[violet]

We get LOTS of leaves and I want a quick way to pick them up BUT the vac has to cope with lots of straw and wood shavings from the various hen, rabbit and duck houses...Of course I rake up the obvious straw etc but there will always be some still on the ground....    Are the vacs any good?

[mrs bouquet]

Wouldn't be without mine, it chops the stuff up as it goes in the bag.  I have lent it so many times to my daughter, that she watched the local 2nd hand adds and got one just last week, it is perfect and she paid about £30

[Space_Cowby]

I got one off freecycle, more trouble than its worth and then freecycled it again to some one I knwo has not had much use out it either.

[compostqueen]

I'm not a fan but then my OH keeps buying Flymo  :roll:   The first one just expired after sucking up a handful of leaves  :roll:   :roll:  The replacement, another Flymo, holds about a bucketful of leaves before it needs emptying. Getting the bag on and off drives me mental.  There is a yawning gap where the bag meets the body of the machine so it all blows out all over the shop  :roll:  :roll:  :roll:   My old man blows all the leaves into a heap against the wall then uses those big green hand things to scoop them up for bagging. So to conclude, I think ours is pants but much better blowing than sucking

Oh, it's dead noisy too

[Gwiz]

I've tried those electric ones, and couldn't get on with 'em, so I bought a stihl hand held blower that has the vacuum attachment. I've got to say that I've never used the bag 'cos the blower bit's so good.

[dugless]

Where its flat like on my drive, I use my rotary mower. it sucks up most of them.

[Larkshall]

My wife decided that we should have one. I have mixed feelings about it, it is useful for clearing up leaves etc. where the ground is uneven. Where the ground is fairly even I prefer to use two pieces of plywood to pull the stuff together then pick it up with the plywood to dump it in the Green Bin (or compost bin). I feel that you should not use a vacuum unless absolutely necessary, much better to use the plywood and save electricity.

Although I do have some petrol engined equipment (Strimmer & Rotavator), I am in the process of changing to all electric (Mantis Tiller, Rioby Chainsaw & Performance Power Strimmer & Rotary Mower from B&Q), I have enough lead to reach anywhere on my 1/4 acre from existing power points. Although electricity has increased in price (+5% Vat) it is still cheaper than petrol (17.5% Vat + Road Fuel Tax + having to drive to collect it).

Can anyone explain why the Mantis can dig 10 inches deep with a 780 watt motor but it takes a 1000 watt motor to cut the grass. Doesn't make sense.

[Gwiz]

Can anyone explain why the Mantis can dig 10 inches deep with a 780 watt motor but it takes a 1000 watt motor to cut the grass. Doesn't make sense.

gearing.

[Larkshall]

I should have thought of that, I did "pulleys,beams and levers" at college (65 years ago). The Mantis has a wormdrive gearbox, that's a big reduction in rpm.

[violet]

Thank you for comments about vacs.....hmmmmm.  Totally confused by the gears etc in other comments!

We have acquired 2 petrol mowers (belong to the vicarage, not us personally) ....I had a go with one of them the other week....eeeeeeek what an experience! could not get the hang of turning...with an electric thingy I would sort of back up a little and move round but of course the petrol one is going forward at quite a pace and doesn't do backwards!

One of the petrol ones (the one I tried) is a Honda with various switches and levers...the other is a John Deer?(think that is the name) looks less complicated to drive, but I cann't start it as the cord thing is too long for me to pull...don't want to make any changes to it as it is usually driven by other people!!!