Gave my biggest vacuum a workout today

[broomvac]

Here’s one for those of you who might be into direct-air vacuums big enough to digest a whole soda can without batting an eye. Today I broke out my self-propelled Craftsman leaf vacuum and went after the debris courtesy of our most recent storm as well as some of the leaves left over from fall. It may not have HEPA filtration, but it has a bag the size of a hog and an appetite even more voracious.

Anyways, enjoy this “mother of all mess tests.”

 

[huskyvacs]

Nice! Sadly in my neighborhood between idiots and the power company, trees keep being chopped down and killed for no reason, so the amount of leaves in my yard has dropped off significantly in recent years.

When I went to get a new mower in 2009, I thought about getting one with the vac collection system on it, but they were still new at the time, so they cost so much more than a normal mower.

 

[tolivac]

Better stock up on spare parts for your machine while you can before Sears closes.Appears to be a nice lawn and garden vacuum.Besides picking up the stuff-its shredded as well so it can go into a compost heap.Do I see a hose connector of some sort on the front and a chipper flute on the back?The chipper would be nice for disposing small branches and sticks.

 

[broomvac]

@huskyvacs Thank you. In more ways than one, It’s a shame that you all are losing trees.

Just for fun, I would love a riding mower, but my yard does not quite justify the investment. Were you under the impression that my Craftsman is also a mower? It actually is a vacuum/wood chipper only. No way to mow using it. I have an old, worn out, 15 or so year old MTD push unit for the mowing.

@tolivac. This unit is just a rebadged MTD vacuum and is actually still sold today under many brands. Finding parts, should I ever need them, is easy, at least for now. Honestly, though, I would be shocked if anything broke. It’s very solidly built. I suppose the v-belt could be a weak point, but it’s a very standard industrial size.

Ultimately, though, I paid only $20 for it, believe it or not! It has been 5 years since I bought it off a friend and I still can’t believe he let it go for so cheap! It paid for itself the week I brought it home.

Yes, it does have a hose inlet and a wood chipper chute. Although the hose stores onboard, I left it off today because, quite frankly, it’s like a big awkward anaconda. The wood chipper chips branches as big as 2 inches in diameter or something. If it fits down the chute, it chips. Since this model has the high horsepower engine (Briggs and Stratton) instead of the “base” engine (Tecumseh) it has a little more oomph for chipping.

 

[tolivac]

Good that the vacuum is made by MTD-so parts shouldn't be a concern.The fans on these vacuums are so tough it would take ingesting an anvil to break the fan-something that severe would probably break the motor crankshaft as well.Normally I am not a big fan of MTD machines-this does indeed,appear to be decent quality.Even if the motor should die-you can always bolt another one on the vacuum along with the fan.

 

[human]

I think MTD (Midwest Tool and Die) makes just about every lawnmower (and leaf vacuum, apparently) on the U.S. market today. When I bought my house five years ago, I went shopping for a lawn mower and had a distinct sense of deja vu as I looked at different brands. The mowers were all identical, except for engine options. I ended up going for a Murray from Walmart that had a Briggs & Stratton overhead cam engine. It's given five years of faithful service with hardly a hiccup, and although I did slap a new spark plug into it last summer, it just might be time to take it in for it a tune-up.

 

[broomvac]

@tolivac Plastic water bottles, aluminum soda cans, glass beer bottles, and chunks of wood have yet to defeat that impeller. You're right, though; I'd be out of luck if I had to clean up some anvils. LOL

If this motor dies--something I don't see happening--I'd probably replace it with a Briggs 725 EXi OHV engine. Those things are sweet and should bolt right up. I love the latest OHV engines from B&S.

@human You're absolutely right. Most consumer yard equipment is made by MTD. The other major player is TTI who I believe make Ryobi and even some Toro and Lawn Boy, but I could be wrong about the latter two makes. Husqvarna is also a big one.