Anybody ever use a Mow-N-Vac?

[uncledj]

Been thinking about picking one of these up for a while now, but didn't want to spend the $$$. I found a pretty fair deal on one, but before I pull the trigger, I wanted to see if any of my Venturerider friends have had any experience with them.

I live on 15 wooded acres with only about an acre around the house cleared, and with 700' of driveway, leaves are a real problem every Fall. I've been kinda handling it with a Stihl backpack blower, but it's an all out effort for a month or so every Fall. Usually, when the leaves get piled too high to blow anymore, I plow them into the woods with the 4 wheeler. It gets that bad...

Anyhoo, any input from anyone who's used one of these would be appreciated.

[Sylvester]

I would think that you will spend more time just emptying that thing than blowing the leaves. Just my thoughts and "yes" they sometimes wonder.

 

[Freebird]

I have one. Actually had one almost just like that at one time but it finally fell apart and I bought one made by DR Power. They work well. The one I have now is easier to dump though. The one you are looking at doesn't dump well but I just built a big box for it and didn't try to dump it, just slid the box out and dumped it that way. I don't use it every time I mow because I have a zero turn and that defeats the purpose of a zero turn. I use it 3 or 4 times a year though, especially if the grass gets too high. Mostly use it for leaves as you intend to. The leaves have to be really dry. If they are damp at all, it will stop. up the hose and you will constantly be unplugging it. The DR Power has a larger hose and doesn't stop up as easily.

[Bubber]

My brother has a similar vac.

His blower housing on the vac was made of plastic and things punched holes in it. He lined the inside with sheet metal to get mode use out of it.

I would make sure the blower is metal and not plastic that is my 2 cents worth of wisdom.

[uncledj]

Contacted the seller this morning and told him I'd stop by this afternoon. He lives a little over an hour away.

He texted me a couple of hours later that it'd been sold for $550. Dunno if I'm happy or sad. Could have been nice, but one more thing to store and maintain.

I guess I'll just stick to the leaf blowers...at least for now.

[Karaboo]

Have you ever tried a mulching setup? It might not work if the leaves get too deep, though.

 

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[cowpuc]

Unc,, I have used a beat up, underpowered (6hp) old pieced together Craftsman tin boxed leaf vac for decades to do my leaf picking uppin - I payed a 50 bucks for it in beat up and unrunning (needed a diaphram in the carb and the valves lapped) condition and it is still doing a great job and has actually been used on 3 garden tractors so far.. Since purchasing it, I actually landed a similar, really nice unit similar to the one you are showing for 200 bucks and instead of keeping it and using it to replace my beat up old Craftsman,, I resold it for 700 bucks - pretty could profit margin IMHO..

Yes,, they can be a pain if your not patient in use and set things up properly.. What I do first thing is sharpen the mower blades so the leaves get chopped up real well going in.. I also use low winged/mulching type blades so the blades are not ramming the leafs into the suction line leading to the vac. Next thing I do is always do first pass across the leaves with the deck up so only the dry leaves on top are chewed up and sucked in.. Once I get 1st pass done, I find that the wetter leaves under the dry ones are dried out enough that I can go back over them with deck down and not have jams..

Doing it this way, the leaves in the vac are mulched very fine.. Enough so that when removed (I have used the dumper on my Craftsman very little,, normal MO for me, Johnny (my tractor) and the vac are that I shovel the mulch out and toss it across the floor of the woods out back and by spring its all turned to dirt = works awesome!! I also have salvaged some eroded hill sides in the backyard with this mulch!!) it only takes one season to turn back to dirt saving me any need to transport or burn leafs!!

I agree 100% with the comment on the steel vs plastic vac turbine housing.. DO NOT GO PLASTIC IMHO.. Also,, I have found it best to walk the area I am going to pick up leaves and remove branches, rocks and any hidden pieces of steel pipe.. All can cause issues..

way it happens with me

Puc

 

P.S. - I have a leaf blower too that works great but I only use it in tight areas around the edge of the house where Tippy grows flowers.. I like to take really good care of Tippy cause she is my best friend,,,, plus,, she cooks wayyy better than I!! LOL

[uncledj]

Have you ever tried a mulching setup? It might not work if the leaves get too deep, though.

 

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Yup...I've tried mulching, but you gotta understand that I'm talking a LOT of leaves here. I can run the mower over them and bag if I do it daily, but miss a day, or if it rains, I'm done. The mower can't handle it.

The blower works pretty well, and I can miss a day, but if there's a few days of rain in a row, it gets tough. Last Fall was probably the easiest I've had as it was a dry Fall.

I'll blow them until the pile's 2 + ft high, then I have to either drag them off with a tarp or plow them into the woods with my 4 wheeler with a snowplow on it.

Like I said, I'm only dealing with an acre or so, plus 700' of driveway that I have to clear daily before the leaves get smashed into the gravel.

My yard and drive are COMPLETELY surrounded by woods. 15 wooded acres and the house is just about in the middle of it.