Trac-Vac purchase

[JonM]

I don't want to rake any more grass so I bought a Trac-Vac today, model 854 for my BX. Won't get it till thursday or friday. I hope I won't regret this.

 

[JackIL]

JonM,

I have had very good experiences with Trac-Vac over the years. All vacuums work best when: (a) the grass is not too tall (don't try to cut off more than 2-3 inches), (b) the grass is dry (no rain or heavy dew on the leaves), and (c) you operate at a bit slower ground speed than when mowing without the vac. Be sure to run at full throttle or whatever is required to get a true 540 PTO speed.

You will find the trailer dumps better if you don't pack it tight with clippings. Knowing how full it really is requires some trial-and-error, but you will be time ahead if you don't try to fill every cubic inch of it.

Please post some photos after you get things running.

JackIL

 

[Ryno1]

I too recently bought a trac vac, the 880 model. Haven't used it much yet (had it maybe a month) but it works good. Jack, dumping the trailer has been the one drawback I've found in the design. Maybe empting more often, as you suggest, will help. Thanks Terry

 

[JonM]

It's here! The Trac-Vac is here!

 

[JonM]

Did I tell you that I have to assembly it. Saved a couple hundred off the cost doing the assembly myself. Saved another hundred picking it up at the dealer rather them deliver it. Here is a picture putting the cart together.

 

[jfdlaw]

Jon,

Do you use your three point hitch for anything else? Pulling a blade, etc. I have an 854 and I only use it fall and spring for yard clean up. The 854 uses a PTO driven fan. You need to keep that positioned properly with the PTO. It can't go up or down with the mower deck.

To use it you have to disconnect the lifting links from the 3pt arms and connect them to these special brackets. Bottom line is that once its installed, you aren't going to use the 3pt hitch for anything else.

I've got it down to where it takes me about an hour and a half to install it, about 45 minutes to uninstall it. The biggest pain is that their brackets connecting the lifting links to the lifting rods of the mower deck are not the same dimensions as the Kubota parts. Consequently I have to re-adjust the rods each time.

I put it on in the fall and leave it on for a few weeks until the leaves are all down. Then put it on again in the spring for a week or two.

Great unit to operate. Just a pain in the A- - to install.

Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

 

[JonM]

All assembled and mowed today with it. A picture attached before I mowed and got it all dirty. Mowed two acres and had to empty it twice. I'll finish the other 2 1/2 acres tomorrow.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Jon,

Looks great how much did the set up end up costing you? What do you plan to do with all the clippings for entire summer of cutting? Big compost pile?

 

[JonM]

Total price was $2338 including freight charge and tax. Some clippings (a couple of loads) go to our current landscape project. A thick layer on top of the weeds will keep them down for a while. All the rest go to a new compost pile!