(This post was originally in the Cyclone Rake post and moved here, so you may havwe alrady read this one.)
I guess since I unloaded on the CR like I did, I need to unload some on the agrifab unit as well, at least with quirks I have found on mine and seen on others.
Don't assume that the 8 hp chipper is gonna chew up those 3" (rated capacity) limbs. (Might do a straight balsa or straight soft pine green limb, without any smaller limbs coming off it) It is gonna struggle and jam and give up. Its true capacity is more in the line of 1" diam max and preferably green limbs.........nice and straight. Trying to shove limbs from pruneing azaleas and such is a real nightmare as to clogging up. It does fine on limbs from a crepe myrtle (usually pretty straight and not overly hard) Even a handfull of the large pine cones usually results in a clog..........and it got to the point I used to spend more time unclogging or working to try and force stuff into that extremely narrow chute I no longer use the chipper portion for anything anymore. There is absolutely no difference in suction on the 5 hp as compared to the 8 hp either.....both are esentially the same in the aspect of shredding and sucking up debris.
The boot that seals between the disharge chute and the hard top is prone to wear. This is because of slop in the tongue to axle mount. The tongue can cock or twist and since the unit is heavier on one side of the fan and motor assembly it naturally cocks the discharge chute so it discharged debri against one side of the sealing boot more than the other. It wears that boot out from th inside out. I solved my problem by making a set of bronze bushings to take any slop out of the tongue so it does not twist, as well as installing a heavy extension spring from the motors mount bracket to the corner of the trailer box, which applies constant tension on the discharge chute opposite the heavy side. It can stay in position when you tilt to dump so its pretty well not necessary to disconnect it for dumping.
The screens on the discharge vents do little to nothing to curb dust........I sealed all the joints in the trailer, the dishcarge chute to metal fan housing, as well as between both halves of the blower housing with Polyurethane sealant. Before it uised to dribble a trail of chopped up debri, now it all goes into the trailer. You also need to put filler bolts and nuts in allholes that are not used, and on mine there was quite a few. Its also worth your time to invest in lockwashers in case that high paid assembler for thebig box stores decided to throw away the lock washers. I really don;t know if any are used, but mine always vibrated loose during some use, so I installed lock washers under everything.
As for holding down the vents dust........I have a piece of sunshade type cloth that hangs from the outer edge of the vent, and exctends down to about the trailers bed level. It does not stop the dust, but keeps it lower to the ground and it really helps with it blowing out 4 feet up in the air and coming back up and on you in the tractor. I can now vac without having my back and the tractor esentially covered in dust.
Buy the true Agri Fab unit and leave the Sears / Crapsman model in the store........It has propreitary motor and you will be stuck having to buy odds and ends from sears.. Been there done that when my original motor blew up..SOme say that they do not have propreitary motors now others say it is, but to me its certainly not worth the chance........
I made a holder for a rake and broom on mine. I welded a small L shaped bracket to the end of a thinwalled piece of steel tube so that when you install it on the lip (about 1 1/2" wide) where the hardbody enclosure fits on the typical steel trailer, it elevates one end of the tube up about 1 1/2". This keeps dirt etc out by allowing it to fallout the lower end and also keeps rake etc from vibrating out. Face it, you usually need a rake and broom when cleaning up the place, and its nice to have them where you need them during use, and thats on the machine.
And last of all (that I can think of right now anyhow) and it applies to all vac machines except for Trac Vac is the universal plastic boot just sucks. Yes, they work but if you buy a trac vac boot you will be amazed at just how well it will work better, and as to removing and installing, no tools are required, just pull a simple pin. You can even leave the mower decks deflection chute in place. The trac vacs discharge boot is custom made to each brand of mower deck and provides a smooth transition from deck into the debri hose, without any dead spots or areas to collect debri and cause blockage. You can call trac vac and tell em what mower deck you have, and they will make it for you. They told me 10 days to 2 weeks, and I had it in about 10 days time, and it fits like a glove. The trac vac boots are made of heavy gauge steel, the others are molded plastic. You can get them in 6, 7 and 8" hose sizes. Average prices run $70 to 100 bucks per boot, but its not much more than what a boot for the others cost and considering the difference in use and eae of remove and install its worth the extra money. If you did happen to damaage it, it being made of steel is easily fixed, the others are not.
To me a unit made to collapse or fold down etc has just that many more points that have play or flex in them and in time its going to get rickety.....I prefer a non collapsible type, and as ridgid as possible.Heck with as thin of gauge metal most things are made of today you need all the ridgidity you can get if y ou expect it to last.