Chipper Need Vacuum/Shredder, but not chipper.

[AndyH]

mightydon,

We've had our commercial model Cyclone Rake for about a year; probably put about 50 hours on it. So far, the impeller isn't showing any real wear. The company does warn you not to vacuum up rocks, etc., although an occasional item is unavoidable if you clean up planting beds and stone walls.

The unit can become fairly heavy if you have a complete load of damp leaves and grass (it shreds the material pretty finely, so you can pack quite a bit in the cart). I haven't found it to be a problem, though my wife mentions it occasionally.

I can't comment on how well the fabric sides of the unit hold up over time, since we've only had it a year. So far, no wear apparent. The fabric is a fairly thick material, along the lines of cordura. It also has vinyl (?) inserts sewn on the inside surfaces where the blower discharges into the cart, presumably to avoid wear on the fabric.

We have yet to break the unit down for storage; we've found ourselves using it frequently enough that we've left it assembled. One issue with storage is the bulky hoses (at least if you get the optional vacuum pickup hose or discharge hose); they take up a lot of space, and are a pain to wrestle with.

Glad to see another Ford 1220 user; what's been your experience with it?

Andy

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I bought the 1220 in 1994. I used to put all my leaves through a troybuilt 8 hp C/S... that became to hard on the back. Since 1994 the leaves go straight from the Trac-Vac to the compost pile and get turned regularly with the 1220 FEL. I've gradually gone from a doctor of compost, to a dirt doctor, to a Hosta Farmer. Every year my Hosta beds seem to grow a little larger..... they grow like crazy in the compost, no fertilizer needed. I constantly use it like a wheel barrow with hydraulic arms, a real back saver. I plug the lawn, roll the lawn. Created quite a few Landscaped area. I also have a rear mount Snow thrower, only used rarely(not enough snow). I live in Southeast Michigan. Back blade used for the gravel drive & snow. The one thing I miss is power steering with a heavy load in the bucket. It's been a very reliable tractor, just regular maintenence. As each year passes, I'm considering updating to a tractor with power steering. Otherwise it's a indespensible piece of equipment.