I have 5 acres and all woods on the south side of the house so i have tons of leaves. I tackle the clean up with a Cub M-60 Tank zero turn and an Echo PB770T blower. The leaves are so thick here that i actually push leaves with the front of the mower. It will take me most of the month of November to get everything cleaned up and there will still be a few leaves hanging around come spring. The majority of the leaves get burnt so they don`t keep blowing back around the house and shop. Some will get mulched in the yard. Then comes the gutters. i use a smaller hand held blower to blow them out. Like you said the first couple of hours is not bad but it gets old really quick after that. I have oak trees in the yard and them leaves with the stems on them are a pain. They get stuck on everything. I appreciate the leaves providing shade in the summer but despise cleaning them up in the fall.
I have a 500 series John Deere zero turn mower. In the summer I mow at 3 3/4”. In the fall when the leaves are falling I mulch them into the lawn with the deck at the highest setting.
I love blowers. Echo makes great 2 cycle equipment. I have a pb 580t and I have a big 9010. I don't use the 9010 much for cutting grass because its so heavy. I typically only use the 580 because its lighter. I almost sold the 9010 but I am so glad i didn't because its amazing for fall cleanups. It's so much better for getting the leaves out of ivy. I have a 9.5hp little wonder. It was painfully expensive when I bought it but every time I use it I say to myself this is by far the best $2000 I have ever spent.
Everyone of your trees is perfect with the exposed root flair. That makes for happy and healthy trees!. Too many people plant too low or cover the root flair with mulch and dirt.
Just found your video and totally agree with your technique and everything that you said. If fact, your technique is the same as mines. I truly enjoy getting out and clearing the leaves in my your and mulching them with my zero turn mower. Thanks for the video.
This was my first year trying gator blades on a new stander mower, and yes they are great! I initially was using them with a chute blocker plate, but actually like them w/o blocking the chute for a couple reasons. Like you, I did also notice going backwards over a pile chewed up the leaves even better! I like your idea there, mulching in one direction (scooting the pile along), then going back opposite direction to mow. Next year, I'm gonna get a leaf catcher, use your technique there with the scooting the pile along, and then pick up the pile at the end with the catcher, and spread the mulched leaves around trees and flower beds and stuff. Thx for the vid!
You were the person who recommended the follow up. Based on the views you had a good idea. Please share any other video suggestions you have because you've clearly got the gift.
@@CTSCAPER well it's super relevant right now, lol! I've got to get out there this weekend but the weather doesn't look great. Keep up the great content!
Thank you! Love your yard and these tips. I have 2 acres in a golf community and my natural tendencies tend to bug my more mulch garden neighbors...but I have hope that with some practice I can manage a similar look. Thanks!
The secret is to keep it neat so they won't notice. As you can tell I like orderly gardens too. Are you on the hook side of the fairway or the slice side?
Great video John. I agree with everything you said. Leaves have a lot of nutrients. I get annoyed with all my neighbors bagging grass, leaves and sending to landfills. Doesn't your grass lay over at 4 inches. I can only go to 3 inches.
Yes, it is a shame to see the nutrients go to the landfill or somewhere else. I have a lot of creeping bentgrass and I'm pretty sure it does bend over but it keeps creeping. We had a ton of rain here in CT this year, the lawn never browned out over the summer. I've been expirementing with the higher height and not having any issues as long as I keep up with the mowing which luckily is soothing for me if I have enough time. Thanks for watching and commenting.
If your township has a recycling program, then leaves get piled turned and allowed to decompose into for free compost for the following season for people to pick up and use for gardens, lawns, etc, so it is likely that it's not wasted. Depending on the area.
Nice video. Yes, straight medium and high lift blades are still very much used, mostly during spring and summer; they provide a more even cut and better stripe than mulching blades. Mulching blades are more commonly used during leaf season. Or they're good for super overgrown properties. It's also good to blow your mower off so leaves don't collect and possibly ingnite around the muffler, or restrict airflow around the engine and other vital moving parts, OR collect in areas, breakdown and eventually begin eating the paint and promoting rust over time. That's another reason to clean underneath the deck, as well. Those are nice bed edges, too.
When I first learned about high lift blades many years ago I thought I found a diamond mine. The difference in the cut was amazing! I blow off my mower every time I use it on my own lawn and at least at the end of the day when I mowed lawns commercially. Basic maintenance goes a long way with power equipment. It sounds like you are ahead of me on that one.
@@CTSCAPER 😂 I was trying a year round g6 gator experiment one year, and they did okay, but when I switched back to highs ( without telling cutomers any of this ), one of my customers who was particularly into his lawn but had no commercial lawncare knowledge said "now THIS is the cut!! Whatever you did with the lawn this time, keep doing that!" 😂 That was the decider of the experiment to keep gators just for leaves.
Another great video John… would love to see equipment maintenance, even an updated shop and tool tour. Always like to see what other guys are using and doing to share with my fleet guys and landscape crews….thanks!
I'll work on that one over the winter. I've noticed that if you take care of regular maintenance you can minimize surprises and extend equipment life significantly.
I have 3 backpacks that I use. I have an echo pb8010 and a pb9010. And I have an echo pb755st that I bought over a year ago brand new that's the exact same blower as yours in the video.. blows a few more cfms than yours. Both my parents 8010 and 9010 are mostly used for leaf cleanups because I do alot with leaves during the fall and winter months. And my echo pb755 is used for mostly maintenance. The 755 is my favorite blower to use for Maintenance. I also have a billy goat 13hp walk behind blower that I use for wide open areas or for back air along with my backpacks
But I will say this. That blower you got in your video. Keep that thing running as long as you possibly can. You got one of the most durable blowers made
@@lawnchaser I can't believe it's still going! Starts in two pulls. I almost rented an 8010 to see how much fun it was but I had to get the job done while the weather was good. Perhaps another time.
I had a gray pb750t like what you have. Only mine had the overhead air filter on mine. Bought it used and had it for a few months and water got into the engine and hydrolocked the motor. Think I may have had water in the gas that I poured in to the blower that could've done it
I try to wait till the leaves are crunchy and dry .they disappear alot faster .rite now thete still green .its suppose to rain the next couple days I hope I'm not making a mistake by waiting .i usally just get out there and mow them but this year in being picky about how dry the leaves are .anything to procrastinate when it comes to taking leaves hmmm
Hello. Do you still mulch your leaves? This is my first year doing it (done it 3 times so far this fall). I have a smaller property. 1/3 of an acre. Hoping i can do away with bagging clippings permanently
Great video! Was there ever any hardwood mulch (or any other type) in your landscape beds? If so, do you just blow it all out onto the lawn with the leaves? I try to avoid mulch in the lawn at all cost. It really can screw up the lawn. You should show the method you would use to clear leaves from beds that have hardwood mulch and how to hit it so you are only blowing (mostly) leaves and not mulch.
How does mulch screw up the lawn? When I used to do leaf cleanup commercially it depended on the size and age of the bark but I could usually tease the leaves off the top using lower throttle and angling the air just right and not get too much of the bark out on the lawn. People didn't like their expensive bark to all be taken away with their leaves and I didn't like my blades getting dull from cutting through bark or wood chips.
@@jeffa847 When I accidentally blow hardwood mulch into the lawn it gets mashed down by foot traffic, mower tires, etc. and creates bare spots or thinning in those areas, if I dont catch it and blow it or rake it back into the beds. It then takes a while for the mulch to finally break down and return to normal turf unless I run a dethatcher.
I also enjoy rounding up my leaves and mulching them. I have my own walk behind core plug aeroator that I use spring and fall so my soil stays nice and soft. my problem is I don,t like crushing my new baby grass that I plant every year by going over it again and again with my 33 inch walk behind mower. I have a riding mower that mulches better but that really does compact the soil. I only use that to mulch up my wooded area. I wanted to ask what you think about the gas engine ban out of California that is headed our way . All of the northeast and my lefty state of Virginia are sure to follow
@@CTSCAPER I got it cheap from Home Depot Rental. They sell there stuff after 3 years and maintain it well. Like you, I keep my equiptment in good shape . I even wipe it down with Fluid Film before it gets put up
I’m off topic. My question is when would you recommend trimming Mountain Laural? Is there a specific time of year this should be done? I live near Boone NC Appalachia I am pretty sure we have similar climate.
You want to prune mountain laurel right after blooming if you're not pruning a lot. However, if you are going to do a major pruning I recommend early spring. The shrub is most likely to grow back. There have been times I cut a Mountain Laurel to the ground thinking it would grow back and it didn't, so it's always a possibility it may not grow back.
![Cheapest Way To Get Rid Of Leaves [ARE GATOR BLADES GOOD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zz4GvhcaY_I/mqdefault.jpg)
It's cathartic watching you clean your yard.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I have 5 acres and all woods on the south side of the house so i have tons of leaves. I tackle the clean up with a Cub M-60 Tank zero turn and an Echo PB770T blower. The leaves are so thick here that i actually push leaves with the front of the mower. It will take me most of the month of November to get everything cleaned up and there will still be a few leaves hanging around come spring. The majority of the leaves get burnt so they don`t keep blowing back around the house and shop. Some will get mulched in the yard. Then comes the gutters. i use a smaller hand held blower to blow them out. Like you said the first couple of hours is not bad but it gets old really quick after that. I have oak trees in the yard and them leaves with the stems on them are a pain. They get stuck on everything. I appreciate the leaves providing shade in the summer but despise cleaning them up in the fall.
I have a 500 series John Deere zero turn mower. In the summer I mow at 3 3/4”. In the fall when the leaves are falling I mulch them into the lawn with the deck at the highest setting.
I love blowers. Echo makes great 2 cycle equipment. I have a pb 580t and I have a big 9010. I don't use the 9010 much for cutting grass because its so heavy. I typically only use the 580 because its lighter. I almost sold the 9010 but I am so glad i didn't because its amazing for fall cleanups. It's so much better for getting the leaves out of ivy. I have a 9.5hp little wonder. It was painfully expensive when I bought it but every time I use it I say to myself this is by far the best $2000 I have ever spent.
Everyone of your trees is perfect with the exposed root flair. That makes for happy and healthy trees!. Too many people plant too low or cover the root flair with mulch and dirt.
Thanks for noticing!
Just found your video and totally agree with your technique and everything that you said. If fact, your technique is the same as mines. I truly enjoy getting out and clearing the leaves in my your and mulching them with my zero turn mower. Thanks for the video.
This is an awesome tutorial video, I do lawn maintenance for my customers and I learned some new from it. Thank you sir.
Best channel on RUclips. I love your videos and the tips you provide. I love this hobby and enjoy learning from the pros! Thank you!
Thanks James. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos.
Great video.I agree mulch them .Take me about 3 weeks and thats starting around nov.1 by then most are down and mine are gone.Stay Safe Stay Healthy ✌
How low do you put your blades?
This was my first year trying gator blades on a new stander mower, and yes they are great! I initially was using them with a chute blocker plate, but actually like them w/o blocking the chute for a couple reasons. Like you, I did also notice going backwards over a pile chewed up the leaves even better! I like your idea there, mulching in one direction (scooting the pile along), then going back opposite direction to mow. Next year, I'm gonna get a leaf catcher, use your technique there with the scooting the pile along, and then pick up the pile at the end with the catcher, and spread the mulched leaves around trees and flower beds and stuff. Thx for the vid!
Those are some great ideas!
Thanks for doing this video John! Great follow up to the one you did years ago!
You were the person who recommended the follow up. Based on the views you had a good idea. Please share any other video suggestions you have because you've clearly got the gift.
@@CTSCAPER well it's super relevant right now, lol! I've got to get out there this weekend but the weather doesn't look great. Keep up the great content!
Ctscaper! Another good one! Thanks
Thank you! Love your yard and these tips. I have 2 acres in a golf community and my natural tendencies tend to bug my more mulch garden neighbors...but I have hope that with some practice I can manage a similar look. Thanks!
The secret is to keep it neat so they won't notice. As you can tell I like orderly gardens too. Are you on the hook side of the fairway or the slice side?
Great video John. I agree with everything you said. Leaves have a lot of nutrients. I get annoyed with all my neighbors bagging grass, leaves and sending to landfills. Doesn't your grass lay over at 4 inches. I can only go to 3 inches.
Yes, it is a shame to see the nutrients go to the landfill or somewhere else.
I have a lot of creeping bentgrass and I'm pretty sure it does bend over but it keeps creeping. We had a ton of rain here in CT this year, the lawn never browned out over the summer. I've been expirementing with the higher height and not having any issues as long as I keep up with the mowing which luckily is soothing for me if I have enough time.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
If your township has a recycling program, then leaves get piled turned and allowed to decompose into for free compost for the following season for people to pick up and use for gardens, lawns, etc, so it is likely that it's not wasted. Depending on the area.
Best and safest way to fertilize any lawn.
I have a PB770t. I am on my second one but love it and would never use anything else. I have Stihls also but the Echo is always my go to.
I think that's the modernized version of what I have. I'm an Echo guy too, they just keep running.
Nice video. Yes, straight medium and high lift blades are still very much used, mostly during spring and summer; they provide a more even cut and better stripe than mulching blades. Mulching blades are more commonly used during leaf season. Or they're good for super overgrown properties.
It's also good to blow your mower off so leaves don't collect and possibly ingnite around the muffler, or restrict airflow around the engine and other vital moving parts, OR collect in areas, breakdown and eventually begin eating the paint and promoting rust over time. That's another reason to clean underneath the deck, as well.
Those are nice bed edges, too.
When I first learned about high lift blades many years ago I thought I found a diamond mine. The difference in the cut was amazing!
I blow off my mower every time I use it on my own lawn and at least at the end of the day when I mowed lawns commercially.
Basic maintenance goes a long way with power equipment. It sounds like you are ahead of me on that one.
@@CTSCAPER 😂 I was trying a year round g6 gator experiment one year, and they did okay, but when I switched back to highs ( without telling cutomers any of this ), one of my customers who was particularly into his lawn but had no commercial lawncare knowledge said "now THIS is the cut!! Whatever you did with the lawn this time, keep doing that!" 😂 That was the decider of the experiment to keep gators just for leaves.
great video
Another great video John… would love to see equipment maintenance, even an updated shop and tool tour. Always like to see what other guys are using and doing to share with my fleet guys and landscape crews….thanks!
I'll work on that one over the winter. I've noticed that if you take care of regular maintenance you can minimize surprises and extend equipment life significantly.
Another echo guy! 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
We use redmax 8550 and echo 8010 for leaf cleanups and redmax 7500 for Everyday use.
Is the Echo 8010/9010 as amazing as it looks? It looks like fall cleanups would turn into some kind of a game with that monster.
try a mulching plate and mow to the center then take your backpack and blow what your mower couldn't get rid of
I have 3 backpacks that I use. I have an echo pb8010 and a pb9010. And I have an echo pb755st that I bought over a year ago brand new that's the exact same blower as yours in the video.. blows a few more cfms than yours. Both my parents 8010 and 9010 are mostly used for leaf cleanups because I do alot with leaves during the fall and winter months. And my echo pb755 is used for mostly maintenance. The 755 is my favorite blower to use for Maintenance. I also have a billy goat 13hp walk behind blower that I use for wide open areas or for back air along with my backpacks
Is the 8010 and 9010 as amazing as they look for leaf cleanups? It seems like a whole new level of power for leaves.
Oh yeah they are. The 8010 has been discontinued as it was replaced by the 9010. But both blowers will "blow" you away with their power
But I will say this. That blower you got in your video. Keep that thing running as long as you possibly can. You got one of the most durable blowers made
@@lawnchaser I can't believe it's still going! Starts in two pulls. I almost rented an 8010 to see how much fun it was but I had to get the job done while the weather was good. Perhaps another time.
I had a gray pb750t like what you have. Only mine had the overhead air filter on mine. Bought it used and had it for a few months and water got into the engine and hydrolocked the motor. Think I may have had water in the gas that I poured in to the blower that could've done it
I try to wait till the leaves are crunchy and dry .they disappear alot faster .rite now thete still green .its suppose to rain the next couple days I hope I'm not making a mistake by waiting .i usally just get out there and mow them but this year in being picky about how dry the leaves are .anything to procrastinate when it comes to taking leaves hmmm
Trying new methods is always a good thing! That's how I learned to shred leaves with a lawnmower.
Hello. Do you still mulch your leaves? This is my first year doing it (done it 3 times so far this fall). I have a smaller property. 1/3 of an acre. Hoping i can do away with bagging clippings permanently
Yes. I couldn't imagine cleaning up leaves any other way unless there are too many for the grass.
Keeping up on them helps prevent the leaves from smothering the grass and causing dead spots in the lawn as well, yeah?
You have nothing in leaves. My leaves would be a foot thick all over if they weren't vacuumed. Could never mulch.
Great tips! Thanks!
Real good stuff!!!
Great video. And a beautiful yard.
Thank you Fred. I do my best.
You need a shoot blocker
Good video… I’d recommend legitimate mulching kits on the mowers instead of just gator blades and side discharge. Game changer!!!
I like that idea! Game changers are always good.
Great video! Was there ever any hardwood mulch (or any other type) in your landscape beds? If so, do you just blow it all out onto the lawn with the leaves? I try to avoid mulch in the lawn at all cost. It really can screw up the lawn. You should show the method you would use to clear leaves from beds that have hardwood mulch and how to hit it so you are only blowing (mostly) leaves and not mulch.
How does mulch screw up the lawn?
When I used to do leaf cleanup commercially it depended on the size and age of the bark but I could usually tease the leaves off the top using lower throttle and angling the air just right and not get too much of the bark out on the lawn. People didn't like their expensive bark to all be taken away with their leaves and I didn't like my blades getting dull from cutting through bark or wood chips.
@@jeffa847 When I accidentally blow hardwood mulch into the lawn it gets mashed down by foot traffic, mower tires, etc. and creates bare spots or thinning in those areas, if I dont catch it and blow it or rake it back into the beds. It then takes a while for the mulch to finally break down and return to normal turf unless I run a dethatcher.
I also enjoy rounding up my leaves and mulching them. I have my own walk behind core plug aeroator that I use spring and fall so my soil stays nice and soft. my problem is I don,t like crushing my new baby grass that I plant every year by going over it again and again with my 33 inch walk behind mower. I have a riding mower that mulches better but that really does compact the soil. I only use that to mulch up my wooded area. I wanted to ask what you think about the gas engine ban out of California that is headed our way . All of the northeast and my lefty state of Virginia are sure to follow
You must be a hardcore lawn person to have a plug aerator at your disposal!
@@CTSCAPER I got it cheap from Home Depot Rental. They sell there stuff after 3 years and maintain it well. Like you, I keep my equiptment in good shape . I even wipe it down with Fluid Film before it gets put up
I’m off topic. My question is when would you recommend trimming Mountain Laural? Is there a specific time of year this should be done? I live near Boone NC Appalachia I am pretty sure we have similar climate.
You want to prune mountain laurel right after blooming if you're not pruning a lot. However, if you are going to do a major pruning I recommend early spring. The shrub is most likely to grow back. There have been times I cut a Mountain Laurel to the ground thinking it would grow back and it didn't, so it's always a possibility it may not grow back.
The pros do what’s fastest and most efficient to make money and not necessarily the best way
We call you a hacker. Mulching leaves makes mess you can cleanup. High end accounts require a cleanup. Not a chop up.
I am a hacker then because my life does revolve around ground care.
My blades have holes I added heavy trim line to them they mulch way better now.
@@kevingross7082how do you know how much he was making ?