Leaf Raking Stories

[Greg]

This seems like an appropriate place for this question.

Does anybody have any experience with a tow-behind lawn sweeper? After spending the last few weekends blowing and raking my lawn, with more to do (still some more leaves to fall), a sweeper is starting to look real enticing.

thats what i use to do my 1 acre with 30ish oak/maple/long needle pines. works pretty well as long as your yard is realtively smooth and level, picks up pine needles and acorns and can be lowered to do the driveway. i also have a black locust with the tiny little leaves and it gets those too, just make sure you pick up all the twigs/stick as it will get jammed up.

They work a lot better than you would think. Our lawn is pretty pitched in spots so you just have to plan accordingly and go down the steepest areas if possible. They also work better if the lawn and leaves are totally dry. We did ours yesterday (~ 3/4 acre lawn, several oaks) took about 3 hours. We had to raise the brushes a bit since everything was still wet though so it didn't get all the acorns and whatnot.

 

[hammer]

Fortunately, my neighborhood's pretty open so I don't get a bunch of leaves, but the pine needles are a pain in the a$$.

Picked up what I had with the tractor this weekend...between the leaves, the pine needles, and cutting the grass down to 3" for the season, I had so many bags to empty and times where the chute was clogged I lost count. Still, it was only about 3 hours work so I can't complain.

I'll go over with the tractor again in a few weeks if I have to...but that should be about it.

 

[o3jeff]

Takes me about 15 minutes with a handheld blower to do .25 acre with two good sized trees in the front/side and mostly pines in the rear. For the front and side I just blow them out into the street and let the cars passing by drag them to the neighbors. The pine needles in the back yard I just bag with the lawnmower.

 

[ERJ-145CA]

The maintenance fee from living in a townhouse is well worth it, I don't have to rake leaves and I don't miss it at all.

 

[Mildcat]

I just mow my lawn every day with the mulch kit on. 15 mins a day and I am good. We have lots of trees too. The patio and drive way get vacuumed with the gas vacuum and bagged.

I just mulch it too. Raking is for suckers or people with pine needles. :idea:

 

[Glenn]

2 hour marathon yesterday after work. I brought a bigger tarp from VT...made a huge difference. I hate how it gets dark out so early.

 

[billski]

I think there are more leaves this year. I'm about 1/3 through my task and I've already used 1/2 the bags I usually do.

 

[billski]

I just mulch it too. Raking is for suckers or people with pine needles. :idea:

You're lucky not to have many leaves. I tried doing that one year and ended up with 3" deep yard of mulch that choked the mower.

 

[Glenn]

I mulched for a few seasons...I didn't like the results. I thought it was too much of a good thing. After the winter, I still had a lot of leaf bits deep in the grass.

 

[o3jeff]

The leaves are starting to come down in my yard, think I am going to try the mulch them and leave them method this year. I don't have a ton of leaves so I figured it's worth trying.

 

[gorgonzola]

i'm gearing up for battle this weekend. my 12 yo son got himself in a boatload of trouble yesterday so i think i'll have him hand rake every day for his sentence...heh heh

 

[2knees]

i just gave 2 smaller rakes to my kids, grabbed mine and put all the leaves into a pile in the front yard and back. little lighter fluid, two matches and poof. no more leaves.

neighbors were a little pissed but F&*k them.

 

[tjf67]

i just gave 2 smaller rakes to my kids, grabbed mine and put all the leaves into a pile in the front yard and back. little lighter fluid, two matches and poof. no more leaves.

neighbors were a little pissed but F&*k them.

You can rake leaves with those arms? Impressive method BTW. You must be a gem to live near.

 

[2knees]

You can rake leaves with those arms? Impressive method BTW. You must be a gem to live near.

barely, thats why i need my daughters to help me.

 

[hammer]

i just gave 2 smaller rakes to my kids, grabbed mine and put all the leaves into a pile in the front yard and back. little lighter fluid, two matches and poof. no more leaves.

neighbors were a little pissed but F&*k them.

Does your town require a burn permit? I'm guessing the lawn's a little questionable in those spots too...

Plan on doing battle this weekend as well...shredding and bagging with the tractor. Seems like all of the leaves fell in the last few days.

 

[2knees]

Does your town require a burn permit? I'm guessing the lawn's a little questionable in those spots too...

Plan on doing battle this weekend as well...shredding and bagging with the tractor. Seems like all of the leaves fell in the last few days.

i was kidding. we have a town pickup. actually this weekend i believe. which means i have some raking to do on saturday.

this space reserved for Tj and his infatuation with another man's body.