Sub compact leaf/grass bagger, what are you guys using?

[irvingj]

Very interesting... a comparison between the DR Lawn & Leaf Vac (I have the "Premier" model) and the Cyclone Rake XL model. Both have 8" hose, though the Cyclone uses a B&S Vanguard engine, rated at 8HP. My engine (a Chinese knock-off, I suspect) starts & runs well, is rated in torque, not HP (9.59 ft-lbs) but is 223cc displacement, I think a tad bigger maybe. Great how different mfrs try to use apples & oranges in comparisons. One thing the DR does have, however, is an impeller with teeth on it; it seems to do a good job of chewing up the leaves, reducing volume.

I also found it interesting that, while both the Cyclone and the DR appear to have similar-sized bagging compartments by looking at pictures, the Cyclone is rated at 415 gallons whereas the DR is rated at only 215. ?? That's quite a large difference. The DR's bagging section is 31" x 43" x 35" high. How big is the Cyclone's?

I like the way the Cyclone folds up; the DR's upper section (heavy canvas) also folds up, but must first be removed and then several metal stiffeners also removed before that part can be folded, kind of a PITA; the "trailer" section doesn't fold up, but I can leave that outside with no worries. The forward engine section does easily separate from the trailer --and has wheels-- so I just wheel that into the garage for winter/summer storage.

Just got it all out & re-assembled for the upcoming leaf season!

 

[irvingj]

Gave that DR Lawn & Leaf Vac a REAL workout yesterday. My younger brother recently died suddenly, so I helped my niece clean up their lake-front property. It was COVERED in large, not dripping wet but certainly damp, oak leaves.... and the lawn hadn't been mowed for quite some time, either.

Amazing, is all I can say. That thing sucked up all those leaves & grass, and even quite a number of small twigs. Just chewed 'em up and blew 'em into the container. The thing got so full the chewed-up leaves & grass took the shape of the canvas-covered rectangular collection bin, to the point that I had to shake it while lifting in order to get the upper canvas section to slip up & off the dumping trailer beneath it.

Couldn't believe how much stuff I could cram into that container, and what a great job it did. Spent about 3-1/2 hours doing that, dumped about 7 large, heavy loads. Sure as ^%$ beats raking (or even a leaf blower, on such windy day)! It was gratifying to be such a hero. Love my little GC and that bagger!

 

[thclimer]

Gave that DR Lawn & Leaf Vac a REAL workout yesterday. My younger brother recently died suddenly, so I helped my niece clean up their lake-front property. It was COVERED in large, not dripping wet but certainly damp, oak leaves.... and the lawn hadn't been mowed for quite some time, either.

Amazing, is all I can say. That thing sucked up all those leaves & grass, and even quite a number of small twigs. Just chewed 'em up and blew 'em into the container. The thing got so full the chewed-up leaves & grass took the shape of the canvas-covered rectangular collection bin, to the point that I had to shake it while lifting in order to get the upper canvas section to slip up & off the dumping trailer beneath it.

Couldn't believe how much stuff I could cram into that container, and what a great job it did. Spent about 3-1/2 hours doing that, dumped about 7 large, heavy loads. Sure as ^%$ beats raking (or even a leaf blower, on such windy day)! It was gratifying to be such a hero. Love my little GC and that bagger!

Sorry to learn of your brother passing.

Nice that you were able to help out your niece clean up the lake property.

It is amazing what these tractors can do and how versatile they are with all the numerous implements that are available for them now.

 

[oosik]

I don't collect leaves or grass when I mow. My mower has mulching blades and all the mowed stuff simply blends in with the grass. I use to collect, rake, bunch, transport etc, etc - what a PITA. I haven't raked in over twenty years - the lawn is still green and as nice looking as ever.

 

[irvingj]

Yeah, thclimer, that's not the half of it... niece (approx 25) was diagnosed with cancer right about the same time, parents had been going through a complicated divorce which hadn't yet been settled... Tough & scary times for her, for sure. Can't believe the string of terrible luck for that family.

That's why I took the 45 minutes (!) to drive my very slow GC the 4 miles or so down to their place to help with clean-up. Also re-floated their heavy boat which had become beached (heavy rainfall/sharp rise in lake level followed by rapid draw-down of lake afterward), put it on the trailer & got that out of the water, too. Used the GC with FEL to push it back off the beach & into the water, very carefully, several strategically placed cushions... would have been impossible by hand unless we had a small army. Only one small scratch on the nose...(oops)

That little GC... workhorse, ambassador of good will....

 

[bartjoebob]

I considered getting a DR boot which is made specifically for the MF 60"mmm, a flexible chute, and attaching it to a Lawn Tractor Leaf bag. All in it would have been about $400-$500. Instead I figured I'd try just going over the yard in a circle from the inside out toward edges and blow leaves into the woods. It worked! I did this on 3 occasions about a week and a half apart and the yard is leaf free. Highly recoment trying this method before plucking down $1500+ for a tow behind or even more expensive PTO collection system if your property is conducive for it.

 

[irvingj]

I've used that method as well, and yes, it works -- especially if you remove the flapper-damper thing on the MMM discharge chute.

BUT, when the leaves get beyond three or four inches deep, I've found that doesn't work so well. For a number of years I used a backpack leaf blower on the thickly-piled edges of the lawn (after using the MMM to get them close to the edges), but the vacuum thing really does do a better job -- and I can dump them where I want them, instead of leaving increasingly large piles/ridges along the boundary of the woods and lawn. (I have a veritable forest right at the edges of the lawn, and the leaves REALLY get thick there.)

The big advantage of the leaf vac machine is the strong suction it applies to the underside of the MMM. The DR version also has teeth on the impeller, and it really does chew the leaves up pretty thoroughly so they take up less space and break down more rapidly. Almost as good at breaking up leaves as the chickens we used to have!

 

[bartjoebob]

I've used that method as well, and yes, it works -- especially if you remove the flapper-damper thing on the MMM discharge chute.

BUT, when the leaves get beyond three or four inches deep, I've found that doesn't work so well.

I agree... If one wishes to wait until the last leaf has fallen, some kind of suction is probably required. We've already had several rains and a little snow this year so neighbors who are still waiting have a pretty heavy mess at this point

In years past I used high lift blades and went slow with a craftsman when they got thick. For a deck this size waiting that long, power suction is probably best. Probably hoovers up some acorns, pine needles, and pine cones too

The trick with my blow em in the woods method is not to wait for them to pile up. Im happy with the result (and $avings!).

 

[Code54]

I agree... If one wishes to wait until the last leaf has fallen, some kind of suction is probably required. We've already had several rains and a little snow this year so neighbors who are still waiting have a pretty heavy mess at this point

In years past I used high lift blades and went slow with a craftsman when they got thick. For a deck this size waiting that long, power suction is probably best. Probably hoovers up some acorns, pine needles, and pine cones too

The trick with my blow em in the woods method is not to wait for them to pile up. Im happy with the result (and $avings!).

That does work in some cases but in our we have a LOT of landscaping and islands (read - TOO many.) Add in trees, garden, buildings and 3 acres of grass the bagger works for us. Saves a lot of time, especially if it is wet. I also blow a lot of the leaves with a backpack blower and a huge golf course blower on the back of my 50hp but there are times the bagger is the way to go, always when it is wet out. Expensive and more to maintain and store, no doubt. If you can shoot them off the lawn that is awesome and a LOT cheaper. One nice thing I find about the bagger is I cut the grass from time to time in the summer and bag the clipping and add it to our compost piles. This makes me feel better in the fact I am getting something back from my investment..... LOL

 

[irvingj]

bartjoebob, that's just what I do. (Great minds, and all that....?)

Some years back I removed the discharge chute cover on my MMM, just so I could fit the tractor into a narrow --but covered-- parking space... but then found that it does such a great job of dispersing grass clippings that I left it off, permanently.

I now use the MMM, when leaves begin to drop, to shoot them toward the woods while mowing the grass the last few times, to "keep up" with the leaves --as much as that's possible, LOL. Later, when the leaves begin to get really thick, then I'll get out the vacuum thing and/or the leaf blower.

Also discovered, when I finally got my driveway paved a few years ago, that MMM works fantastically well and is much faster than a leaf blower for clearing leaves & small twigs off the pavement, to keep them from getting ground into the pavement by being driven on. Four passes -up, down, up, down... and it's done, everything blown off to the side. A 200+' driveway, and it takes about 15 minutes.

In clear violation of accepted safety principles, if others have not yet tried their MMM with the discharge spring-loaded cover off (I don't need to worry about neighbors, kids, vehicles, or pets...), you should try it. That MMM really develops a LOT of wind!