Leaf pickup/ clean up.

Mirac

Mirac

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What are y’all using to do this.

Bagger on mower?
Push/ pull lawn sweeper ?
Tow behind bagger ?
Walk behind blower ?
Yard vacuum?
Combination?
I’ve been using my backpack blower the last couple years and I’m tired of walking in circles then having to rake in to bags.
 
I use a backpack blower and aim for the woods. Mower chops some up. I used to put them in a pile and burn them.
 
Blow into woods.

As a kid it was rake to street and burn, but I assume they don’t allow that any more.
 
We have huge piles of maple and pecan leaves. A few years back I bought a Troybuilt lawn vacuum for $150 off facebook after the owner thought it didn't work. Ethanol had ate the carb needle. simple fix and it was brand new. We tried it for 2 seasons and it did not work well at all. It spent the next 2 years in the barn and then I just sold it for $150. I don't recommend this one.

We have a craftsman shredder and we shred some for mulch and then just haul all the rest off via 4-6 truckloads.
 
Bagging mower, but even with the 3 bag setup I end up having to dump in compost pile about 5 time each week till gone
 
Pick up with bagging push mower and empty in woods.
 
Combination of mow and blow into the woods. We have a bunch of Willow Oaks. Which are beautiful trees and the deer and squirrels love their acorns. But the leaves are evil!
 
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RR said:
Combination of mow and blow into the woods. We have a bunch of Willow Oaks. Which are beautiful trees and the deer and squirrels love their acorns. But the leaves are evil!
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I’ve got a couple trees like that. Thin pointed leaves. They bury into the grass and are hell getting them to move.
 
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I've got a huge one right in the center of the backyard. I put my mower deck nearly down to the ground so they can't escape. Gets about 90% of them.
 
We've got one willow oak right over our driveway and if I don't keep the leaves blown off of it they'll get crushed by tires and wet by rain and form a paste that you just about have to scrape or pressure wash off. PITA....
 
I’m rebuilding an agri fab leaf vacuum right now. Had one years ago and sold it. Hoping to have it done by leaf season time. Gonna replace the tires, get a new vacuum hose for it and build a deck adapter out of a 50cal ammo can like I did the last one. Worked like a charm.
 
RR said:
We've got one willow oak right over our driveway and if I don't keep the leaves blown off of it they'll get crushed by tires and wet by rain and form a paste that you just about have to scrape or pressure wash off. PITA....
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We have a similar problem except our driveway is sloped. If you don't keep it clean, the car will slide down the hill like it's on ice. 😬
 
Billygoat yard vacuum. I don't really know if it works much better than raking, but it is more fun.
 
Backpack blower and blow them away from pool and house/mulched areas. Then mow throwing clippings in and mow them up until they are mulched down and disappear. On the end of the house I use the mower and blow them into the woods.
 
Les White said:
I just mow the leaves back under the trees around the trunks. Creates a barrier where I don't have to mow next year. I have too much yard to try and wrangle that crap out to the woods.
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I'm tickled that our 2.5 acres is mostly woods.....I'd be more tickled if our back yard were about half it's current size and there were even more trees.... Yeah more leaves but way less lawn to maintain.
 
RR said:
I'm tickled that our 2.5 acres is mostly woods.....I'd be more tickled if our back yard were about half it's current size and there were even more trees.... Yeah more leaves but way less lawn to maintain.
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I fenced in about 2000 sf and try to maintain a patch of grass there. Outside the fence in the trees whatever happens, happens.
 
I hate yard work so I go for the easiest and most expedient solution. I put the mulching kit on the mower and chop them up. My neighbor keeps telling me that I am killing my grass. 20 years later and I still have grass.
 
RR said:
I'm tickled that our 2.5 acres is mostly woods.....I'd be more tickled if our back yard were about half it's current size and there were even more trees.... Yeah more leaves but way less lawn to maintain.
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I'd prefer more woods and less yard. When I first bought the place I had a run of the mill riding mower. Took 7 hours to mow. Gave in and bought a beefy commercial zero turn, cut it down to right at 2 hours.

house.jpg
 
Yeah I can do our yard in about 45 mins with our zero turn.

When we build on our Wilkes Co property my plan is for minimal mowing. It's 46 acres but we plan to keep most of it in the forestry program. We will clear maybe 5-7 acres for gardens, goat pastures and house/shop.
 
Les White said:
I'd prefer more woods and less yard. When I first bought the place I had a run of the mill riding mower. Took 7 hours to mow. Gave in and bought a beefy commercial zero turn, cut it down to right at 2 hours.

View attachment 378914
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Wait. You're afraid of Bigfoot and you live in his yard?
 
Climb on zero turn and mow blowing them in once or twice a week and keep going over them till they are ground up. Works best if you dont let them build up high and they are a little damp to keep dust down. If i get behind then ill just grind them and blow them back to the woods but the way the wind blows usually they seem to come back so usually just grind them up to get rid of the problem and add the compost to the yard. Started this 30 years ago when leaf attachment broke on another mower and been doing it ever since.
 
Timfoilhat said:
Wait. You're afraid of Bigfoot and you live in his yard?
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Yeah. No woods after dark. Not even with extra mags.

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I pour myself a glass of tea and watch the yard guys blow them all onto a huge tarp, which they then drag down to the street and vacuum up into an enclosed trailer. Sometimes I get tired just watching them.
 
Get Off My Lawn said:
Yup, 42 mags is insufficient.
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Especially when you're running full tilt, on two bad knees, bouncing off of trees like a fat kid playing bumper-cars, screaming like a little girl, and blindly mag dumping backwards over your left shoulder..
 
If it helps anybody, I've got one of these taking up room in my shop. Haven't used it in years. Old but works. Well, it did, I'd have to double check. Trade it for low end burbon.

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i gave up several years ago.
except for along the road, our grass is gone.
all natural now. moss, ivy, low down and low maintenance.
i use free chips/mulch (from right-of-way clearance) to handle some bare spots.
 
We don't do anything. Except chickens and goats. Keep hoping all the grass will die but it doesn't. I put down gravel where we all hang out in the front of the shop. We mow every once in a while. Might take 45 minutes with a push mower. The leaves are fine where they fall.
 
rufrdr said:
I have a bunch of sweet gum trees in my backyard. My EGo electric rear bagger mower sucks the leaves up just fine when they are dry. It won't pick up the spiky balls so I use this:
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Works like a bucket on a steam shovel. I scoop up the spiky balls and drop them in a bucket as I walk around the yard.

https://www.petsmart.com/dog/cleani...paw-jaws-waste-scooper-59321.html?cgid=100212
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They are the devils nuts- I cut everyone I find around here down. Makes ok fire wood if you got a splitter


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
from above:
"I keep asking these folks to drop off a couple truck loads, that they won't have to pay to dump.
They act excited, and never show."

bribe them.
i use bottled water and Mountain Dew.
then give them even more when they show.
 
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