update! 11-29-19 if unit is full of leaves and blocked, debris will then shoot out side of unit just above the impeller housing to indicate it is full!
update 10-27-22 lost one of the bolts holding the MDA to the mower deck. Also bolts holding the engine to the cyclone rake main frame were both loose! Check to insure all fasteners and bolts are tight often! update 9-29-22 started first pull! noticed crack in mower deck adapter...should last thru season tho. update 11-17-21 I really like being able to pop tube off the deck and rake the large piles into it (as seen at 8:40 mark in video). I have been using that function more and more lately. update 11-4-20 used it for the first time today this season fired right up dang I love this machine! update! 11-29-19 if unit is full of leaves and blocked, debris will then shoot out side of unit just above the impeller housing to indicate it is full!
I was looking for a lightweight blower for my deck. ru-vid.comUgkxgioZQl3J5wPGAeDINzbieKbT5qomSEx3 There are some huge trees around my house and the leaves and pods drop all over my deck. Having to move furniture around to sweep has become too big a chore. This blower was the answer. It is light enough for this 70yr old lady and powerful enough to blow all the tree droppings off my rather large deck. Thank you B&D. Be aware the cord is not included. I use a 3 prong outdoor cord 25' cord for my 12' x 20' deck. The cord retainer works very well, but don't try to pass the plug through it. That is NOT how it works. You just have to loop the cord and it works great. One of my best purchases. Very happy.
I am expecting my XL tomorrow. I appreciate this video and am not concerned with any assembly whatsoever. A few distressing points I noticed disappointed me in a buyer's remorse mode. My Vanguard is a 6.5 HP while the one on this machine is 8 HP, a mere 20% less. The cost of the machine with shipping is 27% higher; I understand it's three years later, but 9% per year. Finally, this point, and I'm wondering if anyone else was charged sales tax as I was. An 8% sales tax which is $220.00. The final cost, $2795. 20% more over three years, to compliment 20% less HP😃 I may not enjoy this tool now as much as I was expecting too this weekend.😊
I have had mine for about 14 years. I just replaced the impeller for the first time. I purchased it with the complete blower housing for about $275. I work this thing hard here in the Northeast. I have about 1.4 acres to clear. I couldn't do without this thing. It is very well made for sure. It also breaks down nice for storage. I use a lot of the mulched leaves in my shrub beds, saves me from buying mulch. I am super happy with mine.
I just watched the commercial for the cyclone rake. It sells the fact the actors are portraying people that need anger management more than a power rake~
I have had my cyclone commander for 3 years now. I only use it for fall cleaning which I abuse this machine every fall. The power unit is pretty well made. But I cant say its the same for the bag cage. It's well made enough to work but not maintenance free. But still a very good machine. Saves me a ton of time.
I do like the Cyclone Rake's fixed position on the tractor. I had a DR Lawn Vac and it was large, but the pull behind trailer wasn't ideal. I sold it to try new systems and am still looking. I don't think I can get on board with the CR if only because the dump system looks way overly elaborate. My MC519 cart (current, but also not a perfect system) and DR were much easier to dump then the design on the CR. I'm also trying to find a system that dumps without me getting off the tractor, that would be most ideal😉😉. Good video, you explained it well. CR makes a good product, again, if not perfect.
agree its a lifesaver of a machine but has its weaknesses..main one being what you mentioned the dumping system. It works, but wish it was a large fixed plastic unit.
Thank you very much and was great talking to you over phone before I purchased it. I got the Z10 model recently just didnt know how much to cut out of MDA ?
@@MrElPoderozo1 I actually just used it today for the first time for a larger leaf cleanup. I absolutely love mine. I'd say it's well worth the money...to an extent, let me explain..... I got mine for 600$ (that's cheap in my area) and it's well worth that as a bagging system is 1100+$ for the cheapest one for my zero turn. So I'd say that was great. However, brand new I think some of the cyclone rakes are over 2000$, then you still have another motor to maintain. Your equipment could determine what you buy. If you can get a bagger for your mower for cheap that might be better. The cyclone rake does fold up and is stored out of the way unlike a bagger would. I'd say out of all the pull behind leaf vacuum cyclone rake is probably the best. Now you do have to remember it has caster wheels...which means you will hit anything you are passing of you are not careful like trees, ac units, cars, houses ect. That's the down fall it has, my biggest complaint for sure
So I just built my order for the XL on their website and with the upgraded liner it’s $3,100 shipped to the house … that’s a huge % increase in a few years
@@waxmanvids5015 I pulled the trigger on it anyway I have an acre of very heavily wooded yard that for the past 5 years has taken me 40+ hours a year to clear with a back-pack blower … looking forward to not hating leaf season Have you had any issues with inclines since it doesn’t seem like the hitch pivots? I have a small ramp I need to use to get into my yard (rock beds line the perimeter) and I am thinking I’ll have to make sure the unit is empty to avoid over stressing it at the angle of the tractor on the grass and the CR on the ramp
@@greygoose4x46 the only inclines I have ran into is two seasons ago. I would kind of Back it down a ditch a little bit to unload it… Nothing too extreme & no issues yet.
You mentioned that the 8" hose was really long to begin with and you cut it down. How long is the initial hose? Also, how flexible is it? Would you say it is pretty stiff, somewhat flexible or easily flexible? I don't like the fact that it is a rigid frame that pivots on the rear tires vs at the hitch point and was wondering if I could adapt it to pivot @ the hitch point and somehow restrict the large dual casters from pivoting. Thanks for the video.
not sure how long hose was..mfr should have that info. The main advantage to this design with this fixed hitch set up is being able to have a shorter hose ..and less clogging compared to other systems.
one more question have you tried it with grass clippings yet I really would like to collect the grass clippings for my garden I have a zero turn John Deere
Does the deck need to be on the surface really really close. I have property that is not flat in all areas What do you have to set the deck height at for effective vacuuming?
I’m thinking of getting one of these for my small landscaping business (20 lawns) in PA. Would I be able to back the unit up ramps into my 7’ by 12’ dump trailer with out unit binding or damaging linkage??
Aaron Maslonka you could real slow and watch it but if seems to bind i would just disconnect at the hitch and walk it up seperate ..hose disconnects quickly and easily..it's not heavy to move around. Hope this helps.
I have one. If u order an extra hose...(i cant remember the name of it) u could blow them into the trailer by vacuuming them out of the vacuum bin. Im looking at doing the same setup with a dump trailer. The extra hoses are not expensive. They are on the website.
Thank you for your video I just had a question if you could be so kind to answer ,,,is there a way to make it free to follow in the mower tracks exactly as a trailer instead of having it fixed behind you? We have quite a few trees in the yard and that would be my only concern having it fixed behind me as I make turns Thank
I thought of trying that by adding fixed rear wheels and converting to a single point hitch, but I just got used to it and figured "if it ain't broke, why fix it." It is also much easier to back it up to dump leaves the way it is.
I've had my Cyclone Rake for 11 years now. Always keep trees and other objects to the left side of your mower and only make left turns around them, the unit will swing away from danger of hitting them. Then you can make close tight turns without dammage.
Thanks for the video!! At the end of the video you remove the tube from the deck to vacuum leaves with the help of a rake. Does the cyclone shred/mulches the leaves in that mode? I am looking into a solution to vacuum leaves but the leaves will be in a pile already and I'm not interested on getting a tractor to pull it...
The cyclone rake mulches the leaves that go through it, but they will just not be as small as if they were chopped up in the mower deck as well. I also recently purchased two sections of 15 foot extension hose, the company calls it, the "estate vacuum", so that I can reach farther and pick up more piles. works great!
We only maintain about an acre as far as the leaves… If even that much but he has big maple trees that generate a lot of debris. I keep track and I usually do five days every fall and then each day of pick up there are at least 2 to 3 big loads to dump. Money well spent it saves a lot of work but it is still not easy dumping and unloading those full bins!
@@waxmanvids5015 I was going to ask the same question. We spend 6 hours removing leaves with a leaf blower and big tarp every Fall. I'm pretty sure having this would cut that down to less than 2 hours, and with less pain the next day! Thanks for the video!
So the blade thats in the unit sucks and chops the leaves up before being discharged into the bin? So wouldn't have to engage my PTO on my mowers deck? Just ride and without the PTO engaged and the Cylone system does all the work?
Kiddro22 yeah it has an impeller that shreds leaves but not enough suction on deck without you running pto on mower deck to work. It has suction at the end of hose which works well for grabbing debris at deck outlet. Or you can drop hose of to ground and rake leaves to it as shown in video also for piles.
I am seriously thinking of buying the XL, My grass is long and wet.in the spring. Do you have any problems with the exhaust screen on top of collector getting plugged ? I have had that problem with other catchers and it was more trouble than it was worth.
I have only used for heavy leaf cleanup but I would not imagine grass would be a problem unless it was really really wet… The only time I get clogged up is if the bagger is full
might ding up your mower blades. But if just using the hose (i call elephant trunk) i think it would work great. Just very noisy but dang this urethane yellow hose and cyclone rake seems to handle everything I throw at it. Im often picking up sticks and cones etc and so far no holes! (knock on wood)
Thank u so much for the reply but I don’t think I was clear in what I wanna do with the rake. I would like to use it for leaf collection and then back it up into the dump trailer full of the chopped leaves. Dump into my dump trailer and fill the trailer throughout the day doing my lawns bc I can’t dump at the lawns I have to haul leaves away. I have a separate trailer for the mower and rake. I dont wanna get the trailer if I have to dump on the street on a tarp and drag the leaves into the trailer... the way the linkage looks it doesn’t look like it would be able to go up 7’ ramps into a trailer that is 24” off the ground. Thoughts?
Aaron Maslonka oh yeah gotcha...I backed it down a slope with no issues..but not sure with the rise you might have. I would recommend calling mfg company on that. (I am very happy with the machine so far tho!)
@@waxmanvids5015 so one is connected to pick up the leaves and there is one to shoot them out onto the trailer once picked up? That's amazing. Please elaborate.
Thanks for the video. I have been thinking about buying this unit for at least 5 years but haven't pulled the trigger. We live on 2.5 acres with lots of trees. I do the leaves myself and it can be brutal. How well does this work when the leaves are wet. Do they stick t the chute and clog it up?
dry and light is definitely best...if you have to do it wet do it when there is only a smallish layer and leaves and not alot because then they just clog up in front of the mower deck...
I usually do try to get it done when they’re dry but fall being what it is that doesn’t always work out and when the leaves get wet they take a while to dry unfortunately. Wet leaves are the worst. They clump up, clog the mower and they weigh 5 times as much.
Dave Smith First mounted as per the instructions and then just took a china marker to mark around the mower deck to match the rectangle up with the size of the discharge chute.. fine if mda cut you do is larger than side discharge of mower tho too..wont hurt anything
