[FlatBot]

Hello,

I'm thinking about getting a lawn sweeper, primarily for picking up oak leaves this fall. Something I can pull behind my D110.

I have some questions . . .

First off, what one on the market do you recommend? Deere makes one, but there are others. Are any of them particularly well made or a good value?

How do they pick up the leaves? Are there spinning tines or something?

Aside from Oak Leaves, what other types of lawn debris can I expect the lawn sweeper to pick up?

Are there any lawn sweepers that automatically bag leaves, or any that make it easy to bag leaves?

Thanks!

 

[jfoi]

i have always heard good things about parker lawn sweepers, except the cost


they will pick up pine cones, needles, leaves, dog crap, grass, sticks, pretty much anything


they have a brush that is ground driven, in the link there is a picture of the brushes


http://www.brinly.com/lawn-care-products/sweepers/


this is who makes the john deere lawn sweeper also


you can get attachments for them such as a dethatcher, and i think a baffle kit but im not sure on that



hope that answered some questions

 

[bkeller500]

Hello,

I'm thinking about getting a lawn sweeper, primarily for picking up oak leaves this fall. Something I can pull behind my D110.

I have some questions . . .

First off, what one on the market do you recommend? Deere makes one, but there are others. Are any of them particularly well made or a good value?

How do they pick up the leaves? Are there spinning tines or something?

Aside from Oak Leaves, what other types of lawn debris can I expect the lawn sweeper to pick up?

Are there any lawn sweepers that automatically bag leaves, or any that make it easy to bag leaves?

Thanks!

AgriFab has some good options.

 

[Minuteman17]

Hello,

I'm thinking about getting a lawn sweeper, primarily for picking up oak leaves this fall. Something I can pull behind my D110.

I have some questions . . .

First off, what one on the market do you recommend? Deere makes one, but there are others. Are any of them particularly well made or a good value?

How do they pick up the leaves? Are there spinning tines or something?

Aside from Oak Leaves, what other types of lawn debris can I expect the lawn sweeper to pick up?

Are there any lawn sweepers that automatically bag leaves, or any that make it easy to bag leaves?

Thanks!

I have an AgriFab sweeper that I tow behind my 1025R. It works very well picking up grass, small sticks from the trees, even English walnuts.
The wheels drive rotating brushes that sweep the grass to toss leaves into a big collection bag. The brushes are replaceable, but I've not needed to do that. This sweeper is a very good tool. I got it barely used for $100 and after using it, think it's worth the full price. It took me maybe 15 minutes of trial and error playing with two adjustments to get it working properly. I'm slow - someone else could have figured it out in less time😉

Play with different speeds to find the right speed for your leaves. Too fast throws leaves over the top of the collection bag. Too slow throws leaves short of the bag.

Play with the height adjustment, too. Too high and you don't pick up much. Too low and the rotating brushes won't turn properly; the excess brush to ground friction stops the wheels. The wheels must be turning in solid contact with the ground to drive the rotating brushes.

I haven't seen an automatic bagger for leaves. The AgriFab sweeper (all brands seem alike except for price and paint) has a tilting bag that you can dump with a hand pulled cord from the seat. I back up to the place where I want to dump leaves, pull the cord & the bag tilts up to dump out the leaves. When empty, I drive back to the lawn and release the cord to lower the bag. That can be done without leaving the tractor seat.

I use the sweeper every other week, virtually year 'round over 1.5 acres. I use a mulch kit on alternating weeks. Sometimes I use the sweeper after mulch mowing. I don't bag grass or leaves. I burn what doesn't go into a compost pile.

 

[MattL]

I had a Ohio Steel 50" (Tractor Supply) that worked well for both grass and leaves, however when full of grass it was very heavy to dump from seat. It lasted me two years being stored under a deck (out of sun, still got wet from rain) and was in basically new condition when I sold it. It worked with a wheel driven sweeper brush, as the sweeper rolled along, the brush would sweep. Backing with it wasn't the easiest due to the sweeper brush being driven by one wheel, it would add resistance to one side and want turn in that direction. Overall I would purchase again without hesitation if I didn't have a MCS and was looking to collect grass or leaves.

 

[csnyder750]

interesting as the original post was from 2011 but i was just thinking about starting a topic on lawn sweepers. I have a lot of grass laying in my yard. I have a lawn sweeper. How does everyone connect their lawn sweeper to their 1025's? I used the sweeper hooked to my wheel horse. I would think this would need to have an extension to push it behind the 1025 to get a turn radius of any kind.

 

[mark02tj]

When I mowed with my 3520, I would sometimes use the lawn sweeper behind it. Pretty funny to see a 42" sweeper behind a 3 series!

Now I have a zero turn, so I pull the sweeper with it when I need it. I bought the Craftsman sweeper used for $50. It works great! I do need a new basket for it though. Lots of Gorilla Tape on it now.

 

[MattL]

interesting as the original post was from 2011 but i was just thinking about starting a topic on lawn sweepers. I have a lot of grass laying in my yard. I have a lawn sweeper. How does everyone connect their lawn sweeper to their 1025's? I used the sweeper hooked to my wheel horse. I would think this would need to have an extension to push it behind the 1025 to get a turn radius of any kind.

Mine hooked directly to the back of the tractor under the PTO. No problems turning.

 

[csnyder750]

Mine hooked directly to the back of the tractor under the PTO. No problems turning.

I'll have to try it. My first thought was to hook up my Reese hitch attachment and remove a ball out of the hitch and attach it to that. I thought attaching it to that hitch plate on the tractor would bring the sweeper too close to the tractor to be able to turn.

 

[tibadoe]

A lawn sweeper is definitely on my short list. Need one for fall leaf clean up instead of blowing them with the backpack blower. Kinda liking the DR 44".

 

[mark02tj]

A lawn sweeper is definitely on my short list. Need one for fall leaf clean up instead of blowing them with the backpack blower. Kinda liking the DR 44".

You're going to want to mow/mulch the leaves first, other wise You're going to fill the hopper in about 30 seconds.

 

[ZoomerHD]

I'll have to try it. My first thought was to hook up my Reese hitch attachment and remove a ball out of the hitch and attach it to that. I thought attaching it to that hitch plate on the tractor would bring the sweeper too close to the tractor to be able to turn.

If it's closer than you feel comfortable with, you can use one of these. Attaches between the bottom arms of the 3ph and will even allow you to raise/lower the front or run offset to one side. I don't recommend anything really heavy because a 3ph has no downforce and will flip upwards, but that's usually not a problem with lawn sweepers.

 

[csnyder750]

I swept tonight. It hooks up to the hitch plate on the tractor. It is a bit close but doesn't have any issues turning. Boy I do wish the baskets on those things were bigger. Had to empty a dozen or so times. Still have more sweeping to do after my next cut.

 

[mo1]

I have a John Deere branded sweeper (which I believe is actually made by AgriFab) that works well. I use it behind a zero turn to sweep up lawn clippings and leaves in the fall. It works well but yes, you are emptying it a lot. I do have to get off of the seat to dump the hopper as the engine sitting behind the seat is long enough to keep me from reaching the hopper dump rod. It should work perfectly with a riding lawnmower or a small tractor like a 1025 though.

 

[csnyder750]

I have a John Deere branded sweeper (which I believe is actually made by AgriFab) that works well. I use it behind a zero turn to sweep up lawn clippings and leaves in the fall. It works well but yes, you are emptying it a lot. I do have to get off of the seat to dump the hopper as the engine sitting behind the seat is long enough to keep me from reaching the hopper dump rod. It should work perfectly with a riding lawnmower or a small tractor like a 1025 though.

I used to use it behind my wheel horse and used it behind the 1025 for the first time last night. I have enough of a yard that meant to sweep the entire yard, i would be looking at 2 hours to go over most of the yard. I also had my son so it wasn't easy to just go and get my stuff done. but it pulls behind the 1025 pretty nice. better than the wheel horse i think. the thing that stinks is the grass sits at the front part of the hopper and doesn't allow grass to get thrown into the hopper after it fills 1/3rd to 1/2 full. but it worked good. better than i expected behind the 1025. I thought i would have to come up with a new mounting spot for it but it worked very well.