust is 6in? Usually the hose clogs up before the impeller,I am thinking the reduction of the leaves caused by the impeller should keep the exhaust hose from clogging up. I guess if theres an issue there I can always retro fit the exhaust hose to 8in at some point (Like in the summer when its not in use )

 

[kennyd]

Last concern: Any issue if the intake is 8in and the exhaust is 6in? Usually the hose clogs up before the impeller,I am thinking the reduction of the leaves caused by the impeller should keep the exhaust hose from clogging up. I guess if theres an issue there I can always retro fit the exhaust hose to 8in at some point (Like in the summer when its not in use )

Seems to me you would have "bottleneck" there at the blower with a 8" hose feeding into a 6" hose. I think you will need to change both.

 

[TBDonnelly]

I've had a Trac-Vac 580 for 20 years. About 6 years ago I bought a new riding mower and there was a promotion for a power-flo bagging unit. This unit hangs on the end of the mower deck and has it's own impeller that is powered by the closest mower deck spindle. I coupled this unit with the Trac-Vac 580 and the performance is incredible. In my mind, changing to a larger hose with the same amount of horsepower will actually slow the flow rather than increasing the performance.

Don

 

[Toolguy]

I think you are on to something. The long length of hose from the chute to the vaccum is the problem. I had a similiar setup. I pulled a 5hp Easy Rake with 6" hoses behind my JD318 with a 50" mower. It had problems with the hose clogging on wet leaves. When I got my B3030 I converted the Easy Rake to 3PTH. I wasn't sure how well it would work behind a 60"MMM, but I gave it a try. The resulting setup reduced the length of the hose by half. The shorter hose makes such a difference that even with the 60" MMM on the Kubota it works better than it ever did pulling it behind a 50" MMM. I think the larger 8" hose should help. It is worth a try, at least.

I also have an Agri Fab plastic boot on my Kubota MMM. The steel one from the old setup was way too small. I made a few mods to the deck and the chute to keep the air moving through the boot as smoothly as possible. The boot causes a big dead air space where the grass and leaves coming out of the deck slow down before being sucked into the hose on the way to the impeller. I made baffles that make the opening of the deck and the interior of the boot smaller. That helped a lot. I can now mow grass at normal ground speed. I slow down in leaves depending on how thick and/or wet they are. Wet leaves are not a problem. The only time the boot or hose clogs now is if a stick get sideways in the hose. Good luck.

 

[redharley]

I think you will be ok,I have 8" hose's on my older trac-vac,I have replaced the old worn out 5hp motor with a 6.5hp and it makes a world of difference.I run it behind my BX with a 60" deck this thing really suck's.Like said before the sticks can be a problem. Boy and this year if I could get it to pick up all my acorn's and hickory nuts, but wait that's why I have the trained squirrel's.

 

[Just2quickz28]

Thanks for all the info. I am beginning to think my boot my be some of the cause of the clogs. It has seen better days. I may try modifying the boot and pull the machine closer to the tractor. My 6in hose is already about 2 ft too short since over the weekend the discharge hose ripped in half and I wanted to keep working so I cut the mower hose down to repair the other.

Just trying to figure out what will work the best before ordering a 120$ worth of hose