leaf vacuum power rake

[GeoBx2680]

So the wife give me a pass to buy a power rake for my BX. So I got a couple questions ?

Which is a better brand to get ?
Here lot people talk about cyclone rake brand is that the same one I'd get if I went tough my Kubota dealer. ?

And are they easy to assemble and set up on the tractor ?

 

[bird dogger]

Here's another option that might work real well for you depending on your site situation. I have a PTO powered blower made by AgriMetal like this one, only smaller to run behind my compact tractor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO3ymqfPrxA

It's built like a tank and is still going strong after 25 plus years. It will blow leaves, grass, twigs, etc. either left, right, into piles, or back into the woods.
It makes cleaning around trees or obstacles a breeze! If you need to collect up the leaves you can blow them into a pile and easily sweep them onto a tarp and load them up to haul away. If you work with the wind its amazing how far the leaves will fly and how fast the clean up goes. They're rugged, simple to service and easy to hook up and detach. If you have large areas to clean you can't beat 'em!

There's different manufacturers and sizes to fit most anything and easily found with a simple google search.

 

[B737]

wow that thing is gnarly!

 

[sheepfarmer]

So the wife give me a pass to buy a power rake for my BX. So I got a couple questions ?

Which is a better brand to get ?
Here lot people talk about cyclone rake brand is that the same one I'd get if I went tough my Kubota dealer. ?

And are they easy to assemble and set up on the tractor ?

Probably not the same brand. I have a Cyclone Rake, but one year I saw a different tow behind leaf vac at a Kubota Dealer. I have had mine for two seasons now and happy with it. Company stands behind their product and offers flexibly designed boots to hook up to different mowers. I currently use mine with my old Ingersoll garden tractor, but a couple people on the forum use with their Kubotas. Basically anything with a side discharge mid mount mower will work. I used to hate leaf season, and this is much better. I think I'd get the power lift accessory, when the cart is full of damp chopped leaves you have to rake out about half to be able to tilt it to dump on your mulch pile. Too heavy. Of course you could stop collecting sooner, but it is hard to tell it is too full until it is too late

 

[skeets]

I want one that will pick up chestnuts,,,, in one piece!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

'poor man's ' power rake.... is a pole on the front of the mower deck with a tarp attached to it. All that comes out of the deck gets depositied onto the tarp. When full, drive to compost area, then back up. It'll unload...that simple.

As for picking up chestnuts, they sell a wire football shaped 'drum' on a stick, maybe $30 USD ?, It is GREAT at getting acorns AND apples.

 

[charleneandrich]

Very happy with my Cyclone Rake “Commercial Pro” attached to my little BX1500. Easy to assemble and very effective.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[GeoBx2680]

bird dogger --- I do like the blower thing have to do some research on that. I could just blow everything into the farm field next to me

The cyclone rake I have looked at them. I do like them but the only thought I have on them is how many times I'm I going to have to dismount the tractor to empty it. I have a lot of huge trees

thanks for the feed back peeps. Interested in more

 

[bird dogger]

bird dogger --- I do like the blower thing have to do some research on that. I could just blow everything into the farm field next to me

The cyclone rake I have looked at them. I do like them but the only thought I have on them is how many times I'm I going to have to dismount the tractor to empty it. I have a lot of huge trees

We had 7 inches of rain here last weekend so my yard is a little soggy, along with some other troubles. But as soon as it dries up some more the blower is going to be put to use. If you’d like I’ll take some pics For you. You’re absolutely right in that if you have a place to blow the leaves into a field or back into the woods they can’t be beat. And there’s no circling around trees…..just drive by them and the leaves are cleared away from them. If you have an area that you do need to collect the leaves they can be blown
into a huge pile and quickly loaded onto a trailer or a tarp and hauled away in fewer trips than using a bagger. Plus, you get to choose where you make the pile vs. not knowing where you’ll be when the bagger gets full.

Other points: A former coworker has a cyclone type rake that he uses on his 5 acre rural site. It takes up much more storage room. It’s more of a hassle to just hook up and go comparatively. It’s another gas engine to maintain and especially with today’s gas. You have two engines to monitor while using. His hopper is on a separate trailer which is another consideration when operating around trees, obstacles, or backing up. (The blower works just as well in reverse as going forwards.)

In different situations they’d have their advantages over a blower. But it looks like you have a rural site also with the option to blow leaves into a field, or other places. You’d do well to really consider a blower. Plus, they’ll transfer to any similar sized tractor. My AgriMetal blower was purchased in 1990 and my only maintenance has been to keep it greased along with an occasional power wash. It’s still as solid as it was when new and it gets well used every year on about 15 acres. There’s two times you have to get off the tractor: When you have to load and haul away a pile of leaves, and the other time is to detach the blower when you’re done.

Here’s the AgriMetal line up of blowers. There are others as well, but I can vouch for the durability of AgriMetal: agrimetal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Leaf-and-debris-blower-english-1.pdf

Feel free to PM or email me if you’d like any more info or if I can answer any more questions for you.

David

 

[GeoBx2680]

We had 7 inches of rain here last weekend so my yard is a little soggy, along with some other troubles. But as soon as it dries up some more the blower is going to be put to use. If you’d like I’ll take some pics For you. You’re absolutely right in that if you have a place to blow the leaves into a field or back into the woods they can’t be beat. And there’s no circling around trees…..just drive by them and the leaves are cleared away from them. If you have an area that you do need to collect the leaves they can be blown
into a huge pile and quickly loaded onto a trailer or a tarp and hauled away in fewer trips than using a bagger. Plus, you get to choose where you make the pile vs. not knowing where you’ll be when the bagger gets full.

Other points: A former coworker has a cyclone type rake that he uses on his 5 acre rural site. It takes up much more storage room. It’s more of a hassle to just hook up and go comparatively. It’s another gas engine to maintain and especially with today’s gas. You have two engines to monitor while using. His hopper is on a separate trailer which is another consideration when operating around trees, obstacles, or backing up. (The blower works just as well in reverse as going forwards.)

In different situations they’d have their advantages over a blower. But it looks like you have a rural site also with the option to blow leaves into a field, or other places. You’d do well to really consider a blower. Plus, they’ll transfer to any similar sized tractor. My AgriMetal blower was purchased in 1990 and my only maintenance has been to keep it greased along with an occasional power wash. It’s still as solid as it was when new and it gets well used every year on about 15 acres. There’s two times you have to get off the tractor: When you have to load and haul away a pile of leaves, and the other time is to detach the blower when you’re done.

Here’s the AgriMetal line up of blowers. There are others as well, but I can vouch for the durability of AgriMetal: agrimetal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Leaf-and-debris-blower-english-1.pdf

Feel free to PM or email me if you’d like any more info or if I can answer any more questions for you.

David

So I think I'm going. too order the 1600 model guy says it will work on my BX
What size you have and what tractor you running it on

Only problem take about 2 weeks to get drop shipped to me

 

[bird dogger]

So I think I'm going. too order the 1600 model guy says it will work on my BX
What size you have and what tractor you running it on

Only problem take about 2 weeks to get drop shipped to me

Just happened to log in and see your post. Mine is an older model and its labeled as a BW 240. The HP rating isn't stamped on it. Not sure if the "240" means a 24 inch impeller or not. I would've guessed a little larger, maybe a 26 or 28 inch impeller.

When I purchased it around 1990-91, I powered it with my JD750 which was rated at 17 PTO HP. I think my blower was rated at 15-17 HP requirement. the next size up was rated something like 17-20 HP and was talked into the smaller one. I think it would have handled the larger one but I've been extremely happy with the one I have. Now it's powered by my B2650 which has more than enough HP for it. I think you'd do well with that model 1600.
It's probably an updated model to the one I have. The next size up is quite a bit bigger and would be extra weight hanging back there too. You'll be quite pleased with your new leaf machine!!

Regards,
David

 

[B737]

I ordered a BW1600 from EA, will report back. I've been using a backpack blower for the last 3 years on 2 acres of oaks, im willing to give this a try... I like the idea of this vs sucking them all up.

 

[bird dogger]

I ordered a BW1600 from EA, will report back. I've been using a backpack blower for the last 3 years on 2 acres of oaks, im willing to give this a try... I like the idea of this vs sucking them all up.

Congrats on your new purchase, B737!! You'll definitely like this compared to your backpak blower!! The learning curve is pretty quick. You'll be picking the windy days when from the right direction and the leaves will just fly. Hopefully the snow will hold off for a while so you'll get a chance to use it yet this year. Enjoy!!

David

 

[B737]

Bird,
Thank you for telling us about your system. That style never even dawned on me. I was going to take the plunge with the TVK 20 MCS system, but its bulky, maneuvering if dealing with trees, and it's a intricate system overall. The PTO blower style is more compact, easy to manage, simple, no mower deck needed, and I think offers ease when dealing with a lot of trees. The TVK20 and the BW-1600 come out to almost exactly the same price.

EA said 2-3 weeks on drop-shipped delivery which is surprisingly fast.

 

[bird dogger]

Bird,
Thank you for telling us about your system. That style never even dawned on me. I was going to take the plunge with the TVK 20 MCS system, but its bulky, maneuvering if dealing with trees, and it's a intricate system overall. The PTO blower style is more compact, easy to manage, simple, no mower deck needed, and I think offers ease when dealing with a lot of trees. The TVK20 and the BW-1600 come out to almost exactly the same price.

EA said 2-3 weeks on drop-shipped delivery which is surprisingly fast.

No thanks necessary, B737, but your welcome!! You nailed it with your description above, especially working around trees! And especially with it behind a hydrostatic drive where you can be going forward, stop, back up while turning around a tree trunk, and go forward again with just the push of a pedal. And maintenance is just 4 grease zirks on the machine and 2 on the drive shaft. That's pretty simple. There's certainly nothing wrong with the other leaf vac systems in the situations they're made for. With lots of trees or other objects in the area and if there's a place to blow the leaves into, then this type of blower shines. Not sure what the longevity of those other systems would be but I can state that my Agrimetal blower is going strong after nearly 29 years of work on 12+ acres of lots of trees. Other than grease, it's never been touched or needed anything repaired or replaced.

I am going to add a 12 volt linear actuator to the chute control so I can change the air direction with the push of a button instead of the pull of a cable. I'm getting lazy. If it ever stops raining here (now over 12 inches in the last 2 weeks, and a snowstorm coming tomorrow) I'll post some pictures of mine to show what it looks like now.

Anxious to hear your thoughts, B737, when you get yours and have a chance to try it out. Besides your tractor, it'll soon be one of your most prized possessions. And pics, please!!

 

[GeoBx2680]

Bird,
Thank you for telling us about your system. That style never even dawned on me. I was going to take the plunge with the TVK 20 MCS system, but its bulky, maneuvering if dealing with trees, and it's a intricate system overall. The PTO blower style is more compact, easy to manage, simple, no mower deck needed, and I think offers ease when dealing with a lot of trees. The TVK20 and the BW-1600 come out to almost exactly the same price.

EA said 2-3 weeks on drop-shipped delivery which is surprisingly fast.

Copy that.. I to was going to buy a cyclone rake after talking with the neighbor who has one. Til I seen the blower.

Glad you mentioned EA they where 300 cheaper than the other place I called. I had forgot about them

 

[GeoBx2680]

Will I did order the Bw-1600 I think I'll like it. With the trees I have everywhere and the ability to blow it in to the farm field next to me or my woods behind me.
Thanks Bird

also like the fact its smaller then the baggers. for storage

 

[bird dogger]

Will I did order the Bw-1600 I think I'll like it. With the trees I have everywhere and the ability to blow it in to the farm field next to me or my woods behind me.
Thanks Bird

also like the fact its smaller then the baggers. for storage

No thanks needed, GeoBx2680, glad to share!! I think we'll have to start a club to promote these blowers. I first saw this being used here in the local cemetery and knew that's what I needed. After talking with the groundskeeper I found out who sold them and promptly bought one. It's surprising that there's no others around here that I know of and no local dealers stock them or even know of them. It also works well to clean up your yard of grass clippings quickly if the time between cutting gets too long.
Although wet, packed down leaves are harder to move....the blower will move them where most leaf vacuum setups will not be able to lift and collect them. You're new blower will earn its keep and have you smiling!!

 

[B737]

this thing is here already!
will get to setting it up tomorrow and report back once i get to try it out

 

[GeoBx2680]

this thing is here already!
will get to setting it up tomorrow and report back once i get to try it out

Sweet....
Mines looks like it will arrive on Tuesday. Can't wait