Leaf bagger idea.. any insight?

[Stepney 2,325]

Afternoon all. Needed a slow project today, and had an old Ariens 8-24 I have been meaning to cut up. 

Got it pushed down into the garage and the wheels started turning as usual.

Have this old WH tow along leaf vac I have been using for a while. The thing was originally PTO driven, but adapted to an engine later on. That went to pot, and now I have this old 5hp Kawasaki driving a Deere power unit.

It really works quite well, but the occasional branch will stop it up in short order. Lots of oak here. 

So I was pondering adding a power-flow unit to the end of the deck, where the boot currently is. 
But i feel that a power flow would explode in short order on account of the plastic.. I have one but it's pretty rough. 

So.. perhaps I would modify the Ariens impeller blade and housing to fit in place of the Toro power flow unit, hooked to the side of the deck, feeding the rear unit.

 

I don't see how it could cause an issue, or am I missing something? Would the two units fight each other perhaps??

 

I suppose the real way to do things would be a larger power unit and hoses that would just pull up the debris.. but can't really fit a larger engine onto the rear frame, and I'd rather not have a massive Trac Vac to store all year. So this thing is pretty convenient. 

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Stepney

[Handy Don 12,452]

Switch to mulching blades? 

[BeninCT 451]

I run a similar setup and with the mower blades running it leaves a clean path behind me.  No power flow unit at all. 

 

The hose that runs from the intake to the deck is a 6” though which may make a little more velocity than that big hose of yours?

[c-series don 8,813]

I have this Peco vac set up with an 8hp Briggs, works like a champ. The back door opens automatically when it’s dumped. The only thing is that it takes up more room in storage than a tractor does. I only use it in the fall for the leaf harvest. The rest of the time it sits in the corner of the shed.