Fall is coming

[GrayFlattop]

Another vote here for finding a lawn service. Even with my smaller lot, It would take me an hour plus to do a A+ job of mowing & edging every week - then dealing with the clippings... Come the fall (my favorite season), dealing with the leaves adds another hour every week. That is time I will never get back. About 28 years ago my crappy old mower seized a bearing (while I was in the middle of building the garage / workshop, so even less time was available then). I hired a lawn service and never looked back. Never bought another mower. Gave away my edger, string trimmer and fertilizer spreader and reclaimed all that room. I never have to worry about trying to get the grass cut before it rains, or before dark, of anything.

With ~1/4 acre it now costs $32/week for cut, edge and haul clippings. For an extra $200 a year they apply crabgrass treatment and organic fertilizer throughout the year. All I do is send them payment every month.

I still like to tend to the perennial beds and the veggie garden, but there is nothing there that has to be dealt with every week.

Knowing that you have been dealing with back issues, I would urge you to outsource this if you can find someone reasonable. Then you can spend more time at work (like me - I never said I was smart), or more time in the garage.

In essence, I'm buying my own time back for much less than I make. I can always make money somehow - I can't recapture time.

 

[reader2580]

^^^^^^^^
THIS

I bought a used Toro/Olathe unit at a state surplus auction a few years ago. It has two counter-rotating bars with rubber "fingers" on them. It does a great job on grass, leaves, pods, small twigs, pine needles, pine cones, etc.
Yes, they are stupid expensive new, like $10,000- 12,000. However, due to limited demand, they get pretty cheap on the resale market. I got mine for around $1,000 and it was in great condition.

Does yours only drive one rear wheel? I used one like that years ago for a job and it only drove one wheel so it was a pain to keep it going straight.

 

[rburke65]

Been cutting down trees over the years to lessen the Fall clean up. Cut em down!

 

[driftpin]

I didn't know that about the Ginkgo...

You must mow a LOT if you wore out a Hi-Vac... Mine's 25 years old...

Tommy

O.P.:
I have a Model 24 28" cut Snapper Hi-Vac I bought used, probably 10 years old. I don't have a lot of tree leaves, but I do have some palm fronds to clean up. I saw several palm trees do damage to neighbors' cars when the palms shed fronds, you know when one hits the ground because you can hear the 'crack' and then feel the ground shake inside the house, they're that-heavy. They fall from 30+ feet-up.

I've been looking for a used bagging system for the Snapper Hi-Vac I have but haven't found one yet. Sounds like you need to budget for the fall yard service to stop your physical pain.

 

[toolmiser]

Maybe someone mentioned it, but how about just mulching it? At worst case mulch, then come back with something and gather some up. It will condense what you need to haul.

Leaves are fine left on a lawn if ground up. I have probably 10 trees (including a genko) and I haven't raked or transported in 25 years.

 

[orangeblood]

i just wish i could say Fall is coming....it hit 98 today and the extended 5 day forecast is all the same: highs 97-99 and no rain

 

[spike99250]

I don't have a solution for you but I have two ginkos and feel your pain. The first night it drops below freezing both trees drop their entire load of leaves.
I use a snow shovel to get them in the truck. It gets the shovel warmed up for the snow.

 

[DGersic]

I don’t know how it’ll work yet, but I just got home from picking up a Ranger RT5 yard vac (Craigslist, $100). Needs a tune up, but it does start and run.



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[DGersic]

I don't have a solution for you but I have two ginkos and feel your pain. The first night it drops below freezing both trees drop their entire load of leaves.
I use a snow shovel to get them in the truck. It gets the shovel warmed up for the snow.

Two? You have my pity.

Try a grain shovel, works better than a snow shovel.



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