Leaf Collection

[eeboater]

Has anyone ever used one of those leaf collecting pieces of equipment. Basically, its a big bag, with two wheels, and it flips the leaves into the bag as you push it around the yard? I have a TON of leaves in my yard and its beginning to get irritating!! I am thinking about buying one of those things but am not sure how well it works.<br /><br />Perhaps I can find a link to one.<br /><br />Sean

 

[KennyKenCan]

Re: Leaf Collection

I have a lawn vacuum that picks up the leaves and shreds them 4:1.<br /><br />The leaves in my yard can get to be 2ft thick, and I can produce over 300 bags of leaves if I was to just bag them. But this machine eats them up and bags them with very little effort, except loading the mulched leaves into bags, but thats not really a big deal, and I now only produce around 100 bags of mulched leaves.<br /><br />Machine looks like a lawn mower, but has a wide feed in the front for picking up the leaves, and it has a chipper chute for chipping small branches.<br /><br />I love my little machine, and fall would be dreadful without one.<br /><br />Here is a pic of the one I have, that I purchased at Home Depot...<br /><br />

<br /><br />Heres a link for the Billy Goat vacuum.<br /><br /> http://www.billygoat.com/deb-vacumes.asp

 

[roscoe]

Re: Leaf Collection

The time to buy one is in the spring, at a rummage sale. Cheap.<br /><br />I have used 2. briefly.<br />Both were very hard to push, especially on grass.<br />Reason being that they have small wheels, AND yur pushing also has to generate the power to spin the sweeper brush which is burried in the grass.<br /><br />The ones you tow behind a riding mower work better, but are more expensive and you need a rider.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Leaf Collection

Originally posted by roscoe:<br />The ones you tow behind a riding mower work better, but are more expensive and you need a rider.

Or a big dog.

 

[ndemge]

Re: Leaf Collection

few year back, my dad built a contraption for his Cub Cadet mower.<br /><br />It's about 3 1/2 X 4' X 4' tall, mounts to 2 Trailer balls on the back of the cub, then has one single wheel on the back, so it's one with the mower, but can swivel up and down on the hills and the wheel holds the weight.<br /><br />The bagger discharge goes to an 8" Stove pipe into the contraption, with a big rubber bushing to hold it in place and make a nice air tight seal.<br /><br />On the top is a piece of 4" pvc used as a vent, and aimed towards the back. Didn't work without a place for the air to get out. The back is one large door that is opened up and a huge bail of chopped of leaves is there, with the Pitch fork mounted on the side it only takes a minute to unload and get back to work.<br /><br />About a year after he built it, one just like it was at the local Western Auto.<br /><br />Like a lot of the creations ole Dad has made only to see it pattented a few years later by someone else.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Leaf Collection

I use a hand held Black and Decker Blower/Vacuum. It works great for my small yard. What usually takes 4-5 bags, now only takes one cause the vacuum shreads the leaves.<br /><br />I just blow all the leaves into a pile, then vacuum them up.<br /><br />Ken

 

[ehenry]

Re: Leaf Collection

Use one every year. I got it from Sears and I pull it with my 4-wheeler. I have mostly pine trees in my yard and it sweeps the straw up just fine. I do have a couple oaks and gum trees and it sweeps those leaves up just fine. I also use it to pickup grass if I've waited too long to mow. The only problem I've had with the little machine is if I let the pine straw get too thick on the ground you might have to run over it twice to get it all picked up.

 

[eeboater]

Re: Leaf Collection

Ken, how big is your yard? I probably have about ~1 acre. Course, my house is sitting on that acre, so that mean actual "grassy area" is much less than 1 acre.<br /><br />Sean

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Leaf Collection

hello<br /> I usually wait till sometime in late winter. thats when I get a good nor'easter and it blows them all away. couse I also wait to mow until about this time of year, now its a pretty shade of brown and I dont have to mow

 

[tcube]

Re: Leaf Collection

Don't vacuum, rake, or blow them any more - use the mower as a mulcher and just leave the small peieces on the lawn.

 

[cbnoodles]

Re: Leaf Collection

Last year I tried a vacuum style like Ken's that I bought at Sear's. It was as if I was pushing a pickup truck around the yard. Part of that was the lumpiness of my yard; part of it was the machine's weight; and, worse yet, part of it was the weight as the bag filled.<br /><br />I took it back and bought a TORO electric leaf blower. It took 1/2 the time to do the job with about 1/3 the effort. It's also a lot more quiet and environmentally friendly than a 2-stroke.<br /><br />My lot is 3/8 acre less the house & garage but I have eight 80' red oaks on it so there are a LOT of leaves. The blower also converts to a vacuum mulcher with a 4:1 ratio. It makes great mulch or just makes burning in the barrel easier.

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: Leaf Collection

I agree with rodbolt. Let'em blow

 

[spratt]

Re: Leaf Collection

Originally posted by The Professor:<br /> I took it back and bought a TORO electric leaf blower. It took 1/2 the time to do the job with about 1/3 the effort. It's also a lot more quiet and environmentally friendly than a 2-stroke.<br />

Prof, I wish to the good Lord they had had blowers when I was a kid growing up in Ga...we had six of the biggest ol' oak trees in our yard (if you can call 3 acres a yard!!), and I was always "invited" to rake them up...by HAND!!! Well, by yard rake, anyway...the only thing I liked about it was we always raked them up into the ditch out front and BURNED them Still love the smell of burning leaves and wood...

 

[steve n carol]

Re: Leaf Collection

why pick em up? I think they look great layin down on the yard...sl

 

[steve n carol]

Re: Leaf Collection

Carol has a leaf collection, they're all in little individual bags tho..sl

 

[eeboater]

Re: Leaf Collection

I have a leaf blower that can be converted to a "mulcher" and vaccum the leaves up, but i was always hesitant becuase I thought it would take me a year to finish the yard. <br /><br />I suppose I should try it out before I make assumptions like that.<br /><br />Sean

 

[KennyKenCan]

Re: Leaf Collection

eeboater,<br /><br />Sorry I haven't responded sooner, but they are making me work this week...<br /><br />Anywho, I too, have an acre of property, and it usually only takes me a couple of hours to pick up the leaves in my yard.<br /><br />But I am always diligent about getting out there at least twice a week, just so that it is less of a chore.<br /><br />I use to use a blower/mulcher, but it always took way to long to do, and I borrowed a leaf vacuum from a friend one year, and the next year, I bought one for myself.<br /><br />This thing works just like a push-mower, and is just as simple to use and push. I have no problems pushing this vacuum around my yard.<br /><br />I also don't wait till the catcher is cramed-packed with leaves either. I have found that the catcher is alot eisier to manage when it is only 3/4 full. Doesn't weigh alot, and empties real easy. Heck, even my 79 year old Dad has no problem!<br /><br />I love my Yard Vac, and fall would really stink without it!

 

[Mark42]

Re: Leaf Collection

I pull a lawn sweeper behind my tractor. They do work well if you get a good one (heavy is better) and a split sweeper where each half is driven by its own wheel. Makes the whole thing turn nicer. Folding/collapsing feature is nice for winter storage.<br /><br />Nice part of a tow sweeper is one less motor to maintain.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Leaf Collection

Originally posted by eeboater:<br /> Ken, how big is your yard? I probably have about ~1 acre. Course, my house is sitting on that acre, so that mean actual "grassy area" is much less than 1 acre.<br /><br />Sean

My yard is very small (1/4 acre). But I have tons of leaves. <br /><br />I have a:<br />Black & Decker<br />230 Mile Per Hour Blower/Blower Vac<br />Model BV4000<br /><br />70 bucks at Home Depot.com I bought mine in the store for about 60.<br /><br />This things blows really strong. Just blow them into an area, rake it into a pile, then suck it up with the vacuum attachement.<br />Ken

 

[cajun555]

Re: Leaf Collection

Too much work raking and bagging. I mulch up with mower, Then first of Dec. I'll mulch the leaves again. What I've heard it makes a great fertilizer for the lawn.