Vehicle with debris blower and lawn mower

A riding vehicle comprising:

• a frame coupled to a riding platform adapted to support a user;
• a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame comprising at least two opposing traction wheels;
• a mower deck and at least three cutting blades disposed within a cutting space of the mower deck, the mower deck having a discharge chute for expelling cuttings from the mower deck;
• a blower assembly supported by the frame and including an impeller and a blower housing, the impeller being within the blower housing of the blower assembly, the blower housing including an air inlet, a first air outlet, and a second air outlet, the blower assembly configured to generate a stream of air from air received via the air inlet of the blower housing, the blower assembly including a deflector in fluid communication with the impeller, the deflector being within the blower housing of the blower assembly, the deflector of the blower assembly configured to selectively direct the stream of air from the air inlet to at least one of the first air outlet and the second air outlet of the blower housing, wherein the impeller is operable to rotate to generate the stream of air, wherein the air inlet, the first air outlet, and the second air outlet are provided by the blower housing and are separate from a discharge chute of the mower deck such that the stream of air into and out of the blower housing via the air inlet, the first air outlet, and the second air outlet is separate from the discharge chute;
• a power source coupled to the frame, the power source operatively coupled with the at least three cutting blades and the blower assembly;
• and
• wherein a rotational axis of the impeller is substantially the same as a rotational axis of the cutting blades of the mower deck.

A method of operating a riding vehicle for maintenance of a lawn, the method comprising:

• providing a power source with a power takeoff to supply power to at least one of an impeller of a blower assembly, cutting blades of a mower deck, and at least two traction wheels, wherein the impeller is provided within a blower housing of the blower assembly;
• driving, with the power takeoff, the cutting blades of the mower deck to rotate with substantially vertical rotational axes in order to cut areas of the lawn;
• driving, with the power takeoff, the impeller of the blower assembly to rotate with a rotational axis that is non-normal relative to the substantially vertical rotational axes of the cutting blades;
• moving a deflector of the blower assembly, in fluid communication with the impeller, to selectively direct a stream of air generated by the impeller to flow to at least one of a first air outlet nozzle and a second air outlet nozzle to a surface area to move debris from one location to another location, wherein the deflector is provided within the blower housing along with the impeller, and wherein the air inlet, the first air outlet nozzle, and the second air outlet nozzle are defined by the blower housing;
• and
• discharging cuttings generated by the cutting blades through a discharge chute of the mower deck, wherein the discharge chute is separate from the air inlet, the first air outlet nozzle, and the second air outlet nozzle of the blower housing such that the stream of air into and out of the blower assembly via the air inlet, the first air outlet nozzle, and the second air outlet nozzle is separate from the discharge chute.