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littlemarv 
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Location: Wisconsin
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 Topic: PTO lawn vac
Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 9:40pm |
A few years ago, I had a lawn vac on my Simplicity 3416H. I was going to fix up the tractor, pretty much everything was pretty much shot on it, but, being a Simplicity, I just didn't have the desire to fix it up like one of my sweet Allis's. So I wound up selling the tractor. I thought "Well, it will be good for the kids and I to rake and bag all the leaves, shouldn't be too big of a job." So I sold the vac as well. Yeah right. We raked every day after school for a few weeks to try and keep up with the leaves. Raked them into huge piles all over the lawn. But, then we got busy and never picked the piles up. Then it snowed, and all our problems were over! Leaves gone!! Unfortunately, this spring the snow melted. And the leaves reappeared. They did not dissolve, nor melt with the snow like I had hoped. Finally, one night I got good and mad and started shoveling the soaking wet packed down piles out. Its not too often you see a guy out in his yard, stuffing leaves into a garbage can at 11:00 at night, but I got it done. And I told myself "Never again". This summer, picked me up an EVEN BETTER lawnmower! Hmmmmmm, how can I setup a vac on this machine? Fired up the littlemarvey R&D department again...... here we go...... I thought if I could find an old chopper or silage blower I could maybe make something work, but I went to the local junkyard and found something even better! Its a big industrial fan, it had a large electric motor on it and a triple belt setup. Other people see junk, I see potential! Gave $75 for it, which is a steal, considering how it has two newer pillow block bearings on it. Its a type "H" fan, which I cannot find any info on. I called the company, but they sold that division in the late 90's. I called the company that bought it, but they had no records either. I was really just wondering what speed the fan is supposed to run at. Maybe someone on here knows? Anyways, lets start cutting this thing down to size. Deconstruction is a messy process. The PTO on the tractor turns the wrong way compared to the fan. Luckily everything is concentric, so I just had to switch the housing around when I put it back together. Cut the shaft down to size And chopped off all the extra stuff I don't need to lighten this thing up! Cut a good chunk out of the middle, and welded the end plate back on. A little primer to keep the rust at bay, it may be next year before I get this little project done. Mocked it up on the back of the tractor, looks like it just might work! The drawbar on this tractor was'nt hooked up in the front, due to the mower brackets. Made myself an extra long pin hitch drawbar. Set it up and got it mounted on the drawbar, looking pretty good. Went to Fleet, got a PTO extension, some hubs, some sprockets, and a length of roller chain. I geared it 2:1, so it should be spinning about 1000 rpm. Removed the OEM PTO guard so I could add a top brace And drilled right through the hub and shaft and coupled it together with a 1/4" roll pin, so I have some sort of "give" just in case something goes horribly wrong. Shouldn't take a lot to shear the roll pin. The fan had 12" inlet and outlet ports. I thought about using 10" hose, but I need some 90 degree elbows to make this work, and the easiest way to do that is using stovepipe elbows and collars from Fleet, and they only go up to 8". So, made some adapters. This conglomeration is a bit much, but if it all works out, I will make a new piece that eliminates the adapter and collar and elbow and reducer and will be a lot more compact. Grabbed some 1/4" OSB and resurrected the leaf vac trailer. Junior was interested in helping with the build, until he found out the ladder was handy for shooting hoops. Had to extend the drawbar out a little further yet. Finally bit the bullet, and bought 10 feet of 8" leaf vac hose and two bridge clamps. The bridge clamps are neat because they jump over the reinforcing ribs and hold the hose tight. Man is that stuff expensive, but it is smooth inside and still flexible. I have some thoughts about hooking it up to the Woods deck. The mower is really a "rear discharge", albeit the blades do spin counterclockwise. I wonder, if a guy took some rubber belting cut into strips to block off the rear of the deck, and took the left plate off, would it be a "left hand discharge" deck? Then all you'd need is a deck adapter to hook up the hose. Well, I'm out of time. The leaves are piling up fast so hooking it up to the deck will have to wait for next year. We are just going to have to rake into piles and suck them up like that. Here goes nothing... Apparently we are not the only one on leaf duty. Had to wait in line at the compost heap. Note to self: Next year, we need to come up with a walking floor trailer. Unloading is dusty hard work. At any rate, preliminary testing of the prototype is complete. A few revisions and improvements and we should be in business. Need to make a guard for the chain and put all the guards on the mower deck first and foremost, then fix that big discharge elbow and get it hooked up to the deck, and then she goes in the paint booth! Thanks for looking!
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The mechanic always wins.
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truckerfarmer
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Joined: 26 Jan 2013
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Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 10:52pm |
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Think your speed might be a little slow. At work we have a Madvac 61D. Similar setup with smaller fan, direct driven by Kubota engine. Has twice the suction.
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Looking at the past to see the future.
'53 WD, '53 WD45, WD snap coupler field cultivator, #53 plow,'53 HD5B dozer
Duct tape.... Can't fix stupidity. But will muffle the sound of it!
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john(MI)
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Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 11:28pm |
Nice job. I hope it works good for you. My friend and I make up things like that from stuff he has laying around. The last thing was a log splitter. We had to buy the hyd pump, but had everything else on hand.
I have an Agri-Fab mow n vac, Not sure on the speed but it is direct drive from a B&S. It doesn't have an hp on it but we think it's around 8 hp. Except my fan is about half the size of yours which changes the dynamics. The fan is also a flywheel, it's a very stout wheel, which made me wonder if the blades on yours are strong enough to hold up to the job. I used to just run the mower around and chop the leaves up. It took a while but I didn't have to rake!
Be sure to post pics when you get it done and operational.
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Jim Hancock
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Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 11:53pm |
Great workup there, Marv! Here's an idea for you that I did when I had a smaller vacuum that I used when I did yard work 30 years ago.
I went to the local heat and air duct shop and asked them to roll me a megaphone tube about 3 feet long, (I should have made it 4'), from juuuust smaller than the ID of the tube to 2 inches smaller on the other end. I wanted to slip the tube inside the hose and clamp the hose on it. I then installed 2 screen door handles for holding it on the end of the hose and moving it in and around and under bushes and flower beds, etc. The smaller end had more suction and it worked like champ.
Edited by Jim Hancock - 24 Oct 2018 at 11:59pm
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How blessed we are by HIS GRACE!
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shameless dude
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 2:17am |
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looks like it works good...maybe notch the blades as to grind up some of the leaves? maybe a floor chain like a manure spreader has with a 12V motor?
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PaulB
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 4:59am |
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Wouldn’t it just be easier to mow a few extra times in the fall and mulch the leaves in place? That’s how I take care of the leaves. Although I have a citybot neighbor that vacuums his yard twice a week all year long.
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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY
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DiyDave
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 5:09am |
I'd have approached it a little different, I'd have rotated the housing, to point to the ground, the same side as the deck discharges. that way you can just mow and blow, at the same time, and blow them into a patch of woods, or a big pile, for composting, on my own ground...
Speed is likely low, but you may be able to swap out a bigger drive pulley, at a later date.
As for a walking floor, don't re-invent the wheel, just get a pickup bed unloader, wif a hand crank, and mount it to the trailer. Leaves is light, and it only takes a little time to crank out a whole load. I think I paid $5 for the last P/U unloader I got at an auction...
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Stan R
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 5:47am |
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Nice job. But why not, late at night, lights off, put a 90 on the top and blow them to your neighbors lawn!!!
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Lon(MN)
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 6:13am |
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I spread the leaves in the field and plow them under. Things grow better where the leaves are. I built a false end gate, set it in the front of the trailer with a chain from the gate to the rear of the trailer. When the trailer is full, pull off the tale gate, hook the chain to something and pull the false end gate out of the trailer.
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truckerfarmer
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 6:54am |
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For unloading lay a plastic tarp on the floor, then just pull it out to unload.
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Looking at the past to see the future.
'53 WD, '53 WD45, WD snap coupler field cultivator, #53 plow,'53 HD5B dozer
Duct tape.... Can't fix stupidity. But will muffle the sound of it!
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Gary Burnett
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 7:04am |
I bought a silage blower adapted to 3pt hitch and tractor PTO a few years ago for
$5 at an auction pretty similar to yours but a lot less work involved(LOL)
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shameless dude
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 8:33am |
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like Lon, I've also spread them in my fields. what didn't come off my lawn, I would park a large manure spreader in at the court house, they would fill it and call me when full, i'd tarp it and bring home then go spread it on the knolls that usually didn't raise much. after a few years them knolls started doing better.
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Ted J
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 8:53am |
Looks GREAT and it's useful. Can/will it be able to pick up clumps of grass when you mow? That's the problem that I have, I'm like Lon, I plow leaves under.  You know I have a CA too with the L306 on it, so you should be thinking ( x 2 ) whenever you build or make modifications to these old gals.. 
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"Allis-Express"
19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17
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littlemarv
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 9:03am |
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I think I may go get the biggest #40 sprocket and gear it up even more, seems to me it should do better. This is just the beginning, there will be several improvements along the way. It picks up wet grass clippings no problem. I think if I get it hooked up to the deck so everything is chopped up a little bit, it will work fine. Only one way to find out.....
Edited by littlemarv - 25 Oct 2018 at 9:04am
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The mechanic always wins.
B91131, WC23065, WD89101, CA29479, B1, Early B10, HB212, 416H
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chaskaduo
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 9:22am |
It's not the R&D, it's the Marv&D department. It is also good teachings for the kids to realize that they don't always have to run to the store and buy expensive quick fixes that are half as strong if that. 
Edited by chaskaduo - 25 Oct 2018 at 9:24am
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CrestonM
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 10:35am |
That's great! You know, I thought about building something like that last year for our cotton harvests, a fan and hose to suck up waste cotton on the ground around finished modules. I don't have a fan like that yet, though, just an extra cleaning fan from an All-Crop 60...don't know if that would work well or not.
As to unloading your leaves....what about something like this?
Edited by CrestonM - 25 Oct 2018 at 10:38am
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shameless dude
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 10:24pm |
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I've got one of them unloader thingy's like creston shows, never used it yet for anything
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Dave H
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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 5:56am |
wow what an idea!
I took the easy way out and got me one of those brand spanking new Agri Fab tow behind vac. however my pocket book is a little skinnier than yours right now.
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Pat the Plumber CIL
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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 7:08am |
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Lay a piece of plywood on top of some long dowel rods on the bottom of the trailer. Attach a rope and the leaves will roll out the back of the trailer. A friend that does roofing showed me that trick. A lot easier unloading old shingles from the back of a pickup truck
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You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails
1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF.
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Ted J
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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 7:30am |
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Plywood and dowels are going to cost more than the $39.99 from HF. That USED to be a good idea Pat, if you had plywood laying around doing nothing. I'm going to go to our HF and buy me one of them thingy's......(poke poke poke)
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"Allis-Express"
19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17
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Stan IL&TN
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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 9:16am |
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That's fantastic Marv.
I'm lucky that I have a ditch in my back yard that I can mulch and windrow mine into the ditch. First good spring rain and they are heading to the gulf.
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1957 WD45 dad's first AC
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tadams(OH)
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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 2:22pm |
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I just take my lawn mower and grind the leaves they are good for the grass. Some 70 years ago when my father took over taking care of the local cemetery they used to gather all the leaves, they mowed with reel mowers, the grass areas under a lot of the trees and one hill was mossy after he got a rotary mower and started grinding the leaves the grass started growing and that was the end of the moss.
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DiyDave
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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 5:19pm |
 Pat the Plumber CIL wrote:
Lay a piece of plywood on top of some long dowel rods on the bottom of the trailer. Attach a rope and the leaves will roll out the back of the trailer. A friend that does roofing showed me that trick. A lot easier unloading old shingles from the back of a pickup truck |
A college friend used to do roofing jobs told me how to do it. Lay a tarp on the truck bed, pile about 6" of stuff, on it, lay another tarp, then more stuff. Etc, etc, etc. When you get to the dump, start at the top, and just zip the tarps out... 
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Stan R
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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 8:06pm |
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If those are the two screened slots you have (and nothing more), I'd like to suggest you multiply that area by 3 or 4 so as to allow more airflow thru the fan.
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littlemarv
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Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 2:14pm |
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That harbor freight unloader looks like a sweet setup. I may cut two more screened holes in the roof for more airflow and to load the front a little more. I'm also going to try rotating the entire housing one notch and see if it will line up with the center of the trailer, and make a new discharge elbow. Like a fort when we were kids, it's never really done....
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The mechanic always wins.
B91131, WC23065, WD89101, CA29479, B1, Early B10, HB212, 416H
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CrestonM
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Posted: 28 Oct 2018 at 9:06pm |
Watching your videos again made me think, your fan speed now reminds me of the stock fan speed on the Allis cotton strippers...they come from the factory with two 16" diameter fans, and the pulleys have shims,letting you run them up to 2,400 RPM, but even so they just kinda float the cotton through the ducts. To keep up in high-yield cotton today, we got different pulleys and sped them up a little over 1,000 RPM. Now they are screaming, and the cotton really shoots through the ducts. So much more capacity gained. You can hear the fans running from over 1 mile away on a still day, even if you can't see the strippers. I'm betting you could definitely get your fan speed up and get a lot more capacity from your system. The increase in air volume will also help pack more leaves in the box.
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littlemarv
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Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 6:11pm |
Well, I went and looked at sprockets, unfortunately I have the largest one they have driving the smallest one that will fit. Pa has a sickle mower for his B. I took the big drive pulley off to do some bush hogging. I can't remember how big that pulley is. I will have to look the next time I'm up there. Maybe I can get some more fan speed that way, I'd really like to see what happens if we run it at 2000 rpm.... At any rate, I went and had a custom elbow made for the discharge. Nice and sturdy, that's for sure. And a lot cleaner and more compact, should work nice. Unfortunately. mother nature put a cold white damper on my yard cleanup activities. This project may be put on hold until spring, unless we get some serious Indian summer...
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The mechanic always wins.
B91131, WC23065, WD89101, CA29479, B1, Early B10, HB212, 416H
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JayIN
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Posted: 13 Nov 2018 at 3:49am |
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Wow. I like it!
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sometimes I walk out to my shop and look around and think "Who's the idiot that owns this place?"
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Allis dave
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Posted: 13 Nov 2018 at 6:39am |
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Could you switch it to a belt drive? Then id something happened the belt would slip, and you might be able to get a bigger Vbelt pully
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CrestonM
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Posted: 13 Nov 2018 at 8:11am |
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Looks really nice!
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