Leaf blower / shredder recommendation.

For 7 years I have used my Exmark Metro 21 with Kawasaki motor to mulch the leaves in my yard. Sadly, the motor is very prone to breakdowns and is expensive to repair, few if any small engine mechanics want to work on it. Last year I spent nearly 400 dollars on a basic tune-up and repair. I just tried starting the mower and she refuses to start and I am disappointed that I didn't buy the Honda mower instead, this Exmark cost me $ 1,100.00 hundred when I bought it.

I'm thinking about buying either a hand-held leaf blower that also shreds, or an electric leaf shredder that sits on a barrel and you dump the leaves into it. Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions?

Have you considered just a tow behind sweaper?

Stihl has a nice hand held blower/vac combo

One thought would be to rent a larger one and do it quickly if your property allows for that.....Carbs on the Kawa the issue? I also have the Kawa...22hp, and fuel problems occasionally. Tough products, but not cheap to keep running.

I have a stihl 400 blower, and a vac. But the quickest way i found is to attach the tow behind 42" lawn sweaper and im done in a couple passes for the lawn area. For tight areas around house and pool i use the others.

Something like this, you can get a good one between 3-4 hundred $.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ol1tmOK ... ata_player

How big is your yard?



Eric

2 acre

The yard is about a 1/2 acre but I'm up against a hill and the neighbor above me blows his leaves down into my yard when I'm not at home.

I just came back from Lowes and looked at the hand-held blower/shredders but they look weak and have just 12 amps of power. Maybe some old-fashioned raking and bagging today and then I'll do some research on the stuff you guys recommended over the weekend. Thanks!

Plant some tall grasses along the edge with neighboor, or let the grass grow longer along the edge, fescue does well at 5".

ValterBorges wrote:2 acre

That question was for EWF, but thanks for letting me know how big your yard is, sounds like a nice size


The hand held vacs in my opinion are more of a pain than they are worth. Do you have street side pick up or do the leaves need to be bagged. A good powerful blower or a little wonder might be your best choice and just blow them to the curb or on a pile and burn them


Eric

I use something like this:




Nice thing is I have a long hose (insert comments here ) so I can disconnect from the mower when I get to the pile that forms at the chain link fence and just rake them towards the hose. There is a chipper shredder blade that creates the vacuum and then blows it into the trailer.



Rick

I have to bag them, just did 20 bags, but I'm a little nervous that the town has leaf collection at the bottom of its priority list after this storm. They might be too busy with the storm clean-up to drive around picking up leaves? Maybe this year I'll drive them to the dump myself, better to be safe than sorry.

The gas-powered leaf shredder mounted on a trailer looks like the best option. But it better not come with a Kawasaki motor!!

I have a DR lawn and leaf vac. I've been using it for the past 4 years now, and love it. The DR can be set up for bagging leaves for collection as well.

I used to do some yard work about 5 years ago and bought a Ryobi gas blower/shredder.

Back when I got it, it was a pita when vacuuming and shredding, but since we have tons of tree in our new house,
I decided to break it out this year...well lets just say the thing is awesome.
I am amazed that it works so well.

As long as it is dry leaves, you can shred down about 20% of original.

We have mostly maple leaves, about 10 super large ones.
It takes a good couple/few times to get it all done.

I then dump them in the garden, so by next spring they can be tilled and make the soil loamy and add air/nutrients.

I believe the thing was in the $100-150 range about 5 years ago.

i just drive the riding mower over them chop them all up and let GOD blow them away all winter....couple mowings in spring and all is well...