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Best bagging system for sit down ZTR

2K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Brucey  
#1 ·
Other than typical side catchers, I don’t have much experience with larger bagging systems for ZTR. We purchased a toro6000 series, and would like to add a bagging system for fall. This will be removed during the summer. Early spring and fall only.

this Is going to be used on routes that are primarily over 1/2 acre, some as big as 6-7 acres of turf and some a standard 1/4 acre lot. Complicating it more, some homes get bagged for fall leaves and some do not. So the ability to quick go to a side discharge mode is a little important. Some homes have “wood like areas to dump” and others we have to haul into the truck.

trying to decide between a large capacity dump from the seat hopper or a 3 bag system. Toro unit or after market. Vertical or horizontal fan system, fan mounted on the mower deck or near the rear tires. Lots of options and this is one of few things in lawn care that I have no experience with

what do you guy have experience using.
 
#2 ·
If you're using it for leaves I would highly suggest getting one that has its own engine that powers an impeller so as to add suction power. They're not cheap, my contraption cost right around 3 thousand but I have been so pleased with it I only wish I had bought it sooner.
Keep one thing in mind, leaves are hard on equipment so there will be added maintenance costs, the larger / heavier units (especially those that really hold a lot of debris as that adds weight) can be hard on the hydraulics of the mower. Don't forget grass is heavier than leaves, depending on the size of the "bag" you may have to empty it more frequently with grass, however smaller bags won't really save much time in the fall with leaves.

There are several different brands (and types) available...
The one I use is called a Cyclone Rake, it is a tow-behind bagger with its own 10hp engine.

My labor rate to suck up leaves with that bad boy is going to be around $90-$100 an hour this fall.
 
#3 ·
Just go buy a used GUS Walker Mower. You can get a good used for under $5k. Use it when you need to collect.
Then, after you figure out it mows so much nicer than anything you’ve ever ran, you get rid of your other mowers and switch to Walker.

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#6 ·
My only experience is with the 14 bushel dump from seat bagger on my jd 994. Huge improvement in productivity for fall cleanups, leaves a very nice manicured finish once done. Definitely quicker when emptying than messing with three bags. We'll either dump in the back woods, leave at curbside for town pickup or come back with debris loader and dump trailer. Three bags may come in handy if you want to manually dump them in dump trailer.

I believe Walker makes some highlift hydraulic dumps so you can dump direct into dump trailer if that's the route you go.