I have rubber pavers down the centre of my alley. I know a leaf blower is popular but I am looking for alternatives. Has anyone had success using a vacuum?
a good wet/dry shopvac doesn’t cost the world and is good to have around the barn anyhow.
Plus you can reverse it from sucking to blowing.
Sounds like a good idea!
A shop vac will work, and there’s a type of lawn mower thing called a Billy Goat that picks up dirt, leaves, etc., and dumps them into a bag. A shop vac will be a lot cheaper, I’m sure!
my shopvac was only $50
Just curious because I’ve never worked around rubber pavers- are they hard to sweep? I hate to do a job with a loud obnoxious machine if a simple one will work. I treasure my quiet time in the barn.
[QUOTE=Plainandtall;6884499]
Just curious because I’ve never worked around rubber pavers- are they hard to sweep? I hate to do a job with a loud obnoxious machine if a simple one will work. I treasure my quiet time in the barn.[/QUOTE]
The rubber pavers are a real love hate thing. I love the traction and feel of working on them. They are very safe for the horses and are wonderful to look at when they are clean. They are however impossible to sweep. Mud dries and sticks, so even if well swept it leaves spot. The worst part though is that the cracks between the ‘bricks’ are impossible to get the shavings and dust out of. If you spend hours with a corn broom sweeping every single crack you can get them reasonable looking, otherwise it’s a nightmare and never meets my standards for a well swept barn even after a really good session with the broom.
I can’t speak for its use on rubber pavers, but I have one of these and am very happy with it.
http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Vac-4050010-Indoor-Outdoor-Vacuum/dp/B00018ALEQ/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt
We had a vacuum that looked like a push mower at the last barn I worked at and it was awesome! It was gas powered and picked up 95% of the sawdust and hay as long as it was dry. We just "scooped’’ the aisle with a muck fork, picking up any large chunks of whatever and long stemmed hay. The barn was a double aisle style with about 28 stalls and asphalt flooring that would have taken forever with a broom.
Many electric leaf “blowers” can also work in vacuum mode…the one we have at home is like that. It’s definitely easier to use than dragging a shop vac around for this kind of task!
[QUOTE=ponygrl25;6937543]
We had a vacuum that looked like a push mower at the last barn I worked at and it was awesome! It was gas powered and picked up 95% of the sawdust and hay as long as it was dry. We just "scooped’’ the aisle with a muck fork, picking up any large chunks of whatever and long stemmed hay. The barn was a double aisle style with about 28 stalls and asphalt flooring that would have taken forever with a broom.[/QUOTE]
I used one of those in a concrete floored aisle and it was wonderful.
Best I remember, the “mouth” of the vacuum was about 3’ wide, so it didn’t take that long on 16’ wide aisle, although it was a very long aisle.
It picked “everything” not nailed down up, don’t let your wienie dog get close.:lol:
[QUOTE=ponygrl25;6937543]
We had a vacuum that looked like a push mower at the last barn I worked at and it was awesome! [/QUOTE]
This sounds like just what I’m looking for. What kind was it, do you remember?
We had one like this, but ours was light grey color, don’t know the brand:
http://www.industrialairsolutions.com/industrial-vacuums/Vacuum_Sweepers/Power-vac-gas.htm
Holy crap, that’s IT! I wonder if you could use it to strip a stall?
When I boarded at a fancy barn with the rubber pavers, they used the Billy Goat mentioned previously to do the aisle. Worked great for them!
I wonder if an old fashioned Hoover upright couldn’t do the
job in your barn aisle? I would not use a shopvac as they
generally have long hoses and those tend to plug up if they
get hay in them and are a pain to unplug.
I just got a kick butt weed wacker/pole saw/brushcutter for which I can also get a blower for, I think I found narvana. I haven’t bought the blower attachment yet but it will soon be on the list. I love my shop vac because it sucks, blows and can also vaccum my “pig pen” horse but it takes up lots of room in my 12x 48 foot wide storage/tack closet/grooming area.
My vac is made by ShopVac, but looks like an industrial upright vacuum, complete with the bag hanging on the handle. I love that thing…been using one for 13 years now.
[QUOTE=Unfforgettable;6939444]
My vac is made by ShopVac, but looks like an industrial upright vacuum, complete with the bag hanging on the handle. I love that thing…been using one for 13 years now.[/QUOTE]
May be this one? It is electric, not gas:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200351977_200351977
Amazon has it for $164.
I own 2 shopvacs. One is the BIG one on wheels that you pull behind you. That thing sucks up everything, but it is pretty cumbersome and a PITA to store.
http://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-9-17761-Gallon-Vacuum-Horsepower/dp/B004C6AXV4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1366033585&sr=8-5&keywords=craftsman+shop+vac
The second one I have is the wall mountable 5 gallon shop vac. It’s not nearly as powerful, but has no problem with the straw/ hay/ poop in my aisle. I have not had it clog, but I could see where if you are only sucking up straw that it would be possible. If you Find a dirt clod, though, and it sends all the hay straight through the hoses and on into the canister. I use it daily to blow my 10x 40 aisle. Love it!
[QUOTE=Bluey;6939457]
May be this one? It is electric, not gas:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200351977_200351977
Amazon has it for $164.[/QUOTE]
That’s the one! Works very well, at least for my barn.
