The tractor mower is equipped with mulching blades and a mulching blower at the exit of the deck. With a single pass the leaves are chopped up to about the size of a penny. Full bags of dry leaves weigh between 35 and 40 lbs. When the leaves are wet the bags weigh closer to 50 lbs. per bag. Each trailer load is between 60 and 70 bags depending on how wet they are. I use the same deck height setting to mow and pick up leaves. At this time of year, the grass grows slowly so there's very little grass in the mix.
At 35 lbs. per bag and 65 bags per load each load weighs a minimum of 2,200 lbs. At 50 lbs. per bag a load weighs over 3,200 lbs. 15 loads weigh between 32,000 lbs. and 48,000 lbs. Not only do I have to load the trailer at the house, I also have to unload it at the recycle center. That means handling between 32,000 lbs. and 48,000 lbs. at least twice to get the job done.
At 76 years old and with a bad back I'm trying to come up with an easier way. We've already contacted several lawn services in the area and to me their prices are outrageous. They want between $1,200.00 and $1,500 dollars to do just the final cleanup. I can't imagine what it would cost to do the whole job. Just to complicate things the city doesn't allow contractors or commercial businesses to use the recycle center. They have to take the material they collect to the county landfill. That's about 15 miles away, and they charge $30.00 a ton disposal fee. That would add another $700.00 to the cost.
