Lawn sweeper

[Dodge2500]

Ok everyone it's that time of year again. Getting the lawn cleaned up from a long winter. What does everyone use for a lawn sweeper?

 

[bushmechanic]

A Kubota GR2120.

Screw sweeping. I just mow anything in the lawn.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I just sold my tow-behind lawn sweeper for $20. I mow often enough (every 3-4 days) that I don't need to clean up the clippings. The sweeper only worked well if you let the grass dry up a bit, and bounced too much on the rough parts of my yard to do a good job. If you have a small yard, they do make walk behind sweepers that shouldn't cost too much. If you have a large yard, I would look into a grass/leaf vacuum type system with the hopper that goes on the back of the mower, or in a cart. Much more effective from my experience.

I also rake all the leaves up in the fall, only 3-4 big maple trees here so it isn't too bad. I forgot to rake them all up before winter one year, and it was a big, wet, moldy mess in the spring. If you have a lot of leaves, the vac attachment for a riding mower would be the easiest way to go.

I also pick up all the sticks from the maple tree with a grabber, I don't like to mow over them.

 

[Ad13]

Screw sweeping. I just mow anything in the lawn.

This

 

[kd3pc]

ditched the sweeper a decade ago, I pick up the sticks, mow everything else with mulching blades and stay on top of the mowing taking only a few inches off each session. The rest goes to the yard.

As leaves fall, I mulch those in as well, and then bag any big piles or the leftovers, if it is piled in spots.

Sweeper was just not the way to go.

 

[bobcatdan]

I have a 42" or 48" too lazy to walk over there and measure it agr-fab. Biggest one I could find, plus it's orange so it matches my simplicity. Works good and does what want. I have a couple areas that can grow a lot faster then the general area of the yard that I look at normally. Some times I'm really cutting hay in those spots so it nice to pick up those clippings. As for thatching, the correct time is August. Mow your leaves in fall into the yard, thats all the fertilizer most yards need. It spring just start mowing. By August, your yard will have more build up then it needs or will decompose in a reasonable time. Thatching then prepares the yard for the next batch of leaves.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Have not used a sweeper in years, I think there is still one around here some where

 

[ken w.]

I have one I got at a thrift store for $ 30.00. I use it quite a bit. I de-thath my lawn every year and use the sweeper for that and leaves in the fall. I would never spend the $ 300.00 or so for a new one.They are a pain to store in the winter. Mine stays outside.

 

[goodysgotacuda]

Just mulching everything around here!

 

[awdblazer]

stihl kombisystem with the rubber paddles cleans up all the sand the city has put down

 

[matemike]

I have the 48" agrifab. I live on 2.5 acres is SE Texas. In the summer if the yard goes 2 weeks without getting mowed there are huge rows of clippings that I need to pick up or else there'll be big rows of dead grass next time I mow. So I sweep them up with the agrifab pulled behind my 4 wheeler.
It's a pain. I have to dump the sweeper on the fly probably a dozen times because it gets full. So now I have a dozen piles. It takes about an hour of sweeping before the entire front and back yards are clean. Then I hook up a small trailer to go collect all the piles by hand. Then I bring those to the burn pile in one trip. It does help to let the clippings brown over night. That usually means ants have started to invade the grass piles. Learned the hard way that gloves and long sleeves are a must. So that's a Saturday and Sunday consumed with lawn care. After one season of that **** I know to try my darndest to just mow every week and the clippings aren't so bad. Just mulched back into the grass really.

 

[SS5150]

I've got the larger, orange, high end agri-fab, I;m thinking its 42 or 44 but can't recall, but been a good product. I know it's rebranded by Cub Cadet and Craftsman, not sure who else.

 

[Coopduc]

Sweeper didn't work at all for me on a hilly lot. Has anyone tried the cyclone rake? Significantly more expensive but looks like it can do a great job.

 

[AA/FC]

I have the higher end 48" Agri-Fab (orange). I bought it a few years ago and I wouldn't be without it ever again. I'm not sure why others haven't had good luck with them, but on my yard, with my leaves, this sweeper kicks ***. A good friend of mine was in the professional lawn care business his entire life. He always had the latest and greatest zero turn mowers (and walk behinds) with the latest design power vac attachments. I can't tell you the number of times I would watch him get off the machine to un-plug the hose from a leaf jam. We're talking high end expensive commercial grade equipment (not sold in box stores) and it still pluged constantly. (thick leaves in the fall) I never had that problem with my $300 sweeper. lol.

 

[Dodge2500]

Thanks for the input

 

[IMCA38]

Here's mine. It's a 48" Olathe/Toro unit.

 

[kctyphoon]

I just use my bagging mower.. I actually have a Troy Bilt leaf vac, (push type) with the chipper built in.. The mower works much better than that. It was a waste of money and NOTHING I've even owned from Troy Bilt ever wants to start.

 

[johndisuzabiz]

It's really better to use a lawn sweeper on that occasion...