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Leaf collection-- Impeller Styles...............


LesH

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I notice that there are 3 different styles of impellers for collecting leaves-- 1) Impeller driven off of a seperate engine. 2) Impeller driven off of tractor PTO behind the operator. 3) Impeller on the side of the deck and driven off of one of the deck spindles. Which one works the best/ advantageds from one to the other??
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The one with the separate engine likely provides the best vacuum, because it doesn't share the same engine with the mowing deck -- at the time when you need the most vacuum in deep leaves or tall grass, the mowing deck is demanding the most power... From my personal experience, I think the PTO driven vac does not clog as easily as the deck-driven one.... So, I'd rank them: 1. Separate engine 2. PTO 3. Deck-driven However, if maneuverability is important around trees, shrubs, etc., then that list should be turned upside down. The deck-driven vac allows you to use bags right behind the seat pan, giving you the most maneauverability. The engine-driven one has a LONG trailer tongue, giving you the least maneuverability. My 2 cents...
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I can't say much about any advantage one style may have over the other, but I can add some thoughts regarding spindle driven blowers. They are hard on deck bearings,idlers,belts and such more so then a machine without a blower. How careful the operator is most likely defines the service life considerably. Also it takes considerable power to drive a blower. My main mowing machine (Exmark Front Runner)has a 30 hp twin on it that really works hard when using the blower to grind up oak leaves as an example. Keep in mind Exmark uses a huge blower, I have no idea the cfm of this thing but if you drive over a pile of oak leaves 2' tall it grinds them up into dirt size pieces and leaves a perfectly clean lawn behind at 5 mph. To me the one disadvantage to this style is lack of a roving suction hose. My wife has multiple landscaped type flower gardens and getting leaves out of this requires using the back pack blower. A suction hose would make this sort of clean up so much easier. Some winter when I have nothing else to do, I might build a pto driven trac vac system for my 720 Allis, then I'd have the best of both. NoRM
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I recently started using the nseperate eng type. Works very well. At present I ndo not have the deck attachment for it. I have the front snout from a Troybilt chipper vac with the long hose. It has a plastic angled tube at the end with a long handle. I have some hard to reach locations in gardens so this is very helpful. Minimal bending. By next year I will get the adapter. My other tractor has the PTO driven blower. Cant comment on that as of yet. Eng change in progress. I plan to make a dual connection to use both. One for lawn application and the other for gardens
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Kent, My PECO vacuum is driven off the cone clutch, but it has a large bag that mounts on the rear of the tractor. It can also be used with a trailer if desired.
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quote:
Originally posted by HubbardRA
Kent, My PECO vacuum is driven off the cone clutch, but it has a large bag that mounts on the rear of the tractor. It can also be used with a trailer if desired.
Yes, and there may be one Simplicity vac configuration that does that, but the PTO-driven ones into a cart seem to be the most common.
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I think the separate engine unit is best: dOd = Adaptable to almost any bagger/cart set up and tractor/atv/truck/motorcycleOO dOd = Nicely compliments tractors with weak or lower HP main engine dOd = Two engines are better than one (cool factor & neighbors are jealous) dOd = No belt or additional pulleys etc XX( = Another engine to fuel & maintain XX( = Adds to overall length making it harder to maneuver in tight areas XX( = Heavier / bulkier than other choices
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I can only speak to my own experience, and this is the only tractor based system I have used. But here is my


I have the deck driven turbo on my Ultima 1920 with a 60" deck. I just completed the 17th leaf season with it. My CH20S has no trouble running it. On average I get between 12 and 15 loads of leaves a season from my yard. This year it was 16 very full loads. I tow one of the 55 bushel trailers to put the leaves in. This unit packs the trailer so full and tight that when you remove the back door, and tilt the trailer, the leaves do not come pouring out. You have to start them with a rake. The only time the tube has ever clogged is when I get careless and don't notice when the trailer is full. Then it packs the full length of the tube so tight you can't shake the leaves out. Again, they have to be forced out. As far as deck and turbo maintenance goes, I have replaced the pulley on the deck that drives the turbo twice. It has had no effect at all on the deck spindles. I did just repair the turbo, but that was because my son got something inside it, (a rock maybe) that nearly destroyed it. Actually broke one of the fan blades (3/16 steel) off the hub. For my money, this is the only way to go. It is absolutely the best equipment purchase I have ever made!


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