How Many Mow Their Leaves

shvl73 · Nov 3, 2008

Since getting the tip on this forum, I just mow my leaves rather than rake them. It reduces them to almost nothing even with side discharge.
MAJOR WARNING: FIRE!!!!

I have a newer Craftsman garden tractor with the exhaust on the front bottom. I was mowing along and had a pile of dry leave build up in front of the mower. The hot exhaust caught them on fire. Dry leaves burn quickly! I was very lucky as the hose was close by and still hooked up. It could have been a bad situation, as it was spreading quite rapidly.
Be careful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kthompson · Nov 3, 2008

WOW, glad it ended fine on the fire.

This past Saturday spent a little longer than normal mowing our lawn taking great care to throw (side discharge) the clippings into next path. Began with a good bit of leaves across our lawn and ended up with only little specs. Very pleased. kt

Travelover · Nov 3, 2008

I used to spend a lot of time sucking up my leaves with a vacuum off the tractor mower discharge, then transporting them to a big compost pile. Now I just use a mulching mower and grind 'em up in place. Easier in the end and the lawn likes it.

Good tip about the leaves, though. Same concern with parking cars on leaf piles in the street.

asylum575 · Nov 3, 2008

Keep an eye on leaves in the garage. A few years back a neighbor had a fire start in the garage under the car from leaves. House went up and they were lucky to get out safely.

TigerfaninAR · Nov 3, 2008

I do this as well but I am careful about it. Two years ago I had some leaves build up in front and then I saw some smoke. That'll get the adrenaline flowing. Take it a lot easier now.

MikeD74T · Nov 3, 2008

I remove the bags from the bagger & let the leaves blow back onto the ground. By the third pass there's nothing left. I used to rake up 3-4 dump truck loads -what was I thinking???

If you want to compost the leaves vacuum them up on the second pass, all chopped up, won't blow around, & lots more leaves per bag. MikeD74T

MrWoodChips · Nov 3, 2008

I mulch the leaves that I can do easily. For the large piles that fill up a couple inside corners on our house, I use a vacuum - just a B&D leaf blower in reverse, connected to a hose that flows into a trash can. It fills the can neatly and quickly enough with a dense pile of shredded leaves. I use that as the base for a compost pile that produces black gold on a yearly basis. We also add other things to the compost, a tractor bucket of lakeweed in the summer, melon rinds, and an occasional dead carp even goes in the bottom of the pile.

John

bontai_Joe · Nov 3, 2008

I run the leaves through the mower first, and then sweep them up. Running them through the mower reduces the volume a LOT! I used to compost them for the garden, but don't garden anymore.

Speedbump7 · Nov 3, 2008

My old Wheelhorse has rear-discharge and I also mow the leaves. After a first pass, I remow towing the sweeper to pick up. This has worked the best of any system (for me) I have tried. I also use the leaves for compost and winter cover.
Thanks for the warning about the fire danger, I will be very cautious but in the 18 or so years that I have been handling the leaves this way have not experienced an issue. Perhaps exhaust discharge direction combined with a rear discharge mower deckhave helped.
Of a side note; how many use a sweeper?