Building a powered sweeper

Mith · Nov 29, 2004

Hi ive been looking at the forum here for a little while now and today decided to join as you guys seem to know your stuff.
So heres my first question - has anyone here buuild a owered sweeper for use behind a small compact. like the type towed behing garden tractors and run by the wheels but run by the pto instead. any help would be greatly appreciated.
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifthanks

Bob_Skurka · Nov 29, 2004

No but . . . the powered sweepers I've seen are front mount. I think if it was me, I'd probably make one to mount to replace the FEL bucket and run it off a hydraulic motor that is hooked up to the "bucket curl" hydraulic lines.

If you have a quick attach front plate on the bucket, it would make dropping the bucket and attaching the sweeper simple. If not, you might want to get QA pins for the bucket, not as quick & easy, but cheaper.

Just a thought.

BTW, your profile doesn't say where you are located, but if you are in a snow area, I've heard of people (and seen pictures) who use them for light to modest snow clearing too.

Mith · Nov 29, 2004

thanks for the reply - sorry my mistake
what i meant to say is that i wanted it to be able to collect things like cut grass leaves and general junk off the lawn, so in effect sweep junk into a bag or box
sorry i didnt make it clear /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif - but hey im new

Bob_Skurka · Nov 29, 2004

I guess I just misunderstood!

Dig up JackIL. He is one of the custom master builders of stuff here on TBN and I saw pictures of his Ventrac pulling a vacuum sweeper that he connected to his mower deck. JackIL is a former engineer (or something like that) from John Deere and when he builds stuff it looks a lot better than the stuff that you can buy!

Mith · Nov 29, 2004

There found a pic - a pto powered one of them please

JackIL · Nov 29, 2004

The Mathews Company makes one called a Lawn Genie. Mathews Company Lawn Genie . I have seen it on display, but not in action. The video clip on their website shows it in operation. Appears to do a good job.

JackIL

Mith · Nov 29, 2004

Thanks for your help.
youve given me some good ideas now. cant wait to get cracking, ive just gotta work out how /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
mith

Taylortractornut · Nov 29, 2004

Im building one from the remains of an old Pelican brand street sweeper Its a small brsuh about 5 feet wide already has sprokets and bearins Id have been done with it but i have the intended gearbox on another project right now. Im gonna run a pto from the rear to the front of the tractor.

Mith · Nov 30, 2004

Hey - nice work - any chance of some pics
great idea about running pto from the rear to the front (could you use a mower on that?)
any pictures would be incredibly helpful
cheers Mith

Taylortractornut · Dec 1, 2004

Im out of my scanner and digital camera right at the moment in about 3 weeks I ll have a new computer right now im on the library's ride. This Pelican sweeper was huge, It was front wheel driver with a Perkins diesel engine in it. It had a fiber brush and it swept up into a conveyor hopper. A friend of mine gave me the brush and bearings. the rest is pto shaft off a combine and a garbage truck. I may later get a pto extension like surplus senter sells so i can run bot a fron and rear pto attachment. I hope to get pics soon. I had the gearbox on a stump cutter project but it wasnt fast enough so back to the sweepers it goes.

Mith · Dec 2, 2004

give us a shout whaen you get all your pc set up - i really would like to see this - it sounds pretty mean
when youve got it all set up what are you planning to use it for?
keep me posted cheers mith

Tevi · Dec 2, 2004

Check out Steiner's I've got one on order.

Mith · Dec 3, 2004

Thanks - i found it but i cant see nor does it say whether it is powered by the wheels or by a PTO, can you tell me?
im looking for a powered one as the wheel pwoered ones soak up HP on my slopes cheers
mith

Tevi · Dec 5, 2004

Steiner is ground driven A self powered check out Goossen at www.deweze.com

Mith · Dec 5, 2004

thats just what i want - but a tad pricey no? so any ideas how to build one

mith

Justaplain · Dec 6, 2004

Get an old silo filler and turn it sideways. It should work direct no belts. bcs

Mith · Dec 6, 2004

wow wow wow slow down - silo filler? how does it work? where do i get one from? con i get one in the UK? run off tractor? size?
cheers mith

oliver28472 · Dec 7, 2004

What about starting with a used rear mount tiller. Take off the worn out tines and shaft, replace with a brush. Then build a dump bin. May have to change ratios to get the speed right. Will need gauge wheels & may have to convert to pull type.

Mith · Dec 7, 2004

hey nice idea i thinking thats a goodun
hadnt thought of that and thats sounding easier that my idea - yeaaaa
but the tine rotate the wrong way dount they and how fast do they rotate/need to rotate? any ides how to fix this?

thanks man
mith

oliver28472 · Dec 8, 2004

I could be wrong but some gear boxes are built so that the gear for the output shaft can be removed and put back in on the other side of the box. Other than that, the gear box may be able to be turned to the other side of the tiller. If the splines on the input and output shaft are the same, looking down at the top of the gear box just rotate it 90 degrees and move all the driven stuff to the other side. Depending on the diameter of the brush the speed may be OK. I have a 38" craftsman wheel driven sweeper. It does have a few flaws but generally works very good.