Leaf Season

[Brockport Bill 2,089]

likely the last weekend to do leaves here in the Hudson River Valley, NY - most trees now bare  - most nites below 30 - daytime in 40-50+ - However, before cleaning the mower deck and servicing it for winter to install plow -- We did our fall family tradition of a full day of leaves at daughter's house  - transported over my C175 S1 with its 42 inch side discharge deck -- grandson's did their thing driving the horse -- including much mowing/mulching, plus pulling the sweeper - plus, a few hand blowers moving the heavy leaf volume piles and rows - - and adding in abundant supply of acorns - - Leaf volume was enormous -- as well as the leaves themselves huge -- add also damp leaves from recent rain.

Always impressive what the wh tractors will do -- fully expected i'd overheat a belt or pulley or simply burn one out, or break something straining to move and mulch those rows of leaves  - - not to mention the leaves sticking in the mule pulleys and top of the deck between the belt/pulley covers - - more than once I was thinking pushing the leaves with a plow on the tractor would have been better idea than mowing/mulching them ?? Maybe next year will be smart to do both with two tractors????????

Thankfully, the tractor performed like the beast it is - all went well -- did however need to fill that Kohler twin with gas a second time - but grandsons loved riding in circles plus mulching the rows -  I did the heavier areas where many years of tractor driving operational experience paid off. Busy day but rewarding to see that nice clean yard when finished and the pride of grandsons participating in a WH family project tradition.

[SylvanLakeWH 29,509]

I push leaves with the  every year... works great on pavement, sometimes digs in on the grass, so I stick to hard surface movement...

 

 

[JoeM 9,047]

Dry leafs real can clean a mower deck bottom. 

I have some leafs but they mulch up. 

I did a blade to push walnuts this year. my neighbors tree had a bunker crop. 

[Ed Kennell 43,327]

No leaves, no snow, no mowing, no seat time here in SC Pee Aaa.    

[sqrlgtr 1,134]

20 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

No leaves, no snow, no mowing, no seat time here in SC Pee Aaa.    

you could always go to one of the beaches and push sand 

[sqrlgtr 1,134]

44 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

I push leaves with the  every year... works great on pavement, sometimes digs in on the grass, so I stick to hard surface movement...

 

 

Often wondered about making a rake for the bottom of one of them plows just never got around to it. I have some ol broke hay rake teeth that would probably bolt behind the wear bar. Might have to revisit hat idea.

[953 nut 62,579]

38 minutes ago, JoeM said:

Dry leafs real can clean a mower deck bottom. 

I have some leafs but they mulch up. 

We have over a hundred trees lining both sides of the creek and around the property that we mow. Various species drop leaves at different times so I get lots of seat time grinding up the leaves and sweeping the debris. The poplars are the first to drop and they are pulverized by the mower to the point that no cleanup is needed.

@JoeM is absolutely correct about leaves cleaning the deck bottom, I sprayed my deck bottom with Plasti Dip Spray seven or eight years ago and by the end of leaf season it looks as good as the day I applied it. The red oaks and pair trees are about finished dropping so one more pass will be needed after Thanksgiving.

[Bar Nuthin 1,607]

Our leaves can set by the road for several days before the vac truck comes around. With the wind from a lot of semi traffic, the piles get spread out.

I use my C-120 with the snowplow on front to keep them stacked up as best I can. It has a plastic wear bar so, with a little care, I can push them out of my yard without much damage.

 

[lynnmor 8,144]

40 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

No leaves, no snow, no mowing, no seat time here in SC Pee Aaa.    

I'll be sweeping the last of my leaves today and then a final mowing.  It is always Thanksgiving weekend for the final cleanup.  This year was much different than past years with the timing of the leaf drop, the trees that usually drop early are now late and the late ones dropped early.  I have a large Ginkgo the usually drops all of its leaves inside of 24 hours, this year it has been dropping for more than a week and still isn't done.

[Brockport Bill 2,089]

4 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

I push leaves with the  every year... works great on pavement, sometimes digs in on the grass, so I stick to hard surface movement...

 

 

here's a thought for perhaps using the plow on the lawn to move leaves but wanting to avoid the plow edge digging into the lawn -- I have seen You Tubes of guys who want to avoid damage to plowing snow on asphalt cutting a seam in a 48 inch PVC plastic pipe and installing ( sliding ) entire pipe over the plow bottom wear edge blade. It is effective and pipe smoothly slides over driveway for snow -- so thinking maybe it would be solution to install pvc pipe on plow to move large piles of lawn leaves? See photo below

[Blue Chips 274]

5 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

I push leaves with the  every year... works great on pavement, sometimes digs in on the grass, so I stick to hard surface movement...

 

I hadn't thought of that. Interesting possibility.

 

4 hours ago, 953 nut said:

The red oaks and pair trees are about finished dropping so one more pass will be needed after Thanksgiving.

 

Our oak trees are stubbornly hanging onto about a third of their leaves, which is, of course, an excuse to procrastinate leaf clearing until after they all drop. It's funny how much prettier the leaves look on the ground when you only plan to spend one day on cleanup. The downside is that if it snows on top of them, I'll be in trouble with my spousal unit.

 

5 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

No leaves, no snow, no mowing, no seat time here in SC Pee Aaa.    

 

I would be happy to reserve a section of our yard for your leaf-clearing pleasure. 

 

5 hours ago, JoeM said:

Dry leafs real can clean a mower deck bottom. 

 

Yep, I've noticed that a good dose of dry leaves can help clean out grass deposits.