Just bought a leaf vac...

26cc Lyster, blower works absolutely fine although the extensions are awful - very hard to get anything on or off, cheap plastic moulds.

I have been trying to use the leaf vac for the last hour on mildly damp leaves and it conks out any time it has more than a couple going up the spout.

I'm used to 2 stroke engines, it just appears to me that it can't handle damp leaves which makes it **** all use to me if I have to wait till they're bone dry...

Is this the norm for a leaf vac? I'm inclined to bring it back, it cost me 250 blips

Pi**ed me off tbh

magicbastarder

i was given an electric one by my neighbour, which was bought in lidl or aldi. it gets great use, i'm always moving it from one side of the garage to the other, and back again, when it's in the way.

legend99

Deleted User wrote: »

26cc Lyster, blower works absolutely fine although the extensions are awful - very hard to get anything on or off, cheap plastic moulds.

I have been trying to use the leaf vac for the last hour on mildly damp leaves and it conks out any time it has more than a couple going up the spout.

I'm used to 2 stroke engines, it just appears to me that it can't handle damp leaves which makes it **** all use to me if I have to wait till they're bone dry...

Is this the norm for a leaf vac? I'm inclined to bring it back, it cost me 250 blips

If leaves were worth money I'd be a millionaire thanks to the line of trees in the ditch overhanging my garden. And ruining the grass seed I put down 4 weeks ago.....grrrr

Anyway. The vacuum is probably a gimmick to be honest. You're as well off to use the blower and either blow them together into a pile and then pick them up manually. Or blow them towards a neighbour you don't like.

Igotadose

Not familiar with that model, but experiences with a huge one back in the day (Toro made it, USA), in an area overgrown with trees, taught me it was a waste. Wet leaves (common) horked it. When it worked, it ended up being huge heavy bags of leaves to haul around.

Just in time for the next wave, too, Instead, a blower and a rake, and I was sorted. Then, when I got a better job, hired a lawn service

johnb25

legend99 wrote: »

Anyway. The vacuum is probably a gimmick to be honest. You're as well off to use the blower and either blow them together into a pile and then pick them up manually. Or blow them towards a neighbour you don't like.

Agree. I have a Husqvarna blower vac for a few years, great blower, but the vac more trouble than its worth. Not used that function after a few weeks.

ednwireland

I have a Husqvarna blower vac use the vac occasionally butonly when i have a decent pile of leaves and yes its much better when they are dry.

Yeah the blower is sound and I since figured out that to use the vac you need to go to the edge of the pile and suck up three leaves at a time.

Would be quicker to pick them up with the rake and into the wheel barrow. I'll probably do both, just to mix things up. At least the blower is good craic!!

NIMAN

I have never tried to pick up leaves with my blower, I tend to just blow them into a pile then rake them into the ditch.

elperello

legend99 wrote: »

If leaves were worth money I'd be a millionaire thanks to the line of trees in the ditch overhanging my garden. And ruining the grass seed I put down 4 weeks ago.....grrrr

Anyway. The vacuum is probably a gimmick to be honest. You're as well off to use the blower and either blow them together into a pile and then pick them up manually. Or blow them towards a neighbour you don't like.

In a way leaves are worth money.

If you collect them up in a heap and come back in two years time you will have stuff better than anything you could buy.

I find the vacuum handy for lifting leaves from hard surfaces elsewhere use a fan rake.

Thoie

I borrowed a cheapo blower/vac, and it's great on dry leaves, but I wouldn't bother when they're wet/damp. I got a lot up a few weeks ago, and waiting for a few dry days to get the latest batch. That might possibly be next May.

legend99

elperello wrote: »

In a way leaves are worth money.

If you collect them up in a heap and come back in two years time you will have stuff better than anything you could buy.

I find the vacuum handy for lifting leaves from hard surfaces elsewhere use a fan rake.

I'm being flippant really. I'm going to pile them up in the corner of the ditch and see how that turns out. They are a killer with the grass seed though I have to admit. With the reality that I'll face the same every year. I might look into building myself a small netting frame

My old house was a diaster for leaves.
Every leaf from the whole road would end up in front garden . Some days they'd be half way up the front door.
I used to have to go out under the cover of darkness and push them out onto the road so they'd be blown further away.
Bought a vac like yourself and it was dirt so returned it.
Mowing over them makes them rot faster but they turn to slop.

Kaybaykwah

I bought a corded Craftsman model blower/vac way back, and found that the vac function was dubious at best.

I bought a Dewalt cordless blower this year and have used it throughout the summer and now for the final bunch of fallen leaves today. I find it pretty good for dislodging leaves from plantings where decorative mulch would be lost when raking.

It is good in the summer/spring for blowing samaras (maple seeds) and gingko seeds from my balconies and grounds. It helps from moving furniture around when brooming.

legend99

Kaybaykwah wrote: »

I bought a corded Craftsman model blower/vac way back, and found that the vac function was dubious at best.

I bought a Dewalt cordless blower this year and have used it throughout the summer and now for the final bunch of fallen leaves today. I find it pretty good for dislodging leaves from plantings where decorative mulch would be lost when raking.

It is good in the summer/spring for blowing samaras (maple seeds) and gingko seeds from my balconies and grounds. It helps from moving furniture around when brooming.

Final leaves? Despite taking out bags and bags of leaves here, the trees have loads left to give me. Would actually be easier if they just all came down in one mass rather than it taking weeks and weeks of clearing almost every bloody day.

And agree with other poster. If they start breaking down at all, and get wet, they turn to a sticky mush. Hence I now have far more sympathy for "Leaves on the track" delays to train whereas I used be like typical bloody Irish Rail...but I understand it now! I've even skidded coming off the driveway onto the road.

NIMAN

My Stihl blower handles wet leaves perfectly well, both off the grass and tarmac.

Irish Gunner

Ok the wind is blowing and the answer is not blowing in the wind its maybe here:D

House garden collecting leaves blowing from trees on the street and was wondering if better to get just a regular leaf blower or one that collects it

Something like the below that I can collect within 5 k radius

https://www.woodies.ie/flymo-gardenvac-2700-electric-blower-vacuum-1186206

Or anything similar that order online or that can blow them into pile and take less lazy option and put them into decomposing bag?

Suggestions on a postcard please

CJhaughey

A tarpaulin and a blower work well to remove leaves from an area.
I have a Tanaka Backpack blower and it works well to blow leaves wet or dry off tarmac and hard surfaces, on grass it works but takes longer especially if the grass is long.
Vacuums don't really work for leaves in Ireland and its generally wet conditions, they block far too easily.
Most commercial operators will blow them into piles and rake them into bags that are able to be handled.
If you have a corner of the garden that you can utilise to let them break down into leaf compost its by far the easiest way to get rid of them, mix them with green compost and they will rot even quicker.

Course I could just blow them in a pile and burn them, but this is Ireland and they wouldn't burn too well. Would smell lovely though

johnb25

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Course I could just blow them in a pile and burn them, but this is Ireland and they wouldn't burn too well. Would smell lovely though

Would just prove the "no smoke without fire" saying wrong 😀

Kaybaykwah

legend99 wrote: »

Final leaves? Despite taking out bags and bags of leaves here, the trees have loads left to give me. Would actually be easier if they just all came down in one mass rather than it taking weeks and weeks of clearing almost every bloody day.

And agree with other poster. If they start breaking down at all, and get wet, they turn to a sticky mush. Hence I now have far more sympathy for "Leaves on the track" delays to train whereas I used be like typical bloody Irish Rail...but I understand it now! I've even skidded coming off the driveway onto the road.

Yes, well in my case, a gingko and a lot of maples have shed all their leaves. In Canada, deciduous trees pretty much lose all their leaves by mid november. Oak trees lose them in the spring, tough little vuggers considering the extreme cold here. I have two magnificent Catalpas that shed long stringbeans in the springtime too. Those are hard to pick even with a rake, they spike in the ground when falling and want to stay there.