How well does grass catcher work for leaves?

[BimmerRacer]

Anyone out there with lots of fall cleanup? And I mean lots! I was originally considering the CycloneRake, but the BX I found has the grass catcher attachment already there. I was thinking that I could hopefully use that and get the remote hose pickup from Cyclone Rake for it. It's an 8" right? Just curious if anyone has successfully used it.

 

[Mustangous]

I have the cyclone rake and really like it. I have alot of leaves to pick up so the CR is great because of the capacity it holds. If you have alot of leaves you will be dumping the kubota oem bagger a lot!. My CR has the 8" hose.

Where are you located?

 

[Sully2]

I have the cyclone rake and really like it. I have alot of leaves to pick up so the CR is great because of the capacity it holds. If you have alot of leaves you will be dumping the kubota oem bagger a lot!. My CR has the 8" hose.

Where are you located?

I got talked into buying the Cyclone this past March...so far have only used it to suck leave out of the flower beds that were there since last November. Comparing the Cyclone to a rear bagger I HAD on my "grass cutter"...is like an elephant gun compared to a BB gun.

I wish I had the Cyclone the last 20 years now..."A"..#1 product

 

[Sully2]

Anyone out there with lots of fall cleanup? And I mean lots! I was originally considering the CycloneRake, but the BX I found has the grass catcher attachment already there. I was thinking that I could hopefully use that and get the remote hose pickup from Cyclone Rake for it. It's an 8" right? Just curious if anyone has successfully used it.

Buy the Cyclone. You wont regret it at all

 

[BimmerRacer]

Which cyclone model do u have?

 

[Mustangous]

Which cyclone model do u have?

I have the cyclone Rake XL... I cant believe how easily this thing starts up. I am happy with it for fall clean up. Where are you located, if you buy the machine and want to sell the oem bagger i know someone who would be interested...

 

[BimmerRacer]

In MD

Nor sure what I am going to do just yet..came across someone selling a base CR but think its not worth it...I have lots and lots of oaks to deal with

 

[denap]

slightly off topic...

I just popped in here to see what opinons people had on the OEM bagger.... I'm hating it.

I bought a bx25 last fall. This is my first season with the bagger and I'm finding that I need to clear the hose every 50yds or so. Is it me? If I go over anything but grass, I clog. I little twig, few leaves etc and I'm instantly clogged and unscrewing the hose clamps.

Can it be this bad or am I doing something wrong?

 

[pintodeluxe]

I would check to see that you didn't break a shear bolt in the bagger gear box housing. Here's how to tell: turn off the engine and remove the key. Shift the pto select to mid pto only. Turn the bagger turbine by hand, and the rear pto shaft should rotate. If it does not, then you have a broken shear bolt. Remove bagger gearbox housing and replace shear bolt. This has happened to me a couple times.
Love mine. Works great on grass and leaves.
Let us know how it turns out.
Best of luck!

 

[denap]

pinto: thanks for the info... not the problem apparently. I did as you said and the rear pto turns fine. I had to clear about 1/4 tube of fresh cut grass to get to the turbine though.

When it's running, some grass makes its way into the hoppers, but I notice alot just spinning in the tube in a big cyclone.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[SPYDERLK]

pinto: thanks for the info... not the problem apparently. I did as you said and the rear pto turns fine. I had to clear about 1/4 tube of fresh cut grass to get to the turbine though.

When it's running, some grass makes its way into the hoppers, but I notice alot just spinning in the tube in a big cyclone.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

I would guess a damaged or fouled impeller. This is said w/o experience on the OEM bagger system. -- I looked at them and decided against. Needed more guts in my opinion. I ended with an 8HP Trac Vac. The Cyclone has very nice features, but I was concerned with the plastic impeller breaking. Metal bends but you can straighten it at least.
larry

 

[Mustangous]

pinto: thanks for the info... not the problem apparently. I did as you said and the rear pto turns fine. I had to clear about 1/4 tube of fresh cut grass to get to the turbine though.

When it's running, some grass makes its way into the hoppers, but I notice alot just spinning in the tube in a big cyclone.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

What if you pull the tube off the deck and then engadge the rear only pto. do you have a tramendous amount of suction? If its just spining in the tube, then it doesnt seem there is any flow through the tube. It sounds like there is a restriction...

 

[denap]

No damage to the impeller (at least the blades appear to be fine) and they spin by hand. I'll try running the rear pto with the hose detached from the deck and see what kind of suction we've got happening. I'm starting to feel like a call to the dealer is in order.

 

[BimmerRacer]

I would check to see that you didn't break a shear bolt in the bagger gear box housing. Here's how to tell: turn off the engine and remove the key. Shift the pto select to mid pto only. Turn the bagger turbine by hand, and the rear pto shaft should rotate. If it does not, then you have a broken shear bolt. Remove bagger gearbox housing and replace shear bolt. This has happened to me a couple times.
Love mine. Works great on grass and leaves.
Let us know how it turns out.
Best of luck!

I think that's my problem. What bolt/size do I need? Any more details?

 

[Sully2]

Which cyclone model do u have?

I bought the "Commercial Pro" model

 

[subway]

Sully,

Did understand right that you attached you cyclone to your 3030? If so does it work well?

 

[ELMO67]

I have a BX1850 with the factory vac/ bagger setup. If you have a very big yard ( lots of leaves), you WILL be emptying the bags often. I knew this in advance, but went with the Kubota vac for two reasons. (1) It is a very high quality vac- very heavy duty. (2) I didn't want to have an additional engine to maintain and fuss with. What I did that really worked out better than I had planned- for once- was to convert my 4'x6' trailer into a leaf collection box. I made sides and the top out of 1/2" plywood, and added a replacement, longer, urethane hose from the vac discharge to the trailer. I use this for sucking up the leaves from my quarter mile long driveway and it REALLY packs the leaves in tight! I probably need to empty the trailer 4-5 times total. I also purchased and made up a 13' hose with handle for cleanning up the edges of the driveway and other places around the yard I can't access with the mower/ trailer combo.

 

[asylum575]

I'm not crazy about maintaining another engine either.

Trac vac has a PTO model that may fit the bill. Will look at one.

 

[BotaBigot]

To the OP. I too live in the woods with 50' oak trees. Bought Kubota bagger because I also have fencing, trees, flower beds, etc., and needed the maneuverability. Had a 318 Deere a while back with essentially the same bagger, so I knew I'd be dumping often. Bags fill up really fast, but the bagger does a thorough job... if you don't let the leaves pile up too high and/or get really wet. If you have the room to navigate with a tow-behind, that would probably be a better solution.

To denap. Here's a few things I learned; keep revs up, don't pick up wet grass/leaves...sticks to the inside of hoses, learn to tell when bags are full...don't try to get "just a few more" in. Pieces of branches can get caught crossways in the tubing, which will stop it up. Try not to vacuum long branches, ones over 1/2" in diameter, or drive too fast so that mower doesn't completey chop up branch. I also don't use the bands to keep hoses on. They stay on without them, and are much easier to pop off when I do get a stoppage. I should mention that I don't use mine for grass...just leaves. Oh yeah...nice looking Dobie...

 

[Ken_O]

slightly off topic...

I just popped in here to see what opinons people had on the OEM bagger.... I'm hating it.

I bought a bx25 last fall. This is my first season with the bagger and I'm finding that I need to clear the hose every 50yds or so. Is it me? If I go over anything but grass, I clog. I little twig, few leaves etc and I'm instantly clogged and unscrewing the hose clamps.

Can it be this bad or am I doing something wrong?

I have the OEM bagger for my BX2350 and it works great. When I first got it though, it clogged quite a bit. I found that I needed to increase the rpm on the tractor. I was running about 2700 and it was clogging, then I increased it to 3100 and its been working fine ever since. Once in a while a stick will get stuck in the tube, and clog it up, but that doesn't happen very often.

Ken....