Lawn Sweeper

[Bird]

I mow with a little Toro ZTR with no grass catcher. There are times I'd like to collect the clippings, and in the Fall I'd like something to pick up leaves without having to rake. Some parts of the yard also appear to need dethatching. Has anyone used one of these Lawn Sweepers and do they really work? I'm also considering the optional dethatcher.

 

[Panache]

Is your ZTR side or rear discharge? I have the 42" sears sweeper. It does a pretty good job of sweeping between the wheels but under the wheels things get packed. I have some problems with the height adjustment not staying because of the angle needed for the grass I have. Leaves fill the hopper quick.

 

[Bird]

Jeff, my ZTR is a side discharge, but has the blocking attachment to make a mulching mower instead of discharge. And I'm considering the 38" sweeper because the mower is just a 38" and it would be easier to go through a gate in the fence.

 

[Panache]

My JD455 is side discharge also. When I cut with the idea of sweeping I windrow the clippings and go back a pick up the grass later rather than trying to cut and sweep at the same time. It does not make many rows to pick up.

 

[oliver28472]

Bird, I have had one for long enough to wear out the bearings and had to rebuild it. Should have just bought a new one. It was priceless down east when I had 60-70 pines in the yard. Did a great job on pine needles. Where I live now I have mostly willow oaks (pin oaks, water oaks) , hickory and other hardwoods. The only draw back is when you are pulling through tall grass with an empty bin. The brushes may drag on the grass and slide the wheels. You just have to raise it up a little. I would buy another one. I don't know anything about the dethatcher.

 

[ToddW]

I have a 42" 17 Cu Foot sweeper made by Brinly. It does a great job on grass clippings, pine needles and pine cones as well. I paid ~ $200 for it at Home Depot, seems very well made. I've used it for 2 seasons so far to sweep my lawn (~2 acres) and long driveway. Lots and lots of pines.

 

[Bird]

I appreciate all the responses. I really wanted to see one before buying and stopped at two Sears stores today and neither had them in stock. And on their website they show to not have them available at any of the three stores closest to me, so I went ahead and ordered them for home delivery in spite of the $50 home delivery fee. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[awlchu]

Hello Mr Bird,

I have owned the Sears model sweeper for about 13 years. I use it primarily for grass clippings. And it works great for it.

For leaves, a sweeper is less than desirable since it cannot shread. I found I was spending more time dumping the basket than sweeping leaves.

After 13 years I will have to replace the brushes. I noticed just today about half of the bristles were broken off.

For grass a sweeper is cost effective. For Fall leaves, I'd consider a Cyclone vacuum etc. .

 

[pennwalk]

I was wondering whether a sweeper will pick up acorns, hickory shells and small sticks?

Chris

 

[Panache]

Mine picks up sticks. Bag-A-Nut will pick up acorns.

 

[CarlGlas]

Hey, Capt. why don't you buy some baby goats in the spring and they can take care of keeping your lawn trimmed and fertilized. Then in the Fall, you can have BBQ Cabrito. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

Well, I said I ordered it. Sears' website showed the 38" one to not be in stock at any of the 3 stores closest to me, but I could order it for home delivery and did. I got an order confirmation e-mail, then a few hours later, got another e-mail that demand had been so high that they were out of them, so they removed the lawn sweeper from the order, but charged my credit card for the dethatcher attachment and were sending it. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif How would you use a dethatcher "attachment" if you don't have the implement you attach it to? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif So I called Sears last night and got a fellow who said he'll cancel the order and issue a credit on my credit card. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I'd still like to have that 38" one, but don't want the 42" one.

 

[Ford960]

I had a 42" unit that I bought at Lowes several years ago and used it to get the leaves up every fall. Unless I mulched the leaves first the hopper filled up so fast that I spent most of the time dumping it. My dad also had one but didn't like his because he said that it was too hard to dump. You can't dump it by pulling on the rope, I always had to get off the tractor and lift the hopper from the rear. He was right, mine was hard to dump also and the huge pile of leaves were always an eyesore.
Next time that I get the urge to do something like this I'll look into a vacuum/mulching type of unit.

Ford960

 

[Bird]

I discovered that the local Northern Tool store had the 38" Agri-Fab sweeper in stock for the same price Sears showed the 38" Craftsman (Sears was $10 higher on the Agri-Fab). However, when I measured it, the overall width would require me to open the drive gate instead of going through the walk gate as I usually do. Then in Internet searches, I found that Agr-Fab also makes a 30" model and I found that Sears has it available for home delivery but not available in the stores. The 30" model will also be easier for me to store when not in use. So I've now ordered that one. And instead of the dethatcher attachment, I just bought a separate dethatcher at Sears yesterday. Northern Tool had what looked like almost the same dethatcher, but with 1/8" tines while the Craftsman has 3/16" tines, and the Craftsman was $20 cheaper than the one at Northern Tool. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif It took me almost an hour to assembly the dethatcher and I noticed a sign at Northern Tool that they'll assemble them for you for $50. Wish I could get that job. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[buckle97]

Bird,
I have the 42" sweeper to go behind my 42" cut Craftsman lawn tractor. I have never used it for grass, but I have to use it every fall for the leaves. The first fall my wife and I were dating she came over to help me rake leaves one weekend /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif. She obviously didn't know what she was getting herself in to /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. We raked all day Saturday and all afternoon Sunday. We might have gotten a quarter of the leaves raked that weekend. The next year she told me there has to be a better way to do this. I bought the sweeper and we finished all the leaves in one weekend. I can't imagine getting rid of all my leaves now without the sweeper. I ride around picking up the leaves, dump them in one location and Angie pushes them onto the fire. I am able to dump a full basket fine from the seat by pulling the cord, although I'm sure grass will be a lot heavier in the basket than leaves. I have no doubt that you will love the lawn sweeper.

Lawrence

 

[Bird]

Lawrence, I wanted it for both grass AND leaves. My two live oak trees don't shed a bunch of leaves, but the 5 bradford pear trees drop quite a few, and next door is a huge cottonwood from which I get a lot of leaves on the yard and in the rain gutters. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Of course the plan is to chop them up with the mower first, then sweep them up.

 

[Joe1]

Do the sweepers work as well or better when you mulch vs just cutting the grass? Particles are finer and seem to go away when I mulch.

Are the sweepers supposed to pick up as much as the vacuum models?

You're approaching 17,000 posts. Wow!

 

[bontai_Joe]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Do the sweepers work as well or better when you mulch vs just cutting the grass? Particles are finer and seem to go away when I mulch.

Are the sweepers supposed to pick up as much as the vacuum models?

You're approaching 17,000 posts. Wow! )</font>

Sweepers do not work as well as a vacuum, but they cost a lot less, and are able to be used on any tractor you own now or in the future with out adapters for the chute.

 

[Bird]

Joe, I would expect the other Joe's answer "Sweepers do not work as well as a vacuum" to be right because it sounds logical, but I have no personal experience yet with either. I mulch also and plan to continue simply because I don't want that discharge chute sticking out on the side in such a small yard. However, I'd still like to be able to sweep up at least most of the grass clippings, leaves, and twigs, so I hope the sweeper works pretty well. Sears sent an e-mail last night saying it had been shipped, and gave me a UPS tracking number, and the UPS website today says there's no such number. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[HGM]

Bird,
I bought a 42" AgriFab last summer after posting the same question... Great investment.... It picks up anything I want it to, leaves,grass, even my gravel driveway if its set low enough... I have my 10yr old tow it and the little guy dumps it from the seat all the time without a problem.