Building a leaf box, sizing??

JB_lawn_services · Aug 6, 2023

I’m currently building my first leaf setup for this fall. After some back and forth and trailer issues, I’m using a 6.5x12 trailer. Plan is to mount my loader up front, leave room for my 36” mower that I’m building a leaf plow for to quickly get the majority of leaves to the curb, and then have my leaf box behind that. It works out to be a 7x6.5x6 or roughly 300ft3 of space.

does this seem like enough? I saw somewhere on here that wet leaves are like 13 lb/ft3, which would be almost 2 ton in leaves in said box(this trailer can’t handle that) and dry like 6 lb/ft3 dry or 1800 lb.

Part of me feels it’s not that much storage space, but if those weights are accurate, it adds up quick and a bigger box isn’t going to do any any good if I can’t load it to the top.

anyone have a box a similar size? How’s it fair? Or does anyone have better weight numbers For shredded leaves?

J. Baker · Aug 7, 2023

JB_lawn_services said:
and then have my leaf box behind that.

Better put it in the front of the trailer.

J. Baker · Aug 7, 2023

JB_lawn_services said:
It works out to be a 7x6.5x6 or roughly 300ft3 of space.

Um…. Close to 275. 273 to be exact. You added quite a bit there.

Seems small.

Youngandfree · Aug 7, 2023

Does your trailer have a side gate at the front?

Andrew H · Aug 7, 2023

I’ve never weighed it, but a cube of leaves is pretty heavy.
We have our vacuum on the back which we like better because it allows us to back up to piles such as those at the end of the driveway

Mark Stark · Aug 7, 2023

Andrew H said:
I’ve never weighed it, but a cube of leaves is pretty heavy.
We have our vacuum on the back which we like better because it allows us to back up to piles such as those at the end of the driveway
View attachment 550786 View attachment 550787 View attachment 550788

What are those giant balloons weighing in at?

JB_lawn_services · Aug 7, 2023

J. Baker said:
Um…. Close to 275. 273 to be exact. You added quite a bit there.

Seems small.

J. Baker said:
Better put it in the front of the trailer.

Well it is a bit taller than 7’ I guess, but yeah I just rounded up. Still, my limiting factor is weight. I can make the box 12’ long if I want, but still can’t haul that without breaking the trailer, unless my leaf weight numbers aren’t accurate.

what’s the advantage of putting the box up front? Seems that when you aren’t hauling leaves, you’d have next to 0 tongue weight due to the loader in the back. And when you are full, you’d be putting almost all your weight on the truck and nothing on the trailer. Also seems It would be hard to empty the box?

JB_lawn_services · Aug 7, 2023

Youngandfree said:
Does your trailer have a side gate at the front?

Nope.

Youngandfree · Aug 7, 2023

JB_lawn_services said:
Nope.

How are you going to get the mower onto the fro t of the trailer with a box full of leaves on the back at the gate?

JB_lawn_services · Aug 7, 2023

Youngandfree said:
How are you going to get the mower onto the fro t of the trailer with a box full of leaves on the back at the gate?

I plan to build a platform even with the side rail and use atv ramps.

J. Baker · Aug 7, 2023

JB_lawn_services said:
what’s the advantage of putting the box up front? Seems that when you aren’t hauling leaves, you’d have next to 0 tongue weight due to the loader in the back.

Put the loader on the tongue or in the bed of the truck. 🙄

JB_lawn_services · Aug 7, 2023

J. Baker said:
Put the loader on the tongue or in the bed of the truck. 🙄

Oh I thought you meant reverse the layout. Someone else had mentioned a loader on the back so I got the two ideas mixed up. The loader is going on the tongue. I’d rather not put it in the truck because my work truck is also my personal. Rather not have to load/unload the blower constantly.

J. Baker · Aug 7, 2023

JB_lawn_services said:
Rather not have to load/unload the blower constantly.

Do you use the bed of your truck so often you can’t carry a leaf loader for a few weeks?

Andrew H · Aug 7, 2023

Youngandfree said:
How are you going to get the mower onto the fro t of the trailer with a box full of leaves on the back at the gate?

Separate trailer 👍
Fwiw, leaf vacuums, at least the billy goat 18hp. Don’t like picking up grass.

JB_lawn_services · Aug 8, 2023

Problem solved. Just picked up a 14 ft dual axel 6k pound trailer on Facebook marketplace. Plenty of room and weight capacity. Go big or go home I figure..

J. Baker · Aug 8, 2023

JB_lawn_services said:
Problem solved. Just picked up a 14 ft dual axel 6k pound trailer on Facebook marketplace. Plenty of room and weight capacity. Go big or go home I figure..

Now you’re getting the idea.

JB_lawn_services · Aug 8, 2023

J. Baker said:
Now you’re getting the idea.

Haha I figure if I bought a brand new debris loader there’s no point in skimping in the trailer setup for it. It’ll come in handy in the summers for hauling other material anyway. Also got one heck of a deal on it so it was a no brainer

JB_lawn_services · Aug 8, 2023

see

Andrew H said:
Separate trailer 👍
Fwiw, leaf vacuums, at least the billy goat 18hp. Don’t like picking up grass.

not using the mower for grass. Using it to pile leaves with a plow like this one

MowDaddy · Aug 8, 2023

JB_lawn_services said:
see

not using the mower for grass. Using it to pile leaves with a plow like this one View attachment 550891

What size leaf loader are you getting?
I have the same leaf plow, the biggest issue is, as you plow the leaves into a pile it packs them pretty tight. If they are also wet and has sticks my leaf loader has trouble sucking wet packed leafs and stick. It's 16 hp with 8" hose.

JB_lawn_services · Aug 8, 2023

MowDaddy said:
What size leaf loader are you getting?
I have the same leaf plow, the biggest issue is, as you plow the leaves into a pile it packs them pretty tight. If they are also wet and has sticks my leaf loader has trouble sucking wet packed leafs and stick. It's 16 hp with 8" hose.

I got a 29hp with a 12” hose

Building a leaf box, sizing??

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J. Baker

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Youngandfree

Andrew H

Mark Stark

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Youngandfree

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J. Baker

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J. Baker

Andrew H

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J. Baker

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