Picking up grass with fel?

[JackJ]

I occasionally mow a neighbor's 3 acre lawn specifically to collect the clippings to add to my compost. I can't justify the expense of a bagger or lawn vac at this time. So I'm wondering if there's a good way to use my fel to scoop up windrows of clippings and load them into carts and my carryall. Seems like closely set rake tines (with tips bent to not catch) could get under the windrows and keep me from raking by hand. Is there anything that attaches to the bucket that can do this?

My side discharge mmm creates pretty nice windrows if I plan my passes right. But I can't always get underneath them with the loader, even in float. And I end up gouging the turf too often.

I might try one of those pull behind sweepers, but doesn't look like they hold much, and the neighbor is 1/2 mile away. It'd be a lot of trips compared to pulling a loaded cart behind my loaded carryall.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I have seen people that attach the sweeper to the loader bucket and use that as the catcher and allows you to dump it easy too.

 

[skeets]

The little field below the old barn I mow and keep blowing the clippings in to wind rows then mow and blow that wind row over in to the next, then rake in to piles in to the cart and then to the pile. I understand thats more than you want to do but a power sweeper would do better. The pull behind ground powered sweepers leave a lot to be desired in heavy grass

 

[sheepfarmer]

Mow it and leave the rows to dry for a day, then come back and use the mower's side discharge to blow the grass into several large piles by mowing in squares or circles. Rake or pitchfork the piles into your cart or a tarp or your bucket. I have done this with leaves and grass clippings before getting a Cyclone Rake. The CR would reduce the work involved.

 

[JackJ]

I have seen people that attach the sweeper to the loader bucket and use that as the catcher and allows you to dump it easy too.

Interesting. I Googled some references to this concept, but haven't found any photos or details yet.

The little field below the old barn I mow and keep blowing the clippings in to wind rows then mow and blow that wind row over in to the next, then rake in to piles in to the cart and then to the pile.

Mow it and leave the rows to dry for a day, then come back and use the mower's side discharge to blow the grass into several large piles by mowing in squares or circles. Rake or pitchfork the piles into your cart or a tarp or your bucket.

Those last two techniques are what I'm doing now, but the raking is hard on my sometimes fragile back.

A cyclone rake or similar probably is the way to go. Just researched them a bit, and good to know that some models are really compact when stored. Just have to decide if I can justify the expense.

 

[Steve67]

What about a pine needle rake, tines are close together. Down side their about $400