Leaf Blower-Vac Built From Salvaged Parts
“I wanted to add a leaf blower-vac to my Gravely 60-in. zero-turn riding mower, but I didn’t want to pay the $2,500 price tag for a factory unit. So I built my own high capacity collection system for less than $200,” says Leonard Mallas, Fond du Lac, Wis.
“I use it on our 3-acre lawn and on hiking and ATV trails that we maintain so it gets used a lot,” says Mallas. “It takes only about 2 min. to detach the blower-vac from the mower.”
He started with a scrapped-out blower-vac which he repaired. The blower-vac is belt-driven off the mower deck and blows clippings or leaves into a small trailer that he built out of 1-in. tubing and plywood.
The trailer mounts solid to the back of the mower with 2 pins. “A single caster wheel on back allows the trailer to follow in any direction including reverse, something that a conventional trailer can’t do,” says Mallas.
The box’s rear door is hinged at the top and automatically opens to remove leaves and clippings. “I took the hinges from the trunk of a Toyota car and added 2 sets of gas shock lift cylinders off a mini van to them, so once I unlatch the door it’ll open by itself,” says Mallas. “The box’s floor slants down toward the back, and the entire interior is painted with graphite paint so as the door is raised the load will slide out easily.”
The trailer can be removed in only about 30 sec. by dropping a pair of parking wheels on front and pulling 2 pins and a hose. Mallas added a plastic roof vent on top of the box, facing it backward to direct exhaust air and dust away from the driver. Two spring brackets store a short-handled rake on top of the box that’s used to help empty the load.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Leonard Mallas,
N4995 Hickory Road, Fond du Lac, Wis. 54937
(ph 920 929-9087; mallaspalace@gmail.com).
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Leaf Blower-Vac Built From Salvaged Parts FARM HOME Lawn Mowers 31h 38 “I wanted to add a leaf blower-vac to my Gravely 60-in zero-turn riding mower but I didn’t want to pay the $2 500 price tag for a factory unit So I built my own high capacity collection system for less than $200 ” says Leonard Mallas Fond du Lac Wis
“I use it on our 3-acre lawn and on hiking and ATV trails that we maintain so it gets used a lot ” says Mallas “It takes only about 2 min to detach the blower-vac from the mower ”
He started with a scrapped-out blower-vac which he repaired The blower-vac is belt-driven off the mower deck and blows clippings or leaves into a small trailer that he built out of 1-in tubing and plywood
The trailer mounts solid to the back of the mower with 2 pins “A single caster wheel on back allows the trailer to follow in any direction including reverse something that a conventional trailer can’t do ” says Mallas
The box’s rear door is hinged at the top and automatically opens to remove leaves and clippings “I took the hinges from the trunk of a Toyota car and added 2 sets of gas shock lift cylinders off a mini van to them so once I unlatch the door it’ll open by itself ” says Mallas “The box’s floor slants down toward the back and the entire interior is painted with graphite paint so as the door is raised the load will slide out easily ”
The trailer can be removed in only about 30 sec by dropping a pair of parking wheels on front and pulling 2 pins and a hose Mallas added a plastic roof vent on top of the box facing it backward to direct exhaust air and dust away from the driver Two spring brackets store a short-handled rake on top of the box that’s used to help empty the load
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Leonard Mallas
N4995 Hickory Road Fond du Lac Wis 54937
ph 920 929-9087; mallaspalace@gmail com
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