Mow, vacuum leaves, and load - ideal machine?

[J_J]

Hi Dave, I remember you from the PT forum. Try this web site.

The Cyclone Rake lawn vacuum, from Woodland Power Products

J.J.

[Dk45_Jeff]

Have you considered just mulching the leaves? Any mulching mower, even a walk behind, will chop leaves into tiny pieces which disappear completely after a couple of days. The money saved on a bagger of lawn vacuum would go a long ways toward other implements, like a snow blower, for your dream machine.

[jeffinsgf]

Originally Posted by Dk45_Jeff

Have you considered just mulching the leaves? Any mulching mower, even a walk behind, will chop leaves into tiny pieces which disappear completely after a couple of days. The money saved on a bagger of lawn vacuum would go a long ways toward other implements, like a snow blower, for your dream machine.

That depends entirely on the amount of "leaf" in question. If you have a solid mat of leaves 4 or 5 inches thick before you mulch, when you're done you'll have a solid mat of mulched leaves 1 or 2 inches thick, and you'll have no grass in the Spring. Mulching works great for yards that get a scattering of leaves, but if you have lots of trees (or your neighbors do), you have few options other than collecting them.

[davesisk]

Exactly right guys. When I have just a scattering of leaves, I simply run over them with the walk-behind mower and the shredded leaves stay behind. However, around now in Fall, the leaves pile up so much that simply shredding them with the walk-behind mower and leaving them is a dense enough spreading of leaf mulch that it does indeed kill the grass. About the only blessing is that at least they are easier to blow after I've shredded them...but all considered, it's a lot of work, and I can't think of much that I detest more than clearing wet leaves!

I have used my neighbor's walk-behind leaf vac once. It worked well, but I had to stop every 10 mins to empty the bag.

Ya know, I'm actually a little surprised that no mfg already makes a riding mower with leaf vac/shredder/bagger deal already built-in. I guess the Snapper Hi-Vac is about the closest to that.

Dave

[jeffinsgf]

Originally Posted by davesisk

Exactly right guys. When I have just a scattering of leaves, I simply run over them with the walk-behind mower and the shredded leaves stay behind. However, around now in Fall, the leaves pile up so much that simply shredding them with the walk-behind mower and leaving them is a dense enough spreading of leaf mulch that it does indeed kill the grass. About the only blessing is that at least they are easier to blow after I've shredded them...but all considered, it's a lot of work, and I can't think of much that I detest more than clearing wet leaves!

I have used my neighbor's walk-behind leaf vac once. It worked well, but I had to stop every 10 mins to empty the bag.

Ya know, I'm actually a little surprised that no mfg already makes a riding mower with leaf vac/shredder/bagger deal already built-in. I guess the Snapper Hi-Vac is about the closest to that.

Dave

A set of gator blades and any JD PowerFlo bagger will make short work of that job.

EDIT: I decided to add an experience I had this Fall to support the above brief comment. The PowerFlo system works like most of the vacuum systems that have a separate motor -- that is, there is a fan drawing intake from the deck and forcing it out to the collection unit. Except, the PowerFlo doesn't have a separate motor. You replace one pulley on your deck with a stacked pulley. Then the PowerFlo mounts to the deck, a belt hooks onto the stacked pulley and you're ready to collect. After the bracket and pulley are installed, putting the PowerFlo on takes less than a minute.

I core aerated my zoysia lawn in late summer. Many of you know that what you are left with is a yard that looks like it has been visited by the 101 Dalmatians. You're supposed to leave the plugs on the lawn, where rain and traffic will break down the plugs and redistribute the soil. Except we had no rain and my yard doesn't get much traffic. So, when the leaves fell and it was time to clean them up, the plugs were still everywhere. I was amazed that the PowerFlo had enough suction to pick up the plugs. My compost pile got a healthy infusion of leaf litter, grass clippings and soil plugs. With the 19 bushel trailer, I only had to empty it twice in doing an acre of lawn.

[davesisk]

I assume the JD PowerFlo bagger has some sort of suction/shredder motor from it's name?

Dave

[jeffinsgf]

Originally Posted by davesisk

I assume the JD PowerFlo bagger has some sort of suction/shredder motor from it's name?

Dave

My edit crossed paths with your question. See my newly edited comment. Yes, the PowerFlo is a suction shredder, but without a motor. It picks up its power from a deck spindle.

[ronjhall]

I use a Trac-Vac that mounts on rear hitch of a lawn tractor. It's 42 gallon drum fills up very fast. Takes 10-15 dumps to do one clean up of the front lawn.
Kubota makes a BX pickup that uses mower to power vacuum pickup. But they also have small storage areas.
This year I found a used 8 hp Trac-Vac trailer type pickup system. Lawn was picked up in 2 loads.
When it comes to cleaning up leaves, having a large capacity storage area would be my first requirement for leaf pickup.

[jeffinsgf]

Coming to the Woodworking Show this weekend, Ron? Stop by the booth if you do.

Jeff

[ronjhall]

Originally Posted by jeffinsgf

Coming to the Woodworking Show this weekend, Ron? Stop by the booth if you do.

Jeff

That's the plan Jeff.