Lawn sweeper?

[oliver28472]

I just saw a brand new one of those Harper Goosen vacs when I went to lunch. They are built for the golf course and sports field folks. Would be nice to have but pricey for most residential use.

 

[sandman2234]

"Would be nice to have but pricey for most residential use."

And just which one of our toys isn't??? I really need to find a less expensive toy that is still fun to play/work with!
David from jax

 

[oliver28472]

I don't know how much it was but if I replaced my tractor with the same size new tractor, any brand, this thing would probably cost more than the tractor. On top of that I would have to get a bigger tractor to pull it. And yes I would like to have the new bigger tractor and the big sweeper!

 

[elalexander]

I bought a "Cyclone Rake" three years ago mostly for all of the leaves I have to deal with. It folds flat and can be stored on a wall. Several yard vacs I looked at had a hard plastic container and would be a storeage problem for me. I pull it with a craftsman riding mower. Not sure if it could be hooked to a tractor. A leaf sucking machine for sure, and holds 200 gallons. Also, before I got a three bin bagger for the riding mower I used it when mowing grass........does an excellent job.

 

[Nuru]

I bought a "Cyclone Rake" three years ago mostly for all of the leaves I have to deal with. It folds flat and can be stored on a wall. Several yard vacs I looked at had a hard plastic container and would be a storeage problem for me. I pull it with a craftsman riding mower. Not sure if it could be hooked to a tractor. A leaf sucking machine for sure, and holds 200 gallons. Also, before I got a three bin bagger for the riding mower I used it when mowing grass........does an excellent job.

Yep, they make an atttachment for my JD 4100. i am still contemlating getting one. I just do not like the idea of nursing a separate gas motor from my diesel.

 

[Nuru]

Yep, they make an atttachment for my JD 4100. i am still contemplating getting one. I just do not like the idea of nursing a separate gas motor from my diesel.

make that contemplating!

 

[elalexander]

It is another engine to maintain, and it increases the noise and heat on you while sucking up leaves. But.it sure bets raking, blowing etc. When leaves are dry the impeller mulches them up really fine too. If you compost anything that is a big plus. Pricey yes but I'm happy with it.

 

[TooMany]

To this end, I have a few questions for the TBN brain trust:
Has anyone ever used or owned one of these?
How well do they work?
Can you still get vital parts for them?
How much tractor is required to operate one?
I have seen pull type units with auxillary motors, but I think the PTO would be easier.
Thanks
Todd

Not sure how this reply thing works, but here goes my first try. I just bought a Jacobsen 720 PTO sweeper and tried it out yesterday. Ran it behind my 33 hp Kubota tractor and it was plenty of tractor even though this is a large sweeper. I have a huge problem with leaves and sticks and tree debris. My twenty minute test of this unit suggests it's going to be a huge help. It sweeps with little rubber "fingers" that are spaced apart from each other and driven by the PTO. It swept up small sticks and leaves very nicely and nothing got stuck in the fingers. It did tear up some of my damp and soft grass (recent snows) so I now know not to run it on damp ground.

Your questions...

How well does it work? I'd say quite well and it followed very well too. Did tear up some wet grass and I'm going to have to learn a pattern for using it in other than a test run.

Can you get parts? I don't know, but I sure hope so. For me, that remains to be seen.

How much tractor do you need? It worked well on my L3300 Kubota. Power was no issue, but the large size of the sweeper suggests to me that a much smaller tractor may not work as well.

Hope this helps. Now, if anyone knows about the parts issue, I'd love to hear about it.