Whats the best way to remove pine needles?

[syzer]

What do you guys to effectively remove pine needles? I have never done it before, looks like a pain in the butt.

Chris
Precision Landscaping

[cleancut]

I've got some customers that have to have pine needles removed...The most effective way I've found is the old fashioned, raking...I don't like raking but I do on these two jobs...I bag them up and bring them to my house to use for future jobs...They're great for azaleas...So really, I make double...Customer A pays me to remove them, then Customer B pays me to put around plants...I'm sure there are easier ways but I haven't found one yet..Derrick

[Evan528]

A quality back pack blower,a rake and a tarp!

[eslawns]

I used to have this machine that would do it. Hmmm... what was it called? Oh yeah, a RAKE! :D

[Premo Services]

Chris
I picked up a new account last spring and she wanted pine needles removed, there was a lot of pine trees and a lot more pine needles. I started raking the needles up but that became old real quick, I had a Toro Super Recycler 6.5 hp 21in. in truck and took it out to try. I was amazed at how it picked up the needles,some places had to go over twice but a heck of a lot easier than raking them up,also my lazer with ultra vac does a great job,mabey if there is enough room you might try your ztr with the peco vac.

[cclllc]

Just take your mower and mow backwards and blow them in wind rows and rake them up.

[Grassman]

I've always done it with a blower and a rake too. Was curious to know if anyone's tried using a Billygoat or similiar vac to pick them or leaves off a lawn? Russ

[cantoo]

Walker GHS and a back pack blower. Has anyone tried using the Walker dethatcher to loosen up the straw so the Walker will pick it all up. I only have one customer that has pines that need to be cleaned up, I was amazed at the number of binfuls that were there. We use the blower to loosen up the straw and sometimes have to do a few passes but it's lots easier than raking..


Rake is a four letter word.

[mowerman90]

The easiest way to remove pine needles is to use a chainsaw. No pines, = no needles, works for me.

[Stonewall]

Here in the Pine Belt, my rake is rusting in the back of the truck while my Scag is humming along with a belt-driven bagger picking up the straw. I dump the hopper from the seat. If the straw is removed weekly while it is falling, it will do fine. If is a one-time clean up, the straw gets packed down. Don't think about mulching it though. It won't work.

[landscaper3]

If there is pine needles on the lawn area under trees we vac them up with our Walkers, we get 90% up on first pass, you may try the Shidawa Power-Broom they work real good also.

[GreenQuest Lawn]

lazer with lazer vac

[65hoss]

I run over with the ultra vac. If really heavy I will take the metro with mulching kit and run over them once or twice to chop them up some and then run the Lazer HP over and suck them up. I haven't used a rake 1 time this year, and I've done several leaf jobs already. :cool:

[BUSHMASTER]

I blow out area that need to be then My walker collectes them very well then i dump in a bag and put it in beds of other customers for a charge works well $.

[Runner]

If they're aleady packed down, and into the grass, I find one of the most effective ways is to use a pitchfork sort of as a stiff rake. I pull from the center out, then pile and tarp them. Many of times just rolling them onto the tarp without piling them first. Many times, the JRCO front tine rake just piles them and I can use it to pile them onto a tarp. I've never been able to nor have I ever seen packed down needles effectively moved with a mower. If it's dirt under the trees, it is possible to move them with a push blower, but of it's grass, I don't see how.

[BUSHMASTER]

You have a point runner if its PACKED down you know hasent been done in a while i'll drag a pull behind dethacher to pile them up i rather sit than rake..but if its that bad its considered a clean up and that cost more.

[EarthTech Landscapes]

I have always used backpack blowers to remove pine needles. this is the most effective way that i have found so far.

[EDL]

We use a JRCO rake on the lazer, just like runner says it makes piles for the tarp, then we go over it a second time and suck up the rest.

[HOMER]

Who said you can't mulch em'? I take my Chopper and mulch them into smaller pieces and then bag them with my Trac-Vac. Sometimes I get them mulched to a powder and let them stay there depending on where I'm at.

[MOW ED]

The Walker GHS is by far the best thing I use. I also use the spring tine dethatcher to loosen the packed ones. This is one of those uses that the Walker is priceless for. I do not even put a rake on my trailer.
The vacuum action of the 42" deck and my Walker GHS pulls the hair of people in China;)
I would challenge anyone that doesn't have a Walker to pick more debris up per pass and dispose of it quicker than the Walker does. You may whoop me in flat out summer time mowing speed but I make up for it in spring, and fall cleans when you have to get the debris off.

Feelin a little full of my Walker today ain't I
;)

[MIDSOUTH]

My Scag will mulch them into brown dust with double blades(one eliminator and one gator with mulch master baffles installed)

[lawrence stone]

ed wrote:

>I would challenge anyone that doesn't have a Walker to pick more debris up per pass and dispose of it quicker than the Walker does.

I have a $700 52" walkbenind with a tine rake, a metal bagger and leaf extension that can out produce a little 42" deck any day.

The double blade set up chops the needles (gator blade) to bits and the high lift blade packs the bagger tight.

[BUSHMASTER]

It starting to get thick in here he he...here's a good tip for walker owners to tell if your blades are up to "speed"
take some news paper one or two pages and rip them up, scatter them along the grass run your walker or other brand
over the debris and see whats left should pickup 98% or better (of course you have a sharp blade with good wings)if you get poor pick up check the following
1. belts
2. blades
3. deck ring
4.deck height
these corrections should fix it.

hey stone we think a like example:
you run "low price mowers"(ones you get at a great price,easy to work on) deals folks just drull over,and if it works why change it.

I brought a 36" toro grear drive 2 years ago for $100. I ran it 1 season full time .but last spring i accquired 2walker in peices both ghs units one with a fresh 21.5 kubota gas Price ,well lets just say after it became one unit and took the first test drive i had inder $500 in it Yea cool uh.
Since my mid size sits longer than my 21" does now ,i know the types of property that we both do are different but it boils down to making a system work for you. nothings wrong with a wb with a sulky but i like the ride on the walker after a long day better than my mid size and i don't run the string trimmer or the 21" near as much and i bet if you came across a great deal on a strong commercial mid size zrt well , just answer this question,"would you just pass it by? how many bushes does your basket hold 4.5-5? well it just seems to me if i can pack 6.5 into my walker insead of less that less time for dumping and the newwer ones have 9 bushels even more time saved and the walker chops the leaves small being that thier rin though the bolwer unit and makes them small inturn more debrie in the hopper of course with a 52" deck so it's a even test.

[Edited by BUSHMASTER on 02-16-2001 at 10:52 AM]

[Strawbridge Lawn]

Exmark Ultra-Vac

[syzer]

Thanks for all your responses guys, very informative.


Chris
Precision Landscaping

[Hunter Landscape]

*blow out from edges and areas inaccesible to mow.
*mow (i have a grasshopper with grass catcher)
*set it up on a regular schedule so the straw doesn't get too thick and out of hand.
*VISIT THROUGHOUT THE NON-GROWING SEASON!! :)

[landscaper3]

$700 and vacumes better then the Walker? Please market your product we will all buy it (LOL)

[LawnMowerBoy48]

First I mow the lawn. Then I'll go over the lawns first with my JRCO rake than blow off that mess with walk behind blowers. After that I'll mow the lawn again. It is a bit tedious but it get the job done well, it takes two people however, one with a backpack and the other with the mower. While the operator of the mower goes really slowly the person with the backpack walks back wards in front of the mower having the blowers tube end by the front of the deck. Blowing from side to side kicks the needles up and they get sucked up with out a problem. Takes a little while to do but works really well.

[Curtis]

Walker's with the 48 in GHS deck , 26 Hp Efi full blast . The pine cones are vacumed or turned into metorites .

[wriken]

I take my dethather mounted to my w/b and go over the pine area, then vacumn them with my tank/collection system. wooks great.

[Lawn-N-Garden Guy]

ONE WORD EX-MARK ULTRA VAC Or maybe that was three words

[TMlawncare]

Bushmaster stated he bought an 21.5 hp kubota (fresh) powered walker for under $500. A fresh 21.5 hp kubota engine will cost you about $3500 - 4000.. You must feel like you won the lottery.