Blower vacs

[flushcut]

I am just wondering if any of you guys are using a blower/vac for clean up? Or a dedicated vacuum of some kind?

 

[Paul B]

I use a Stihl SH65, both the blower part and the sucker part work pretty well but I havent tried it on saw chips. It works well for leaves etc.

 

[flushcut]

I was wondering about saw chips if they can take it.

 

[bill22]

That would break the fan fins wouldn't it?

 

[littlenick]

Saw dust wouldnt, you just have to watch out for rocks and big sticks, other than that they aren't too bad.

 

[arborworks1]

A big back pack blower would help you expedite cleanup better than a vac. Scatter most of the saw chips out in the grass, Pile up the debris that is to small to pick up and its faster than raking usually.

 

[flushcut]

We do the whole rake and blower thing. I was just wondering if it would be worth adding a vac as well for the more manicured yards that we work in. Thanks for the info guys. I think I will pass on the vac for now but getting all of the saw chips would be nice.

 

[SkwerI]

The people who would want every speck of sawdust vacuumed up are the kind of people who need a psychiatrist, not a treeman.

 

[MasterBlaster]

+100

 

[flushcut]

The people who would want every speck of sawdust vacuumed up are the kind of people who need a psychiatrist, not a treeman.

Oh, I agree but we all have come across them.

 

[SkwerI]

And I find no need to feed into their sickness. Most efforts at appeasing those types are wasted effort but I've had better success by not playing their game. Just say "Yes, it's all cleaned up" and leave it at that. If you play into their twisted belief that every speck of sawdust is evil and must be removed then they assume you agree with them and it gives them a position of power. Then they beat you over the head with it ("You missed some over here").

 

[flushcut]

It is not so much for the mentally ill but for the neighborhood that we are pushing adds in were the GDP is four more 0s then mine. I was thinking of selling that as a kind of service like "the platinum plus clean up" package. I think we do a stellar job on the clean up and nobody has complained but this new area could be a cash cow for that kind of thing.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Unless something else is arranged beforehand, ALL clean-ups should be of the "platinum plus clean up variety," but that doesn't necessarily mean removing every single speck of sawdust or raking it down to thatch.

 

[flushcut]

So you wouldn't try and sell a service like that? Meaning vacuuming saw chips out.

 

[SkwerI]

They are like ultra fine mulch. They will turn into soil in a few weeks. You're encouraging the madness, like the old man who sweeps up the dirt on his driveway into a dustpan and throws it in the garbage. It's dirt. :roll:

I agree that the sawdust should be dispersed to the point where it's not readily visible, but vacuuming it up isn't necessary to accomplish that. There are always landscape beds where it blends with the mulch, or you can lose most of it just raking/blowing it across the turf.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I agree that it is a good idea to sell a whole ultra low impact package if you want to get jobs in the golf course communities, where I would NEVER want to live. Coordinating with with their landscapers to come the next day can work, as well. You can save a lot by not letting the saw chips get away in the first place. A big tree can easily produce a cubic yard of sawchips, all told. Bucking logs can be done with a tarp onto which you can spray a lot of chips, drag it down every couple of cuts, load it/ dump it wherever you will in the end (chip box, trailer, into the woods, whatever.

I have a BG 65 blower with the vacuum attachment. Works pretty good for saw chips, but little branches or bits of wood and rocks will jam the fan blades.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I wouldn't, Rajan.

 

[Paul B]

SST, have you ever taken the metal 'chopper' blades off and sharpened them a bit after prolonged use? I found mine get a bit chewed up and then every damn spring of western red cedar I get in there jams up with that wonderful high pitched whine prior to the smoke coming out.

 

[RopeArmour]

I had removal and stump job needing super clean. So I rented the walk behind Billy Goat. Worked well and was total over kill.
Used walk behind blower many years ago to clean up a huge Elm removal and that was great but only if you need to blow out of site. Have to work them hard to make a decent pile for clean up.
I think one of things that gets me my clients neighbor work is I have heavy vinyl tarps 20 oz stuff. Talk to your trucker friends there is always a pile lyin around somewhere with no home. Past employees father is a trucker and he set me up with two 40 ftrs dirty and ripped up. I waited for a rain day and laid them out and gave them a brushing with laundry detergent. good as new.
When the client and the neighbour see the operating blanket go down, they must think it very serious that we take that much care to protect everything below the tree clean. Keeps rope out of the mud etc only draw back is they take up room bit heavy and if it rains a bit it puddles.
Truth is I Hate Raking big time! Thats why I strongly suggest the biggest Back pack blower money can buy.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I like raking. Very peaceful.

I hate shoveling!

 

[RopeArmour]

Shoveling right next to pushin a broom. Ugh!

 

[RopeArmour]

Actually the sound the shovel makes scrapin the ground kinda rocks. Pun intended.

 

[flushcut]

Hummmm, more tarps.... I like that idea better than vacuuming. You guys have very good ideas and valid points from don't make the mess in the fist place to stop the madness.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Especially if its wet/ raining, the saw chips just don't blow like when it dry, and its wet up here a small part of the year.