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Picking-up Pine needles
Anyone have an easy way of picking up pine needles? I have about 20 pines in the yard and they're giving me 'Rakers Shoulder'!!! Do those $400 Sears/Yardman vac's work? will a back-pack blower move them? A sweeper on the tractor??
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Picking-up Pine needles
I know exactly how you feel. I've been there and am always doing that. Around the house, I mow the grass after needle fall with a push mower with a bagger. It does a great job on new needles in grass. Let the grass grow a little tall before mowing, it collects needles better. This wouldn't work at all on old thick needle mats. There is a 3-point implement that I saw advertised fairly cheap ($150) called a pinestraw rake. This rake is manufactured in Winston-Salem NC by a company called Leinbach machinery. I was going to buy one for my yard until I bought a push mower-bagger. On the areas away from the house, I just broadcast burn the needles each fall. Saves alot of raking and makes the native grass grow better. Just mow or clear a fireline, and light the area so the fire backs into the wind. If you have no heavy fuel in the area (just needles, grass) and light or no winds, burning is fairly easy to do safely. It works best if you do have some light winds (<5 mph).
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Picking-up Pine needles
There is another method that I use for this. If there is grass under the trees or not try a Power Broom. There are 2 companies making them right now, Stihl and Shindawa. I have 2 Shindawas and really like them for spring cleanup. The big difference is the flaps these have verses brushes. I really count on them in the spring for taking off sand and gravel along streets, parking lots and driveways. Look into these.
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Picking-up Pine needles
I live in East Texas and there is no shortage of pine needles to pick up at this time of year. I use an old Sears sweeper that I inherited, pulled behind the B2400. Once you have the brush height set it works fairly well. The only problem is that the sweeper doesn't hold all that much before you have to run off and dump it. The needles don't compost very well so I use them as mulch in the garden and to cover the paths between the vegetable rows and just till them in at the end of the year. If someone comes up with an easier and better method, I'm listening.
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Picking-up Pine needles
If you don't mind spending the bucks, there's a company that makes a vacuum cart with it's own motor and blower that tows behind a lawn tractor. I think the bigger cart holds like a cubic yard of needles. The vacuum hose hooks directly to the discharge chute on the mower, so between the high vacuum and the fact that the mower blades are lifting the needles, it works very well indeed. Having a brain cramp and can't remember the name of the company, but if you're interested, let me know and I'll dig it up.
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Picking-up Pine needles
I remember the name of that rig, it's called a Cyclone Rake. Link below to their website.
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Picking-up Pine needles
I am supprised that no one has suggested the JD option of a MCS (material collection system) It has a 6 or the new ones have a 5.5 KAW. engine. It uses the tractors hyd. to even dump the load in your pile or dump it in your pickup for you. Yersterday I picked up 3.5 ac. of oak leaves and pine needles in about 2 hours and made a great compost pile for next year. I might also recomend the Stihl 450 blower Its a backpack blower that is used mostly by the pros for driveways and such. Once you use it no other compares. I blow the pine needlesinto a pile around the trees with ease. Great toys the make your yard jobs much easier.
David
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Picking-up Pine needles
John, I've used, without success, the following brands of lawn vacuums: Troy Built, Cub Cadet, and Sears. I also used a power broom but had customer complaints regarding damage to grass or incomplete removal. I then heard about Billy Goat, not the kind that has four legs, but the self-propelled kind. This manufacturer builds the best debris vacuum on the market and pine needles don't stand a chance. I recommend the VQ1002SP for its incredible suction, mulching, and huge bag capacity. Check out the link provided.
Link:
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Picking-up Pine needles
I modified the harness on a trailer vacume to fit my JD 4300 mid mower. The blades on my mower deck spin so fast that I am able to pick up needles, leaves, and ACORNS! Before I bought the 4300, I used to have to rake up the acorns, but now I just suck them up and dump them. Needles ... no problem.
Dave
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Picking-up Pine needles
This maybe late but note. I have a vacuum trailer and a 3 pt landscape rake. I purchased the vacuum when I purchase my current house. The trailer fills up quickly and does not have the needed capacity. I find it easier to rake the needled into piles with the landscape rake and then pick them up with my PUP trailer behind the tractor. I can dump the trailer with 3 pt lift. The trailer is the size of a pick up box(circa 1920's I think) but I need to fill it 7 or 8 times to clean the yard in the fall. I have thought about selling my work.
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