Leaf vacuum questions

[Stepney 2,325]

Hello, all. Have a question for you about mower decks. I'm working on either building my own, or if all else fails, buying a rear mounted leaf vac system. A tow behind type, not the one powered by the tractor. All the decks I have are RD, and I've never had an SD. I was looking into the 42 and 48" SD's, and would be running them on a tach-a-matic converted Charger 12, and later an Electro. I usually mow all year with a 42"rd. My question was, would there be a better deck for using with the vacuum? I've never seen either up close, didn't know if maybe the baffling on one or the other might be better. It would likely never mow much, just be used to suck up leaves and twigs. 

[953 nut 55,083]

Little late in the season to collect leaves in Maine, gotta plow the snow off them first.           

I have been using a 42" RD deck to chew the leaves up and a 42" pull behind lawn sweeper to collect them for years. I know the Charger and Electro both came with 48"SD decks so there shouldn't be a problem.

Let us know what you cone up with.

[Sarge 3,463]

I bought a used/abused Agri-Fab mow-n-vac a while back and have been using it with the C-160 and the common 48" side discharge deck. Works fairly well, but the design of the discharge on the deck can cause it to plug up the vacuum adapter fairly easily when mowing heavy grass or leaves unless they are bone dry. I'll have to fix the issue this next spring since none of the leaves got picked up this last fall - was working too many hours and the weather took a turn for the worst too fast this last year. With a little over an acre, it is going to be a pretty big job come spring - hopefully, we'll get enough of a dry period I can get it done all at once.

 

Sarge

[Lee1977 6,643]

I built mine thirty so years ago  and have been improving it every since.  Got the blower housing design of a neighbors vacuum. I also used a larger vane in the blower. The main thing with the deck adapter is most of the manufactured one are too small. Bigger is better I've built 3 or 4 over the years I have used the vacuum. The last one was 16 gage galvanize metal and wood. I raise it up off the deck with three 3/4" boards shaped to match the deck. It is 8" high and then tappers down to a 6" pipe. I picked up wet and dry leaves yesterday that I raked out of a ditch. 

[clueless 2,976]

23 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

I built mine thirty so years ago  and have been improving it every since.  Got the blower housing design of a neighbors vacuum. I also used a larger vane in the blower. The main thing with the deck adapter is most of the manufactured one are too small. Bigger is better I've built 3 or 4 over the years I have used the vacuum. The last one was 16 gage galvanize metal and wood. I raise it up off the deck with three 3/4" boards shaped to match the deck. It is 8" high and then tappers down to a 6" pipe. I picked up wet and dry leaves yesterday that I raked out of a ditch. 

The WH side discharge decks discharge chute size and angle makes it very difficult to make an adapter to attach the hose to. But it is doable.

  

[c-series don 8,666]

Here’s mine with the factory Peco adaptor on a 60” deck. Works like a champ, back door opens automatically when it dumps!