custom leaf eater

[rjmj]

THE LEAVES ARE STARTING TO DROP
Does anyone have a walk behind with a powered vac system on it?
I have a 52" walk behind and a pull behind agri-fab vac bin with a 5hp engine on it . I would like to some how combine the two to make one unit. The agri-fab is designed to be pulled behind a lawn tractor(like a trailer) but its a major pain to back up. so i was thinking of mounting the collection box over the wb's deck and the engine behind the wb. If you have anything like this please post some pics. or if you have any better ideas?
Thanks

[Phishook]

Please post a pic of a WB pulling a trailering leaf vac!

BHB said something about that last year.

[Simone Lawn Service]

This is kind of off the subject, but if you want to see a really nice leaf sucker, go to plowsite.com and check out this guy named Pelican's truck with leaf sucker on it (do a search just like here) He built it from scratch and it looks super professional (lots of step by step pics also)

[Premo Services]

I don,t know about mounting the collection box on your walk behind, would it make it hard to see over the top of it?

They have vacs that are powered by engines or with the pulley belts of the deck, and they are called Track Vacs or there is another called a Peco Vac. They are made so you can see over the top of them to avoid hgitting things. I can not think of a web site right now, it is kind of early for me.

[FrankenScagMachines]

That would work, you have plenty of hose to work with. But you'll have to rig up mounting brackets and arms for the engine and blower. the box on your tow behind unit will be way too big for a walk behind, so you'll have to make another. Remember, where air flows in it must flow out, so you must put a vent screen on that hopper. Would suggest looking at www.trac-vac.com and click on model 470 I think for walk behinds. Do something alot like that, or make a hopper more like the Protero 230 ( http://www.proteroinc.com/vacs_230-232.htm )
Peco does not make a walk behind model but you may get ideas from their site www.lawnvac.com
Or I'm sure you could rig up a way to tow this behind the walk behind somehow, I've heard guys tell of seeing one done that way before :D
Or if all this sounds like too much work, email me and I would be interested in buying the thing from you.

[crawdad]

Oh, no, leaf time coming again? I guess I'll hook up my leaf plow.
I had a potential customer point up into some trees, and ask how much to pick up the leaves in the fall...If there's anything worse than picking up leaves, it's pricing the work, especially before they have fallen. The woman told me how much the last guy charged, and how long he was there, wanted me to meet or beat his price, I guess. He was there about an hour or two, two men, 75 bucks each time. Sounds about right, or even a little cheap, though I didn't say that to her.

I told her I can't price them while they are in the trees. These are oaks, that will need to be picked up many times. If I gave her a price for each time, she would mess with the time between pickups. If I give her an hourly rate, she'll wine.

Man, I hate leaves. I'll do the work, but I won't be cheap. I have a billy goat vac, a bp blower, a leaf plow for my scag (it'll go on the gravely or the exmark, too), a three foot wide hand rake. But all that stuff'll stay here unless I'm making a good profit.
Crawdad

[walker-talker]

Originally posted by Simone Lawn Service
This is kind of off the subject, but if you want to see a really nice leaf sucker, go to plowsite.com and check out this guy named Pelican's truck with leaf sucker on it (do a search just like here) He built it from scratch and it looks super professional (lots of step by step pics also)

I did a search...many searches and could not find anything. Would you mind sharing a link?

Thanks
MATT

[Team Gopher]

Hi Rjmj,

Here are two great threads to review.

Does anyone "dump" their leaf loader?? (http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50152)

Truckloader Mounting (http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52144)

[Turfdude]

PM Rodfather. I think he has some tracvac type units for his w/b's. The only downside of course is the pony motor. They're always high maintenance. Love the way my Peco works, but will be going w/ eXmark & ultravac next time.

[rjmj]

If I take the vac engine off and mount it to a trailer will it work for a leave loader or is 5hp too little?

[Simone Lawn Service]

Originally posted by walker-talker
I did a search...many searches and could not find anything. Would you mind sharing a link?

Thanks
MATT
I don't know how to share the link, but I found it. Go to plowsite.com, do a search for leaf vacuum (I know vacumn is spelled wrong, but that's how they had it) then go to the thread started by Pelican-let me know if you can't find it.

[Phishook]

Originally posted by Simone Lawn Service
I don't know how to share the link, but I found it. Go to plowsite.com, do a search for leaf vacuum (I know vacumn is spelled wrong, but that's how they had it) then go to the thread started by Pelican-let me know if you can't find it.

Just bump it to the top.;)