Leaf Bagger Bin
Author: Dave
Date: 10.11.23 - 10:50am
I usually use a leaf sweeper, love them they do great, now I have a bagger mower which also does great. Maybe even better with the suction, however the bags fill up SO FAST with leaves its super annoying. Worse you never know when they are full and the chute clogs like everytime.
Whats a guy to do?
So I decided to buy a hand pull lawn cart and modify it into a tow behind leaf bin to catch all the leaves. I have only started using it but so far its a success. There were a lot of things I wasnt sure of when starting, but best to just go with your spidey senses and adapt on the fly.
- welded up a short 11" tow hitch from scrap to replace the handle.
- lowered one side gate on trailer to make wider on chute side
- codgered together a basic wood frame and zip tied it to the frame
- lined the frame with old junk tarp using staples
- extended the mower chute about 14" with a hand bent piece of aluminum
- two 8" hose clamps to secure extension
- two more to attach a metal bar over extension for support
- bent up a piece of rebar to act as a hanging arm support for chute
- rebar welded to angle iron mount and self tapping screws to back frame
- rope hangs chute from arm and also stabilizes arm to frame with diagonal tension member
- gate "latch" is a piece of wood with point, seated in hole, paracord on top to hold tight.
- will probably put a bit of a roof catch on it
The dimensions are all about right on the first try phew. The mower chute has to be supported by the mower body since the trailer will sway about with turns. The chute end has to have enough clearance to swing in and out of the bin as you turn. The extension is showing no sign of clogging and leaf debris is still ejecting with surplus power.
Still need a zipper or some snaps to secure unloading flap on bin (I just stapled it in place for first pass). I could probably get some more capacity but I wont get greedy. Dont want to extend the chute much more and had all of these materials (except the cart) in my scrap bin already.
This holds 5x what the bags do and 2.5x the capacity of the lawn sweeper. (I measured)
pretty cheesy but its a prototype and only has to last 2 weeks a year so. In my world prototyping is fast, dirty and cheap. This is a win!
So far I had the chute blow off the extension twice, so duct taped it. Will rivet rolled aluminum tube section now. Also had the chute clog once which can happen even without the extension so..is what it is..I need a chute unclog device tool though now that I cant take it apart.
Comments: (1)On 10.22.23 - 10:41am Dave wrote:
So on dry leaves this works pretty well. Although there is lots of flying shit in the air and can get in your eyes. Its easy to unload. Clogs once in a while.
On wet leaves though, cant use it. Even the normal length discharge chute clogs once in a while on dry leaves. Clogs way to much on wet leaves and is a pain in the ass to unclog since its one joined piece now.
End of the day, a leaf sweeper with the deck set to mulch is the best combo. Oghh well it was worth a try. Leaf sweepers are hard to beat. |
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