Husqvarna GT48 mower + Cyclone Rake in leaf season

plowhog · Nov 26, 2017

Finally got a very good workout with reasonably deep cover of semi-wet leaves yesterday. The Husqvarna GT48 mower and Cyclone rake is a good combo.

Last year, three of us spent at least a half a day raking leaves onto tarps, emptying the tarp into my dump trailer, and then dumping leaves. I didn't track my time yesterday but it was between an hour to hour and a half to do about the same amount of work. With very little physical effort.

btw the lawn is covered in leaves again already this morning-- it's leaf season!!

Billy Bee · Nov 27, 2017

That would make some nice compost,if you are a gardener.

coolreinfarm · Nov 27, 2017

I just finished with leaves this year, it's my tenth season with the cyclone rake, best investment I've made. It's all hung up on the wall now until next season.

IH3444 · Nov 30, 2017

Have had the "Classic" Cyclone Rake since 1999. As stated, "best investment I've made". Still on original Tecumseh OHH50 engine. Do about 50-60 loads a year. Dump them over a hill, and by next year they are almost gone by natural composting. I use Mobil1 15w-50 in the Tecumseh engine, and change it once a year. I have updated to the newer collection bag for an unbelievable reasonable cost of $75. I also upgraded the hose to the urethane, only because the older hose was just getting plain worn out. The aluminum frame did fail, so I replaced it also. Pull it behind a Scotts 2554, K66 hydro. I also did replace the housing and impeller blade assembly because once again, it was just plain wearing out, and had a couple of damaged blades. You have to be careful, this thing will suck the gravel right off the driveways, and suck up stones, etc. As the pictures posted, it "leaves" almost nothing behind. One of the few things I have bought in my life that did what it stated to do in the advertisement. Dealing with the Cyclone Rake people has been the best customer relation experiences I have ever encountered. They offered a few years ago a percentage off for the same amount of years you have owned one, so I took avantage of that also and purchased a complete new engine, housing and impeller assembly, thinking that for sure the original engine unit will fail eventually. It has been an absolute pleasure owning it. My neighbor, and cousin bought one based just on my experience and speaking to them about it. Just a dream to own when dealing will massive amounts of leaves.

4get gto · Nov 30, 2017

IH3444 . I don't know how many leaves it takes for 50-60 loads but it sure sounds like alot. You could do a testimonial for Cyclone.

plowhog · Nov 30, 2017

Their models range from a bag that handles 22 bushels to a max of 44 bushels. I bought the least expensive model that offered the 44 bushel capacity and I'm glad I got the bigger bag. (415 cu ft.)

Even with that large capacity the thing is so voracious it fills it up as far as I want it after a few long passes. At about 2/3 full of non-dry leaves the front steering authority on my mower starts to diminish. I need to get some front weight on the mower if I am going to be hauling around full capacity of chopped, mulched, wet leaf debris. But ... no complaints, the thing rocks.

IH3444 · Dec 1, 2017

It does fill up quick when the leaves are thick, as you mentioned, a few passes and it's full. I'm glad I got the smallest version, which was I remember the only size offered at the time I purchased one back in 1999. It's now called the "Classic". So 50-60 loads in it's small hopper is still a lot, but not as much as you stated the 44 bushel model. When the leaves are slightly damp I can feel the weight behind the Scotts 2554, (JD 275 frame model with the twin Kohler 25hp, K66 Tufftorq, instead of the more desirable K70) I'm happy with the smaller hopper, it fits into some tight places. I do have the Trak Vac deck chute, which at the time was only $120. I see now that they are much more expensive. It fit the Scotts (JD) deck like a glove, and works great. I necked it down from 8 inch opening to 7 inch for the Cyclone hose size with a piece of stovepipe reducer. I also put a 2x3 support off the frame to help support the hose. I have run the absolute stuffing out of it, and it stills runs strong. when it finally dies, it doesn't own me anything. I'll just swap the old unit out for the new power plant with new impeller housing and keep sucking leaves. Yes it is a testimonial, but they deserve it. I went on and on once at an Industrial trade show in front of a group of people about the Black and Decker hand held Reciprocating Saw, bought back in 1981, and how hard I had run it, how beat up it was, and how it looked like it survived Normandy. After I finished I tried to purchase some replacement blades from the rep at the show. He said get a box and load up all the blades you want, I'll give you a great deal. So I went a bit hog wild and loaded a box up, went up to him and asked how much do I owe you, thinking I had about $200 of blades. He took the box, looked into it, handed it back and said, "just take it, I can't buy advertisement like what you just said to those people". So I got those blades for free. The Black and Decker saw still runs also. I just can't see to be able to kill it. It is battle scared up terribly.

plowhog · Dec 2, 2017

I learned today what the Husqvarna/Cyclone Rake combo does not like. Plowing through piles of wet leaves that are about 18" high.

I used my blower to blow a *lot* of leaves from the gravel driveway areas onto the lawn. But it created long strips of leaves-- about 18" high, maybe six or eight feet wide, and ..... extending a long ways. I tried at first a normal to slow speed pass over it. Killed the mower engine. Then I tried lower speeds but the leaves were pushing into an even bigger pile ahead of the mower. My feet on the mower deck were getting covered with leaves that were overflowing from the sides. Definitely pushing things beyond design limits.

But, I learned that if I raised the mower deck to the very top, took only a partial "bite", and went slow, it would mostly work. I did have to backup then take a new bite somewhat frequently. Otherwise the pile in front would get ridiculously large-- above the top brush guard.

I now have about 15 dumped loads of 44 bushels each. Compared to the 7 bushel bagger that is the largest for the back of a Husqvarna or the back of a Deere X380 that I also considered, the Cyclone Rake bag is more than six times as large. If I only had the standard bagger with no Cyclone Rake, I would have needed to make more than 90 trips to dump leaves so far. Argghh.

Did have one other exciting time. I was plowing through about 16" of leaves on a slight side slope when all of a sudden the mower stopped. At first I worried that maybe the hydro went out. I could push on the pedal but ... nothing. I noticed the left wheel was spinning and the right wheel was stationary. A click of the differential lock, and I drove right out.

I need to do the leaves more frequently. Piles of leaves a foot and a half high are definitely beyond what any of this was designed for.