Trac-Vac problem...

[stevej37]

Leaves are mostly all down and cleaned up in my yard. A couple straggler younger trees made me get the Vac out one last time yesterday.
Hitched it to my JD GX335 and started the 5hp B&S engine on the vac and made about three passes when there was a bang. The vac engine slowly spun down and quit. I got off the tractor and tried to restart it....it pulled with no effort....oh oh!

I unhooked the hoses, unbolted the engine from the frame, drained the gas and threw it in the trunk of my car. Brought it to my local small engine repair and left it there

He called this morning and said "broken rod". He ordered a new Honda 5.5 hp engine and it should be here in a day or two.

I'm glad it didn't happen until the end of the clean-up season. I can't be upset about it because I bought it new in 1980.

[stevej37]

Pic of it before it broke...

[Steve Carlton]

That sucks.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

That sucks.

I'm looking at it as a needed upgrade. Good-bye Briggs...hello Honda.
He said the turbine had two broken vanes and two other bent ones. He is going to weld and straighten those out...which should give the thing more suction.
I'm anxious to get it back and try it out.

His estimate was $800 for the whole works.
44 years is a good run for the Briggs.


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[john70t]

Apologies in advance.
Don't care.
WTF is this 'cleaning' thing?

Leaves insulate grass from major temp swings.
That is a good thing.

Leaves break down as organic material and provide nutrients.
If your current grass can't sustain local nature conditions without maintenance..it is not the right type.

[greglepore]

Yeah, bought a used one a couple years back for $300, needed a carb. The 5.5 runs well but if it dies I think I'll go up a couple hp.
I'd leave the leaves but we live in a clearing in the woods and if I didn't clear them they'd mat down with rain and choke out the grass. Its possible that my mulching blade would cut them fine enough, but whatever. I do compost the leaves-usually about 15-20 loads, so there's that.

[stevej37]

^^^ John
I like having a nice looking lawn.
With the number of trees that I have, the grass would die if they weren't removed.


He sent me the model number of the Honda.
The bolt pattern is the same as the Briggs...so it will bolt right up.




The side where the turbine/fan attaches.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by greglepore

Yeah, bought a used one a couple years back for $300, needed a carb. The 5.5 runs well but if it dies I think I'll go up a couple hp.
I'd leave the leaves but we live in a clearing in the woods and if I didn't clear them they'd mat down with rain and choke out the grass. Its possible that my mulching blade would cut them fine enough, but whatever. I do compost the leaves-usually about 15-20 loads, so there's that.

A used Trac-Vac for $300 is a good deal.
I've never thought mine needed more suction...it will draw in leaves a half foot outside of the deck.
My problem is finding a place to dump the Trac-Vac loads. I'm running out of spots.

The benefits of the Honda engine will be quieter and better fuel economy.

[dad911]

I'd be concerned about balancing the blower after the repair.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by dad911

I'd be concerned about balancing the blower after the repair.

He mentioned that would be part of the repair & welding.
When I was using it, it never showed any signs of shaking or vibration...even with two broken vanes.
Maybe it doesn't spin fast enough to be a factor? I don't know.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ John
I like having a nice looking lawn.
With the number of trees that I have, the grass would die if they weren't removed

My suggestion would be to use a 'mulching' mower blade. Till it back in. Free feed.
But only after it gets 6-10".
Grass needs roots to stay healthy. Feed it with organic nutrients.

Mowing acreage 2X/mo costs in gas.

Or better yet, put in some native beneficial plants, create a local ecology, and even write it off and get grants.


I simply don't understand the idea of mowing 10 acres of grass with no purpose.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

That sucks.

Not with a broken rod .... it doesn't suck any more! 44 yrs is a good run tho'. Some folks just don't understand leaves .... I can't relate to snow....

Stevo loses wif bof 'em

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by KC911

Not with a broken rod .... it doesn't suck any more! 44 yrs is a good run tho'. Some folks just don't understand leaves .... I can't relate to snow....

Stevo loses wif bof 'em

No..I still have a working snowblower/thrower.
I wonder how it would work on fall leaves??


Btw....I have one acre of lawn.


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[Steve Carlton]

When is this summer's Croquet Tournament?

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

When is this summer's Croquet Tournament?

Had it in July....funny thing, I missed picking up one of the wickets.
Might be what broke the Trac-Vac.

[john70t]

been replaced with 8# hammers. damn the torpedoes

[rwest]

The only problem I see with your Trac-vac is that you don’t live next door to me!

I’ve lived in my house for 28 years and have only a couple small trees; the neighbors have been in their house for many more years before I moved in and have a couple huge maple trees.

The way my yard sits, leaves blow in and never blow out, so I could have 13 bags of leaves each year. I understand tree law and appreciate having large trees in the neighborhood, so I just rake them up like a big boy.

This year for the first time, the neighbors started blowing the leaves in my yard into piles and may have removed some, but not sure- have no clue why and haven’t run into them yet for information. They may have needed some for their flower beds?

Well, the trees are bare now, so I went out Sunday, raked them up and used my leaf blower set on vac and mulch to fill up only three bags- shredding them really saves bag space- would have been a dozen or so bags otherwise.

Took me a couple hours and then I mowed it one last time with my reel mower- makes a guy happy to have it all done.

[stevej37]

^^^ Yes, there is a lot of satisfaction in a nice lawn...I enjoy it.
I have a neighbor to the east of me that would end up with a lot of my leaves if I didn't vac them up before they the wind gets them. So I try to stay ahead of that.

I still remember the day I bought the Trac-Vac in 1980. It was $850 (which was a lot of money then) and this was the first time I had any problem with it.

[HobieMarty]

That's a really cool rig ya got there. I have Gator mulching blades under my riding mower and a mulching plug so I just ride around and mulch up the leaves in my yard.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[stevej37]

^^^ Thanks! I have the Gator blades also. When the Trac-Vac is full, it's the devil to get the thing emptied because it's like one giant compacted bale of shredded leaves.

I use a five tine pitch fork to work it loose. When emptied, the pile looks like 5 cart fulls. (the fan/blower really packs it in)