Bought a similar used Yard Boss 550 six years ago. The seller couldn't get it to start at the time. So he cut the price in half. Good deal! When I got home, removed the bowl to reveal the bad gas just like in this video. Great machine! The flail blades inside this machine pulverize everything into bits. I typically use my backpack blower to blow the leaves away from the house, away from the outside edges of the property, away from trees, etc... It helps to concentrate too. Then I vacuum them up. Good video!
Good vid.! Many years ago we bagged or raked the grass. As a kid, I absolutely hated that , took all day for a .30 acre lot and I only got 5 bucks no matter how long it took, so I began mowing a circle blowing the grass toward the center. Later by the mid 70's mulching mowers became trendy and we had one and I maintained the routine. I still mow it into the yard to this day whichever machine I use. I'm considering a lawn vac similar to the video, to try out. Don't REALLY need one, but may be fun...
The outfit that I worked for had a blower like that with a flat head Briggs 8 horse and a vacuum with a Tecumseh. This was before backpack blowers and we blew and vacuumed leaves out of flower beds and bushes instead of hand picking. Then came the 1st Stihl backpacks and both of them got sold. I personally blow my leaves into a pile and then take the 85 blower and put on the vacuum and pick them up for mulch. Good garden stuff. Thanks and Blessings!
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE The 85 with the vacuum is a dream come true. Blowing them into a pile and fluffs therm up just enough for the vacuum to do the deal easily. And it's simple and quick to switch back and forth between blower and vac..
I don't have a lot of leaves, compared to other folks, but I also nned to clear them out from the street in front of my house, or else they will flow over the sewer grate in front of the house next to mine (we are at a low point for the street, so if the sewer is covered with leaves, the excess rain will flood over). I have a Snapper 21" Hi-Vac mower, and that does a great job of lifting leaves off the grass, and especially, off the street surface. The bag can fill and need to be emptied often, but I keep a leaf bag or empty wheel barrow nearby. Mowing and vac'ing leaves crushes them, maybe not as well as this dedicated leaf vac does, but it's a good way to use your mower for something more than cutting grass.
I'd would need to use the leaves as mulch around the trees ever since the summer weather is unforgiving to the plants in Australia so they need the leaves to retain the moisture in the soil & it creates humus for the trees to feed on. We have had 45-46°C days on occasions over here so it gets as hot as the Arizona desert for a day or 2 then it's back down to the 30°C mark, having mulch around the plants stops the water evaporating when we've got water restrictions in place !
Nice video. the leaves that fall in my yard where I mow I mulch them but the very back of my yard is the woods and a bank and with the leaves there I blow them over the bank
For me, I would do two things. If the leaves fell in the driveway, I take my blower and blow the leaves into the grass. Second thing, I come along and use the mower on the highest setting with the bag attachment and suck up the leaves where I can dispose them into either a garbage can or leave them on the side and the county comes in and takes it
I have the same vacum,bought it used 3yrs ago,had minor problems with tires going flat & drive star gear worn out,repaired(parts still available)Worked great last year and ran tank dry before storing,,,This year it didn't start,so i decided to tear it apart and service it,,,,Clean everything with carb cleaner,new coil, & changed oil,new gas tank(tank was dried out and stress cracks) just waiting on todays mail for new plug & air filter,,,,,,FINGERS CROSSED THAT IT WILL START,,Loosend fuel bowl and gas came out
I have this same mulcher - neighbor was giving it away! It hadn't been run in a long while. I have fresh fuel fuel to the carb, replaced the spark plug. With throttle control at fast and a couple of primer pumps, I get nothing. Also, nothing with spraying cleaner into the air intake. The pull rewind is a bit slow. I've never pulled a carb off any of my other equipment but that'll be next. Other suggestions? Anything I may have missed in the starting? Pulled both the owner manual and engine guide and haven't found anything. (I don't have a fuel flow valve or choke options per manual.)
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Thanks for the quick reply!! Yes, I pulled the new plug, connected it to the spark plug wire, and when I pulled the rope I saw a spark and heard a faint crackle/pop.
SUCCESS!!! Sort of - switched to Seafoam spray and she took - a few sputters but up and running!! After I shutdown to empty the bag, had to add a shot of carb cleaner to get her going again. But still... SUCCESS! So far, not great on gum balls (for those of you who don't have them - love the tree, hate the fruit - like velcro in your grass) - will see if I can work on the suction
I have the same machine and it is great - when it works. I am having some gas dripping out of the carburetor bowl. Do you have a suggestion to fix it- thanks in advance
if its dripping from the bowl, I would suggest replacing the bowl gasket and the gasket for the bolt. However, if the fuel is coming from the carbs mouth, then I would replace the whole carb.
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I checked the bowl nut and it was a little loose. I removed it and the gaskets are in good shape so I put it back together and tightened the bowl nut. It is stopped the leak which is great so my shed does not stink of gasoline. Thanks for the help. Great video for both information and image quality BTW.
I have a very similar model of Yardman 5.5 self propelled that I got back in 1998. Huge timesaver for me when I lived on a 1 acre property that had oak and maple trees all around. Back yard was a woods, front yard was grass with a huge oak , several smaller oaks, hickory and maple, and then some scattered dogwoods. I could not mulch the leaves into the front lawn - simply too many of them. I would say I stretched my Yardman to its limits chipping fallen branches and vacuuming leaves. I would use it several hours each and every weekend throughout the fall, and then perhaps 1 or 2 hours every month spring and summer. l counted one year and I got just above 80 bags of leaves from the Yardman in the fall. Those were Yardman shredded bags, not raked bags. Seriously. My issue now, 23 years later, and now living at a less leafy place, is keeping her running after so much heavy use. So this was helpful reminder of some basics re the engine. This weekend I put in an inner tube into one of the tubeless rear tires that could no longer inflate as the rim got a bit corroded. Need to replace the recoil starter as the spring is shot, and I really should get a replacement bag finally - have resewn and patched my old one , but it is time to move on....
I wish that it works that way, I find that like right now, when it rains hard, I find the "mulched" leaves from last year coming up, as thatch. I would pick as much as possible.
What I personally do is when I'm cutting my lawn with my brushcutter I usually cut grass and leaves together then I wait a few days for it to dry off a little before I rake up then burn the grass, leaves and branches together.
Bought a similar used Yard Boss 550 six years ago. The seller couldn't get it to start at the time. So he cut the price in half. Good deal! When I got home, removed the bowl to reveal the bad gas just like in this video. Great machine! The flail blades inside this machine pulverize everything into bits. I typically use my backpack blower to blow the leaves away from the house, away from the outside edges of the property, away from trees, etc... It helps to concentrate too. Then I vacuum them up. Good video!
Thank you for the comment I appreciate it
Good vid.!
Many years ago we bagged or raked the grass. As a kid, I absolutely hated that , took all day for a .30 acre lot and I only got 5 bucks no matter how long it took, so I began mowing a circle blowing the grass toward the center. Later by the mid 70's mulching mowers became trendy and we had one and I maintained the routine. I still mow it into the yard to this day whichever machine I use. I'm considering a lawn vac similar to the video, to try out. Don't REALLY need one, but may be fun...
Its definitely a change from mowing it into the lawn. Thanks for the comment I appreciate it
I have mowed mine into the lawn for years seems to work best for me.
Excellent. It doesn't seem to hurt at all.
The outfit that I worked for had a blower like that with a flat head Briggs 8 horse and a vacuum with a Tecumseh. This was before backpack blowers and we blew and vacuumed leaves out of flower beds and bushes instead of hand picking. Then came the 1st Stihl backpacks and both of them got sold. I personally blow my leaves into a pile and then take the 85 blower and put on the vacuum and pick them up for mulch. Good garden stuff. Thanks and Blessings!
that's a very good way, to make short work of those leaves.
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE The 85 with the vacuum is a dream come true. Blowing them into a pile and fluffs therm up just enough for the vacuum to do the deal easily. And it's simple and quick to switch back and forth between blower and vac..
I don't have a lot of leaves, compared to other folks, but I also nned to clear them out from the street in front of my house, or else they will flow over the sewer grate in front of the house next to mine (we are at a low point for the street, so if the sewer is covered with leaves, the excess rain will flood over). I have a Snapper 21" Hi-Vac mower, and that does a great job of lifting leaves off the grass, and especially, off the street surface. The bag can fill and need to be emptied often, but I keep a leaf bag or empty wheel barrow nearby. Mowing and vac'ing leaves crushes them, maybe not as well as this dedicated leaf vac does, but it's a good way to use your mower for something more than cutting grass.
that Hi-Vac seems to be working well for you.
Well done. Excellent presentation and explanation. Thanks a lot.
You are welcome!
For removing my leaves are usually get my mower with the bagger takes like a bunch of empties of the bag
That's a great method for taking care of the leaves.
I'd would need to use the leaves as mulch around the trees ever since the summer weather is unforgiving to the plants in Australia so they need the leaves to retain the moisture in the soil & it creates humus for the trees to feed on.
We have had 45-46°C days on occasions over here so it gets as hot as the Arizona desert for a day or 2 then it's back down to the 30°C mark, having mulch around the plants stops the water evaporating when we've got water restrictions in place !
Oh I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing the information
Nice video. the leaves that fall in my yard where I mow I mulch them but the very back of my yard is the woods and a bank and with the leaves there I blow them over the bank
Thank you hunter1953 for your comment. I kinda wish I had a bank to blow mine over.
I use a mulching mower bagger.
Thanks for the comment I appreciate it very much
Thanks for this video. I own the same machine. It has worked great for many years. Do you know if this machine can be adapted for 110V Electric Start?
I dont think so because you would need to replace the flywheel as well. Lots of work.
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I can see that, thanks for the reply.
@@rogozzy1 no problem
For me, I would do two things. If the leaves fell in the driveway, I take my blower and blow the leaves into the grass. Second thing, I come along and use the mower on the highest setting with the bag attachment and suck up the leaves where I can dispose them into either a garbage can or leave them on the side and the county comes in and takes it
Yes that seems to be a very good method for taking care of the leaves. Thanks for the comment I appreciate it
I have the same vacum,bought it used 3yrs ago,had minor problems with tires going flat & drive star gear worn out,repaired(parts still available)Worked great last year and ran tank dry before storing,,,This year it didn't start,so i decided to tear it apart and service it,,,,Clean everything with carb cleaner,new coil, & changed oil,new gas tank(tank was dried out and stress cracks) just waiting on todays mail for new plug & air filter,,,,,,FINGERS CROSSED THAT IT WILL START,,Loosend fuel bowl and gas came out
hope it works
I have this same mulcher - neighbor was giving it away! It hadn't been run in a long while. I have fresh fuel fuel to the carb, replaced the spark plug. With throttle control at fast and a couple of primer pumps, I get nothing. Also, nothing with spraying cleaner into the air intake. The pull rewind is a bit slow. I've never pulled a carb off any of my other equipment but that'll be next. Other suggestions? Anything I may have missed in the starting? Pulled both the owner manual and engine guide and haven't found anything. (I don't have a fuel flow valve or choke options per manual.)
very nice of your neighbor to give it to you. Have you confirmed that you have spark?
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Thanks for the quick reply!! Yes, I pulled the new plug, connected it to the spark plug wire, and when I pulled the rope I saw a spark and heard a faint crackle/pop.
I thought I'd seen a comment about disconnecting "something" before attempting to start but cannot find it. May have misread.
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Also, with the spark plug removed, when I pull the started rope, I feel air coming up through the spark plug hole.
SUCCESS!!! Sort of - switched to Seafoam spray and she took - a few sputters but up and running!! After I shutdown to empty the bag, had to add a shot of carb cleaner to get her going again. But still... SUCCESS! So far, not great on gum balls (for those of you who don't have them - love the tree, hate the fruit - like velcro in your grass) - will see if I can work on the suction
We rake our leaves onto the dirt driveway, they’re Live Oak Leaves, very dense small leaves.
thanks for the information
1:56
I have the same machine and it is great - when it works. I am having some gas dripping out of the carburetor bowl. Do you have a suggestion to fix it- thanks in advance
if its dripping from the bowl, I would suggest replacing the bowl gasket and the gasket for the bolt. However, if the fuel is coming from the carbs mouth, then I would replace the whole carb.
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I checked the bowl nut and it was a little loose. I removed it and the gaskets are in good shape so I put it back together and tightened the bowl nut. It is stopped the leak which is great so my shed does not stink of gasoline. Thanks for the help. Great video for both information and image quality BTW.
no problem And I appreciate your Time
How do u dran the oil
There's a tube that comes off the bottom of the engine. Open the cap and the oil comes out.
I have a leaf vacuum when I spray carburetor fluid in it it stays running but when the fluid runs out it cuts right back off any suggestions
sure, replace the carb.
I have a very similar model of Yardman 5.5 self propelled that I got back in 1998. Huge timesaver for me when I lived on a 1 acre property that had oak and maple trees all around. Back yard was a woods, front yard was grass with a huge oak , several smaller oaks, hickory and maple, and then some scattered dogwoods.
I could not mulch the leaves into the front lawn - simply too many of them. I would say I stretched my Yardman to its limits chipping fallen branches and vacuuming leaves. I would use it several hours each and every weekend throughout the fall, and then perhaps 1 or 2 hours every month spring and summer. l counted one year and I got just above 80 bags of leaves from the Yardman in the fall. Those were Yardman shredded bags, not raked bags. Seriously.
My issue now, 23 years later, and now living at a less leafy place, is keeping her running after so much heavy use. So this was helpful reminder of some basics re the engine.
This weekend I put in an inner tube into one of the tubeless rear tires that could no longer inflate as the rim got a bit corroded.
Need to replace the recoil starter as the spring is shot, and I really should get a replacement bag finally - have resewn and patched my old one , but it is time to move on....
These are great vacuums but it might be time to move on.
For me it’s a lot easier to mulch my Leaves I heard it also makes good fertilizer for the grass
I wish that it works that way, I find that like right now, when it rains hard, I find the "mulched" leaves from last year coming up, as thatch. I would pick as much as possible.
i would pick leaves from my yard as they can stress your lawn and they help keep the weeds in the garden beds at bay
i see thats a great use for them
What I personally do is when I'm cutting my lawn with my brushcutter I usually cut grass and leaves together then I wait a few days for it to dry off a little before I rake up then burn the grass, leaves and branches together.
I wish I could do that where I live.
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE every part of the world have different rules that we need to follow.
What is the engine model number can you provide a pic?
can't upload pics in the comment section but the engine model is 0HH55 and the spec Is 69024G
Why is it knocking
That's the cutting blades on the fan side. Sorta like a big sink disposal.
I mowed them in to mulch and that's it
thats probably a better idea
Replacement Bag
I've got to bag I just didn't bother putting it on for filming. I used it just yesterday and it was well worth the money.
That was easy. You just wanted to change the oil. You silly. :p
You got me man.
Pick them up like do with grass clippings.
thank you Gary Lollman.
I prefer mulching
Thanks for your comment. I like mulching too as I do it with my grass clippings. The leaves just take too long to break down.
My issue is my is locked up
sorry to hear that. Have you tried putting anything in the engine to free It up
I don’t think that engine has a brake on it
no I don't think it's designed to have one.
The air fliter did not look to great a drity air fliter is engine ,s worst friend. I mulch the leaf,s in my & my grass custmer,s yard
You're correct the air filter could definitely be replaced. Thanks for the comment I appreciate it
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE you are welcome young man😀😊😃😁