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  Dan Frazer Gardening November 19, 2011 at 5:15pm

  Most people that have tried these machines have given up and gone back to blowers and bags. You could use a good ride-on mower, works better than most things I know once the leaves have been windrowed.
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  Austin Powell-Allen November 19, 2011 at 5:15pm

  Why not use your rotary mower or ride on on a higher cut I  always have and seems to do the exact same job shreading and collecting leaves. It might mean you have to empty the cutting box a few more times.
• PRO

  Gary RK November 19, 2011 at 5:18pm

  You may wish to review this :

   

  http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/billy-goat-leaf-s...
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  Anthony Toop November 19, 2011 at 5:22pm

  I do use the mower at first, when leaf fall is light, but even then keep emptying the bag becomes a real chore and i end up switching to blower and hand collection pretty quick

  when i say lots of leaves i mean lawns and car parks covered in a layer of large leaves, its not practical to use the mower for these most of the time, and hand collection, particulary this year has been a tedious chore at the best of times!
• PRO

  Gary RK November 19, 2011 at 5:44pm

  For lawns etc

  Backpack blower, fencing pins, good netting, builder's bags and two rakes are all that are needed.

  The rest is technique and a bit of ingenuity ;-)

  For hard areas that are open/clear I have and can see the benefit of 'Billy Goat' style machinery.
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  Anthony Toop November 19, 2011 at 6:17pm

  Thanks for the link, interesting that most people revert back to blow and collect, i think perhaps a demo of some description, would be beneficial to get first hand experience before buying. Also i would prob buy second hand and see how it goes.

  As you say for large, easy access hard standing areas, they can be of benefit, not so much for grass areas. I would say 75% of the areas i need to clear are concrete/tarmac parking areas so for me at least one of these machines would work well and make life a bit easier. I appreciate that blowing and collecting can be just as efficient but its one of those things i hate doing, find it really tedious, like others hate weeding, which i dont mind to be honest!

  
  Gary RK said:

  For lawns etc

  Backpack blower, fencing pins, good netting, builder's bags and two rakes are all that are needed.

  The rest is technique and a bit of ingenuity ;-)

  For hard areas that are open/clear I have and can see the benefit of 'Billy Goat' style machinery.
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  Steve Sonic Grounds Maintenance November 19, 2011 at 6:27pm

  Hi Anthony

  If you are looking for a vacuum type, why not try the stihl handheld sh86. Its can blow into piles and can also be reverted into a vacuum aswell. Ive got one and although i dont use it alot, it can be a usefal tool.

  If your doing mainly carparks, id use a back blower most the time.

  For large lawns, i use my ride on mower with the blades raised as a hoover. Brilliant way of picking leaves up! 

  
  Anthony Toop said:

  Thanks for the link, interesting that most people revert back to blow and collect, i think perhaps a demo of some description, would be beneficial to get first hand experience before buying. Also i would prob buy second hand and see how it goes.

  As you say for large, easy access hard standing areas, they can be of benefit, not so much for grass areas. I would say 75% of the areas i need to clear are concrete/tarmac parking areas so for me at least one of these machines would work well and make life a bit easier. I appreciate that blowing and collecting can be just as efficient but its one of those things i hate doing, find it really tedious, like others hate weeding, which i dont mind to be honest!

  
  Gary RK said:

  For lawns etc

  Backpack blower, fencing pins, good netting, builder's bags and two rakes are all that are needed.

  The rest is technique and a bit of ingenuity ;-)

  For hard areas that are open/clear I have and can see the benefit of 'Billy Goat' style machinery.
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  Steve Sonic Grounds Maintenance November 19, 2011 at 6:27pm

  I personally wouldnt buy a billy goat.
  
  Steve www.soniclandscaping.co.uk said:

  Hi Anthony

  If you are looking for a vacuum type, why not try the stihl handheld sh86. Its can blow into piles and can also be reverted into a vacuum aswell. Ive got one and although i dont use it alot, it can be a usefal tool.

  If your doing mainly carparks, id use a back blower most the time.

  For large lawns, i use my ride on mower with the blades raised as a hoover. Brilliant way of picking leaves up! 

  
  Anthony Toop said:

  Thanks for the link, interesting that most people revert back to blow and collect, i think perhaps a demo of some description, would be beneficial to get first hand experience before buying. Also i would prob buy second hand and see how it goes.

  As you say for large, easy access hard standing areas, they can be of benefit, not so much for grass areas. I would say 75% of the areas i need to clear are concrete/tarmac parking areas so for me at least one of these machines would work well and make life a bit easier. I appreciate that blowing and collecting can be just as efficient but its one of those things i hate doing, find it really tedious, like others hate weeding, which i dont mind to be honest!

  
  Gary RK said:

  For lawns etc

  Backpack blower, fencing pins, good netting, builder's bags and two rakes are all that are needed.

  The rest is technique and a bit of ingenuity ;-)

  For hard areas that are open/clear I have and can see the benefit of 'Billy Goat' style machinery.
• 

  Kieran Ray November 19, 2011 at 6:40pm

  Billy goats are great on hard surfaces, we have 2 of them, use them on all of the commercial sites for leaf clearance in car parks etc. On turf they are not that great, due to the narrow solid wheels, but we use then to clear up after scarifying as thats what they are actualy designed for!

  I think alot of people who dont like billy goats just havent used one for long enough to realise how to use them efectivley! It took me a while of mutiple passes to achive the results I wanted using the different height settings before I got the knack.

  Of course IF you where to get one they are also great for other commercial work, we use them alot to clear up after hedge cutting, if the hedges are trimmed frequently its a doddle! Also to clear litter, especialy dog ends. Also for clearing the kerbs of debris and weeds that collect there, far easier than a brush shovel and wheel barrow.

  On paved areas we also find it easiest to blow allof the leaves against the kerbs and then just walk along these rather than the whole area.
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  Anthony Toop November 19, 2011 at 6:50pm

  Thank you Kieren, a very useful insight, this is exactly what i was hoping someone would have to say about them, with practical experience 'in the field' pardon the pun

  cheers

  
  Kieran Ray said:

  Billy goats are great on hard surfaces, we have 2 of them, use them on all of the commercial sites for leaf clearance in car parks etc. On turf they are not that great, due to the narrow solid wheels, but we use then to clear up after scarifying as thats what they are actualy designed for!

  I think alot of people who dont like billy goats just havent used one for long enough to realise how to use them efectivley! It took me a while of mutiple passes to achive the results I wanted using the different height settings before I got the knack.

  Of course IF you where to get one they are also great for other commercial work, we use them alot to clear up after hedge cutting, if the hedges are trimmed frequently its a doddle! Also to clear litter, especialy dog ends. Also for clearing the kerbs of debris and weeds that collect there, far easier than a brush shovel and wheel barrow.

  On paved areas we also find it easiest to blow allof the leaves against the kerbs and then just walk along these rather than the whole area.