[cousy51]

I'm looking to buy a leaf vacuum this fall because I'm tired of raking leaves. I dropped off my garden tractor today at the dealer I bought it from for transmission service (filters and fluid). While there I asked if he had any leaf vacuums and what he recommended. He handles the Billy Goat line of vacuums and blowers (don't really want a blower). He quoted me a price of $1,100 for a new one still in the box (has the chipper option also). The dealer said my only other option is MTD and they are junk. He said they are made out of mostly plastic.

What I'm looking for is some honest opinions from those of you that have leaf vacuums (MTD or Billy Goat or any other brand if there is any) and what cost I'm looking to incur for this item. I'm looking for a stand alone item; don't really want one that works off the mower deck. I will have one this fall; just don't know which brand.

 

[Chris]

YUM YUM YUM

Billy Goat's Gruff...

:serta: :serta: :serta:

 

[Stewart]

You might have a look at the cyclone rake. I think it is a little less price than the billy goat.

http://www.cyclonerake.com/sem/?source=overture

I have heard lots of good things about the billy goat stuff on a couple of other sites. I am thinking along the same lines as you about the raking thing but that is a lot of cash to lay out at once for something you only use a short period of time a year. Let us know what you think of the cyclone stuff.

:thumbsup:

 

[guest]

nice looking vacuum cousy
<img src=http://www.lawnmowersandleisure.co.uk/pages/commonimages/billy_goat/TKD.jpg>

I do not own one.. but did a quick search on line and saw them for 958$ so maybe the 1100$ is negotable

personally, if it were me, id rather hook to the back of my tractor... (being a fat lazy american) id rather a pull behind then a walk with...


just curious, why do you not want a standalone vs one connected to your deck?


do you have a real big area to do? ive got bad knees and walking around a big area would get old real fast for me...

 

[cousy51]

I'd like a stand alone over a hook behind the tractor because of storage space, manuverability, and transporting. I own 1 1/2 acres; not all lawn but is quite hilly and lots of trees. I also do my mother in laws lawn and her neighbor (both widows and over 75 years old). They live about 35 miles away; figure I could transport the stand alone in the back of my pick-up truck rather than always hooking up the trailer, loading the tractor with a mow-n-vac type set-up. As far as money; I was planning on spending about $1,000 for SOMETHING to make fall clean-up easier. I did get the gator blades you recommended for my Prestige; they work well. I have a Brinley tow behind dethatcher so my plan was to have my wife mow with the gator blades while pulling the dethatcher in the fall; then I would follow-up with the leaf vacuum (when doing the final clean-up before the snow hits).

 

[memmurphy]

My neighbor has one of the older low end Craftsman 4Hp. or so models. It does not seem to work well at all. They have to go real slow and many leaves are still left behind. My Toro Super Recycler rear bagger mower does a much better and faster job. I don't know about the higher priced units from other manufactures. They may have a lot more vacuum than his.

Mark