BX Grass Catcher Conversion Kit

[bellweather]

thanks for the info redharley and everybody...looks like a good option. my one hesitation has to do with maneuverability. I have some tight corners, trees, stumps, etc. that I have to get around...I do a lot of reversing/forwarding to get at it all.

 

[keyman1808]

The cyclone rake is not that bad to turn with. It does not attach like a trailer it is 2 point mounting with swivel wheels. Makes your trator longer but turning and backing up is much simpler.

 

[bellweather]

How tippy is the CR? Like if mowing along an inclined lawn (as in not traveling up or down hill, but where the low side of the hill is left or right to the direction of travel). According to the spec sheet the "Classic" model is best suited to inclined lawns and tight spaces.

 

[Jnasystems]

I had a trac vac on my last tractor (also a BX) and loved it. It isn't very maneuverable though. I would always trim around obstacles before hooking up the vac making sure to discharge into the lawn. Made the time much lower as I didn't have to be as careful. It sold with the tractor as I moved to another state and had to rent for a year and a half.

Now what I would really like would be a larger dump trailer (run off the tractor hydraulics) and a pto powered blower assembly that also has small chipping abilities. I think that will be a diy project.

 

[Haywire]

I gotta back up a minute here. I talked to the dealer today and the grass catcher is more involved than I thought. I thought it was just a chute up to a bag. It actually includes a blower that attaches to the rear PTO. Still pricey since it depends on the tractor to actually power it, but it isn't as wildly out of whack as I thought.

I asked about the mulcher kit and he said it consisted of a baffle inside the deck that changes the air flow to direct the clippings back into the blades, a block off for the exhaust that extends into the deck a bit (not just a blank off plate) and the blades... it runs about $300 for everything. The blades were $66/set by themselves. I'm sure you could get by with less expensive aftermarket mulch blades.

Ian

 

[keyman1808]

Ian, It is really a nioce unit, expensive but nice. With extra hoses from CR or Agri Fab you can make an attachment to clean your shrub or flower gardens ect ect. I only wish we could get the hard sided self dumping unit they sell in Europe. That would be ideal.

 

[Tom_H]

I gotta back up a minute here. I talked to the dealer today and the grass catcher is more involved than I thought. I thought it was just a chute up to a bag. It actually includes a blower that attaches to the rear PTO. Still pricey since it depends on the tractor to actually power it, but it isn't as wildly out of whack as I thought.

I asked about the mulcher kit and he said it consisted of a baffle inside the deck that changes the air flow to direct the clippings back into the blades, a block off for the exhaust that extends into the deck a bit (not just a blank off plate) and the blades... it runs about $300 for everything. The blades were $66/set by themselves. I'm sure you could get by with less expensive aftermarket mulch blades.

Ian

Correct on all counts.

 

[BotaBigot]

Ian, It is really a nioce unit, expensive but nice. With extra hoses from CR or Agri Fab you can make an attachment to clean your shrub or flower gardens ect ect. I only wish we could get the hard sided self dumping unit they sell in Europe. That would be ideal.

It is a nice, well-made attachment...tedious to install until you get hang of it...and bags fill with leaves quickly (its a grass catcher, engineered for weight of wet grass rather than dry leaves). I've wanted that European bagger ever since I saw French video...

 

[Trafficman]

Rake what!?! That's what kids are for! :laughing: If they gripe ask them if they wanna eat. :licking: That's what dad did, worked too. :thumbsup:
T-Man.

 

[bellweather]

Hey T-man
I like your idea...got any spare kids you can send over? I'll feed em too.

Update - got a decent price on the bagger with boot and conversion kit...comes in a hair over $2K, which still sounds like a heck of a lot. I'm ruling out any kind of tow behind vac, such as Cyclone Rake, due to slope of front lawn and tight spaces. I may just skip the whole thing and continue moving leaves with a hand rake...ugh!