Anybody using a “Leaf Vacuum”?

[mikester]

Due to prevailing winds and the design of my walkout patio I get a big pile of leaves accumulating at the door. A leaf blower blows the leaves out of the pile but the wind just picks them up and swirls it back and getting the leaves out is about as successful as pissing into the wind. I can’t get my mower onto the patio to get the leaves out.

Does anyone here use some sort of leaf vacuum to suck up leaf piles instead of trying to blow them further away?

 

[Bee-Positive]

There's all kinds of leaf vacuums out there on the net.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MN4YCKK?th=1&linkCode=ogi&asc_source=google&asc_campaign=mgu_ga_ghk_md_pmx_comm_org_us_18212575096&asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodhousekeeping.com%2Fpreview%2Fwhat-to-buy%2Fhome-products%2Fg73867113%2Fbest-leaf-vacuum-reviews%2F&tag=goodhousekeeping_auto-append-20&ascsubtag=%5Bartid%7C10055.g.73868801%5Bsrc%7C

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Depends on how big the 'big pile' is. I had a setup similar to Bee's with a 2 stroke engine. It worked fine and mulched well, but it got too hard to start so I haven't used it in years.

Edit - it's a Weedeater BV1650, probably NLA, no great loss.

 

[Russell King]

There are a couple of different versions of leaf blowers. Some use plastic impellers while others use steel impellers. Get the steel version if you can. Some have a better method of shredding the leaves so consider that also.

I have the electric version shown above and it works okay on live oak leaves (small thick leather like leaves) if they are dry and on concrete. It gets jammed sometimes by acorns and sticks. That company also sells a hose that can be routed to a larger trash can so you don’t have to stop as often to empty the bag (which is a bit small). The hose could be longer but you can get a pretty good circle before you have to move the container.

I have an Echo brand two stroke that converts from a blower to a vacuum. It works better on the same type of leaves. Bag is bigger and large enough to be almost too heavy when full.

i think either would work well on larger leaves like maple leaves and sycamore leaves.

But these will create a lot of dust so you may make a mess on on your patio that you will need to clean up.

 

[JimDeL]

I have a DR vac trailer, connected to my BX2380's deck via a Kubota deck boot. The trailer holds 330 gallons of shredded leaves, and I have enough trees to fill it up about 25 times a season.

It does a great job.

 

[whatsupdoc]

Had a gas powered leaf blower/vac, dont remember the brand. Worked great until one day when using it to vacuum up leaves when the blower housing exploded. Seems that it could not handle the 2 inch long tree branch that
was mixed in with the leaves.

It had a plastic housing and impeller.

 

[shelkol]

I blow at the house siding / door just above the leaves. The air bouncing off the siding moves the leaves out of the corner. then I can get behind them and blow off the deck. Is it 100% - hell no - but it's better than raking

 

[PHPaul]

I have an electric Toro with a bag. Sucks 'em up, shreds 'em and blows 'em in the bag. Works fine for me and I dump the bag in the compost bin.

Does have a metal impeller which I recommend as well.

Toro Electric Leaf Vac

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I have an electric Toro with a bag. Sucks 'em up, shreds 'em and blows 'em in the bag. Works fine for me and I dump the bag in the compost bin.

Does have a metal impeller which I recommend as well.

Toro Electric Leaf Vac

That looks good for OP There are also several battery models available. Ryobi's 40v model has a metal impeller. Battery blowers, and suckers, I'm sure, are power hogs, but would clear a patio.

 

[Meadowbank Kubota]

I have a Cyclone Rake. It is 9 HP vac on a trailer that connects to the mower deck. I have a 20’ hose the attaches to clean out garden beds, around the patio and other areas the mower cannot go. Here are last falls leaves that resulted in about 12 buckets of leaf compost now tilled into the garden for next year. I let the pile sit for the winter then turn throughout the summer.

 

[JimDeL]

...last falls leaves that resulted in about 12 buckets of leaf compost now tilled into the garden for next year. I let the pile sit for the winter then turn throughout the summer.

I do the same thing with mine. Makes for a great garden additive. "Free" fertilizrr!

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I have a Cyclone Rake. It is 9 HP vac on a trailer that connects to the mower deck. I have a 20’ hose the attaches to clean out garden beds, around the patio and other areas the mower cannot go. Here are last falls leaves that resulted in about 12 buckets of leaf compost now tilled into the garden for next year. I let the pile sit for the winter then turn throughout the summer.
View attachment 180480 View attachment 180481 View attachment 180482 View attachment 180483

You win!

 

[JimDeL]

Used the DR (and BX2380) today. First leaf vaccing this Fall. Filled the 330gallon trailer twice. Actually over-filled it on the first run. Had to stop and disconnect the hose to clean it out. That seems to happen at least once every season...

 

[someguy9000]

I have a Cyclone Rake XL (yellow 10 inch one) for like 10 years. I Originally ran this device behind a crafsman riding mower. Totally burned the transmission on the RM and ripped the cheap pin tab hitch off the RM due to the weight of the XL. It did its best...

Had a warranty issue with something on the CR and they fixed it no problems. No complaints.

I suck up probably 1 acre of oak leaf litter on just bare/wild grass/dirt "lawn". I would NEVER want to do this without a leaf vaccum. As another member said, it produces an insane amount of dust. I like to do it after it rains because of this.

There are times I cannot life the CR because its so heavy full of material. It clogs all the time at the mower deck. i have some ideas how to improve this, but free time is not my friend. I have to unhook it to clear the clog. Annoying, but workable.

4 years back, I bought a BX2680 and it does FANTASTIC towing the CR. ZERO complaints about that.