toolslinger
Silver Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2013
- Messages
- 135
- Location
- NJ / PA
- Tractor
- 2x Case 646, 2x 8N, MF202, JD300, Case 444, MF 135, JD 140
I need some thoughts folks.
We've entered the fall leaf hell now. It's way too late to be starting this, but really, this is as soon as I could really get to it.
I really need a better way to collect leaves around the house I've just inherited. It's built up on piers, tucked in the woods. Oak, Birch, Sassafras, Maple mostly. It's dense, and the leaf bed gets crazy thick. I don't actually care about the leaves, except that I have to remove them so when the exterminator sprays, it gets to the ground, and actually works. There's no way to avoid the need for the exterminator unfortunately.
For years, my folks would spend crazy amounts of time raking the leaves out, and then running over them with the Walker. The compost pile is almost 1/4 mile away, and my father would happily run back and forth on the Walker. Apart from that being flat out insane, I'm not retired with nothing better to do.
I've done it a couple times with a Stihl backpack blower, and then rake them in the 5/8 yard loader bucket to run back and forth. That's fractionally better, but not good.
So what I've got at this point...
5 or so horse blower from the system that came with my father's JD 140. That used to blow in to a canvas cover on the JD 80 cart. Still have the cart, frame, and remains of the cover, but there's no way I'm fixing that fabric. It was a pain when I was a kid, and I'm not revisiting that hell. Blower runs ok. Had it going a year ago just to decide if I should keep it, or unload it at the estate sale. Runs with 6" intake, and outlet hose.
Still got the 140, deck, and hoses. Haven't touched the deck, and hoses in over 20 years. Obviously they'll need some help, so not thinking the deck will be much help this year. The 140 is fine if I need something to haul the blower around with.
Just bought the remains of a Trac Vac 1080. The cart, and enclosure is a little rough, but not bad (probably just have to replace the mickey mouse wheels the PO slapped on it). The blower housing, blower fan, pulley, and bearings are present, and fine. 8" Steel outlet pipe is shot. Engine is gone. Was an 11 HP Briggs with electric start. The 8" intake hose is there, and I believe it's ok.
My intention is to use the vac as a loader rather than have it running to a deck. I know running through a deck will chop up the leaves, and pack them in better. While that would be better, it certainly isn't going to happen this season. I still have to blow the leaves out from the house due to the piers, so I'm really dealing with piles, or rows of leaves rather than an even bed. I suspect that might be too much for the deck to handle.
So... Now the real question... (Finally)
Am I going to be miserable trying to use a 6" 5 horse blower after spending time adapting it to the 8" cart. I'm pretty sure the answer is yes. I'm flat out positive that a bigger engine on an 8" blower would be way better. I'm really just arguing with myself if I should expect another year of hauling leaves with the loader, and expect to repower the 1080 over the next year.
Parts to fix the 1080, including a new Honda engine run right around $1000-$1200 (3/4 of that is engine). At that point I've got the equivalent of a $5000 machine. For that same figure, I could also build it out as a PTO powered unit, which is extremely tempting if it's just working as a loader. One less engine to maintain is a very attractive idea, and the PTO tractors have at least double the HP available, so I could even overspeed the blower a bit to get a little more CFM...
The 1080 is setup for a left discharge deck, and the 140 deck is right side. I could probably get a left discharge deck for my Case 444 if I go that route, but that wasn't really the intention.
I can also just stop now, sell the 1080 project as is after a quick pressure wash, and figure something else out, and not be out any money. (There's a Brouwer unit that's PTO powered that would be ideal, but that's double what I'd have in this thing, before I get to any repairs that needs, plus it's huge)
Kinda halfway expecting to blow the rows this year, and then run over them with the Mott flail to reduce them somewhat. Then shovel/rake to the bucket, and run back and forth... Think it's time to get the GF up to speed on the loader tractor...
We've entered the fall leaf hell now. It's way too late to be starting this, but really, this is as soon as I could really get to it.
I really need a better way to collect leaves around the house I've just inherited. It's built up on piers, tucked in the woods. Oak, Birch, Sassafras, Maple mostly. It's dense, and the leaf bed gets crazy thick. I don't actually care about the leaves, except that I have to remove them so when the exterminator sprays, it gets to the ground, and actually works. There's no way to avoid the need for the exterminator unfortunately.
For years, my folks would spend crazy amounts of time raking the leaves out, and then running over them with the Walker. The compost pile is almost 1/4 mile away, and my father would happily run back and forth on the Walker. Apart from that being flat out insane, I'm not retired with nothing better to do.
I've done it a couple times with a Stihl backpack blower, and then rake them in the 5/8 yard loader bucket to run back and forth. That's fractionally better, but not good.
So what I've got at this point...
5 or so horse blower from the system that came with my father's JD 140. That used to blow in to a canvas cover on the JD 80 cart. Still have the cart, frame, and remains of the cover, but there's no way I'm fixing that fabric. It was a pain when I was a kid, and I'm not revisiting that hell. Blower runs ok. Had it going a year ago just to decide if I should keep it, or unload it at the estate sale. Runs with 6" intake, and outlet hose.
Still got the 140, deck, and hoses. Haven't touched the deck, and hoses in over 20 years. Obviously they'll need some help, so not thinking the deck will be much help this year. The 140 is fine if I need something to haul the blower around with.
Just bought the remains of a Trac Vac 1080. The cart, and enclosure is a little rough, but not bad (probably just have to replace the mickey mouse wheels the PO slapped on it). The blower housing, blower fan, pulley, and bearings are present, and fine. 8" Steel outlet pipe is shot. Engine is gone. Was an 11 HP Briggs with electric start. The 8" intake hose is there, and I believe it's ok.
My intention is to use the vac as a loader rather than have it running to a deck. I know running through a deck will chop up the leaves, and pack them in better. While that would be better, it certainly isn't going to happen this season. I still have to blow the leaves out from the house due to the piers, so I'm really dealing with piles, or rows of leaves rather than an even bed. I suspect that might be too much for the deck to handle.
So... Now the real question... (Finally)
Am I going to be miserable trying to use a 6" 5 horse blower after spending time adapting it to the 8" cart. I'm pretty sure the answer is yes. I'm flat out positive that a bigger engine on an 8" blower would be way better. I'm really just arguing with myself if I should expect another year of hauling leaves with the loader, and expect to repower the 1080 over the next year.
Parts to fix the 1080, including a new Honda engine run right around $1000-$1200 (3/4 of that is engine). At that point I've got the equivalent of a $5000 machine. For that same figure, I could also build it out as a PTO powered unit, which is extremely tempting if it's just working as a loader. One less engine to maintain is a very attractive idea, and the PTO tractors have at least double the HP available, so I could even overspeed the blower a bit to get a little more CFM...
The 1080 is setup for a left discharge deck, and the 140 deck is right side. I could probably get a left discharge deck for my Case 444 if I go that route, but that wasn't really the intention.
I can also just stop now, sell the 1080 project as is after a quick pressure wash, and figure something else out, and not be out any money. (There's a Brouwer unit that's PTO powered that would be ideal, but that's double what I'd have in this thing, before I get to any repairs that needs, plus it's huge)
Kinda halfway expecting to blow the rows this year, and then run over them with the Mott flail to reduce them somewhat. Then shovel/rake to the bucket, and run back and forth... Think it's time to get the GF up to speed on the loader tractor...