http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-reviews Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:15:05 GMT Latest reviews about Craftsman 8.25 Torque Rating (206cc) Monster Yard Vac http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-bff5 Amazingly, my first negative review never showed up here. I'll try again. When working, this product is terrific. I have over 1 acre of wooded property and it does a great job. The assembly is every bit as difficult as everyone else here has said. The instructions when you get to the cover are worse than useless. I'm skeptical of the reviews that say what used to take 2 weeks now takes 2 hours -- because this vac does clog easily, so you can't exactly let every last leaf fall before you get started. I've used this every weekend for a few hours for several weekends in a row. After about 8 hours of total use, the axle snapped into 2 pieces.... Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:15:05 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-bff5 sears-feed 2 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-d993 I bought this Vac October 2008 and I will highly recommend it for any home owner with 1+ acres and lots of trees. It use to take me a few weekends to completely clean my 1.25 acre every year. with this Vac it only took me a less than 2 hours. Having the mowers blade ON will help shred the leafs before they get into Vac blades and your lawn will look way much cleaner than using the Vac by it self, also it will hold much more. Be aware that it dose not come with engine oil. make sure to buy some before you go home or you will have to make another trip to the store. Assembling the cover was somewhat of a pain for one person only, it maybe easier if you have someone to help you. After using it a few times i don't think i will do without it anymore. PS make sure to have ear protection and a dust mask.cutting the opening for the lawnmower was easy using a jigsaw. Good luck.... Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:45:05 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-d993 sears-feed 5 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-c163 I have over two acres with many BIG old oak, Hickory, and pecan trees. This machine can do the whole yard in a day while it took several days of raking and tarp dragging before. So the bottom line is that it works pretty well but there are a few tricks. The main thing is don't overfill it. I now stop often and dismount to check if it is full. If you overfill it to the hose gets plugged and you have to disassemble it to unplug it. It trails well and backs well behind my 42 in Sears mower but you need to be careful with tight turns around trees, etc. or the trailer will hit the tree. It works best with a shallow, even layer of leaves. Piles of leaves can be a problem (high clog potential) and you need to go slow if leaves are deep. The best part is the easy trip to dump the hopper. "Dumping" is not hard but you need to rake the leaves out of the trailer, they don't just dump out. The motor started on the first pull every time so far. Assembly was not as hard as some reviewers imply but my...... Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:00:05 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-c163 sears-feed 4 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-8baa I wanted a yard vac for the last 4 or 5 years so I went ahead and got one. I kept putting it off because I did'nt think that they would work very good. I had a bagger and all I had was trouble with it being stopped up all the time and thougt the vac would do the same. I read the reviews before I order it and seen that it was hard to put together. I did'nt think that it was all that hard. I had it up and running in around 3 hours or less. I think if you lay out all of your nuts and bolts in order it will go faster. When I used it the first time I was quit pleased with the way it worked. If I would have know it worked that good I would have gotten one a long time ago.... Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:45:06 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-8baa sears-feed 5 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-713e Read the other reviews and picked this little beauty up. It was one of my best purchases to date. This unit works great. It would be nice if it was a little bigger but then it would not be so easy to haul behind the mower. I have a 42" Craftsman mower (YS4500) and it pulls this thing around no problem. I had the grass catcher attachment with the mower so like one of the other reviewers I attached this unit to the chute that came with the grass catcher instead of cutting out the adaptor. I used a 6" clay pipe to 6" PVC pipe rubber adapter with band seals. The only problem I've had is when I run over HUGE piles of leaves it somtimes gets clogged. I have just under 2 heavily wooded acres and it takes about 4-5 dumps to do the whole thing. I do have the mulcher blades on the mower so it tears up the leaves before sending them into the bagger. The only thing you have to watch is your turning radius, you have to take wider turns and you can't go around a tree in one pass but I'll trade off a...... Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:30:05 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-713e sears-feed 5 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-c0a3 I picked this up on a closeout. Great price. I think this was a good value purchase but only time will tell. I will echo the same build time I have read in the other reviews. I had only one assembly problem in the alignment of the holes on the cart bed. It was easy work with a drill to make it work. I fit this to an older Ariens GT18 tractor. I think I may make an easier way of removing the deck attachment. It really adds a lot of width to the deck making storage an issue. I think the bracket could be mounted with a better arrangement for easier removal. I'm working on that part, this will also make clearing clogs easier. I find this likes to clog at the deck attachment where the larger area of the chute gets funneled down to the hose diameter. Small sticks that are not reduced by the mower are catalyst to these events I think. I've had 2 each day I used it and I think I can get better at it. But in the end this monster is effective. I feel much better (my back) after a day of using this...... Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:15:04 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-c0a3 sears-feed 4 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-7e3a0 I am very happy with my decision to buy this yard vac. It's like they say "You get what you pay for." The only other vac's I could fine were in the $1000+ price range which is more than I was willing/wanting to spend. With shipping this thing cost me just under $800. Like others have said assembly is a little time consuming, but not anything overwhelming. I just took my time, read the instructions, studied the pictures, and got it together without any problems in about three nights, a couple of hours each night when I got home after work. After putting in oil and gas it started on the first pull. It vacuums like a banshee. I'm using it on a Exmark ZTR which is not one of the listed mowers, but I just fixed the plastic vacuum chute to the deck, traced the outline of the mower discharge chute, removed it from the mower, and cut it out with a jigsaw. It's working great! I have about four acres that I mow with a lot of leaves and I've used it twice so far. I have never used a lawn vacuum before,...... Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:15:04 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-7e3a0 sears-feed 5 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-082a0 I purchased this equipment late summer 07 in preparation for the fall leaves...i have less then an acre, but my yard is a magnet for my leaves as well as everyone elses...assembly of the machine is long and cumbersome...the cart was easy to put together, but the soft top was a challenge, since the instructions are not the best...i didn't like the construction of the cart's axle, it's construction appeared to me that it wouldnt withstand heavy loads in addition to the plastic wheels...i spent a lot of time cutting the deck adapter, the templates provided in the kit was accurate, which helped...as far as performance, the machine worked brilliantly...i was able to get the bulk of my "leaf infested" yard cleaned up in about 1-2 hours instead of many hours of raking...the engine always started on the first pull and had plenty of power to get the job done...i bought the additional hose for flower beds...there is massive amount of suction, so much that you have to be careful about sucking in foreign...... Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:45:16 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-082a0 sears-feed 4 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-a3500 I picked this up in October as the leaves were beginning to fall. My previous 4 in 1 Yard Vac had blown its engine, so I was a bit hesitant about another Craftsman product, but I'm glad I did. After about 4.5 hours of assembly, I was ready to try my new "toy". Cutting the mower deck template can really try your patience and test your nerve because you only get one chance. Also, you really need another set of hands during assembly. I have about an acre+, with oak trees on three sides as well as in the yard (lottsa leaves). The unit does a good job abd holds a lot of mulched leaves. Very noisy (louder than the tractor). Have to watch adapter as you turn or too much space developes, losing suction to deck. A real back saver with the optional hose.... Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:30:10 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-a3500 sears-feed 4 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-33d8 Because this product is generic it needs to be configured to your particular tractor. It would be very difficult to assemble if you have little mechanical ability. You really need a helper when putting the cart together because nothing lines up. I work on cars for a living and this was challenging on a Friday night after a couple beers. However, once it was running after changing a fouled spark plug????? it ran well. It picked up most of the lawn debris and the suction is very good. It is large enough to hold substantail amounts of mulched leaves but compact enough to fit through lawn obstacles. Overall, it is very useful and worked hard for the money.... Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:30:11 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-33d8 sears-feed 4 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-2d17 I purchased this machine along with a Craftsman LT2000 mower. I am pleased with their tandem performance. As indicated by others, the assembly on the Yard Vac will take a good 4-5 hours if you are taking your time and expect to get good results. Assembly reaches a standstill once you get to the cover which is shown from an outside view for assembly. In reality, the only way you can actually assemble it is to come at it from underneath if you hope to make heads or tails of it. Once you reach this point, the directions are not helpful and you have to rely on common sense and a few of the pictures. Also, I ended up using a jigsaw to cut the deck adapter and it worked pretty well. Again, start small and adjust. It make take several attempts to dial it in. I mow about 3/4 acre with mature trees (mainly oaks, a few poplars, maples, and a bakers dozen pine trees) This unit picked up everything, even the pine needles (you may have to take it slow to pick up most of the needles) Plenty of power...... Sun, 11 Nov 2007 08:15:08 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-2d17 sears-feed 4 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-4c8f Before purchasing the MONSTER Yard Vac, I researched the concept thoroughly, as I knew there would be alot of different products on the market. Like you, I read the reviews of this product, and watched the video several times. Having been satisfied overall with Sears/Craftsman products for over 30 years, I took the plunge, and was I glad I did! 90% assembly was done by my Salesman. He didn't mess with the template, and I didn't expect him to. I had my own theory that since I had a bagger system for my tractor, it ALREADY had a factory adapter for the deck! NO template to cut out and no drill holes to secure,etc... Since most baggers are two-part, the first part,- the adapter, -fit over the deck housing, and came up about 18". I bought a 8" to 8" elbow to slide over the adapter neck, and connected the provided flex hose to the other end of the elbow,-then to the impeller input. Clamped both ends, and I was good to go in less than 1 hr. The Salesman said he spent 2 hrs assemb., and it wasn't...... Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:45:16 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-4c8f sears-feed 4 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-2472 got this vac had problem immediately as it started and quite sears came out used it for a few weeks, it does a great job on cleaning up the yard, than engine blew it took sears 7 weeks to get a new engine as they ordered the wrong one 3 times finally got the engine installed worked for one hour now we have to wait 3 weeks for sears to come out and look at it, so we have spent the summer without the vac very disappointed in sears service, we purchased this from sears figuring sears is great our mistake service not good... Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:45:07 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-2472 sears-feed 2 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-cee1 Takes some hours to assemble, read instructions slow and thorough. Adaptor template layout cut to fit snug to the mower deck allows for efficiency. Have 3 acres of patchy lawn with heavily wooded oaks and pines. What would take at least a week of raking bagging & burning took 7 hours to yard vac the yard to golf course clean. Result is several cubic yards of mulch. Of course I'll have to do it a couple of times before spring. The yard vac is noisy, wider than the mower deck (discharge hose), must operate mower at slow speeds if leaves and pine straw are thick and frequent stopping to dump and unload the wagon. Otherwise it is a time and back saver. Will see how long the fan blade lasts with the sand it sucks up with the yard debri. Neighbors are alread hinting to borrow it. No way.... Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:48:11 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-cee1 sears-feed 4 http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-69e0 A big dissapointment for the price. takes a long time to assy. only sucks leaves only if mower deck is running. If you have a lot of leaves buy one with a mulcher,this one fills up fast. Remember this vac works only if the mower is running.Way over priced for what you get.... Sun, 26 Nov 2006 00:04:23 GMT http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-8-25-Torque-Rating-206cc-Monster-Yard-Vac-review-69e0 sears-feed 1