Cyclone Rake Z-10 On Order

[kday64]

Thanks CTF,

I am not sure how well I hid the fear in my face when I made that turn over by MY WIFE'S CAR. I tried to act like I intended to get it that close so that my wife didnt freak the heck out for getting so close. But in all honesty I did forget that I was hauling the CR behind me and I got way closer to the WIFE'S CAR then I ever intended.

That moment was a great learning experience.

Are people considering the power unloader clogging to be a problem? I just consider it to be fact of life. 1) The leafs that are dumped out of the back of the CR are layered and tightly packed. 2) The CR Power Unloader is very powerful leaf vac. 3) Sometimes the CR will suck more then the PU can handle. Solution... Kick the PU and break up the clog.

~Kevin

 

[Glen Watkins]

I don't get this unloader step at all. When you have dumped the cart that should be all the handling of those leaves I would want to do! Why would you want to then have to hook up some other gizmo and suck them up again?

 

[kday64]

Glen,

The Power Unloader Video lets me throw the leaves past where my tractor can safely go. (Over the top of my rock wall, into the woods and on top of 30 yrs of leaves.)

It is a nifty tool/toy. Not a requirement for most but it is a nicity I mentioned to my wife and she responded that "that sounds useful."

~Kevin

 

[CHDinCT]

Wow, nice video, but you're a brave man running that CR off your 3Ph AND leaving the loader arms on too. Just the BX + CR must be 14' +/-. And while you'll get use to that thing swinging way wide of your turns and adjusting for it 99.9999% of the time, there'll be that one time a year or so where you hear or feel a thud and go uh oh!. Couple years ago I took out my mailbox, and this year I got myself wedged between a rock wall behind the CR and a low retaining wall in front of me. Had to unhook the CR (thank God it was pretty empty), move it out, then re-hook it. :laughing:

Anyway, just came in from running mine behind the BX and what a pleasure it is for leaf cleanup. Before I got the CR, my wife and I would spend a couple of full weekends blowing, raking, hauling, etc., etc. leaves to the point of exhaustion. Now I do the whole yard and most of the beds in less than a full day.

 

[CHDinCT]

Kday 65
Kevin great video. At 0.46 it looks like you miss that car by inches and on one lap you almost get the tree. I took delivery of a XL a week ago but I have no tractor to pull it. When I ordere they asked if I wanted to use the 3pt hitch. I got the feeling that there was 2 choices I said yes and recd the 3pt hitch adapter. if I said no I think i may have gotten the frame conection. watching your video I may get a rear view mirror

Hmm, maybe they do make a frame-based hitch for SCUT/CUT tractors after all. I'm going to have to call them and find out for sure. I need to either make one, or get their version if available and reasonably priced.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Thanks CTF,
I am not sure how well I hid the fear in my face when I made that turn over by MY WIFE'S CAR. I tried to act like I intended to get it that close so that my wife didnt freak the heck out for getting so close. But in all honesty I did forget that I was hauling the CR behind me and I got way closer to the WIFE'S CAR then I ever intended.

:laughing: :confused2:

Are people considering the power unloader clogging to be a problem? I just consider it to be fact of life. 1) The leafs that are dumped out of the back of the CR are layered and tightly packed. 2) The CR Power Unloader is very powerful leaf vac. 3) Sometimes the CR will suck more then the PU can handle. Solution... Kick the PU and break up the clog.

It's not so much a problem rather a inconvenience...

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Wow, nice video, but you're a brave man running that CR off your 3Ph AND leaving the loader arms on too. Just the BX + CR must be 14' +/-.

I run it with the FEL on...Measured it out to just shy of 19'...

 

[kday64]

Chris,

I never take my loader arms off. This last summer I purchased a Q/A from My Tractor Tools and I love it! I really need make a stand alone post on here about how awesome that Q/A is. I have been amazed by the size of rocks I am capable of moving and lifting without the bucket attached. (I bought my Q/A from Jery at My Tractor Tools)

I think with the loader arms and CR I am just under 16'. I am starting to research tralers... I also need to find out how long Jinny is with the FEL and the rear snow thrower. I am pretty sure that I need a 16-18' Tandem Axel. But I am not sure if it is worth getting an enclosed trailer.

I just ordered a brake controller for my truck so I am ready to drive off the lot when I finally pull the trigger. Odds are my wife will get a dining room set as the result of my getting a trailer... Grrr!

Oh yeah back to the CR! I could not imagine not having that hooked to the 3PT. It makes un loading it so so so much easier because I have to do is raise up the trailer frame and rock it back. EASY! I do need to tighted up the arms though so I can properly size up my MDA hose. Maybe next weekend... right before I do my entire neighborhood.

~Kevin

 

[WilliamD]

Congratulations on your new CR Z-10. We got one in August last year... Until a week ago, we were running it on our older '04 John Deere L130 mower - which finally bit the dust. This week, we took delivery of a new X324 and two days later my new CR deck boot arrived, so it can work with the new mower. It was a quick update to my new deck and we put the first 5 hours on the mower with the CR, this weekend - trying to finish up this year's leaf clean-up

I also have the "Estate Vac" option and it is certainly a time saver; however, it can be a lot of hard work. The biggest problem with the Vac option is that there needs to be rotational "collars" to keep the two hoses from pulling apart as one pulls and turns. The big green part that you use to suck up the leaves can especially use something like that.

Otherwise, this greatly reduces the time spent on fall cleanup. Of our acreage, we maintain approximately 2 or so- among several dozen very large trees. The rest of our property is heavily wooded with many nice, but old trees... Several thousand, in fact.

You'll really like the CR - I even use it during mowing season to keep grass clippings under control. A great piece of equipment for when you have a lot of leaves.

We were considering building a covered frame (covered with screen or a dense wire mesh) for the back of my "farm truck" where we could then use the power unloader to shoot leaves into there when using the Estate Vac. It would certainly save on trips to the leaf/compost pit. That will have to be for next fall as I only have really one more day of leaf cleanup left.


.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

The one thing we are having problems with other than the screen clogging is some of the parts inside the estate vacuum hose have come off and been "eaten" by the CR. First it was one of the screws holding the hose to the coupler, and now it's one of the parts that holds the two handles on the vacuum wand...

 

[WilliamD]

I started using the "grass screen" as opposed to the "leaf screen" for my CR Z-10 to pick up leaves. I find that the mulched up leaves do not clog up the screen as fast, as it has somewhat larger openings. Along with the dust, you will spray out a fine "mist" of small leaf particles. Even so, I do still have the occasional ballooning of the bag and then the "blow-out" of the screen - especially as the bag gets full.

Interestingly, I rarely ever have the blow out problem while just using the estate vac hose, but it fills up quicker as it doesn't have the mower to further mulch the leaves prior to being directed through the CR. The additional pressure produced by the mower is probably the reason you have the blow-out problem. One thing is to make sure the velcro is as clean as possible, so the screen fits tight - one little wrinkle, and enough air will get through to cause the screen blow-out.

I haven't had any of the small parts of the estate vacuum hose come off yet, but I will keep an eye on things. My main problem is that the vacuum wand sometimes comes off and the hoses come apart at couplings. There needs to be the ability for the hose to rotate on around the couplings and at the wand, so it won't kink up and pull apart. I've mentioned this to CR.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I started using the "grass screen" as opposed to the "leaf screen" for my CR Z-10 to pick up leaves. I find that the mulched up leaves do not clog up the screen as fast, as it has somewhat larger openings. Along with the dust, you will spray out a fine "mist" of small leaf particles. Even so, I do still have the occasional ballooning of the bag and then the "blow-out" of the screen - especially as the bag gets full.

Interestingly, I rarely ever have the blow out problem while just using the estate vac hose, but it fills up quicker as it doesn't have the mower to further mulch the leaves prior to being directed through the CR. The additional pressure produced by the mower is probably the reason you have the blow-out problem. One thing is to make sure the velcro is as clean as possible, so the screen fits tight - one little wrinkle, and enough air will get through to cause the screen blow-out.

I haven't had any of the small parts of the estate vacuum hose come off yet, but I will keep an eye on things. My main problem is that the vacuum wand sometimes comes off and the hoses come apart at couplings. There needs to be the ability for the hose to rotate on around the couplings and at the wand, so it won't kink up and pull apart. I've mentioned this to CR.

Yeah, I did observe the "spray" of leaves when using the grass screen. Also, it does not clog with the estate vacuum.

Thanks for the tip about the Velcro.

 

[craiga45]

Does someone have a picture of the 3 point hitch adapter that comes with the Cyclone Rake?

 

[KennyG]

I don't have a picture because I didn't buy it but I have seen pictures in the catalog they send out (but not on line). It's about what you would expect but keep in mind it's a Cat 0/1, which means it's narrow. I didn't buy it because I use a quick hitch. I used the simple hitch that comes with it and bolted/pinned it to my drawbar/receiver on my three point. As long as you don't use a quick hitch the CR 3 point adapter should work.