Comments about vac technique for lawn areas: At first, I blew leaves into piles and then tried to suck them up with the lawn-tractor/yard-vac (WRONG). Then I waited until all the leaves had fallen before sucking them up (WRONG). Both of these were big mistakes! These vac systems work best with a thin, layer of leaves, not deep piles. Deep leaves will pile up in front of the mower and also clog the flex hose unless you go very slow. I have found it best to run the vac several times each fall as soon as leaves are a few inches deep. This way, you can move at a reasonable speed without jamming the system, also the shredding action works well. If you need to blow leaves out of tight spaces, vac up the destination area first and then blow the leaves into it so they don't get too deep. All of these systems are noisy so wear ear protection. My vac is so loud that I can't tell if the mower is running except by letting out the clutch. Don't try to get the hopper too full or you'll have to unplug jams in the flex hose and/or the adapter where the hose connects to the mower deck. Expect to get covered with dust, especially if leaves are dry. Carry tools on board to disconnect the flex hose so you can unclog it; it's tiring to walk back to the barn every time. With experience clogs will be rare but they still happen (like when you try to get that last little patch before dumping). I have a large level area where I dump the mulched leaves; the nature of these things is that you end up with many small one-load piles. Use the tractor loader to push them into one large pile before you run out of dumping space. Check tire pressure before you start work; if pressure is low you'll pop off the bead when the hopper gets full and it stinks trying to re-seat the bead if the hopper is full (HEAVY). Storage may be a big concern or not (not a concern, in my case) so take Kenny's advice and consider the specifics of your situation.
I will say that the lawn vac was a lifesaver for me. Using a rake and a tarp, it literally took me weeks of part-time work to remove the leaves before they killed the grass. With the vac, I do the job in an afternoon and wet weather is much less of a concern (only need one dry day). Frankly, the best thing about these vacs is that the leaves are already condensed and in a trailer attached to you mower. My dump site is several hundred feet from my lawn so moving the leaves was actually the hardest part. Each year I end up with a leaf pile (much taller than me) and I keep the new, un-composed leave) separate. I use the inside of old composted leaf pile to mulch trees and bushes.
