Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Hello all!

I am a newbie here, so please bear with me while I learn the ropes!

I have a chance to buy a Giant leaf vac in an online auction.  It is an older model as it is listed as having been in storage (inside) for approx 20 yrs.

The engine is listed as a Kohler, but in the pictures it looks like it might be a Briggs V-twin. (not sure)

It is a towable machine and has several lengths of about six in diameter hose with it.

There is no other info listed.

My question for you is this:  Would this machine be able to move wood chips?  I raise cattle and use chips for bedding, and I need to get the chips from the pile

outside of the barn, into the barn, and spread around in there.

Many thanks for your help!

I've never owned a vac that size.  But I would think it wouldn't have a problem sucking up the chips.  But the output from those units is pretty high (CFMs).  You would probably be blowing up a dust cloud in your barn big time.  Are you thinking about just trying to get the pile outside, to the inside in a pile?  Or were you thinking about trying to spray the chips around?  Also the length of the intake hose and output hoses would be a factor as well.  You'd also have to figure out a way to feed the intake hose into the pile, or feed the chips to the hose.  Not a problem if you have two people.  One on the intake hose and one on the output hose.  Also not a problem if your going to just create a pile in the barn.  Just my 2 cents.

I'd move the barn over the chips. Much easier.

I would look & see the shape & what material the impeller is made from since the machine was not designed for that kind of material or rough service (what size wood chips). If it's not a "squirrel cage" type, & made from fairly heavy metal you might get away with it, but if it's plastic it might self destruct in short order. Even the hoses would  wear out faster. You might be better off with wood shop dust/chip removal equipment. My $0.02