Bag or sweep?

[JDGREEN4ME]

Due to all the rain our grass is growing like crazy. I can't get it raked before it is time to mow again. Any opinions on which is easier or works better, bagger for the lawn tractor or a tow behind lawn sweeper? I need to do something, sort of leaning towards the bagger at this point. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Will_C]

I am sure the bagger would be easier, but probably more costly. A good sweeper is around $250. I had one years ago, but the drive mechanism played out. I am having the same problem as you. I think anothersweeper may be in the works /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Will

 

[professor]

I have used both and I go with the sweeper. The bagger has a tendency to clog if the grass is the least bit damp and if you have trees etc. the bagger sometimes gets in the way. You can get a good sweeper for approx. $250.00. I went all the way and purchased a Wico estate sweeper that I can pull with my 18hp Yanmar tractor. You can take it out of gear and it is much heavier. Your JD 150 could handle it.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Nither. richard gauthier

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Wish neither was an option but at this point it isn't. I am already mowing with the deck in the raised position. Clippings are so thick it looks like I am making hay, the biggest problem is it is starting to kill the grass and that isn't good.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I mulch.

 

[cowboydoc]

I use a bagger. I don't like the sweeps. Too slow and don't hold enough grass for me. If you have plenty of time then a sweeper is definitely alot cheaper than a bagging system and will work fine. Mulching isn't really an option unless you can mow alot of not very much grass. If your grass is tall mulching doesn't work very well.

 

[Pacesetter300]

The only satisfactory solution I found is one of these:

http://www.cyclonerake.com/

closest to a golf course I'll ever get, not all that expensive and a great company to deal with.
Pacesetter

 

[MossRoad]

I was in the same boat. I had a 26" deck on a little Simplicity tractor. Over an hour to mow 1 acre and I had to do it twice a week. If I waited and did it once a week, it would take 3 hours because I would have to go slower and go over the windrows a couple of times to get rid of them. I've moved up to a larger tractor with a 60" deck. Now I still mow twice a week, but it only takes 20 minutes one night and about 35 on the weekend.

If I were to bag my clippings, I'd go with a bagger system of some type only because it could do leaves in the fall as well. I've used sweepers and they are fine for grass clippings, but fill up too fast with leaves. If I had no leaf issues, I'd go with the sweeper.