So after blowing and trying to mulch a metric shit ton of leaves from huge old hickory and magnolia trees( and finding that it's just too much for a lot of parts of the grass) I think I need a walk behind/push leaf vacuum for next year.

Can any SF members recommend one? Any brands to avoid?

It seems like the Cub Cadet and Billy Goat have good ratings?

I'd also like to try and use it to suck up hickory nut litter in September-October; the husks and nuts that fall en-mass during that time, not sure if that changes what I'm looking for?

I'm not looking for anything that goes on a tractor, I just need something like this:

I once owned a leaf vac similar to the one you show (Garden Way, I believe, sold by Troy-Bilt). I never did use the hose. The one I owned had a metal screen inside that was supposed to shred the leaves as they got sucked through. It worked fairly well if the leaves were very dry, however, I found it clogged easily with leaves that were not completely dry or had strong stems. The front suction chute also clogged if you sucked up too big a bite of leaves. It turned out to be a pain in the ass, so I got rid of it. Good in theory, but not so good in actual use.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GaryBF,

I an currently on my second Craftsman. I'll probably never buy another. My first one, made by Sears, died and I had to buy a new one, now made by Lowe's.

Lowe's did away with the self-propelled feature when they took over production. The new model picks up and mulches leaves very well, but will not pick up acorns. It will mulch small sticks through the side chute. The hoses on them have never worked well, IMO. I generally blow all the leaves out onto the street and then vacuum/clean it all up in several passes on the pavement. Easier than pushing the beast through the grass.

Looked at the Cub Cadet and DR (?), but couldn't justify the higher price, based on the small size of our yard and infrequent use.

I am working on the same problem - I have about 2 acres that I need to clean up at least 3 times a year

lots of mesquite and palo verde, a bit of pine that blows in from a neighbor

imho...after having a billy goat and having been around others. it’s the only one i would invest in.

quote:

Originally posted by VonFatman:
imho...after having a billy goat and having been around others. it’s the only one i would invest in.

I hear only good things about them. What model do you have?

I dont have a push vacuum but do have 2 sthil 800 back packs, we have 38 oak trees and the wife and I can move the leaves to the street in about 1 hour. these things are light weight, get great gas mileage, and really get it done.