Leaf removel tools..plan of attack...

[eggy]

Well its almost upon us the leaf removel season. Last year I ended up doing a lot of leaf removel jobs. I was just wondering what equipment you guys use and how you schedule leaf removel.I prefer to mulch leafs with the mower then go bacvk over with the billy goat. Ideas on anything that works better is apperciated!

 

[Cutter1]

Sub all of it out!!! If you have to do it, blow the beds out and keep running it over until there is nothing left. Watch your eyes, its a lot of dust.

 

[richard2]

two backpacks and a billy goat all running at once...also use a husky handheld blower/vac without the catchbag (call it throwing off) the husky works great for leaves in ivy

 

[geogunn]

I hate leaves. way too much like real work to suit me!

even mulching leaves is a chore for me. the dust gets on the belts of the "ole LESCO" and it pulls worse than when the belts get soaking wet.

GEO

 

[Charles]

let me see you pick them up and put them in a bag. Pick them up and put them in a bag. Or you can just set their yard on fire like I do and run

 

[Scag48]

I'm going to use my backpack blower and blow all the leaves on the lawn and then mulch them all up. Seems like the easiest way to do it. I agree with Cutter, it will be very dusty. I speak from experience. Have fun. Charles-What does the lawn look like after you get done? Forget my way, I think Charles knows the easiest way to do it.

[Edited by Scag48 on 08-22-2000 at 10:29 PM]

 

[bob]

I put the bagger on the grasshopper (I won't bag grass). I also demand "on site" leaf disposal. I don't use trash bags and I don't take leaves home with me!

 

[fourfeet]

We treat leaves differently as the fall progresses. In the DC area.
1. We mow-bag with light fall on the grass.
2. We blow into tarps and/or shove into garbage cans when the leaves are heavy, leaving what's in the beds there for the present. Leaves are taken either tossed into the back of the pickup, which, when that's filled, we call the leaf rig to begin. At the customer's preference we'll either leave them it the curb or the leaf rig comes by and vac/mulches them up. Customer is charged a leaf surcharge based on the volume of leaves (crew leader notes on the route sheet). Customer can also opt to have us stop mowing and take over leaves. We're following a weekly mow schedule at this time.
3. After all the leaves are down and if the customer has authorized it, we return to do a full property leaf cleanup, leaving them clean for the winter. In the DC area, this is usually all finished by the second week in January.
Leaf control is a big money maker for us. The leaves get recycled.

 

[cutntrim]

Through October we blow the bulk of leaves off the lawn areas into the beds and cut the grass the usual way (ie. side discharge). Come mid-late november when we do a fall cleanup, we use backpack blowers to blow out the beds, then backpacks, a little wonder pushblower, and rakes to move them into piles. Rake the piles onto tarps and drag 'em to the curb for pickup. Afterwards we cut the grass short with our baggers on to vaccuum up any remaining leaves. When we leave a property it is totally immaculate. Takes a while to do but we charge $40/man/hour and it's a nice influx of money at the end of the season.

Dave

 

[lawrence stone]

I just blow all the leaves out of the beds into the lawn.
Then I mow clockwise then mow again starting in the center
and working outward with a 52" toro with a high lift blade on the bottom and a shreddit blade on top.