On my leaf-vac project, I have now swapped out the 7" diameter air-vents (with bird screen) for a much larger surface area covered with polyester window screen. The extra heavy "Pet-Proof" variety.
The screen is over a 18 x 24 inch area on the top of a plywood box that is screwed onto the lids of the trash cans. The interior 18" of the lids and lower plywood are cut away so the clippings can drop from the box into the cans.
The blower discharge is directed into this plywood box from one end by a metal deflector chute.
It works pretty good - I vac'd about 1/2 acre in under an hour - most of the time spend emtying the dual 44-gallon trash cans. It wasn't so much the leaves, but I was also cutting quite a bit of grass clippings. The yard has gone several weeks waiting for this project to get completed!
I plan to make some changes to make getting the cover on and off quicker. The main change will be to add a hinge so it can just flip up in place and then back down without lifting it completely off. The other change is to move the trailer I am dumping the clippings into closer to the area being mowed.
The other issue is that the air is now discharged straight up. Along wiht the dust. OK as long as you go forward, but any backing up and the driver gets covered. I will need to add an additional deflector over the top to direct the dusty air away.
This discussion will make more sense to the readers here when it gets light out and I can take some photos.
- Rick
