Grass and leaf pickup, what do you use, recommend?

[Volfandt]

Greetings,
Sitting here looking at the aftermath of a pretty serious storm, I can't help but notice all the leaves that are now covering the driveway. This of course leads me to think of the upcoming fall season, which is aptly named btw., and what I plan to do about leaf pickup. Last yr I had a no tools needed twin bagger attachment for my lawn mower and it did a very good job, except with only two bags I made mucho trips to the compost pile. Even at that it was fine as it was seat time but I've since sold that rig and now am faced with coming up with a plan of attack not only for the fall but grass clipping pickup too! My homemade mulch plug does OK in the front but I have to remove it for the back.
Since I'm useing the compost from yrs past and I like the clean look after running a bagger for grass/leaf pickup, I'm sold on using a bagger of some sort.

So heres the choices as I see it.
1) Kubota bagger. I've read where it's performance is outstanding but is a pain to R&R. Also it's the most expensive solution.

2) Kubota Mulch kit. I've read where it's performance is outstanding but it is not designed for R&R. Altho I've read about it's grass clipping performance, I don't recall reading about what it does in heavy and I do mean HEAVY leaf mulching.

3) Cyclone Rake, it has it's own 5hp power plant and will hold much more debris than Kubota's bagger. The hopper is made of some sort of treated fiber material but the frame is aluminum. It mounts ridgidly and pivots on two casters. Folds up and can be hung on the wall except for the engine module which rolls out of the way. Pluses is the cost, around $1,200.00 and it's stowability.

4) DR LeafVac, like the Cyclone Rake it mounts ridgedly to the tractor and pivots on two casters but it's hopper is made of plastic. The intake technology lays claims that it doesn't generate near the dust/exhaust of all the other baggers. Also claims to chop up the debris much finer due to teeth on the impeller.
Another plus is the 6 & 7hp models also incorporate a chipper shreader that can handle branches upto 2" thick.
Negatives seems to be a lack of compact stowabilty and the 6hp model runs approx $500 more than the Cyclone Rake.

5) Tow behind sweeper. I've had a sweeper before and the lack of capacity along with it's inability to work in damp grass/leaves makes this the least desired solution, for me anyways. I sold mine when I went to a bagger and I said then that I wouldn't go back /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Course this is the least expensive option so it deserves mention.

Comments, recommendations?

Volfandt

 

[beenthere]

This is what I use, and it is probably closest to your #4. With a hydraulic dump, it is effortless. The top folds and it tucks away in a small shed in about a 4'x 4' x 2' space.


Sorry for the 'green' color in this forum of orange. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[JonM]

I bought a Trac-Vac a few months ago. It does a great job picking up the grass.

 

[Lockport]

I have sweeper and after 800 trips to the debris pile each fall I am seriously interested, and have been looking for a while, at the Cyclone Rake. The Platinum, fyi, is actually 6 HP and the Commercial version is 7HP. I think it is reasonable to consider that by the time you upgrade all the components of this system; the urethane heavy duty hoses, the 32' Estate vacum pickup attachment, roof rack carrier for it, the remote discharger hose (don't forget to upgrade those) {you can water, heavy, your evergreens for winter and then discharge the leaf mulch as a cover to prevent evaporation - till it in the spring} consider the dual wheels as the 32 bushels of the commercial version is bound to get heavy, and don't forget the power bagger folding dividers so it will auto fill 6 bags(!) and you are looking at $2K. Of these units, however, I have never heard anything but praise. Albeit, the discount price, which seems to always be available, $1275 (tractor not included /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif), is not what you'll end up spending. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I'm still looking at these. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[lrunge]

I have been using a Cyclone Rake for the last 5 years and it has performed great. My only regret is that I didn't purchase the commercial version as I have so many leaves i still need to dump it about 10 times. It does mulch them up pretty good. I usually make a couple of large piles of leaves that get compressed over the year. When aged I till them in the garden. I also really like the hose attachement that allows me to clear the fence lines and around the landscaping.
It folds up and stores very nicely and out of the way. One negative is that it does get a little dusty so bundle up and wear a hat.

 

[RobertN]

How about a couple of Cub Scouts. Good way to earn thier den dues /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Funny, it sure is hard to find kids to work in this generation. When I was a kid, a little yard work for the neighbor was a great way to earn some pocket change.

 

[Av8r3400]

I've been very satified with the OEM Kubota grass/leaf catcher on my BX. It is well made and very powerfull with no extra pony motor.

 

[jrdinct]

I have the Kubota grass catcher on my BX2200 and it does a great job on leaves and grass clippings. With practice getting it on and off gets easier. I paid about $1,400 as I recall. Running off the PTO was the selling point for me as I already have too many engines to maintain... (just don't tell my wife I said that...)

 

[rswyan]

I have a TracVac similar to JonM's. Mine initially had a 5hp BS engine and I replaced it with a 6.5 BS when the motor went after a number of years. I believe they may make a PTO version as well.

It works just fine for the most part, although sticks that don't get chopped up sufficiently by the mower will clog it (duh !) One nice feature is that the hopper is narrower in the front than in the back which allows whatever you are picking up to come out easier when you dump. A couple of the downsides are: 1. it's big - you need room to store it, and 2. being made out of steel it's not a good idea to leave it out in the weather.

 

[botalvr]

Nothing a little paint and some proper decals won't fix...
/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[JimCald]

Volfandt

I have the Kubota mulch kit on my BX1500 and don;t think it will handle heavy leaves. It does doa good job on the occasional leaf, but most likely will start to leave a lot of debris behind with a heavy leaf cover.

I also have the Kubota grass catcher, whic I will be re-installing after a long summer with the mulch kit. It does a great job picking up everything on the grass. The capacity is a little small, but again more seat time. I have very seldom had an problem with cloging, and when it di, just removed the bags, switched the PTO to rear only, and turned on the blower. It cleared in just a couple of seconds (be sure to stand clear of the discharge though, you may get covered with debris!)

Jim

 

[Volfandt]

Thanks all, Good info!

All the solutions have merit. Course each persons particular requirements ends up being the determining factor.
For me, stowability ranks right up there with performance as out of the weather storage is at a premium at my shop.

I'll probably pull the trigger this week. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Volfandt

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I bought a Trac-Vac a few months ago. It does a great job picking up the grass. )</font>

JonM,

That's a monster of a leaf vacuum. Just out of curiousity, do you think the vacuum is strong enough to pick up loose soil fluffed up by a tiller? (I have another purpose in mind)

Thanks,,,

 

[rswyan]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Just out of curiousity, do you think the vacuum is strong enough to pick up loose soil fluffed up by a tiller? (I have another purpose in mind) )</font>
If it's dry sure .... but you would have to use just the intake hose, with it not attached to the deck. Expect to lose 35% - 50% of what you pick up as dust out of the hopper's vent.

 

[dholly]

5 years or so ago, I looked at the commercial CycloneRake to pull behind a JD285. After adding on/up the necessary 'extras', I got cold feet on the price. I ultimately settled on an 8 hp Agri Fab Chip-n-Vac with hard sides. Caught a big sale at NT for $995 delivered, assembly required. Took delivery in my office parking lot (pushed the boxes off the truck's lift gate onto my trailer /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif), and slapped it together with the help of a super friendly neighbor and a cold 12-pack. Took about an hour or so, and I haven't looked back. Works great and I can't imagine how I got along without it all those years. Will suck up big, heavy pine cones and dead pine needles from deep in the thatch. Ditto with dog bones and toys. Shreds and compacts grass clippings or leaves very nicely, and holds a ton to minimize trips to the dump plie. Even the chipper works reasonably well. Remember, HP is key, don't skimp! Did I mention, my neighbor has even more trees than I? Hmmm...

 

[JonM]

I run over a bunch of mole hills when I mow. All that loose dirt is just sucked up and transferred to the trailer. As rswyan has said in his post, some is thrown out the vents at the top of the trailer. There is a lot of force created by the turbine when your at full throttle and 16.7 PTO HP.

 

[Volfandt]

LMAO, Cub Scouts sounds like a good idea. My 16 yr old nephew that needs gas money in a bad way (remember those days?) and could make more money by mowing another of my properties more often but it's all I can do to get him to do it bi-weekly! Seems it cuts into his quality do-nothing time /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Well I pulled the trigger yesterday. I decided to go with the stow it folded on the wall Cyclone Rake. Since the performance was similar between most of the contenders, price became a major factor and the stowability factor sinched it!

Now I'm ready to get back into the composting bidness (not really a business) and also ready to wage my annual battle with the onslaught of the leaves! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Volfandt

 

[Junkman]

I have a older Cyclone Rake and I will tell you that if you didn't get the Commercial unit, you are making a mistake. The commercial unit holds more. The dual wheels are a nice extra. Just make sure to empty it immediately after use, because the grass being packed into the bag starts to rot in a few hours. After a day, it is fermenting. Spray the top plastic vent with silicone so it is easier to clean. They will supply you with a toilet bowl brush to keep the vent clear. Mine is a few years old now and they have made improvements to the units. The clips that hold the bag to the blower unit have been my biggest problem. They used snaps with nylon straps and the snaps keep breaking. When this happens, you need to purchase a new bag. They are good about replacement parts while in warranty, but the day after it is out of warranty, you are going to be paying for everything. Make sure that all is right and don't hesitate to ask for replacements as soon as you see the defect. I give their quality control about a 75% rating based on the unit that I own. It might have improved since then, and I haven't heard much negativity recently about the product. If they offer a Honda engine, I would go with that over the Tecumseh that came with mine. Junk....

 

[Volfandt]

I picked up the Platnum CR from the shipper just 3 days after order and had it assembled a couple hrs that evening after supper. They now ship a 6hp B&S Intek engine w/it sans the oil but they also included a 20oz bottle of genuine B&S 30w with it so that was kewel..

I ordered the deck adapter and altho it was what they called for a BX, it's height wa splenty tall enough but the length came up about 2.5" too short leaving a gap at the rear of the MMM's opening. I called and was told that it was the adapter they shipped on all Kubota BX's and that I would have to fab up a plate to cover the opening. Well I wasn't too happy to hear that and in further discussions they said they were going to Fed Ex me the longer adapter that was for smaller (less height) deck openings. That was fine with me. So far, customer service = /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I decided I didn't want to wait on the othe adpt so I went on ahead and mounted the adpater I had, made up a plate to cover the opening, cut and mounted the optional heavy duty hose and put it too work.

1st off this puppy is loud! Ear protecton is a must! They included some disposable ear plugs but I have a full cup hearing protector w/built-in AM/FM radio so this wasn't a problem. It also makes beau-coup dust so if you do alot of backing up and manuvering the included goggles are also a must.

That said, the CR does an outstanding job off collecting whatever your mower runs over. On a few occasions I heard some walnuts and small branches getting slapped through the high tech impeller into the hopper. I mowed about a 200 x 200 lot that wasn't very tall but had alot of leaves and this filled it up. Dumping the debris into my new compost pile was as easy as advertised and the included toilet. err ahhh I mean hopper cleaning brush was exactly the right tool for cleaning out the nooks & crannies of the fiber hopper. Cleanup didn't take long and since the top can be unzipped for easy access, I was able to use my blower to give it a good cleanout. All in all this unit did everything as advertised and I am definitely going to keep it. Those who recommended getting the Pro size were right. But now it comes in 3 sizes, Platnum, Pro & Pro commercial. I can live with my size as I have 2 distinct quadrants in my 2.5 acres that I mow differently. I can use the CR mounted to mow the front with only 1, or at the most 2 trips to dump whilst I'll mow the back w/the CR dismounted and side disharge everything into several wind rows then mount the CR to pick them up and that should also only take 2 or 3 dumps. I'll know fer-sher next week /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

A shot of the rig mounted. You've got to be careful manuvering around because the BX 23 is about 7.5' longer! The rigid hookup is a definite plus!

 

[Volfandt]

The other side