Jump to content
rmaynard

LEAVES - A never ending battle. How do you handle yours?

Recommended Posts

Sarge

I love my Stihl blower/vac - it moves anything I ask of it , even gravel if I put the flat nozzle on it and when converted to a vac it mulches what it picks up pretty well . That bag fills pretty quickly and can get quite heavy - just dump it in the trailer to be hauled off - works great . I'd love a Cyclone Rake , but not sure where I'd store it and the extra expense right now is not going to happen .

 

Sarge

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
CasualObserver
On 10/8/2017 at 12:31 AM, ohiofarmer said:

 

 

 EDIT   I still do not know what is causing the lines through the script??????

 

somehow you managed to click this button....

strikeout.JPG

 

to fix it, just highlight your text and turn it off.

  • Excellent 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
ohiofarmer

 Thank you so much. I often wondered how to use underline and cross out text, and now I know

5 hours ago, Sarge said:

I love my Stihl blower/vac - it moves anything I ask of it , even gravel if I put the flat nozzle on it and when converted to a vac it mulches what it picks up pretty well . That bag fills pretty quickly and can get quite heavy - just dump it in the trailer to be hauled off - works great . I'd love a Cyclone Rake , but not sure where I'd store it and the extra expense right now is not going to happen .

 

Sarge

 I saw one on CL in Indiana I believe for 200

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Marv

Here is my way.

Marv

 

DSC03357.JPG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
JimD

I just keep mowing them through the fall and again in the spring until they are muched up and gone. I just don't have the budget for a lawn sweeper or other leaf handling equipment. I do have a gas hand held blower that helps.

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
rmaynard
21 hours ago, Sarge said:

....not sure where I'd store it and the extra expense right now is not going to happen .

Storage is not a big factor. I hang mine on the wall of the shed and tuck the engine/blower into a corner.  Cost was a huge factor when I bought it, but it really has turned out to be an invaluable investment.

 

cycrk.jpg.07406e05939d897450345178c498b6b6.jpg

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Dakota8338

I put the shredder plate over the discharge shoot when I think I have finished with mowing grass and then shred (mulch) our leaves.  The mulched/shredded leaves are swept up and scattered/distributed about the garden plot to decompose as organic matter.  (I also do the same thing with our grass clippings most of the time.)  When I can, I till the organic material into the soil to increase the speed of decomposition. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
ohiofarmer

A few years ago, i came to the conclusion that mulching leaves in place resulted in too rich soil in some areas of the yard. This was due to the way the leaves naturally accumulated in these areas. For the last two seasons, i took the leaves and move them to "thin" areas of the yard and now my yard looks so much better--nice and green all over.

 

 Chemical fertilizer is OK to get it green, but there is a fake-looking blue tint that comes with it and the grass grows too fast.Leaves that are mulched gets it green without mowing quite as often The trick to leaf mulching is to pick a dry day when the leaves are dry & just go to powder. I have a rental property that I do not want to mow as often, so to avoid mowing constantly i get a trailer and bring the leaves to my house for even more free fertilizer. I probably put 16"-24" of leaves over the worst part of the  lawn in total and it looks so much better than before

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
rmaynard
47 minutes ago, ohiofarmer said:

...For the last two seasons, I took the leaves and move them to "thin" areas of the yard and now my yard looks so much better--nice and green all over...

My lawn is always thin to non-existent in the front of the house due to the enormous oak trees drinking up all the available rain water. I have tried leaving the mulched leaves in the bare spots, but the prevailing wind is from the west (from the road toward the house) and all the mulched leaves end up in piles on the good grass.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
EricF

Depending on the normal pH of your soil, acorns from the oak trees can add too much acidity, which makes for poor grass growth. Some of my lawn is under a neighbor's big oak tree; last winter it dumped more acorns than I've ever seen from it. I raked them up in the spring, but plenty of them were already decomposing. Grass hasn't grown too well there this year.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
RedRanger
22 hours ago, EricF said:

Depending on the normal pH of your soil, acorns from the oak trees can add too much acidity, which makes for poor grass growth. Some of my lawn is under a neighbor's big oak tree; last winter it dumped more acorns than I've ever seen from it. I raked them up in the spring, but plenty of them were already decomposing. Grass hasn't grown too well there this year.

I have the same issue right now this fall.  Have 3 very large oaks that have dropped more acorns this year than I've ever seen in the past 10 years.  Started raking them up, but couldn't take the blisters anymore.  

 

As for the leaves, if they fall slow and steady I mulch them in place.  It there is just too many coming down, I use a vac on my 3pt.

016.jpg.7e6cd79e8a621e74ba7851a55d2e5b9f.jpg019.jpg.84a440a0c5a023eff97509af9fcd8934.jpg

021.jpg.19777daf6b5e883e20ce97bd15c5094b.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Texas Todd

Have a number of sizable oaks. Man they are dropping acorns like crazy this year. Reminds me of a drought year (which it wasn't, but the last few months have been pretty dry). Drag and blow the leaves out of the beds and yard to the driveway. Since we don't have much snow, I get some use from the snow plow to push em all down the driveway to the pasture and then drive over and over em til they are all chopped up. Very satisfying...and pretty quick! This event usually doesn't happen til January, as we mow all the way to Thanksgiving. Leaves aren't shed til after Christmas typically.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
cleat

Sometimes, another issue with leaf pickup is that some of them get frozen down by the time I get a day off to do it.

 

Then all you can do is wait until spring.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
c-series don

Here is my spring, summer, early fall set up. 416-H with 60" deck and 5hp Peco vacuum. I'm going to switch to my Peco 8hp trailer unit today if I can get my rear in gear! 

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
MalMac

558A6122-9364-4A31-8BBA-244413160D94.jpeg.e638fd3a2721a9a242a11bb574cd5309.jpeg

 

Until a Trac-Vac or similar shows up, this is what is used. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Mikey the Monkey

Bolting scrap wood on to discharge makes grind up the leaves really well. So far it is a win. 

KIMG0164.jpg

KIMG0165.jpg

KIMG0163.jpg

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Cvans

Hey mike that's impressive. Around here we just wait for a day like today (40+ mph winds) and they leave on their own. No pun intended. 

 

  • Haha 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Sarge

That's why I cut the grass down to "one notch off dirt" - it lets those leaves just keep going on the wind , and around here we get a lot from those huge fans they keep building...lol .

 

Just missed a great price on a Trac Vac unit ....ugh .

 

Sarge

  • Like 1
  • Sad 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Sarge

Surfing some of the sale ads on FB yesterday while waiting on a phone call and found this pretty cheap in great condition - 16 miles from home to boot .

 

59f9cdb917cb5_20171031_1645071.jpg.ebda76e4417a40b0580235a30bd51b9a.jpg

 

All the parts are inside and include the deck adapter nozzle . Engine starts on the first pull , gotta love the older style Briggs L head engines . I have got to get that acceleration valve and spring changed today in the hydro - it decided to jerk full forward pressure when loading the vac/tractor on the trailer , pulled the front end off the ground but the hitch and tongue on the vac kept it from flipping over backwards , thankfully . Not going to miss having to use the sweeper to pick up excess grass and leaves but I would like to find a spot where I can build a loading dock of sorts - just back up and dump it into my bigger trailer to haul out to the burn pile .

 

Sarge

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Oldarmy

Gave my wife a new rake and a new tarp. She gave me a concussion.:D 

  • Like 3
  • Haha 5

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Sarge

Yeah - I was dumb enough to do something like that years ago , mine had mentioned a dish washer - she got a new dish tub and drying rack . Bad idea on my part - that couch is one uncomfortable *** to sleep on when you have to get up for work the next day....

 

Sarge

  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
c-series don

Well I finally switched vacuums and put the big one on. When it dumps the back door opens automatically which I have to say is a pretty sweet feature! 

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

  • Like 2
  • Excellent 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
ebinmaine
On 11/3/2017 at 1:41 PM, Oldarmy said:

Gave my wife a new rake and a new tarp. She gave me a concussion.:D 

 

20 hours ago, Sarge said:

Yeah - I was dumb enough to do something like that years ago , mine had mentioned a dish washer - she got a new dish tub and drying rack . Bad idea on my part - that couch is one uncomfortable *** to sleep on when you have to get up for work the next day....

 

Sarge

some folks just don't know a good gift when they get one....

gave my ex a fryin pan years ago... went about the same.:ranting:

 

All these leaf leavin' posts are making me soooo happy I have next-to-no yard.:)

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
Sarge

Hoping to run some tests on the yard vac today - spent last evening making a new soft boot that sits between the blower outlet and the hopper since the original was rotted and torn . Agri-Fab uses some sort of vinyl tarp-like material which doesn't hold up very well . I sewed up a new one out of 1200 denier ballistic nylon - that should last awhile ..lol . I've considered trying to find some soft rubber or silicon rubber to make that boot so it can automatically allow the snout to just pop into place in the hopper's opening - we'll see how it works out since I left out the bungee that sewed into the original piece and used a Velcro draw buckle strap to hold it tight to the snout . To dump the cart you have to remove the one end of the boot first and re-attach it when the cart is empty - too many steps in my opinion .

 

I had originally only bought this thing with the intention of picking up leaves - but it works so well picking up grass it might get a lot more use in the spring and summer trying to keep up with the crazy fast-growing grass here .

 

Anyone else have one of these Agri-Fab units ? No idea why they made a 4" opening on the engine side of the blower housing for the engine shaft - it allows a lot of material to be blown onto the air cooled Briggs , which is not a good idea . Might have to make a panel to cover that up - it's gonna drive me nuts and would seal it better for more suction at the deck too .

 

Sarge

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 
EricF

That M-series Lawn-Boy I put back in service (in the "Other Brands" thread) is my favorite thing for eating up leaves. I just keep the mulching plug in place and run over 'em, and let the 2-cycle monster chew 'em up into a nice fine mulch That I can leave down on the ground. The leaves don't cover the whole lawn, they just collect in a few places that I can either run right over, or rake into an area where I can mulch them down with the mower. As long as I keep the leaves chopped up, the squirrels seem to be finding and picking up the acorns pretty well. Hopefully I won't have plague of them like I did in the Spring this year.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...