Leaf cleaning option help

Stomper · Apr 12, 2019

Last fall I was too busy to clean up the leaves after they fell from the trees and this spring they are a big mess with the spring melt clogging up the drainage around my yard. In the past I have just raked them up which takes forever because of my large yard and an abundance of poplar trees. I need an easier way to clean them up and have been tossing around possibly a leaf blower or even maybe a pine needle rake for the tractor. Would a pine needle rake work for this and would it be ok on the lawn. Or should I just mulch them up with the lawnmower?

bgk · Apr 12, 2019

Wait for a dryer day and leaf blow as much as you can. Then mow it. Leaf blow again. Beats raking and it’s what I just had to do as well. I paid for that extra hunting time last Fall when I neglected my leaf duties. Overall, not that bad. Something to do before striped bass opened.

Stomper · Apr 12, 2019

Yeah that seems like it would be the easiest. especially since I hate the job in the first place. Thanks

Muzzy · Apr 13, 2019

Get a good Leaf Blower, so worth it. I fire the Stihl BR700, it's a beast, not much left to cut after.

rjcorazza · Apr 14, 2019

Muzzy said:
Get a good Leaf Blower, so worth it. I fire the Stihl BR700, it's a beast, not much left to cut after.

That is a nice blower. This season I have a few customers that didn't do anything with fall leaves, and I use the blower to get the wet compacted leaves up and into the lawn, then mulch them.

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GeoBx2680 · Apr 14, 2019

I ran the Echo PB--770 blower its a backpack style thing is awesome. I mulch with tractor then blower everything into farm field next to me. Some day when I save my pennies i'll get the cyclone rake for the Kubota

Plus the blower works great for them lite snow dusting to clean off the driveway

Daren Todd · Apr 14, 2019

bgk said:
Wait for a dryer day and leaf blow as much as you can. Then mow it. Leaf blow again. Beats raking and it’s what I just had to do as well. I paid for that extra hunting time last Fall when I neglected my leaf duties. Overall, not that bad. Something to do before striped bass opened.

Thats what I do. Blow them off the fence and chop them with the mower

SidecarFlip · Apr 14, 2019

Lived out here under the trees for 35 years and I've never raked or moved a leaf. I let them lay and mow the grass (when it's time) and all the leaves vanish and what don't, blow across the field and into the next property owners place down the road and I don't much care what he does with them, they left my place...

JeffL · Apr 14, 2019

I use a bagger on the last mow of the season and then deposit in the mulch plie. Sometimes I use the bagger on the first mow because I get to busy in the fall..........

GreensvilleJay · Apr 14, 2019

I saw a slick trick of adding a pole and tarp to rider so the leaves collect on the tarp while 'cutting' the grass. When the tarp gets full, drive to compost area, reverse, tarp 'self-empties' , go back for some more !
Jay

Dave_eng · Apr 16, 2019

Look at pto driven blowers if you want serious performance.

Commercial made ones like this:

https://buffaloturbine.com/debris-leaf-blowers/cyclone-pto

Or more home made like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGuho_ui74c

Dave

torch · Apr 16, 2019

Dave_eng said:
Or more home made like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGuho_ui74c

Just don't forget to close the shed door before driving past. Looks like a very efficient way to fill it with leaves!

dalola · Apr 16, 2019

Get a set of Gator blades for your mower, and mulch them up. Good organic matter to go back into the soil.

boz1989 · Apr 16, 2019

dalola said:
Get a set of Gator blades for your mower, and mulch them up. Good organic matter to go back into the soil.

I don't know about the OP, but I have tried gator blades without success. Just too many leaves to deal with.

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200mph · Apr 17, 2019

Probably not an option for most tractors, but found this interesting.

Stomper · Apr 17, 2019

Wow those are some serious leaf blowers. I picked up a Huskavarna blower/vac and tried it out yesterday. Probably never going to use the vaccum function but it's there if I need it. Grass and leaves were still wet and packed because of the snow we had....and still have, but it blew them around quite easily. Cleaned them right out of the wifes flower beds also. if it blows the wet stuff like that I can't wait to see what it will do on dry stuff, Can't believe that it took me this long to finaly buy one.

dalola · Apr 17, 2019

boz1989 said:
I don't know about the OP, but I have tried gator blades without success. Just too many leaves to deal with.

If your mower does not have sufficient tip speed, no blade will work well.

I live in a 3 acre sycamore forest, so I fully understand "too many leaves"...

Gators on a commercial ZTR makes quick work of more leaves than you can imagine! It's all I've used for the past 12 years.

bird dogger · Apr 17, 2019

I have a pto driven blower made by Agri-Fab and it is a life saver. When we first moved onto our farmstead (heavily wooded) it would take weeks to take care of the fall clean up with mowers, rakes, tarps, trailers, etc. Happened to see this blower used for cleaning a cemetery and promptly bought one. One of the best investments I've ever made. It will blow leaves into a pile or back into the woods in no time flat. What used to take weeks can now be done in a few hours. Even wet leaves can be handled.....just a little slower. The unit is 29 years old and is still working like new. I don't have a picture of it handy and its tucked away in the shed but I can get one for you. I did have this one pic showing what it did with just one quick pass down a narrow strip with wet leaves on the ground.

Depending on type of leaves, length of grass, and dampness it will clear a swath from 5 feet to 10 feet and more. It also is handy to clear off cut grass if the grass was left to long between cuttings. will also dust off the concrete pad in front of the garage in seconds. Just don't use it when the wife has clothes hanging on the clothesline!!!!

lreops · Apr 18, 2019

As far as fall clean up, one of my better investments. Saves hours of time.

https://www.cyclonerake.com/?gclid=...RwE4bOV3sDqi0onyEZ1qlFvfVCtilMQaAn0YEALw_wcB#

Ron

Stomper · Apr 18, 2019

lreops said:
As far as fall clean up, one of my better investments. Saves hours of time.

https://www.cyclonerake.com/?gclid=...RwE4bOV3sDqi0onyEZ1qlFvfVCtilMQaAn0YEALw_wcB#

Ron

Now thats the ultimate leaf cleaner upper thingy. That would save a huge amount of work.

Leaf cleaning option help

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