Want a machine that will mulch leaves...lots of leaves.

[dalola]

A commercial ZTR & some G6 gator blades are all you need. The key is lots of tip speed (thus the commercial ZTR..).

I live along a river bank with 3 acres of huge sycamores... the biggest, toughest leaves I know of. Keep your shute open, and mow in a double-back pattern to create a "windrow". Hit the windrow a second time, it's pretty much dust. I will continue this pattern until early December, and the mighty sycamores are finally mostly bare. I've found this to be the quickest, simplest, most effective way of dealing with massive quantities of tough leathery leaves. Chopped leaves are also a good source of organic material to go back into the earth.

 

[shooterdon]

I ordered the Gator blades and will try them. For $30 it is a cheap fix if they work. Will order a mulch plug for the deck once I get a reply on the proper one to order?Looks like it will be about $20 or so. I have sandy soil that needs organic matter so mulching should be helpful if it works.

The Cyclone Rake looks good but I have a lot of trees and other junk to maneuver around. Another downside is yet another engine to maintain and item to store. But checked the reviews and it looks like a very good machine.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[amaxwell]

I ordered the Gator blades and will try them. For $30 it is a cheap fix if they work. Will order a mulch plug for the deck once I get a reply on the proper one to order?Looks like it will be about $20 or so. I have sandy soil that needs organic matter so mulching should be helpful if it works.

The Cyclone Rake looks good but I have a lot of trees and other junk to maneuver around. Another downside is yet another engine to maintain and item to store. But checked the reviews and it looks like a very good machine.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Try to start mulching before the leaves get too thick , or raise the deck to the highest level for the first run over them and lower the deck and go back over them a second time to prevent leaves riding over the top of the deck. It is a dusty job if the leaves are dry.

 

[Carl_NH]

Doesn't there come a point at which there are simply too many leaves for mulching in place?

Yes - usually after the first heavy frost late Oct - Nov, tons of leaves fall, and that is when I windrow them and vac them up. With a lot of trees and not much sun the grass cannot absorb all the leaf mulch.

With a lot of sun, and a thick grass cover, the lawn will compost it naturally - without this the mulched leaves suffocate the grass.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Thats what I expected. Sometimes I come across really neat purpose built leaf vacuumes at municipal auctions. I tried to buy a Buffalo Turbine blower, but it went for more than I was prepared to spend.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I'm hoping someone, when posting about solutions for leaves, will also give a remedy for pine needles. Those don't chop up even with mulching blades and mulching kit. Way too many for use only in azaleas flower beds, so no desire to rake and spread.

 

[thekkfan]

I walk little over acre yard and 3 acre back pasture with backpack blower moving to one side. Back pasture is completely surrounded by trees. I don't wait until they are too deep. When they start falling real good, I usually blow twice a week. I know I need the walking exercise so I strap on my over the ear bluetooth headphones paired to my phone for tunes and go to work. No way I spend even half as much time blowing leaves as mowing.

If you have as many leaves as you say, mulching isn't going to work unless you want that yard a garden area because there wont be any grass left in the spring.

 

[thekkfan]

I'm hoping someone, when posting about solutions for leaves, will also give a remedy for pine needles. Those don't chop up even with mulching blades and mulching kit. Way too many for use only in azaleas flower beds, so no desire to rake and spread.

You have a grapple on that bota? Use this on rear then grab and go.

Field Tuff 6 in. 3-Point Pine Straw Rake at Tractor Supply Co.

 

[ChuckT]

The rule of thumb I've been quoted is "a layer of green, a layer of brown (in a mulch pile)" so yes, you can have too many leaves (brown layer), but I suppose that depends on are you going to mulch? or are you going to discard? I'm betting the overwhelming proportion of home owners will discard. Add that to the OP saying the leaves on top of the gravel are giving grief.

 

[Sono]

Following, Im in the same boat, been looking at the lawn vac / leaf rakes aka Cyclone or similar. The lawn sweepers would work to clean up but would take a long time with constant dumping. My rider doesn't do well with mulching as the leaves just tend to bunch up in front of the deck and jamb the wheels from turning eventually, constantly backing up and hopping over the pile is a PITA ! I can dump in the back of the property as we are turning it into a compost pile, but still need to clean up the yard and now with a 30' pool out there.....