You have heard about lawn sweepers and you’re contemplating spending on one to help you clean up chopped up leaves and other debris in your yard.
But are they worth it and how does a lawn sweeper work?
I’m going to walk you through these machines and tell you how these wonders work in this guide.
Read on if you’re still sitting on the fence when it comes to lawn sweepers.
What is a lawn sweeper?
A lawn sweeper (also known as a leaf sweeper), is a garden equipment designed to help owners mop up debris, such as pine needles, acorns, twigs, grass clippings, etc. from lawns and other paved areas.
In terms of uses, lawn sweepers are a great alternative to yard cleanup tools such as rakes, garden vacuums, and leaf blowers.
They’re also a fantastic substitute for lawn mower baggers and grass baggers, two landscaping implements which happen to be generally costlier despite having a smaller capacity.
But how does a lawn sweeper work?
The answer is up next.
How does a lawn sweeper work
Lawn sweepers sweeps up fallen leaves and all unsightly debris off the yard with the help of rotating brushes.
The brushes spin at high speed while meticulously combing through the turf, forcing stubborn materials out.
The mechanism will then deposit the dirt in a hopper (bag) for disposal in your designated dump area.
As hinted above, these bags can hold way more trash than what other baggers accommodate so you can make more rounds before the catcher fills up.
Type of lawn sweepers
There’s something I have left out in the explanation you have just read: the sweeping mechanism may vary from one sweeper to the next as there are several types of lawn sweepers.
We cover the various categories and how each works here to help you make an informed decision:
Procedures that can help make your hydrostatic lawn mower pretty fast.
1. Push lawn sweepers
Perhaps the most known, you may mistake this for an ordinary push lawn mower because of its strikingly similar looks.
The key thing to keep in mind is that these sweepers have wheels for easier maneuverability and are manually driven (you push it around the yard by hand).
To pick up debris, the installed gears supplies power to the brush system making it rotate.
As always, the pile ends up in the mounted bag/hopper.
Their major downside is that they suck every last ounce of energy out of your body especially when working on larger acreage.
That said, they are extremely affordable.
2. Motorized (Powered) lawn sweepers
These pretty much resemble push lawn sweepers, but they make your life easier because the brush mechanism is either gas-powered or driven by an electric motor.
And while they won’t break your back, there’s a price to pay for this convenience: prepare to dig deeper than when buying manual lawn sweepers.
We recommend them for those having medium-sized yards to maintain.
3. Tow lawn sweepers
These are designed as typical attachments and are towed behind vehicles such as garden tractors, ATVs, riding mowers, and more.
These lawn sweepers are wider and have leading hopper capacities.
The other advantage is that they easily and quickly attach to most tractors.
Needless to say, they’re the most expensive and best for larger yards.
How else can I use a lawn sweeper?
A lawn sweeper is very versatile and can be useful in other ways around your outdoors when not dealing with grass clippings and leaves from your lawn.
Here are a few supplementary applications you can use it for:
· Snow sweeping
I have friends who use the device to clear up fallen snow during the harsh winter months.
The spinning brushes work well to remove the white stuff as long as it’s not too deep.
· Rocks removal
Heavy-duty tow behind lawn sweepers have much tougher sweeping mechanisms and can sweep dogged objects including rocks (mostly smaller sizes) off the patio and paths.
· Poop jobs!
The appliance picks up dog poop and droppings from chicken (think of the mess left behind by chicken tractors) excellently provided it is dry.
After all, hosing the poo doesn’t always help.
· Other tasks
Arm the tool with the right attachment and get to multi-task further with the device.
For instance, you can improve the aeration of the garden and enhance the absorption of nutrients with an aerator attachment for push lawn sweeper.
Besides, you can have it function as a powerful dethatcher (dethatching removes the dead grass) on your property with the right tine dethatcher attachment for a lawn sweeper.
And so on.
What lawn sweepers cannot do
While they are very effective on a range of debris, lawn sweepers struggle significantly to pick up bigger stuff mainly because of their brush mechanism design.
For this reason, you may be better off with other tools if you often need to clear out larger branches, sticks, and rocks from your backyard.
How does a lawn sweeper work – frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Will a lawn sweeper pick up pine cones?
Lawn sweepers remove a wide variety of debris from the garden including pine cones, gumballs, small sticks, and much more.u003cbru003eFor pine cones, adjust the height settings (models with adjustable heights exist) appropriately to enable it pick up both small and big pine cones.
Do lawn sweepers pick up grass clippings?
Lawn sweepers can be an easy way to get rid of lawn clippings from the lawn.u003cbru003eThe first thing to do to have it remove clippings laying on top of grass well is again to set the brush height properly.
Can you use a lawn sweeper while mowing?
Lawn sweepers are handy and can even be used to sweep while mowing at the same time.u003cbru003eHowever, it works best for the accumulated dried grass- the freshly cut clippings would probably be a challenge for the brushes because of the wetness.
Final thoughts
Lawn sweepers outperform things like rakes (while eliminating the monotony) and will help you keep your lawn professionally groomed as you have always wished.
Shop around for the most suitable type according to the size of your yard and budget if you have finally been won over by these tools.
Your lawn will thank you for it.