# DIY Cyclone Rake For Zero turn & Tractor & Swivel or Not,,,



## Bud887 (Aug 20, 2020)

Well I did me another project made cyclone rake style BUT can use on Zero turn or Tractor OR can tow in swivel type mode or put locks on rear wheels and hook up with just one pin and tow like D&R type,--0-0-On zero turn just use an extension cause it longer
I got a whole $100 bucks in this blower cost $65 had used tires got rims $5 and made everything else, Tig welded the mount to the deck and made to fit both my mowers,,The swivel wheels I used 1 1/8 thick Aluminum block turned out for a larger bearing mounted it in and welded to a 1/2 Aluminum plate bolted to bottom, [plastic in between] And used 1/2inch mess for top vent??? Should work??

A little high but have to be carfull I guess?---It weighs 180lbs empty,,

Tried it out some seems work ok and blower has ALOT suction for sure---This fall will tell


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## andyvh1959 (Jul 1, 2015)

Impressive build. I have been on the edge of buying a Cyclone Rake for many years to handle the tons of leaves on my 1/2 acre city lot. Just don't want to deal with yet another engine to maintain especially on a device I'd use maybe two weekends a year. Just this September I bought a used Husqvarna R120S articulated mower with a front mount 42" deck.









My next project for this mower; I'm planning a leaf chipper/fan impeller that will mount on the front deck at the discharge side. Like the attached pic on a ZTR. I got a used 2nd-stage 11.5" diameter impeller from a snowblower that I'll mount inside an impeller housing I'm making. It'll have high speed rated bearings top and bottom, and I'll drive it from a pulley added to the rh spindle with a pulley sized so the impeller spins a bit faster than the blades. The impeller location will be similar to this pic of a Bad Boy ZTR.

I should be able to make a housing for the impeller possibly from a 20 gallon plastic barrel. It'll mount above and just to the rear of the deck discharge. Because the chassis articulates/rear steers the front wheels don't steer, so the impeller housing can locate close to the RH front tire. The impeller can be powered by a pulley added on top of one spindle for the rh blade. When the deck is lowered the power goes to the deck blades. I figure if the impeller spins a bit faster than the deck blades it'll help to minimize clogs. Doing this should have enough power and momentum to shred/chop the leaves without having to add another engine to the leaf collection system.

A challenge with the articulated chassis is to not interfere with the tight steering capability. It can tow a leaf cart like a Cyclone Rake as it has a tow eye cast into the rear frame, and bracing back to the frame so it turns with the rear of the chassis, and swivel at the tow eye. So I plan to make a tow behind bin on casters to track with the rear half of the chassis. I plan to route the leaf ducting hose up over the main chassis pivot to minimize bending the ducting. That way the ducting swings through the same pivot point as the chassis. For the bin cart wheels I hope to find a pair of used front spindles/wheels from a ZTR.

How has your design worked with the fall leaves?


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