Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg

On Oct 19, 5:59*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TNty8QNITpg

very good idea, low cost, using whats available. too bad he didnt show
off the impeller, wonder what it looks like?

On Oct 19, 7:00*am, bob haller wrote:
On Oct 19, 5:59*am, "HeyBub" wrote:

Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TNty8QNITpg

very good idea, low cost, using whats available. too bad he didnt show
off the impeller, wonder what it looks like?

I like the idea of the direct drive, my father in law made something
similar using a blower with belt drive. With exposed belts his was
a "fool killer". His sides were made of EMT conduit and poultry
curtain material. To unload you just folded the sides down and
shoveled it off with a grain shovel.

Jimmie

On Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:46:00 -0700, JIMMIE wrote:

On Oct 19, 7:00Â*am, bob haller wrote:
On Oct 19, 5:59Â*am, "HeyBub" wrote:

Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
feature=player_embedded&v=TNty8QNITpg

very good idea, low cost, using whats available. too bad he didnt show
off the impeller, wonder what it looks like?

I like the idea of the direct drive, my father in law made something
similar using a blower with belt drive. With exposed belts his was a
"fool killer". His sides were made of EMT conduit and poultry curtain
material. To unload you just folded the sides down and shoveled it off
with a grain shovel.

I'm not sure about having the impeller so high up where it'd likely get
me right in the back if it underwent catastrophic failure, though - I've
seen commercial baggers where they're lower down, by the hitch, which
puts a lot more metal inbetween them and me. :-)

I've got a couple of acres of lawn here, and the same again for trees -
most of the leaves just blow away, and I've always just left the ones
that remain - they've usually gone by the first mow of the next season.
Still, I do have a spare trailer and a spare 3.5HP mower engine - I'm
resisting the urge to start another "project"

cheers

Jules

"HeyBub" wrote:

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg


Nicely done- mulches, collects, and helps unload.

See the accompanying website for the impeller details-
http://woodgears.ca/misc/leaf_vacuum.html

Jim

On 10/19/2011 4:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg


I've always wondered - why collect them? Two passes with the lawn
tractor and they're finely chopped and disappear into the lawn. It's a
lot faster and easier than vacuuming or raking them up.

"HellT" wrote in message
...
On 10/19/2011 4:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg


I've always wondered - why collect them? Two passes with the lawn tractor
and they're finely chopped and disappear into the lawn. It's a lot faster
and easier than vacuuming or raking them up.

If you want to have a lawn the next year and have a lot of trees, you have
to rake them. My lawn gets so deep, when you drive the lawn mower over the
lawn, it picks up the front wheels because they are so thick.

R

On Oct 19, 7:42 am, "Roanin" wrote:

If you want to have a lawn the next year and have a lot of trees, you have
to rake them. My lawn gets so deep, when you drive the lawn mower over the
lawn, it picks up the front wheels because they are so thick.

R

Andy comments:

I understand what you mean. However, the trick may be to mow
more often, before the leaves build up to that level, rather than wait
and try to do it all at once....

I my back yard is heavily populated with oak, and I get LOTS of
leaves. However, my lawn tractor mulches them effectively,
especially if they are dry, and they just disappear in a couple
days.... The technique may not work everywhere, but it works
well in North Texas in an oak forest .....

Andy in Eureka,

"Andy" wrote in message
...
On Oct 19, 7:42 am, "Roanin" wrote:

If you want to have a lawn the next year and have a lot of trees, you
have
to rake them. My lawn gets so deep, when you drive the lawn mower over
the
lawn, it picks up the front wheels because they are so thick.

R

Andy comments:

I understand what you mean. However, the trick may be to mow
more often, before the leaves build up to that level, rather than wait
and try to do it all at once....

I my back yard is heavily populated with oak, and I get LOTS of
leaves. However, my lawn tractor mulches them effectively,
especially if they are dry, and they just disappear in a couple
days.... The technique may not work everywhere, but it works
well in North Texas in an oak forest .....

Andy in Eureka,

Most of my trees are sycamore and all the leaves fall at once. These leaves
are so bit that the mower gets overwhelmed.

R

On Oct 19, 5:42*am, "Roanin" wrote:
"HellT" wrote in message

...

On 10/19/2011 4:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg

I've always wondered - why collect them? Two passes with the lawn tractor
and they're finely chopped and disappear into the lawn. It's a lot faster
and easier than vacuuming or raking them up.

If you want to have a lawn the next year and have a lot of trees, you have
to rake them. My lawn gets so deep, when you drive the lawn mower over the
lawn, it picks up the front wheels because they are so thick.

R

Mulching the leaves should not harm the lawn. I suppose if there were
a huge amount of them like you describe it might be a problem mulching
them but "harm"? I doubt that.

Harry K

Harry K wrote:

Mulching the leaves should not harm the lawn.

Viruses, fungii and other nasty pathogens to trees are found on leaves
and these tree diseases will return year after year if you don't remove
the leaves in the fall.

Leaf material left on lawns can promote powdery mildew and other fungi
turf diseases. Leaves can also prevent the lawn from drying out if you
have a lot of rain in the fall, again not a good thing for turf.

On 10/19/2011 10:17 AM, Home Guy wrote:
Harry K wrote:

Mulching the leaves should not harm the lawn.

Viruses, fungii and other nasty pathogens to trees are found on leaves
and these tree diseases will return year after year if you don't remove
the leaves in the fall.

Only if they are present, and have been a problem in the recent past.
Otherwise, no problem. Typically, there is no problem.


Leaf material left on lawns can promote powdery mildew and other fungi
turf diseases.

Shade and lack of air circulation are the primary factors for
promoting powdery mildew. And so? Powdery mildew isn't even as serious
to turfgrass as pimples are to teenagers. It's unsightly, but almost
never causes significant harm.

Leaves can also prevent the lawn from drying out if you
have a lot of rain in the fall, again not a good thing for turf.

That scenario would require a hell of a lot of leaves and a hell of a
lot of rain. Most of the time, that's not the situation.

Thanks to the points raised by a couple of other posters, I can
understand the utility of vacuuming when there's a deep accumulation
of leaves. But I expect the typical homeowner would frequently, if not
usually, find that a riding mower or lawn tractor could neatly mulch
leaves into the turf, if he wants to deal with them in that manner. I
raised the issue because I've had neighbors who bagged grass clippings
and leaves _only_ because they assumed that's how they're supposed to
be handled. The first time I used my Snapper walk-behind with a Ninja
mulching blade on the leaves, several of them came over for a closer
look. They were pretty impressed that a good blade/mower could make
the leaves virtually disappear. It's simpler yet with a lawn tractor.

On 10/19/2011 11:17 AM, Home Guy wrote:
Harry K wrote:

Mulching the leaves should not harm the lawn.

Viruses, fungii and other nasty pathogens to trees are found on leaves
and these tree diseases will return year after year if you don't remove
the leaves in the fall.

Wow! It's a miracle there are such things as "forests". How did they
ever survive without people gathering the leaves?

On 10/19/2011 10:17 AM, Home Guy wrote:
Harry K wrote:

Mulching the leaves should not harm the lawn.

Viruses, fungii and other nasty pathogens to trees are found on leaves
and these tree diseases will return year after year if you don't remove
the leaves in the fall. (snipped)

There is a State Forest that borders our small community so it looks
like we need to organize everyone and go rake it so it will be there in
the years to come. It is over 8,000 acres and we only have a population
of 600+ so it will be quite a job but obviously well worth the effort!

Don

On Oct 19, 5:36*am, HellT wrote:
On 10/19/2011 4:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg

I've always wondered - why collect them? Two passes with the lawn
tractor and they're finely chopped and disappear into the lawn. It's a
lot faster and easier than vacuuming or raking them up.

Exactly. Until I did away with a couple red maples I used my walk
behind Honda without the bag. Leaves so deep that on the first pass
the mower was sorta tunneling through them. 2-3 passes later the lawn
looked like salt/pepper and in a couple days - nothing.

I still have a couple red maples left so it gives me 'seat time' on
the rider now.

Besides being much more energy efficient to "mulch in place" they are
good for the lawn.

I haven't 'bagged or raked' since late 70s.
Harry K

On Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:36:41 -0500, HellT wrote:

On 10/19/2011 4:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg


I've always wondered - why collect them? Two passes with the lawn
tractor and they're finely chopped and disappear into the lawn. It's a
lot faster and easier than vacuuming or raking them up.

That's what I do. When I had a mower without a "mulching
attachment" I taped a heavy business size envelope over the output
chute and it worked just as well. I only need it for about 1 or 2
mows in the late fall. (They've just started to fall this week.)

When I had a half acre I never even considered raking the leaves, so I
never have.

On Oct 19, 7:57*pm, micky wrote:
On Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:36:41 -0500, HellT wrote:
On 10/19/2011 4:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg

I've always wondered - why collect them? Two passes with the lawn
tractor and they're finely chopped and disappear into the lawn. It's a
lot faster and easier than vacuuming or raking them up.

That's what I do. * *When I had a mower without a "mulching
attachment" I taped a heavy *business size envelope over the output
chute and it worked just as well. * I only need it for about 1 or 2
mows in the late fall. (They've just started to fall this week.)

When I had a half acre I never even considered raking the leaves, so I
never have.

I used to live on a 3 arce lot with lots of trees, mostly pin oaks. It
got to be a loosing battle to keep them raked so I let it go simi
natural except for about half an acre the house was on. Maintenace of
the natural area was reduced to occasionally walking around with an
eye hoe and chopping down briars and various seedlings. One of my
buddies wanted me to collect some seedlings for him.....cant imagine
someone wanting pin oaks in their yard that wasnt already stuck with
them.

Jimmie

On 10/19/2011 8:58 PM, JIMMIE wrote:
On Oct 19, 7:57 pm, wrote:
On Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:36:41 -0500, wrote:
On 10/19/2011 4:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg

I've always wondered - why collect them? Two passes with the lawn
tractor and they're finely chopped and disappear into the lawn. It's a
lot faster and easier than vacuuming or raking them up.

That's what I do. When I had a mower without a "mulching
attachment" I taped a heavy business size envelope over the output
chute and it worked just as well. I only need it for about 1 or 2
mows in the late fall. (They've just started to fall this week.)

When I had a half acre I never even considered raking the leaves, so I
never have.

I used to live on a 3 arce lot with lots of trees, mostly pin oaks. It
got to be a loosing battle to keep them raked so I let it go simi
natural except for about half an acre the house was on. Maintenace of
the natural area was reduced to occasionally walking around with an
eye hoe and chopping down briars and various seedlings. One of my
buddies wanted me to collect some seedlings for him.....cant imagine
someone wanting pin oaks in their yard that wasnt already stuck with
them.

Jimmie

I like my pin oaks, and the red and white oaks also, along with the 20
or so other tree types growing wild around the little grass border
surrounding my house. I just think it's crazy when people have an acre
or two or ten that they actually mow all summer long. I do have one big
grassy area but not by choice, it's the leach field for the septic.

"HellT" wrote in message
...
On 10/19/2011 4:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg


I've always wondered - why collect them? Two passes with the lawn tractor
and they're finely chopped and disappear into the lawn. It's a lot faster
and easier than vacuuming or raking them up.


Right, and it is good for the trees. That's the way mother nature does it.
(I don't mean with a mower, she just leaves the leaves whole).
Bob-tx

HeyBub wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg

Close-up pictures of the impeller are he

http://woodgears.ca/misc/leaf_vacuum.html

===========
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.

Michael used a Bill Penz blower design to base his blower on.

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyc...ngInstructions

http://woodgears.ca/misc/penz_blower.png

I asked Bill Penz for permission to use this image. Bill Penz added:

"Please warn then that if they don’t use a material handling impeller
(meaning plastic or aluminum) or if they hit a branch or rock they could
get seriously hurt. I’d 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: NoMi Designs
and other stuff: Krazatchu Design Systems
===============

On 10/19/2011 5:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg


With many acres of woods surrounding my house I still have never had the
need to vacuum leaves, just mow/mulch them. They are good for the soil
and the trees. Nature intended for the leaves to lay under the trees,
why move them?

On 10/19/2011 12:15 PM, Tony Miklos wrote:
On 10/19/2011 5:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg


With many acres of woods surrounding my house I still have never had the
need to vacuum leaves, just mow/mulch them. They are good for the soil
and the trees. Nature intended for the leaves to lay under the trees,
why move them?

In principle I agree with you, but I still have to go to work, and I
don't want the neighbors to torch my place while I am gone. I don't get
anal about it like they do, but I relocate most of the leaves, if
weather and first snowfall permit. Thankfully, I have a tree line in
back to dump them in, so I don't have to mess with bagging/burning/hauling.

--
aem sends...

On Oct 19, 7:36*pm, aemeijers wrote:
On 10/19/2011 12:15 PM, Tony Miklos wrote:

On 10/19/2011 5:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg

With many acres of woods surrounding my house I still have never had the
need to vacuum leaves, just mow/mulch them. They are good for the soil
and the trees. Nature intended for the leaves to lay under the trees,
why move them?

In principle I agree with you, but I still have to go to work, and I
don't want the neighbors to torch my place while I am gone. I don't get
anal about it like they do, but I relocate most of the leaves, if
weather and first snowfall permit. Thankfully, I have a tree line in
back to dump them in, so I don't have to mess with bagging/burning/hauling.

--
aem sends...

But why not 'mulch in place'? Faster, easier and good for the lawn.

Harry K

On 10/19/2011 10:36 PM, aemeijers wrote:
On 10/19/2011 12:15 PM, Tony Miklos wrote:
On 10/19/2011 5:59 AM, HeyBub wrote:
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=TNty8QNITpg


With many acres of woods surrounding my house I still have never had the
need to vacuum leaves, just mow/mulch them. They are good for the soil
and the trees. Nature intended for the leaves to lay under the trees,
why move them?

In principle I agree with you, but I still have to go to work, and I
don't want the neighbors to torch my place while I am gone. I don't get
anal about it like they do, but I relocate most of the leaves, if
weather and first snowfall permit. Thankfully, I have a tree line in
back to dump them in, so I don't have to mess with bagging/burning/hauling.


You must have nasty uptight neighbors. They can't see the woods for the
trees.