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I had ordered a steel deck adapter for my L & G from Trac Vac, and got it in yesterday. I have to say its one fine piece of fabrication. It fits like a glove on the 54C deck, and the best thing I like about it besides the fit is its abiltiy to also have the deflector installed at the same time, and then all you need to do is pull one pin and off comes the adapter. Its a really nice setup. It botled right up to the existing holes used for mounting the regular deflectot.No tools needed when its time to go back in mow only mode and a cinch to put in the vac mode with that single pin. So if you have one of those "Universal" type adapters and in need of a new adapter some day, Trac Vac is the adapter to go with, and its not all that much more money for what you get in return. Steel is also so much easier to repair if need be as well.
One thing I did do is added bumpers so it does not actually touch the bottom edges of the deck, as this could wear after time. Now its cushioned against a rubber bumper, installed in existing holes.
The weight of the hose itself is what holds the adapter in the down positon, and if you do hit osmething it can float up over it instead of digging in.
I made a few changes on my Agri Fab vac shredder chipper cart again. It seems the boot that seals the oulet of the discharge duct into the hopper top was prone to wear as the weight of the engine and hose on the one side sort of lays it over and the collected debri hit against this boot while being diverted into the trailer. I added a pretty stiff but manageable spring on the oposit side and have it connected to the trailer box to the steel support for the chipper hopper. The spring is a pull type with rounded eyes in the end, and I utilized the highest and closest bolt to the cart on the chhippers support to mount the opne end of the spring to. I made a L shaped bracket that is attached to the side of the bed at the corner, and have approximately 2" of stretch on the spring when its installed between the chipper hopper support and this L shaped bracket. The tenison of this spring couters the weight of the hose and fan on the other side, and makes the discharge chute center itself up perfectly without directing the debri on one side of the boot. Best part is its not necessary to disconnect it to tilt trailer, as the trailer is tilted it relaxes the spring, and on it way up to full tilt it again puts a slight bit of tenison back on the spring, so tilting the trailer is the same proceedure as before, nothing extra to hook up or unhook.
Another cnage I made (don;t know what factory original setup was as I bought this unit used) was the hose support bracket. MIne had a rubber bungie cord to hold it. I also have a home made vac cart and there was no sense n making another support bracket. So I made a sl;ing from an old serpentine belt and riveted a link of chin on one end, and a 10" length of chain on the other. Its welded link chain and perhaps 3/32" thick material in an oval shape link. One end of the serpentine belt is bolted to the existing bracket on ther support arm, and I installed a eyebolt that was opened slightly in the other. I can not adjuist the support sling for either trailer, and raise it sufficiently so it does not drag on my right rear fender in tight turns. Before you had only what the bungee cord allowed you to have, now its adjustable. May help on some installations as all tractors are diffferent, may not mean anaything to other installatios, but it works great for mine especially with using two carts. I ran a test today, and my home brew has a lot more suction than the Agri Fab, and I can pickup stuff without the aide of the mower deck running if it is set close to the ground (leaves are not a problem) but the deck needs to be running for pinestraw pickup. My home brew as I said has a lot more vac, but does not shred like the agri fab unit. The home brew also holds almost twice as much as the agri fab does. So what I do is use the home brew around in the rough areas and in the fields were its mainly leaves etc, as I want the leaves up but not cut the grass as I still have goats that need to eat, and use the agri fab around the house area. I also use the homebrew as a central vac unit when it comes to cleaning out my chicken coops and barn, and can keep the manure etc out of the steel agri fab. The home brew is constructed of 1/4" diameter wire grid type panels with a heavy poly type plastic lining inside so its impervious to moisture or corrosion from manure etc, which would probably eat up the agri fab in short order. Just park it outside and attach the 20+ foot 4" hose to it and have at it. The home brew is a 7" intake and the agri fab is a 6"
In the process of making a 50" 3 blade deck for pushing in front of an ATV, for my friend, powered by a 14 hp B & S elect start engine. Using mower spindles from an old gravely finish type mower that used to be on his old walk behind Gravely Super Convertible tractor which became a basket case and in need of burying.
One thing I did do is added bumpers so it does not actually touch the bottom edges of the deck, as this could wear after time. Now its cushioned against a rubber bumper, installed in existing holes.
The weight of the hose itself is what holds the adapter in the down positon, and if you do hit osmething it can float up over it instead of digging in.
I made a few changes on my Agri Fab vac shredder chipper cart again. It seems the boot that seals the oulet of the discharge duct into the hopper top was prone to wear as the weight of the engine and hose on the one side sort of lays it over and the collected debri hit against this boot while being diverted into the trailer. I added a pretty stiff but manageable spring on the oposit side and have it connected to the trailer box to the steel support for the chipper hopper. The spring is a pull type with rounded eyes in the end, and I utilized the highest and closest bolt to the cart on the chhippers support to mount the opne end of the spring to. I made a L shaped bracket that is attached to the side of the bed at the corner, and have approximately 2" of stretch on the spring when its installed between the chipper hopper support and this L shaped bracket. The tenison of this spring couters the weight of the hose and fan on the other side, and makes the discharge chute center itself up perfectly without directing the debri on one side of the boot. Best part is its not necessary to disconnect it to tilt trailer, as the trailer is tilted it relaxes the spring, and on it way up to full tilt it again puts a slight bit of tenison back on the spring, so tilting the trailer is the same proceedure as before, nothing extra to hook up or unhook.
Another cnage I made (don;t know what factory original setup was as I bought this unit used) was the hose support bracket. MIne had a rubber bungie cord to hold it. I also have a home made vac cart and there was no sense n making another support bracket. So I made a sl;ing from an old serpentine belt and riveted a link of chin on one end, and a 10" length of chain on the other. Its welded link chain and perhaps 3/32" thick material in an oval shape link. One end of the serpentine belt is bolted to the existing bracket on ther support arm, and I installed a eyebolt that was opened slightly in the other. I can not adjuist the support sling for either trailer, and raise it sufficiently so it does not drag on my right rear fender in tight turns. Before you had only what the bungee cord allowed you to have, now its adjustable. May help on some installations as all tractors are diffferent, may not mean anaything to other installatios, but it works great for mine especially with using two carts. I ran a test today, and my home brew has a lot more suction than the Agri Fab, and I can pickup stuff without the aide of the mower deck running if it is set close to the ground (leaves are not a problem) but the deck needs to be running for pinestraw pickup. My home brew as I said has a lot more vac, but does not shred like the agri fab unit. The home brew also holds almost twice as much as the agri fab does. So what I do is use the home brew around in the rough areas and in the fields were its mainly leaves etc, as I want the leaves up but not cut the grass as I still have goats that need to eat, and use the agri fab around the house area. I also use the homebrew as a central vac unit when it comes to cleaning out my chicken coops and barn, and can keep the manure etc out of the steel agri fab. The home brew is constructed of 1/4" diameter wire grid type panels with a heavy poly type plastic lining inside so its impervious to moisture or corrosion from manure etc, which would probably eat up the agri fab in short order. Just park it outside and attach the 20+ foot 4" hose to it and have at it. The home brew is a 7" intake and the agri fab is a 6"
In the process of making a 50" 3 blade deck for pushing in front of an ATV, for my friend, powered by a 14 hp B & S elect start engine. Using mower spindles from an old gravely finish type mower that used to be on his old walk behind Gravely Super Convertible tractor which became a basket case and in need of burying.
