# Stihl Leafsucker or Billy Goat?



## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

So I have a commeracial job that's going to involve a lot of leaf and debris removal. The Stihl leaf sucker is $300 and some change. It's only good for garden beds and not lawns they said. It shreds and bags the leaves.

The Billy Goat has two modes I'm interested in. One is $1100 and one is $1700 and has a 2" chipper shredder built in.

I'm generally a buy once, cry once kind of guy. I have 12,000 SqFt worth of beds to clean out. Either tool is something I will use regularly but I could get a few of the Stihls at the price of the Billy Goat.

Opinions? Links for deals on either?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Is renting a Billy Goat (or similar yard vac) an option? Or do you need to use one more frequently?


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Ware said:


> Is renting a Billy Goat (or similar yard vac) an option? Or do you need to use one more frequently?


I could rent it. I'd probably use it a minimum of once a week. The stihl unit I would use quite a few times a year but not necessarily weekly, because the billy goat can do lawns and pavement as opposed to just beds.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> I could rent it. I'd probably use it a minimum of once a week. The stihl unit I would use quite a few times a year but not necessarily weekly, because the billy goat can do lawns and pavement as opposed to just beds.


Gotcha - once a week is a lot. Definitely buy. I know some folks only need that type of equipment a couple times a year, so that's why I mentioned renting.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Yeah I'm doing commercial maintenance now. I'm just wondering if I can get by with a handheld unit until I can spring for the bigger one.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

I am not sure you can really compare the two. The billy goat is a superior machine, not only in build but also in functionality - it has a hose for the beds, it is self propelled (some), it has greater suction power through the lawn vac (can get thatch, leaves, really anything small enough), and it has a chipper up to 2 in. diameter for small yard waste.

The Stihl is just a vac/blower, but its upside is that it is cheaper and has a lot more mobility. That being said, it can't do the volume of work a billy goat can. It is a very good blower though, so that counts for something.

Personally, I would choose the billy goat for myself (and plan to), but it is my opinion that on the commercial side you need to be able to justify an expense before taking it on. My guess is that the Stihl will be more effective for you because it should be able to handle what you need at a lower cost.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

I have had a craftsman version of the Billy Goat for a very long time. It has a vacuum hose which I hardly ever used but could have and also a gadget where you take off the bag and use it as a blower which I did use a number of times. 5 horsepower is better than a backpack blower. It also has a chipper grinder which is very handy when you are vacuuming up leaves and find a stick and you just feed it in there and it turns into chips. I am a strong advocate of these and I have been patching up this craftsman goody (which has a molded plastic body) literally for decades. It recently got a brand new carburetor which makes it run and start like new.

But as everyone knows by now I am in new to me digs and there are beds around the house that are mulched with basaltic trap rock. I wanted to suck up leaves a little more conveniently and also up on the roofs so I bought an echo blower vac. My son and I both love it. It is powerful , sucks hard and starts instantly.

At my previous digs when I started picking up leaves with the craftsman my lawn dominating neighbor across the street went out and bought hisself a Billy Goat. It certainly makes more noise than the craftsman. I think it may suck better too but not sure. Finally one of these Billy Goats fell into my lap. OK I am a completely unrepentant equipment junkie. I haven't even cranked up the Billy Goat because I have been using the old craftman and the Echo. But I will this fall because the zipper on the craftsman is jammed and needs to be replaced.

In examining the Billy Goat I note several things. One is yes it's better made than the old craftman. Of course it retails for like five times as much. Two it has lots of extras that I got for my craftman included (made a deal with the floor salesman at sears in the eighties) Like the vacuum hose. and exit screen (standard on craftsman and $67 on Billy Goat and didn't come with mine but I will add one) The Billy Goat has a Honda motor. The craftsman has a Tecumseh (it was the 80s)

You can buy either of these all day long on Craigs List. The craftsman is probably not available but this one is which is almost the same and is less than a Billy Goat.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cub-Cadet-1-5-in-159cc-Gas-Chipper-Shredder-Vacuum-CSV-050/206493356

https://www.sears.com/craftsman-190cc-4-in-1-chipper-shredder-24inch-yard/p-07177033000P they do have craftsman. Probably all from MTD

http://www.patriot-products-inc.com/P/18/65HPGasLeafVacuumBlower
These guys deny any connection with sears or my craftman but when I was looking for a new bag their lawn vac resembles the old craftsman the most.

We use the Echo on the roof , in the beds, in the courtyard and around the A/C units. We could be using the craftsman but its hose is a bigger pia than on the newer units where it is mounted right there. I used the craftsman to suck up leaves in the lawn of my old place which had a lot of trees. I have trees here too but intend to grind up leaves mostly to increase the organic matter in the soil. But one of the reasons we were able to get a great deal on this place is that there were leave dunes all over and the sellers did not want to pay for lawn care. So we bought it right and cranked up the lawn vac.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Get the Stihl if you bill by the hour, the Goat if you have stuff to do.

I have a Stihl SH86, not a bad unit at all, but it ain't fast enough for commercial duty. Plus I think commercial bed cleanup would wear out the blower fan pretty quick.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

https://charleston.craigslist.org/grd/d/billy-goat/6595980960.html


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

gene_stl said:


> https://charleston.craigslist.org/grd/d/billy-goat/6595980960.html


Shot them an email, good call! Forgot about CL.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Thanks guys for all the detailed info! I think I'm going to try and find a billy goat type thing I can afford used to start with. Thanks Gene for the excellent writeup!

And @MasterMech I absolutely have stuff to do. lol


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Congratulations on your new venture. My advice is to get the best performing equipment you can. 12,000 sq ft of area to clean up every week is leaf loader or Billy Goat work. Blowers will not cut it.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

and leave us not forget that they might take less than $1000 for that Billy Goat. It probably cost them $3000.
https://www.leafblowersdirect.com/Billy-Goat-MV650SPH-Lawn-Vacuum/p7531.html


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Congratulations on your new venture. My advice is to get the best performing equipment you can. 12,000 sq ft of area to clean up every week is leaf loader or Billy Goat work. Blowers will not cut it.


Yeah I am in agreement with you. I just needed to hear somebody else tell me that  She has a pet peeve of people blowing leaves and debris under her boxwoods (which are extensive).

The FEature and 20^3 arrived today, so I'm looking forward to pruning it all up nice.


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