Leaves.....what are you using?
 

I've got my 1864 and love about everything about it, but I do have one little problem. I live in the woods and during the fall I have a TON of leaves. From what I've found they don't make a bagger for it. I've got a pull behind sweeper but it fills up in one pass and if I mulch them then sweep there are still a ton stuck in the grass. So I'm looking for other options. I like he trac vac and cyclones, but they are more than I paid for my mower (I'm keeping my eyes open for a good used one). What are you guys using and what do you think I should get? I've got about 3/4-1 acre.

I have parts of my yard that get COVERED in leafs in the fall. I just go over them several times until they are no longer there, good food for the yard. Also, try to stay ahead of it, don't wait until all the leafs have fallen and then tackle it. I also have mulching blades on my machine so that may help a little bit.

I have a yard similar to the OP. Two yards really.

I started out long ago with a leaf rake, raking in windrows and then burning. They outlawed that. So I got a lawn sweeper/broom. It was useless as it filled up too quick. I tried mulching but never owned any mulching blades. That didn't work out.

Finally, in 1992, the best money I ever spent and it wasn't cheap. I bought an EZ VAC. I've been using it ever since. If your deck is set up right and you don't let the leaves get packed down, it will vacuum the lawn with not a leaf in sight.

EZ VAC is no longer in business but the TRAC VAC looks similar.

I maintain about 1.5 acres full of leaves in the fall tried many methods but have come down to multching, its more than just the blades, you need the mulch kit for your particular deck. Mine is a metal plate that bolts up under the deck closing off the chute trapping the leaves under the mower for better results. There may be some fine particles when your done but they settle in the lawn or get blown away. I will usually do it a few times a week and works very well when the leaves are dry.

I bought a used Peco vacuum last month for about $350 off Craigslist. We have lots of maple trees as well. I haven't run it yet but hope to soon. They can be pricey, but keep shopping ... a deal can and will turn up.

Wind blows all my leaves away.

But when I lived in town it didn't. Made my own leaf vac cart.

I raked for 30 years, bought gator blades 10 years ago, haven't raked since,
they just disappear under the deck now.
:beerchug:

This is what I use, I currently have 3 set up like this, one at home, one at Mom's and one down at my aunts farm. I like this setup because the trailer follows in the same track as the tractor. With the track vac with the blower on the trailer you have to be real carefull not to hang up when weaving around the trees. Also on the trac vac setup the deck to blower hose has to hang out farther to be able to have enough slack for turning left and bows out when turning right. With the blower mounted on the tractor the hose doesn't have to flex when turning. The blower to trailer hose just twists a little when you turn.

I use a GT 46 deck and a bagger attachment from a cyclops series on my 782 to mulch and bag leaves. As long as the leaves are dry it works very well. I have thought about adding a deck powered blower to the 60 inch deck on my 2882 custom super but for now the bagger attachment works well. Bagging leaves is the only time I use the GT 46 deck as it tends to clump grass rather than spread it. Rest of the time I run a 50C on the 782.
Tom

I mow 'em and blow 'em around or use my push mower and mulch them.

This is depressing, we are already talking about leaves. GROSS. Don't even mention the 4 letter S word yet.

Like it or not, it will be here soon enough. I saw a Cotton Picker on CL this week, you don't see them advertised in the dead of winter--just saying......

Used to use a tow behind vacuum but with 5 acres it fills too quickly. This set up is what I use now and it's really awesome.

Mike

I use my fan assisted bagger most of the time in the fall and it works awesome.
Attachment 86527

If I gotta blow em then it's the Steiner or the trusty old RedMax backpack blower.
Attachment 86528

I hate leaf season. rake and rake and rake, have had a few sweepers, have tried bagging, did have a trac vac for a while, mower I had it with just kinda plowed the leaves instead of going over them.. 0nce it did finally decide to go over the pile it plowed itself into the deck would clog....
rake em into the ditch then go get some gas and a match, and watch.

I usually take the burning approach for larger piles but if you can work just alittle at a time I have been known to blow them into the nieghbors yard:biggrin2:

I use a TracVac. Many trees(160+) on 4.5 acres. I only pick up when the leaves are dry. Many long days of effort as if the leaves are permitted to accumulate too deep, then I'm plowing, unclogging the mower deck and hose. The leaves are abrasive cleaning the underside of the deck.

Thanks guys. I ended up picking up this vac over the weekend. Starts right up, but has a slight miss at full throttle. Runs fine at full throttle if the chock is about 3/4 on. The guy said the gas is probably a few years old. So I ran it out and filled it up with some 91 octane and sea foam. Also replaced the spark plug and dropped the carb bowl and cleaned it and the main yet (there was all kinds of crap in the bowl). I'm going to run it for a little bit and see if it clears out. If not I'll probably take the whole carb off and redo it (motor is a Briggs intek 900.

I also need to figure out how to take the plastic grass flap off the mower deck so I can figure out how to mount the boot for the vac.

Be sure to pick up the sticks or avoid them as anything larger than the diameter of your thumb will jam in the hose and cause a clog. I hate shutting everything down to remove the flex hose, shake it, reach in to pull out leaves, sticks, then reassemble to start sucking leaves again. But, without the TracVac, the leaves would be impossible for me.

Thanks for the heads up. I was surprised that the hose is smooth on the inside. That will probably help it from clogging up some. I'm ready to figure out how to mount the boot and give it a try.