When the leaves start turning, there is only one solution that works better than the rest.
I’m talking about a bagger on the back of your mower. In a recent test, I used the John Deere BUC11233 Material Collection System which has a two-bag attachment.
I’ll explain in a moment why this system works so well, but I have to say — the price of this bagger is lower than I expected at around $600. I’ve seen other bagger attachments that cost twice as much, but this model is matched with the John Deere lawn mower I own.
Leaves are a problem in my area right now. They are everywhere, and they keep coming with every gust of wind. My house is situated on a hill and there is a rock bed with several trees just at the bottom of the hill. That’s right — the leaves all fall onto the rock bed.
Every fall, the process starts right about now and lasts until mid November in most cases. Over the years, I’ve learned the best method for clean-up is to get the leaves off the rocks first. Then, I mow over them and make quick work of the leaves, all while riding in style on my green machine. This year was no different. I started using the bagger when the leaves first started falling and also found the attachment to work well with normal grass mowing.
The system attaches easily to the back of the tractor. There are a few brackets to add, but not that time consuming overall. Once attached, the system directs the grass of leaves to the two bins automatically. I didn’t have to make any adjustments, since the system is designed to disperse the leaves or grass into the two bags.
Removing each bag is also straightforward. They clip into place and they slide right out with no fuss. I had to experiment a little with how low I was cutting in the grass, since that really determines how much grass and how many leaves you are sucking up into the machine. When I lowered the deck too much, the bags filled up a bit faster than I wanted, so I raised the deck and things were a little more manageable.
The system saved me a ton of time because I was able to mulch up the leaves quite easily that were at the bottom of the hill. I’ve learned that this is the fastest system for getting rid of the leaves in my yard even faster than bagging them up by hand or even using a leaf blower to push all the leaves onto a tarp and then loading them into a truck.
Instead, I just used the bagging system and emptied each bag into the truck instead. Because the leaves were mulched so finely, I also didn’t have to deal with having leaves blowing all over the place or blowing out of the truck bed when I brought them up to the compost site.
My only slight issue was on that hill. With the bagger, the whole lawn tractor felt heavier and I couldn’t go to quite the same places in my yard. Imagine extending your lawn tractor another three feet and you’ll get the idea — it’s just a bigger machine overall with the baggers.
Still, I’ll take it. At least for a few weeks — then I have to give the loaner back.