The Best Lawn Sweeper Reviews in 2018 – Clean Your Lawn in No Time
Raking your lawn in the autumn can be a troublesome chore that takes up far more time than you want it to, and it strains your back. If you have a large property, this is particularly the case. It would be nice if all the debris and fallen leaves making your lawn an ugly mess would just go away.
Well, that’s not possible, but lawn sweepers are the next best thing. Most of them are made to attach to riding lawn mowers and pick up all the debris left behind, including leaves, cut grass or even smaller sticks and pine cones. They eliminate the need for raking completely and save you a lot of time since you can mow and clean up at the same time. Even the variants that are not attached to a mower are far superior to just raking.
Here, we’ll inform you about all the benefits these tools can offer you, along with proving a couple of lawn sweeper reviews.
Why Buying a Lawn Sweeper?
Lawn sweepers are great garden tools which clean your lawn in almost no time at all, picking up grass clippings, pine needles, twigs and other similar debris. They store them in an in-built bag that can be easily unloaded wherever you want.
Lawn sweepers work by using a multitude of stiff, metal or plastic brushes stuck on a rotating shaft to comb through the grass. Thus, they dislodge debris stuck in the lawn and funnel it all into the attached bag or hopper.
There are a few different propulsion methods for lawn sweepers – there is the type that is manually pushed, then the type that is manually pulled, and the tow-behind type, attached to a lawn tractor or a similar machine. As far as we’re concerned, tow-behind types are the best as they allow you to both mow the lawn and clean it at the same time while being able to cover a huge amount of ground in record time.
Despite their name though, they can be used for more than just cleaning your lawn. Their brushes can also clean things like dirt or sand of concrete or wooden surfaces. You can use them to clean your driveway, sidewalk, patio, etc. They can even clear out some light and fluffy snow if you ever need that.
Overall, they’re just amazing tools that you should at least rent and try out, just to see how much time they’ll save you.
Lawn Sweeper Helps Clean the Lawn in Almost No Time at All
The best lawn sweepers offer all that and more, but not all of them are so good. As with all other products, some of them are just complete duds, and you should be able to recognize them at first sight. That, however, isn’t as easy as it sounds, but we’re here to help. In this article we will present some of the best lawn sweepers on the market, review them and offer you a comprehensive list of what to look for in a product like this. All of that and more is contained below. So, let’s get started.
Meet the Best Lawn Sweepers
The Good: It’s sturdy and has some quite great specs overall.
The Bad: It’s expensive, difficult to assemble and the hopper lacks a cover.
The Bottom Line: Even though this is an expensive lawn sweeper with some issues, it’s still quite a great tool that is worth the cost.
The Good: This is a decent tool that is light, durable and has a good sweeping width.
The Bad: It has low capacity, doesn’t pick up everything and works badly uphill.
The Bottom Line: While this is a decent unit for the price, it has some flaws which are difficult to ignore and might waste your time more than other sweepers.
The Good: It has a huge sweeping width, comes at a decent price and fits on most lawn mowers.
The Bad: Not durable at all and the stated hopper capacity does not hold up in reality.
The Bottom Line: Overall, this unit has one standout feature, the sweeping width, and one glaring flaw, the flimsy construction. Depending on how you value either one, it might or might not be worth buying.
These are just the condensed information – for the full story, read the rest of the article.
All of the Factors Considered
What distinguishes the best lawn sweepers from the worst ones? That is a hard question to answer, even for those experienced in taking care of their lawn, let alone beginners. Most people usually get some feel for that after years of experience and after buying multiple products, some of which will be duds. To spare you the trouble of going through all that, we have tested plenty of different products and concluded what the most important things you should look for in a lawn sweeper are. Here’s what we came up with.
Durability
When you buy a product like this, you want it to be long-lasting, especially since it will cost you a pretty penny to get one. There are multiple things you should consider to ensure that you’re getting a durable product.
First of all, you might want to take a look at what materials it is made of. The frame should be constructed out of a tougher material, like steel, as well as the axle of the wheels. Having wheels that are made of inflatable rubber is also preferable to plastic wheels. You should also check out if the other parts are made of plastic.
Reading the experiences of other users, especially those who have owned the product for a while, could also be helpful in determining how tough and sturdy it is. Luckily we offer some such user opinions in this article.
Sweeping Width
The sweeping width is the width of the area the brushes of the lawn sweeper can cover in one. The obvious benefit of having a lawn sweeper with a larger sweeping width is that you can get the job done faster and clean larger areas in less time.
However, what you must consider here is also the size of your yard and the shape of it. The larger the sweeping width, the wider the sweeper, meaning that it is less maneuverable. Of course, larger units are also costlier, which is another thing to consider. If you don’t need an incredibly wide sweeper, there’s no reason to buy one, and it might be a hindrance rather than a benefit. Consider what you need and pick accordingly.
Capacity
The capacity of the hopper that’s supposed to contain all the debris is a crucial thing, as you don’t want to stop and empty your lawn sweeper every five minutes. Of course, you also don’t want a sweeper with a huge hopper that is difficult to tow when even half-full, as that defeats the point of having it. There’s also the issue of large sweepers being difficult to maneuver, and those with huge hoppers that are near full might tip over and spill their contents all over the lawn you were cleaning.
Overall, you should consider the size of your yard as well as the machine you’re using to pull the sweeper, before choosing one with a capacity adequate for your needs.
Extra Features
There are various extra features that a lawn sweeper can have, but most are related to adjustability and simple comfort. For example and adjustable hitch can help you make your sweeper fit onto many different lawn tractors. Something like a handle for easy dumping without getting off your mower can be a real time saver. Adjustment of brush height can help the sweeper work well on various areas and so on. There’s a huge variety of additional features out there, and it’s up to you to choose the ones that fit you the best.
Now that you’re well-informed about the most important aspects of lawn sweepers let’s see how we ranked our top products:
In-Depth Reviews of 3 Lawn Sweepers
Key Features
Sturdy Construction
This is a great lawn sweeper with a steel frame and durable plastic components. Even the wheels can take quite a bit of punishment. While it is well-made, it’s a bit difficult to assemble initially, due to poor instructions.
Decent Sweeping Width
The sweeping width of this tool is 44 inches, which will be good for most properties of medium to large size. This allows you to work over a huge area in no time.
Good Capacity
The capacity of this unit is 25 cubic feet, which is quite a lot compared to its sweeping The hopper seems to be able to hold a bit more than that though, which is great as most hoppers can’t even fill up to full capacity. However, it has no cover, meaning it’s difficult to use in windy conditions.
Great Extra Features
This is an incredibly adjustable sweeper – you can adjust both the brush height as well as offset the sweeper tongue, all without tools. You can even add a de-thatcher to the front of it and thatch while you sweep. The sweeper can also be folded up for easy storage.
Customer Reviews
Who Should Buy This Product
This is quite a great lawn sweeper all-around, and if you want a solid tool that will serve you well, this is the one you should pick. It has more than decent sweeping width, a hopper with a great capacity and it is sturdily made. The great extra features and adjustability are also a good bonus.
What to Watch Out For
There are few problems that need to be addressed here, but the main one is the hopper of this unit. Yes, it is huge and can hold a lot, but it also lacks a covering of any sort. This means that materials from it can spill easily if you’re going uphill, making sharp turns or if it’s windy outside. This can be solved, but it takes quite a bit of tinkering.
The Conclusion
Overall, this is quite a good lawn sweeper that offers plenty of decent specs in terms of sweeping width, hopper capacity and loads of extra features. There are some issues though. It is difficult to assemble, but that’s a one-time thing. The larger issue is that the hopper lacks a cover, meaning that you have to be careful to avoid spillage. Despite that, we believe it is worth its price.
Key Features
Durable and Lightweight
Despite the light weight of this sweeper it is still quite durable with a steel frame and great-quality parts. The brushes are especially sturdy and don’t get broken or bent easily. It is difficult to assemble though.
Decent Sweeping Width
The sweeping width is 42 inches, making this a slightly above-average sweeper, but still quite decent, and it will work for both medium sized and larger properties.
Below-average Capacity
The capacity of the hopper this unit has is 20 cubic feet, but it can’t hold that much in reality, maybe around 18 at best. It is quite below average in this regard, and you’ll have to empty it quite often.
Not a lot of Extra Features
There are a few different extra features, but the most prominent are the adjustable brush height as well as the fact that it can be emptied with one hand.
Customer Reviews
Who Should Buy This Product
If you’re looking for a decent product that’s on the slightly cheaper side, this is the one you should get. It has decent specs, especially when it comes to the sweeping width which is above average. It’s also rather lightweight and quite sturdy, meaning that it will last, unlike other cheap products.
What to Watch Out For
It has more than a couple of issues, the worst of which is its inability to pick everything up, meaning that you will have to go over the lawn twice. It’s even worse on rough terrain with a lot of hills, and it will be difficult to tow uphill as well. It just wastes more of your time than it should.
The Conclusion
Overall this is a decent sweeper for the price, as it has quite a few good upsides, the best of which is how sturdy it is, as well as the decent sweeping width it has. However, its problems are hard to ignore, most of which the fact that it doesn’t pick up everything in one go. It’s still a decent product, but it might be more costly regarding time than money.
Key Features
Low Durability
While this sweeper is quite easy to assemble, it is far from durable. The hopper tends to rip easily, the rubber on the wheels falls off, and the plastic brushes bend and break. It’s not a good look.
Decent Capacity, but don’t Fill It up
The capacity of this unit is 26 cubic feet – in theory. In practice, it’s less, because the hopper isn’t durable and will rip quite easily if you fill it even close to full. In practice, the capacity of this unit is 20 cubic feet at most.
Incredible Sweeping Width
This unit clocks up at 50 inches, which is incredible for a unit of this price and quite above average. Consider the price this is more than great and will help you get the job done quickly.
Some Useful Extra Features
One of the standout features here is the adjustable hitch, allowing this sweeper to work with different lawn mowers. That’s about it though, and it lacks others, there’s no adjustment for the brushing height either.
Customer Reviews
Who Should Buy This Product
If you’re looking for a sweeper with a large sweeping width that can cover a huge area in one go, this one is for you. It delivers on that handily, having better sweeping width than most similar sweepers, while still being decently priced. It can also fit on almost any mower.
What to Watch Out For
On the other hand, if you want a highly durable tool, this one is not for you. Most of its parts are obviously cheap, and they will fail with time. The one that’s especially shoddy is the hopper, and it will most likely rip if you try to fill it to capacity, meaning that the stated capacity is far over what it is in practice.
The Conclusion
This is a lawn sweeper with a huge sweeping capacity, far above the other products on the market, and it comes at a decent price. Unfortunately, it is just not durable and does not hold up in the field. The hopper is especially flimsy, and it will rip if filled to the top. Considering that, you might want to think twice before buying it.
The Best Pick – Agri-Fab 45-0492
The best lawn sweepers and what characterizes them are a matter of huge debate. It’s possible that what you consider trash, others might consider gold, as the old saying goes. However, we will still offer our opinion on what the best product is, and you’re free to agree or disagree.
For us, that is the Agri-Fab 45-0492 lawn sweeper, simply because it is a durable, reliable product with almost no glaring flaws, unlike most others. It has one huge flaw, that is for sure, but that is a flaw that can be solved with a simple fix-up. Otherwise, it is just a quality product which makes it stand above the rest.
Video Review
The Conclusion
As we mentioned, you are free to disagree with our pick for the best product, but we stand by it. It is a decision that we made after a prolonged period of testing various products. You don’t have to follow it as a definitive recommendation though – you’re free to make your choice, and that’s what we wanted to help you with by writing this article. If we were able to inform you and help you choose for yourself, we are more than satisfied. If this article was of some help, please share this article as it would help us greatly. Have a good day, and we’ll see you around.
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Homyden
We are home and garden enthusiasts, we share our unique knowledge and expertise. If you have home and garden ideas, feel free to write for us. However, your articles must be unique, informative, made of short and straightforward sentences.
