I can report that the Victa Vac is a fantastic piece of equipment in the right setting.
We have a decent number of deciduous trees and vines around the house and many of them don’t even start dropping leaves until late autumn. The Victa vac is great at sucking up larger volumes of leaves that would otherwise be pretty unmanageable. I previously picked them up with a normal mower, emptying a catcher repeatedly into a trailer and by raking up big piles and transferring them. Now, provided the leaves are not wet, I can do the same job in half the time.
I have the big vac out twice a week at the moment, weather permitting. A couple of hours of leaf vacuum work and I’m ready for a change of pace.
Hi Ironbark, I used the one I have here on a nature strip I had cut with a 24, which was excellent along the footpath and the road/gutter but when I tried on the nature strip the front height adjuster wheel kept digging into the ground. I was thinking it might work better with a mower type wheel on each end of the vacuum chute
I used a hand held blower vac to suck up several small but dense piles of leaves and sticks and it was slow going and clogged a fair few times where I had to pull out a clump of twigs blocking the chute. It would have been simpler just to put it all in the bin by hand by the time I fitted the vacuum attachments and the weight of the machine and bag. Wasn't helped by the motor wanting to cut out periodically thanks to a new found flat spot.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
I used the one I have here on a nature strip I had cut with a 24, which was excellent along the footpath and the road/gutter but when I tried on the nature strip the front height adjuster wheel kept digging into the ground. I was thinking it might work better with a mower type wheel on each end of the vacuum chute
G’day Norm
Yes, that can be a bit of an issue. Most of my use is on grass and I pull the front wheel fully down against the stop when doing so. Because of the turning issues and clearance at the corners I was thinking that I might make a larger diameter single front wheel. If my grass was thicker thatch then I’d already be on to it but most of the time it’s not a big problem so long as I maintain awareness.
I’d dearly love another couple of bags for the thing but it seems they’re out of production.
A Powertorque vacuum cleaner would be handy for vacuuming the house. The carpets will come up like new! Just remember to open all the doors and windows.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Gee I forgot how truly shocking The Young Ones was. I wouldn't mind that engine on a mower but a helicopter turbine would be better. It would mulch the grass into a fine mush!
Those memes were classic.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Mine sounds a bit like an early aeroplane. Definitely not something to use without good quality hearing protection as the muffler points straight at the steel fan housing magnifying the noise which then comes directly back at the operator.
I was using the PT one a week or so ago and I can't recall it being too noisy. It doesn't have the right cowling on it because when the mower shop pulled it apart they didn't put the cowl back on so it has gone for good
My nearest neighbour isn’t within shouting distance so impacts on neighbours are not really an issue for me.
I have half a dozen Victa 2-strokes that see use, including one with the old “fishtail” style exhaust and the Victa Vac is significantly louder than any of them. I don’t mind the noise. I mostly have full-crank motors which have a feel to them that I particularly like.
I’ve been using heavy equipment since I was at primary school. A lot of it, particularly in the early days, was a bit rough around the edges. I’ve played music since I was a kid too and we’d wear ear muffs back then before most people. So now, if something might be loud, I wear earmuffs. Some things are too loud even with good earmuffs so in those situations I wear earbuds as well.
