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FAQs on the Commercial Leaf Vacuum

jared — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:52:36 +0000

It’s annoying enough to know that your property is filled to the brim with a lot of dead and awfully dried up leaves scattered all over the place. What’s even worse is that you only have a rake to use in trying to get rid of these unsightly things, which makes it even harder for you to clean them out of your rather large garden or backyard. You can always make use of gardening services for such matters, but why spend all of your hard earned cash on a monthly basis when you can get the job done yourself in matter of minutes? You may think such a task would be impossible, but with the commercial leaf vacuum, you can easily suck up all the leaves littered all over your lawn right into a disposable bag, making your property look like you just purchased it yesterday!

What is it?

This commercial leaf vacuum is the answer to all your property cleaning woes, allowing you to get rid of those ghastly leaves cluttered all over your lawn. They come in a variety of models, ranging from smaller units which appear somewhat similar to lawnmowers to the more heavy duty models which are very much like large tractors in appearance. These may also come with commercial leaf vacuum equipment such as mufflers or baffles to ensure that you don’t disturb your neighbors next door with such annoying noise whenever you’re cleaning your lawn.

Which one should I choose?

As stated above, these vacuum cleaners are available for purchase in different models, however you still need to make sure you buy one that suits your needs. For starters, you might want to consider buying a unit which contains enough power to take care of all the leaves scattered all over your property. There is a 2 stroke vacuum which is more than adequate for the maintenance of small yards, but if you’ve got a lawn which is half the size of a basketball court, then the 4 stroke engine would work best for you. Also, you need to check the vacuum’s mulching ratio, since you need to take the compression levels into consideration, especially when the leaves are being sucked all in. You want to make sure you get a unit with a high ratio, along with a metal impeller instead of a plastic one, as it is definitely more durable.

What about stability and weight?

There are some heavy duty vacuums out there that can be fastened or joined to mowers or tractors if you want to clean out wide or large areas such as fields or backyards. If you happen to be the owner of a gardening tractor, you can just purchase a commercial leaf shredder with certain attachments that allow you to use your tractor as a vacuum on wheels. If not, then you can consider purchasing some vacuums which are self-contained, making it easier for you to push them around and guide them along a certain path, similar to how you would use a lawnmower.

What are good recommendations?

As of the moment, there are two models which are highly popular – the Cyclone Rake Commercial Pro and the Tow-Behind DR Leaf & Lawn Vacuum. The Cyclone Rake model possesses a 6.5 horsepower engine, and has the ability to generate at least 25 percent more power than any other commercial vacuum in the market today. The Tow-Behind model, on the other hand, makes use of an industry-grade engine, which is manufactured with Subaru or Robin infused technology. Aside from that, it also possesses a fuel tank with a 1.61 gallon capacity and 315 gallon collector capacity, truly making it quite a formidable beast in its own right.

Lawn and Leaf Vacuums

jared — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:31:56 +0000

If you have a lot of debris you need picked up fast and easily, you definitely want to check out a leaf vacuum. Leaf vacuums are amazing in that, some models will pick up everything from rocks, bottles, trash, and not to mention leaves! I've always heard or read about these but got to see one for the first time last fall while walking around on the Plaza here in KC, MO. This guy was pushing around the Billy Goat leaf vacuum and sucking up everything in site. I was impressed so I snapped a picture... although I must say he was a little confused as to why I was so interested in his work.

I would consider many of these models to be in the commercial leaf vacuum category as I wouldn't consider them cheap or at a price point the average home-owner can afford. With that said, we'll take a look at a few here which some of us may be able to afford. Basically we'll put the leaf and lawn vacuum into four different categories: hand-held leaf vacuum, walk behind leaf vacuum, tow leaf vacuum, and commercial leaf vacuum.

For leaf vacuum reviews, we'll look at a few of the most popular models and list a few features, commentary, and general consensus of what owners and users like/dislike about each product. With that said, the only one of these that we have actually used or seen in action is the Billy Goat which you can find some pretty decent deals on eBay. However, our goal here is to list several different types and models in one place so you can get an idea on price, features, etc.

Obviously the type of vacuum you consider is going to have a lot to do with what your overall goal is. Do you have a large yard, parking lot, or area that gets a lot of leaves or trash? Then you'll probably want one of the tow behind or commercial types. However, even the walk behind vacuums can cover quite a bit of ground and have large wheels designed specifically for covering a lot of ground. Obviously the walk behinds will work better on asphalt and smooth services, so if you have a large grass area, the tow or commercial leaf vacuum is probably your best bet. That's also considering you have something to pull it with like an ATV or lawn tractor.

Billy Goat Leaf Vacuum

The Billy Goat is one of the more popular type leaf and debris vacuums. We’ve seen these used a lot for area parks and shopping centers. The Goat is touted as being a “lawn and litter” vacuum ideal for property maintenance and residential buildings and would consider this product to be in the commercial leaf vacuum category. Watching one of these pushed around, we’re amazed at the ease of mobility with the large 12” wheels. Depending on the model, it comes with an on-board chipper as well which comes in real handy.

Billy Goat Specifications:

Performance: 3550 RPM 35,640ft.2/hr
Wheels: 12” semi-pneumatic turf
Debris Bag: Hard bottom bag that opens using nautical fasteners
Housing: 14-gauge horizontal steel
Impeller: ¼” steel, 5-blade
Drive System: Differential rear wheel drive
Nozzle: Polyethylene high density 27”
Height Adjustment: (From handle) 4 position
Length: 62”
Width: 27”
Height: 42”
Weight: 132-141 lbs. (depending on model)
Productivity: 35,640 square feet per hour at 3 miles per hour

Another great feature not mentioned in the product specs is an optional hose kit handy for getting in between shrubs and tough to reach places. One HUGE feature about the Billy Goat Leaf vacuum is the bag capacity. We had to dig to find the average size, but found that up-to 7 cubic feet is average. This is one of the reasons to go with a more expensive lawn leaf vacuum. You’ll find that most of the hand-held ones and others have just a few cubic feet which means you’ll be emptying the bag more then you’ll be sucking up debris and leaves.

Shop For a Billy Goat on eBay (some with Free Shipping)

BILLY GOAT MV MULTI VACUUM CLEAR REPLACEMENT HOSE 5 DIA X 87 LONG 840075

US $39.95

9d 19h 37m

Billy Goat Vacuum

0 Bid

US $500.00

22h 29m

Billy Goat Leaf Vacuum Blower

US $250.00

1d 2h 50m

Billy Goat MV650SPH 65hp Self Propel PRO Lawn Vacuum

US $1,934.99

8d 2h 7m

Check out all leaf vacuums on eBay

Toro 51599 Ultra 12 amp Variable-Speed Electric Hand-Held Leaf Vacuum/blower/mulcher

We searched for the best reviewed and sellers on hand-held’s and the Toro on Amazon came out the winner with (at time of this writing) 827 reviews and 4 ½ stars with a list price of $89.99 and sales for $74.97. Which is pretty good reviews. Again, these hand-held’s have a much smaller bag capacity and can be a real pain emptying them every few minutes. However, with this model you’re also getting a blower but no chipper functionality but it does do leaf mulching. One nice feature we noticed about the Toro 51599 is the ease of switching from blower to vacuum and the magnesium serrated metal blades. Many other models in this price range have plastic blades. Also, electric is always better for the environment. When receiving this item, in the box you’ll find blower tubes, vac tubes, vac ba, power unit, and operators manual. The product also claims to shred leaves using the magnesium blades.

Toro 51599 Ultra 12 amp Specifications:

Maximum Velocity: Up to 235 mph
CFM (blow): 255
CFM (vacuum): 390
Motor: 12 amps
Weight: 7 ½ lbs.
Metal impeller for mulching
Reduction (leaf shredding): 16:1

We were actually amazed at the great leaf vacuum reviews this item received. Most owners (although admitted to originally looking for a gas powered option) liked the leaf shredding capabilities and light weight. Check it out more reviews of the Toro Ultra 12-amp on Amazon.

Troy-Built 24-Inch 206cc Gas Powered 3-in-1 (self propelled)

The Troy-Built 3-in-1 lawn vacuum can do it all; chip, shred, vacuum. Receiving 3 ½ stars out of (at time of this writing) 24 reviews on Amazon, this item seems to fair well with a list price of $899.99 and priced at $930.00 on Amazon. One thing we noticed however when looking at these locally and online is the wheel size. Compared to the Billy Goat 12” wheels, the Troy-Built’s 10-by-4 inch pneumatic rear wheels don’t seem to us that it would be as easy to push around the yard. Yes it’s self-propelled so that would definitely help while in the yard. However, if you want to zip around your driveway or along the gutters of your street, you’re going to be restricted by the self-propelled speed. Several reviews also mentioned that this item was difficult to start. Having owned similar lawn tools that are hard to start… well, that is just a pain.

Troy-Built 3-in-1 Specifications:

6.5 horsepower
Self-propelled
205cc Briggs & Stratton OHV engine (up to 2 inch capacity chipper)
Debris reduction: 10:1
Includes vacuum nozzle, chipper chute, and shredder
Not compliant for Sale in California (Non-Carb compliant)

Overall this is a pretty well-rounded product. This is priced for most consumers and having the 3-in-1 options is nice. Although be sure to read more reviews on Amazon for this product to see what more actually owners think of its value and use.

In all our research for tow-behind Lawn Vacuums, the Swisher Lawn and Swisher Poly Lawn vacuum models continually comes up. We even see them around town quite a bit so figured we’d finally take a good look at one. However, with that said, we’re going to do a brief review of the Swisher LV87537 2-in-1 Lawn Vacuum and Dump Wagon. At a price of $1,599.99, we believe that you can get a better all-around vacuum in that price range. Although you may check out the Swisher Poly version which is generally listed for a few hundred dollars less. Meaning, although it’s advertised as a 2-in-1, the “two” things are vacuum and dump wagon. Are you kidding? Surely we can find something with a great chipper for that price. According to the Swisher LV87537 features, it will “shred small twigs and grass clippings that are vacuumed up from the mower deck.” After rigorous research, we haven’t found a really good all-in-one tow behind leaf vacuum and chipper. Which in some aspects makes sense and goes along with our belief is “do one thing, but do it well.” The common issue is that in order to have a large motor to power the chipper, the placement is difficult with tow-behinds. The only logical place (and where most are located) is on the tongue of the trailer part causing issues with weight distribution.

So if you really want to find a good leaf and lawn vacuum (and received good lawn vacuum reviews) that also boasts a relatively good chipper, take a look at the Merry Mac Walk-Behind Chipper/Vacuum. The Merry Mac is well built and sales for around $1,399.99 (price may vary depending on season so be sure to check Northern Tools Website). This item is self-propelled with 3 forward speeds and also a reverse (which we thought was a nice feature not found on some other self-propelled models).

Merry Mac Walk-Behind Chipper/Vacuum Specifications:

Engine: Briggs & Stratton
Chipper
Vacuum
Bagger Volume: 4 bushels
Max. Cutting Thickness: 2 7/8 inches
Material Type: Cast iron sleeve
Front Wheel: 8 x 1 ¾ semi-pneumatic
Real Wheel: 10 ½ x 3 ½ pneumatic
Dimensions: L 67” x W 25” x H 43”
Warranty: 24 months parts/labor

The Merry Mac works well for picking up not just leaves, but debris as well.

Regardless of your leaf vacuum needs or budget, we hope to have provided you with some things to consider and some products to suite your needs.

The Yard and Lawn Vacuum

jared — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:47:25 +0000

Lawn vacuums are a very interesting product with a number of great uses. Yard vacuums are high-powered vacuum cleaners that can be used to suck up many different types of debris, such as sticks, grass, leaves, wood chips, or garbage. These vacuum cleaners are much more efficient than trying to rake up the debris, and they collect all of the debris unlike a leaf blower would.

There are three different types of these yard vacuums available today. There is the push type which looks a lot like a push lawn mower, there is the type that is a little handheld unit that looks like a leaf blower and there is the riding type that works like a riding lawnmower. All of these vacuums have their strengths and weaknesses.

Hand Held Lawn Vacuums

The small leaf blower style of vacuum is much cheaper than the push type. It is good for smaller, harder to reach areas, such as in or around bushes and trees, as well as right around the house. Many of these lawn vacuums have a blower feature as well so that they double as leaf blowers.

Troy Built Mulchinator

UPDATE: Troy-Bilt Mulchinator Blower/Vacuum (Amazon) can usually be found between $80 to $100 (You gotta love something with a name like "Mulchinator"). As with most lawn equipment, prices vary depending on season and new models so be sure to check prices.

The larger push vacuums are much more costly than the small leaf blower style. They can cost as much as 5 to 10 times as much, but they are much more useful when it comes to large areas. The push vacuums cover a large amount of ground fast. Although they are much bulkier than the little hand-held vacuums, they have attachment hoses that allow their owner to get in hard to reach places as well. They are much more powerful than the smaller vacuums and typically run on gas. These vacuums are a great choice for mid to large sized yards. The push style lawn vacuums range in price anywhere from $600 to $1,000. We’ve seen the Craftsman Yard Vacuum as low as $619 which is still quite a bit, but it can save you a ton of time.

UPDATE: The Troy-Bilt 24" SP Yard Vacuum (Amazon) currently lists around $711.

Troy Built Vacuum

Riding, Walk Behind, and Upright Yard Vacuums

The most expensive type of vacuum is the riding style. These vacuums are very nice to have and work very well for large yards or parcels of land. They will suck up sticks and leaves in no time at all. They are more costly than the push vacuums and may not be worth the expense if a very large amount of land is not being cleaned. Sometimes these come with extra attachments but typically they are not great for hard to reach areas.

Swisher 2 in 1 Lawn Vacuum

Most riding style yard vacuums, with some exceptions, attach to a riding lawn mower and are pulled behind the mower. They still have a gas powered engine that creates suction and vacuums the yard debris through the undercarriage of the mower as it drives across the yard just like you’re mowing. These generally cost well over $1,000 and are only good if you have a large yard, thus the need for a large mower.

For example the Swisher 2-in-1 Gross Torque Lawn Vacuum and Dump Wagon lists around $1500 on Amazon but the price fluctuates also through the seasons so it may be more or less.

There are many additional features included with all of these vacuums that should be noted. Many of the little leaf blower vacuums have the option of either being gas powered or electric powered. Having the option is certainly nice especially with the price of gas today. An electric powered vacuum would be good for around the house uses, with a long enough extension cord most of the yard would be reachable. All of the other vacuums are gas powered and that means that they can be taken anywhere without worrying about a power source. Many of the vacuums will have a reverse feature that allows the user to eject the debris from the bag back out in to a garbage bag or storage container. This feature is very useful for anyone with a large amount of debris to move. Taking the bag off an emptying it can become a hassle if done enough. Some of the larger vacuums will have a chipping and shredding feature, and will break apart large sticks and leaves, making them fit in to bags much more efficiently.

There are a number of different brands selling these vacuums, one of the best recognized is Troy Built which is most seen as the walk behind lawn vacuum. This brand has a high quality product for a realistic price. They also make every style of leaf and lawn vacuum. What's really nice about even this walk behind models is the little shredder hopper on the side. The Troy Built has this which 1.5' chipper which can handle most small limbs.

When considering buying a yard vacuum it is very important to know the different types as well as the different features available. With this knowledge, it will be easy to make the best selection for your personal needs. When reading through lawn vacuum reviews, be sure to look for both the pros and cons of the product and get a general feel for the overall quality of the product.