Billy Goat or Similar?

[YellowHammer]

Correct.  I'm looking for a man portable machine to bag the debris in the building and other places that has accumulated during the week, basically use the machine like a souped up vacuum cleaner.  I have to blow the buildings out every week before customers show up, and it's a total, nasty, dusty mess, total pain and ends up blowing debris and leaves under the pallets and racks which is a fire hazard, as much as I try not to.  Also all over the computer, the printer, and the office counter, so then I have to go back and clean all that up.  Last week the wind was blowing and as soon as I blew the leaves and sawdust out of the building, it all blew back in.  I'm using the baddest backpack blower Stihl makes, and it's more of a blow the mess over there, but I want way to capture and remove it.  So I was using the Billie Goat cleaning the shop floor, on concrete, when it died. The machine was a fail, but sucking the debris up real easy was a success.  However, then I smelled rubber burning and the self propel belt shredded and came out in pieces. 

I'm looking for a cross between a Kirby vacuum cleaner and a debris collector, except self propelled and more the size of a old school push mower.  Most likely not a Bille Goat brand unless they make a machine that doesn't require total disassembly to replace a $5 belt.  

Also, there is always stuff under the sawmill and edger that the dust collector won't pick up and I have to reach under there with a broom or rake, pull it out, and shovel it.  I'd like to just stick a big vacuum hose under there and it all goes into a bag, so I can dump into the burn pit.  

As a secondary issue, in general, our Kubota zero turn mower blades don't do a real good job of chopping the acres of leaves we have in the yard, they just spit them back out.  

[Hilltop366]

For the lawn I use a tow behind grass sweeper, I use it mostly for grass clippings but it does seem to pick up leaves.

[JD Guy]

For the lawn I use a tow behind grass sweeper, I use it mostly for grass clippings but it does seem to pick up leaves.

This is the route that I went for large yard area, originally was mostly for picking up those d***** sweet gum balls :(. Took the sweet gum down this spring, YEAH! so now just for leaves. That doesn't help with OP needs though.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I have not tried it but understand many of the leaf blowers can be reversed to create a vacuum. Have any of you tried it? Would this work for the indoor work you are discussing, Robert?

[Tom King]

How close is your Dust Collection ductwork?  Hose on a blastgate??

[Tom King]

I watched several videos on such yard vacuums, and I just can't be that impressed with them.  My Snapper Hi-Vac self propelled electric start push mower does a better job faster than this shows.  We use it for our dog yards, and not only does it cut grass, but it cleans the ground like a vacuum cleaner would.  It does have a belt that overdrives the blade speed, but I haven't had to change it since we bought the mower.  The dog yards aren't that big though-maybe 2500 sq. ft. each.

Here is a video of what didn't impress me.

Crary Bear Cat® WV160 Wheeled Vacuum Family in Action - YouTube

Once we get the wedding rental point going, first plan is to buy a Walker mower.  A neighbor here has one and it's a ride on version of something that does the same job our Hi-Vac does.

Leaf Cleanup With The Walker Mower - YouTube

[gspren]

  I have not tried it but understand many of the leaf blowers can be reversed to create a vacuum. Have any of you tried it? Would this work for the indoor work you are discussing, Robert?

I have a Stihl BG86 hand held blower with a vacuum attachment, I like it for small jobs not for cleaning the yard. Sometimes when it's windy and I have leaves in my pole building I'll vac them up rather than blow them out and watch them blow back in, similarly I sometimes get a pile of leaves in front of the garage door and it's better to vac them up, I wouldn't try sticks, acorns etc as the fan doesn't look like it would handle that stuff.

[Stephen1]

  I have not tried it but understand many of the leaf blowers can be reversed to create a vacuum. Have any of you tried it? Would this work for the indoor work you are discussing, Robert?

I have a Stihl BG86 hand held blower with a vacuum attachment, I like it for small jobs not for cleaning the yard. Sometimes when it's windy and I have leaves in my pole building I'll vac them up rather than blow them out and watch them blow back in, similarly I sometimes get a pile of leaves in front of the garage door and it's better to vac them up, I wouldn't try sticks, acorns etc as the fan doesn't look like it would handle that stuff.

I have the same unit but find it a pain to put on and take off and carry the bag around. 

[gspren]

  I have not tried it but understand many of the leaf blowers can be reversed to create a vacuum. Have any of you tried it? Would this work for the indoor work you are discussing, Robert?

I have a Stihl BG86 hand held blower with a vacuum attachment, I like it for small jobs not for cleaning the yard. Sometimes when it's windy and I have leaves in my pole building I'll vac them up rather than blow them out and watch them blow back in, similarly I sometimes get a pile of leaves in front of the garage door and it's better to vac them up, I wouldn't try sticks, acorns etc as the fan doesn't look like it would handle that stuff.

I have the same unit but find it a pain to put on and take off and carry the bag around.

Since I have a blower attachment for my Stihl Combi, and a Milwaukee M18 blower I seldom if ever take the vac attachment off the BG86

[YellowHammer]

I saw that video or the Bear Cat also, and was equally not impressed.  I looked at the snapper high vac, but it's not rated for debris or wood chips.    

Still looking.  

[Tom King]

Yes, I wouldn't use that Snapper mower for anything other than grass and a few leaves.  I did use it as a test for picking up acorns, and it did get most of them, but don't intend to keep using it for that.  Even picking up leaves, the bag fills up so fast it's not worth the trouble other than in the fairly small dog yards.

We have been through several bagging mowers for the dog yards.  We need to keep those yards clean to keep the long haired dogs clean and keep them from dragging stuff in the house.  I used to blow the yards out after cutting with other bagging mowers, but the Hi-Vac cleans them cleaner than the blower and lesser bagging mowers did.

It's not built heavy enough to expect it to last doing harder work than that though.

[YellowHammer]

I'm actually surprised there isn't an easy option.  I'm web surfing every day looking for an alternative, it's starting to become a thorn in my side kind of thing.

I keep coming back to Bile Goat, so I guess I'm going to contact them and see if they have a self propelled option that when the belt breaks doesn't involve removing the engine and impeller to change it.  I noticed some of their "pro" models have a smooth floor attachment, but those didn't come with a self propelled or electric start option.  Jeeez...

I sent an email through the Bearcat website a few days ago, and have not heard back from them at all.  Not the kind of support I want.  Silence.  

I've looked Troy Built, and they look fairly light weight.

It wouldn't bother me to get a lawn mower style if it could take bigger debris.  I don't want a "pull behind" version, although maybe a stand on version would be OK.  I don't want just a blower, because that just moves the mess over "there" and I want to remove the mess with a bag or hopper.  I want a suction hose option for getting under the mill and edger, as well as behind the lumber racks.

Not as easy as I'd thought.

[Bruno of NH]

Could you get the pull behind Billy goat with long 6" hose and make a floor type roller attachment to clean up the hard areas ?

[Bruno of NH]

Did you check Mighty Mac or Little Wonder for what they offer?

[YellowHammer]

Nice - I had not seen Mighty Mac, I will check them out, thanks! I see they have a self propelled and electric start version.  I don't know about their reputation or construction.  Does anyone have any experience with them? I had looked at the Little Wonder.  They had more blowers than Vacs.

[Bruno of NH]

I had a friend that owned a rental yard and he rented them out .
They make other stuff like rototillers 

[YellowHammer]

So they were at least "Rental Tough"?  That's a good sign.  I was reading a review on them and one guy said he had owned both, Goat and Mighty Mac and said he much preferred the Mighty.