I’ve been using this leaf vacuum in my yard — and it’s a game changer
Every autumn, the chore of raking falls once again on millions of us, as trees shed their leaves in preparation for winter. I’ve used four different tools to collect leaves in my yard, but ever since I got a leaf vacuum, I use it almost exclusively to pick up the leaves from my yard. In case you’re looking for an easier way to pick up leaves, I’ll tell you why I like it so much, as well as a few things I think it could do better.
A couple years ago, my brother-in-law was downsizing his yard, and no longer needed his lawn vacuum, so he graciously offered it to me. Being the gadget-lover I am, I eagerly wheeled it into my garage, alongside my lawnmower, generator, leafblower, and a bunch of bikes, some of which are in various states of repair. All I needed to do was replace its pull cord — which cost me all of 10 and about an hour of my time — and I was good to go.
The lawn vacuum looks much like a traditional push lawnmower, but in the front is a rubber opening that sucks leaves into a main chamber, where they’re mulched and then sent into a heavy-duty collection bag. A new model of the Troy-Bilt Leaf Vacuum sells for 799 on Home Depot. A similar model, the Craftsman CSV060, is available for 799 at Lowes.
One of the things I like about the leaf vacuum is that it turns two steps into one: Instead of having to rake all the leaves into a pile and then mulch them, I can do it all in one go.
Of course, if you don’t want to drop 800 on yet another piece of equipment, you can also buy a mulching blade for your lawnmower. These are far less expensive — you can get them for around 30. 40 at hardware stores. It won’t leave your yard completely leaf-free, but studies have shown that leaving some leaves on your lawn is beneficial in the long run.
The leaf vacuum is also helping me solve another issue I’ve had: At one end of my yard is a magnificent oak that’s about 100 feet tall, and provides some much needed shade on hot summer days. However, it also produces a prodigious amount of acorns.
One last feature of the lawn vacuum is that it can also mulch small branches — ones about an inch in diameter, max. Short of burning the twigs in a fire pit, it’s a good way to dispose of and use them in my yard.
However, it does have a couple of drawbacks. For one, it’s a gas-powered device, so while not at the same annoyance level as a gas-powered leaf blower, it does make more noise than electric models — or the human-powered rake. And, being a gas-powered device, it’s also a bit heavier to push around the yard than my electric mower.
I also like the vacuum’s heavy-duty collection bag, which feels built to last as long as the trees themselves. Its latching mechanism — two small metal tabs that rotate — can be a bit fussy, especially if you’re wearing a pair of gardening gloves.
And, as mentioned earlier, it’s not cheap, so it’s a lot of money to drop on what’s essentially a single-purpose device. But, it does its intended job well, so it could be a good choice for those with a lot of leaves, and who don’t want to deal with a leaf blower.
Looking for other fall cleanup tips? You want to make sure you know how to rake leaves the easy way and the right kind of rake to use. If you’re about to upgrade, here are five things to know before buying a leaf blower, and how to use a leaf blower the right way. And, instead of bagging your leaves and putting them on the street, be sure to check out our guide on how to use fallen leaves in your garden.
Leaf vacuum for lawn mower
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The electric-start PREMIER 200 model has all the same features and the same awesome suction power as our larger PRO models in a scaled down version for smaller to medium sized properties. Collect 200 gallons before unloading.
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Leaf vacuum for lawn mower
Order your Big Leaf Bag Attachment today, so you will have a smooth leaf clean up every Fall and Spring from now on!
The Universal Big Leaf Bag attachment for any rear discharge Lawn Mower
GET AN INGENIOUS SOLUTION TO AN OLD PROBLEM!
Are you tired of making multiple trips to the waste dispenser to dispose leafs and grass from your lawnmower? Do you constantly live in fear that your lawn bag will give way anytime soon? Does your grass and leaf collection seem to take all day? Those have been challenging for gardeners and homeowners since the lawnmower was invented.
Well now there’s a great solution to these problems.
Introducing our Newly Universal Big Leaf Bag Version-3 replacing our original Version for the best!
Why waste your precious time doing yard work all morning on a beautiful fall day? You may not have a choice because these leaves need to be picked up, and your old factory-fitted lawn bag only holds that much. So that means you have to do multiple emptying runs to clean up a fair sized lawn. Each trip adds to the time you could easily spend with friends and family, or simply relaxing. Instead, you spend it emptying lawn bags!
But with the Big Leaf Bag you can end all of that right now! Imagine the opportunities you have if you could eliminate as many as two-thirds of those multiple trips just by switching to the Big Leaf Bag And its size is not all that will thrill you:
- Own The Universal Big Leaf Bag convert your lawnmower into a leaf vacuum to cut 70% of your time for leaf clean up in the Fall and Spring every single time!
- This Big Guy is 3 times the size of regular lawn bags, which means 3 times more leaves, grass and other particles are picked up before you have to empty it!
- Produced from ultra-durable polyester, which means it is rugged and tough and lasts longer!
- Built from weather-resistant material, which means it can be easily washed and quickly dried!
- Custom built to be easily fitted on any rear discharge lawnmowers
- Built-in protective features that prevent small particles from blowing back and disturbing the operator
- The funnel shape and zipper opening makes it simple and easy to empty – it’s as quick as 1, 2, 3: Detach from its support. Stand and unzip the Big Leaf Bag insert into yard-waste bag and empty out contents. You’re all done! No fuss. No mess!
With so many reasons to go BIG, why would anyone still want to stick with factory-fitted lawn bags?
Throw away your rake!
The professional design, expert manufacturing and easy installation instructions that come with the Big Leaf Bag will make it an ideal companion for your lawnmower. While other leaf bags will wear off in no time, ours is a completely Made In U.S.A solution that will last you many years.
Get the ingenious solution that will speed up your leaf and grass collection and leave you more time to relax and enjoy your free time.
Michael Grant’s leaf vacuum trailer
Michael Grant told me about his homemade leaf vacuuming trailer. That got me curious, so I had to visit him to check it out. And take pictures and videos, naturally!
The leaf vacuum is a a very simple affair. It consists of a blower, powered by a used lawnmower engine, a 5″ dust hose, borrowed from the wood shop dust extractor, and some pieces of heating duct connecting the hose at either end.
An old bed sheet filters the air and keeps the leaves on the trailer. Bed sheets are about the cheapest way to get fabric.
Old lawnmower engines are useless for most applications because they have to be run with the shaft in a vertical orientation. But for this application, Michael just mounted the blower horizontally.
The hose is slightly longer than it needs to be, but that’s because it’s only borrowed for this purpose. The hose goes back on the dust extractor once the leaf vacuuming is done.
I’m amazed by how cleanly this contraption vacuums the lawn!
Michael says it only works with dry leaves. Wet leaves clog up the hose. It does make for a bit of dust, but that all comes out the back, so no inconvenience to the driver.
It didn’t take long to fill the trailer. And the leaves, having been through the mower and the blower, are partially shredded as well. This thing really packs them in!
It’s a good size lot that needs clearing. Michael says it’s about six trailer loads typically.
There’s an impeller made from six half-inch nylon blades bolted to an aluminium hub. The blades are bolted from the back using three 2″ long 1/4″ bolts threaded straight into the nylon.
The vanes have a profile milled into them to make them lighter. Michael cut that profile with his CNC mill.
The original sides of the blower were made from aluminium soffit material. But with the occasional pine cone, pebble, or walnut in the mix, that became quite dented.
Before starting the leaves this year, Michael replaced the sides with 18-gauge galvanized steel. That should be able to take much more abuse than the aluminium.
I asked Bill Penz for permission to use this image. Bill Penz added:
“Please warn then that if they dont use a material handling impeller (meaning plastic or aluminum) or if they hit a branch or rock they could get seriously hurt. Id also recommend making the blower with a double wall.”
With the engine running at 3500 RPM, the tips of the fan blades travel at about 65 meters per second, or about 234km/h (146 MPH). That’s fast, but not bullet fast, so a reasonably sturdy enclosure should be able to contain a catastrophic impeller failure.
Michael Grant does custom electronic designs: Krazatchu Design Systems
Bandsaw vs CNC Another collaborationwith Michael Grant
Maintenance and storage tips for your Craftsman lawn vacuum
- Never disable or tamper with safety devices on your lawn vacuum. Repair any safety device that malfunctions.
- Check bolts, screws and fasteners for proper tightness before every use to keep the lawn vacuum in safe working condition. Tighten any loose fasteners before using the lawn vacuum.
- Don’t change engine governor settings to speed up the engine. The governor is set to run the engine at maximum safe operating speed.
- Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual to safely store your lawn vacuum during the off-season. Add fuel stabilizer to the tank during your final use before storing to prevent carburetor damage.
- Perform a tune-up on the engine before storage so the lawn vacuum is ready to go for the next season.
- Move the lawn vacuum to a well-ventilated area and disconnect the spark plug wire.
- Remove the air filter housing and drain the fuel tank.
- Remove the blower housing and take a digital picture of the carburetor choke and throttle linkage connections. Remove the carburetor and place it on a clean work surface.
- Remove float bowl drain plug and drain fuel from the float bowl into a fuel-safe container. Remove the float bowl and reinstall the float bowl drain plug.
- Remove the float and needle valve. Pry out the main jet. Remove the O-ring from the outlet port. Remove the air cleaner gasket.
- Clean all carburetor parts using carburetor cleaner. Wipe down the carburetor.
- Reassemble the carburetor using the seals, gaskets and parts from the carburetor rebuild kit.
- Reinstall the carburetor on the lawn vacuum engine.
- Reassemble the lawn vacuum engine and connect the spark plug wire.