Lawn Sweepers: A Short Introduction
If you are tired of feeling like a rake is an extension of your arm, you may want to consider a lawn sweeper. Lawn sweepers can help you keep your yard tidy and neat throughout the entire year. Many people believe that a lawn sweeper will only make a difference during autumn when leaves fall; however, this is not necessarily the case. Lawn sweepers are a great tool to have all year long.
There are lots of good lawn sweepers on the market; however, the differences between them will make you want to do a bit of research before making your final purchase. Here are ten of the best lawn sweepers with some information on narrowing down the best choices.
Lawn Sweeper Important Features
Width of Sweeper
Depending on the type of lawn sweeper you purchase and the brand, the width will vary. Most of the sweepers that attach to a tractor or ATV are going to be around 40-44 inches. The walk-behind sweepers are going to be a bit smaller in width. This is mostly so that users have an easier time moving the sweeper across the lawn. Consider your yard’s size and whether or not you need a very large sweeper to complete your projects.
Debris Capacity
The debris capacity is how much a lawn sweeper will hold. This number is typically calculated in cu ft. You will see that some of the smaller models have about 7 cu ft of debris storage. Large models will be over 15 cu ft. If you know that your sweeper will fill up rather quickly, choose something with a large capacity. When you have to stop and dump out debris in your sweeper continually, it makes projects take quite a bit longer.
Type
The two main types of lawn sweepers are those that you can walk behind and push and those that attach to a tractor or ATV. If you choose a model that attaches to an ATV or tractor, make sure the hitch is going to match your particular unit. Most of the hitches are adjustable and easy to snap right on; however, you won’t want to find out after the fact that your two tools are not compatible. It’s hard to say if the walk-behind or towable sweepers are better, purchase something that works for your budget and your needs in your yard.
Top 10 Best Lawn Sweepers
Best Overall
1. Agri-Fab 45-0492 Lawn Sweeper, 44-Inch
Top Features
44-inch sweeper
Semi-pneumatic wheels
Weighs 95 pounds
Dump lever
Folding model
Our Rating
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Our Take
The Agri-Fab 45-0492 is the best overall lawn sweeper on the market. You are likely going to see the Agri-Fab name come up quite a few times during our reviews. We are very impressed with their overall ability and longevity as well.
This is a 44-inch sweeper that is perfect for a large yard and quite a bit of debris to pick up. You will be able to work quickly using this sweeper as you won’t need to leave the seat because of the new dump lever.
Potentially our favorite feature of the Agri-Fab is the fact that the entire sweeper folds up to save space. You can keep this in a small corner of your garage until you need to take it out each year. The total unit folds down to about 30 percent of its original size.
The universal hitch on this high-functioning sweeper also makes it possible to be assembled and working within a matter of minutes. Although you may pay a bit more for the Agri-Fab name, it will be well worth your money.
Best Value
2. Agri-Fab 45-0218 26-Inch Push Lawn Sweeper
Top Features
Push sweeper
Easy to pick up clippings
Plastic wheels
Seven cu ft Hopper bag
Height adjustment
Our Rating
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Our Take
The Agri-Fab Push Sweeper is a 26 inch smaller size lawn sweeper that you can walk behind. This particular model is not going to attach to a tractor or a lawnmower. This sweeper will work very similar to an outdoor vacuum; however, it is not a power model.
The Agri Fab has adjustable height settings so you can get your lawn clear no matter how much debris you have. There is some assembly required when you purchase the Agri-Fab. It does not come assembled, and you will spend a little bit of time getting up and working. However, once it is in place, it is effortless to work.
The Agri-Fab is an excellent choice if you are someone that ends up getting quite a bit of leaf or lawn debris on your turf. You can save yourself from having to mow but get your lawn looking like it was just freshly cut. You will notice that a push sweeper like this will be a much better deal than the pull-along sweeper made by Agri-Fab.
Best Premium
3. Ohio Steel 50SWP26 Pro Sweeper
Top Features
42 inch sweeper
It has a 5 position hitch adjustment
Easy to maneuver
Higher quality materials
Custom fit to any tractor
Our Rating
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Our Take
When you are looking for a premium sweeper, you have to look at both the size and the sweeper’s materials. The 42 inch sweeper is a size that will work well for large yards. Attaching the Ohio Steel to your tractor will be quite simple.
The sweeper has an adjustable five-position hitch that you can use to get to work with any of the tractor options on the market. The only major thing you will want to watch out for with a large sweeper like this is your land grade. If you have lots of ups and downs and ditches, a sweeper can give some mixed performance.
The back of the Ohio Steel Sweeper is going to hold about one lawn bag full of debris. Although this is not the largest collection size, we find Ohio Steel to be very efficient and do a great job of keeping the yard clean.
4. Brinly STS-42BHDK-A 42-Inch Tow Behind Lawn Sweeper
Top Features
42 inch sweep
20 cu ft capacity
2 rows of independently flexing rust-resistant tines
Patented easy upright storage design
Collects a range of debris
Our Rating
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Our Take
The Brinly STS-42BHDK-A 42-Inch Lawn Sweeper is another excellent choice for an extra-wide yard clean up. WIth 42-inches of sweeper traveling behind you, there will be plenty of work getting done. This is, however, a very expensive model. It will set you back a lot of dollars, and performs as well as some of the slightly less expensive products in this review. Hence we can only give it 4 stars.
The collector compartment is 20 cu ft. and will allow you to get a lot of work done in a short period of time. It could be higher for the price, however. This is a very efficient sweeper made with spiral parts that have no trouble turning and pulling along the grass.
Since this is a Brinly tool, you can imagine there are some great features in place to help make sure that the sweeper is not dragging or falling out of position. The durable steel tines are excellent, combing the lawn easily and allowing for maximum thatch extraction. Whether it is leaves, grass clippings, pine needles, or small sticks, the Brinly will have you covered. But, this does come with a hefty cost.
5. Agri-Fab 45-0320 42-Inch Tow Lawn Sweeper, Black
Top Features
Lightweight
42 inches
Quick assembly
3 year warranty
12 cu ft capacity
Our Rating
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Our Take
Here comes Agri-Fab with yet another excellent lawn sweeper choice for your home. This particular model is quite a bit smaller than some of the others on the market. This makes it a perfect fit for the mid to small size yard.
One of our favorite things about this Agri-Fab Sweeper is that it is relatively lightweight. A total weight of 68 lbs makes this a bit easy to maneuver and for your mower to pull. Some of these lawn sweepers get extremely heavy. Remember that even though your mower will be pulling the sweeper, you will have to attach it and put it away after use. Choosing something you can manage is quite essential.
Even though this is a smaller 42 inch sweeper, you should seriously consider the fact that it can still hold 12 cu ft. The capacity is going to make this one of the more efficient models for its size. With a three year warranty and a very easy assembly, this is a great starters model if you have never owned a sweeper in the past.
6. Brinly STS-427LXH 20 Cubic Feet Tow Behind Lawn Sweeper, 42-Inch
Top Features
6 Brushes
20 cu ft collection
42 inch sweep
Height adjustment
Easy to attach
Our Rating
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Our Take
The Brinly is an excellent competition to all of these Agri Fab options on the market. The thing that sets the Agri Fab apart from the crowd is the six high-velocity brushes that it has. The brushes are spread out far enough that the lawn is very well cleaned up after you have passed through.
This Brinley is easy to fold up and store when you are finished using it. Let’s face it, the lawn sweeper is not something that we will use all that often. If you have a large model that won’t fold into a corner in your garage, it may or may not be a good solution for you.
For being only a 42 inch design, the Brinly can hold 20 cu ft of debris relatively impressive. Overall, people are happy with the quality they are getting from this lawn sweeper. It is a good value and high functioning at the same time.
7. Yard Commander 42 in. Tow behind Lawn Sweeper
Top Features
Tow behind lawn sweeper
Handles variable terrain
9 position height
Easy to dumb debris
42 inch clearing width
Our Rating
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Our Take
The Yard Commander 42 inch lawn sweeper does a great job of making yard cleanup look easy to handle. This yard sweeper is one of our favorite choices when you are looking to go over variable terrain. The variable terrain can sometimes cause sweepers to collect unevenly and leave spots of debris in the yard. The large wheels on the Commander help to make sure that does not happen.
This particular model has a 9 position height that will allow you to clean up the yard, regardless of what type of debris you have in your way. The hopper bag is collapsible. This allows you to store it away in the months when you don’t need it.
When the hopper bag is open, it can hold 12.9 cubic feet of debris, which is a fairly standard amount. Remember that the more debris a lawn sweeper can hold, the less often you will have to dump it. Overall you will enjoy the ability to attach this sweeper to an ATV or tractor and get your yard cleaned up in no time at all.
8. Makita Couple Shaft Paddle Sweeper Attachment
Top Features
For clearing gravel, leaves, and grass
Durable rubber paddles
Shield to protect user
Solid construction
Resonably 24-1/4-inch sweeping surface
Our Rating
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Our Take
All the sweepers on our list focused on clearing leaves and sticks off of your lawn. However, some people are shopping for a lawn sweeper to get sand and gravel off of your lawn. Sometimes when you live near a street, or your driveway is made with gravel or sand, the materials can travel.
When the sand and gravel start traveling to your grass, you will be left with a bit of a mess to clean up. Luckily with this Makita sweeper attachment, you can pick up the rocks, gravel, and sand that have made their way to your lawn. It has a decent sweeping surface of 23-1/4-inches and 12 durable rubber paddles for optimum performance.
In addition to being durable, heavy-duty, and fast working, this particular model includes a safety guard. The guard helps to protect the user from being showered with debris whilst it is in action. Overall this is a good model for the price if you have this unique issue to deal with in your turf. However, since this is quite a basic model for something quite specific, we can’t really give it a higher rating. You will be impressed by the Makita quality, though!
9. Right Hand 26-Inch Push Lawn Sweeper
Top Features
Hand push model
26 inch wide sweeping path
7ft mesh collection bag
14 spinning brushes
Heavy-duty stainless steel construction
Our Rating
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Our Take
The Right Hand 26-inch lawn sweeper is a great budget option that is hand-operated. It boasts a decent 7ft mesh collection bag and 4 spinning brushes. This is really good for the low price point.
This model has a heavy-duty stainless steel structure. Unlike most plastic mowers and pushers, this product is strong and durable whilst still being lightweight and maneuverable. 10-inch smooth rolling rubber wheels allow for easy non-stop sweeping and reliable all-terrain performance. The integrated support legs are a nice touch that stabilizes your load, even when the bag is full.
The rotating brushes have adjustable height settings that can accomodate lots of different terrains. It is versatile for home garden use and can pick up a wide range of debris from leaves to grass on all sorts of surfaces. This includes grass and patio as well as sidewalks and more.
Buyers rate this product well for the price-point, saying that it ‘does the job’ and is functional. However, as it is a hand-push model, it is not great for those bigger areas and some say that the quality is less excellent than that of more expensive types. This is to be expected, hence the lower rating. However, it is a good option if you need a lawn sweeper on a budget!
10. Earthwise LSW70021 21-Inch Leaf & Grass Push Lawn Sweeper
Top Features
21” Sweeper
Push behind model
Lightweight
Best for dry, lightweight leaves
Sturdy model
Our Rating
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Our Take
The Earthwise Sweeper is another walk behind model. The great thing about a sweeper like this is that you won’t need to have a tractor or ATV to be able to use it. Instead, you can simply walk behind and clean your yard up in a matter of minutes.
This is a sturdy and environmentally friendly model with an adjustable leaf sweeper. You can adjust the height to be able to clean up the debris regardless of how thick it is. Although this is a sturdy unit, you will be better off picking up leaves and small sticks as opposed to rocks.
One of our favorite uses for the Earthwise Sweeper is when you have quite a few acorns or walnuts on your turf. We all know what that can do to the blade on your lawnmower. Avoid the damage and use an effective and lightweight sweeper like the Earthwise.
Lawn Sweeper Buyer’s Guide
As you can see from our list of the best lawn sweepers on the market, there are lots of great choices out there. Each of these models has some great features that will certainly make work around the yard quite a bit easier. Here are a few of the things that you should be considering before purchasing your new lawn sweeper.
Wheels
Your lawn sweeper is going to come with several wheels to help it move across the turf evenly. The wheels should be made of higher quality material that will have no issues pulling through any type of terrain. If your turf is not flat, make sure that the wheels can handle uneven surfaces.
Most sweepers will say whether or not you can use them on an uneven surface. Of course, you won’t want to miss spots, but sometimes working on uneven surfaces will cause the sweeper to bend and even break.
Capacity
Although each of these considerations is important, the capacity remains at the top of the list for us. With a small capacity sweeper, you are going to have to dump quite often. Depending on your setup and where you are going with this debris, this could significantly slow down your process.
We find that anything over 10 or 15 cu ft seems to be a good size. Although these larger capacity sweepers will require a little extra room in your garage, they are genuinely worth considering. The idea of the sweeper is to make work quicker and easier.
Once you have filled your lawn sweeper it is often useful to use a leaf mulcher to reduce the volume of leaves in your composter.
Hitch on your Lawn Sweeper
If you purchase a towable sweeper, a hitch will attach to the back of a tractor or UTV. This allows you to pull the sweeper around your property and pick up any yard debris. The important thing about the hitch is making sure that it attaches to the back of your current equipment.
Most of the hitches are easily adjustable and maneuverable, but you must make sure of this prior to ordering. If the hitch connection is not right, the sweeper may not sit properly on the turf. This will cause uneven debris collection and potentially less ability to hold the max amount of debris.
Weight
A lawn sweeper has to have a certain amount of weight to it. The weight helps to make sure that the sweeper can get close to the ground and pick up all leaves, twigs, and sticks. The heavier a model is, the harder it will be to get hooked up and stored on your own.
Sweepers that weigh 50 pounds are much easier to manage than those that weigh 80-90 pounds. It’s important to look at a total weight of a sweeper to make sure that you are purchasing what you are capable of managing on your own.
The walk-behind sweepers are generally a bit lighter because they are expected to be pushed along without the use of a machine. When pushing the sweeper along, you will have to be able to handle it with the debris inside as well.
Lawn Sweeper Price
The range of pricing on a lawn sweeper is usually between $100 and $400. Try to consider how often you plan on using your sweeper before you settle on the final number that will work for you. If you find that the sweepers are just too expensive, you can look for a large bag that connects to your existing tractor or mower.
These larger bags are usually priced considerably less than a sweeper, and they do a good job of collecting large amounts of debris. The problem with them is that you typically have to be running the blade of the mower to get them to work. If you are trying to pick up larger debris, sticks, nuts, and small rocks, this is not ideal.
Height Adjustment
A great feature of lawn sweepers is height adjustment. Depending on the time of year that your sweeper is needed, you will need to adjust the height. For instance, if it is summer and you have a very light dusting of a few leaves or twigs on the grass, you may be able to set the height lower.
If, however, there was just a large windstorm and your lawn is completely covered in leaves, you will need to keep the height a bit higher to allow for all of the debris to be collected properly. When the lawn is loaded with debris, you may need to make two passes at varying heights.
Having the ability to adjust the height and keep your lawn in great shape is very important. If you have the opportunity to purchase a model with adjustable height, it will be worth the money.
Storage
Last but certainly not least, it is essential to consider how much room your sweeper is going to take up. If you purchase one of the very wide sweepers, you will need to make sure you have room to store it in the off-season.
Our top model, the Agri Fab, folds down to store easily. This means your garage is not super cluttered. Sweepers are used most often in the summer and fall months. However, you have to make sure that you have a dry space to leave it during the rest of the year.
Lawn sweeper FAQs
What Does A Lawn Sweeper Do?
A lawn sweeper is a bit like a vacuum for a lawn. Although a vacuum typically has power, a lawn sweeper is simply pulled along behind a tractor or ATV, or UTV. The lawn sweeper can also be something that you push along manually as you walk around your yard.
The idea behind a lawn sweeper is to get an efficient and easy way to clean your yard. If you have leaves, grass clippings, and debris, or even tree nuts spread across your lawn, the sweeper can work to pick it all up for you.
Is A Lawn Sweeper Necessary?
Let’s face it; it feels like it takes a lot of equipment to maintain and care for a home properly. Although there are many things that we need to keep a home in great shape, a lawn sweeper is an important tool to have.
With the capabilities of a lawn sweeper, your spring and fall clean-up projects are going to be much faster than you thought they could be. In the summer, letting grass clippings sit on your turf can burn it out and even kill the grass. A quick pass through with the sweeper afterward and your lawn will be clipping free. Some people prefer to use a leaf blower but these can cause more damage than good!
The sweeper is a great choice for those that have a slow fall leave change. If leaves fall for a few months at a time, the process of cleaning them all up gets quite extensive. A few pass-throughs of the sweeper every few days should keep your property in great shape.
When Should I Use A Lawn Sweeper?
Most commonly, lawn sweepers are used after cutting grass. They are also great after a storm that had a lot of rain and wind. You can use it to easily clear the ground up and return it to its normal state.
A sweeper is a great choice when it is not necessary to mow, yet it would take you too long to rake your entire lawn as well. Sometimes in the event, something like acorns has fallen all over your turf, the mower is a terrible choice.
Having to run a mower over tree nuts is going to damage the blade on the mower. Instead, there are no blades with a sweeper, just simply brushes that put the debris into the collection container.
Are Lawn Sweepers Better than Lawn Mowers?
It would be impossible to say that sweepers are better than mowers. Mowers have the capability of cutting turf shorter; sweepers do not have this same capability. Since the mower is a bit more versatile, it is a necessity compared to the sweeper. The sweeper is more of a luxury item to have.
If your budget allows for both a mower and a sweeper, we recommend one. The process of cleaning up after a storm or keeping your yard looking neat in the fall is time-consuming. It is much easier with a sweeper at hand.
Do Sweepers Work On Uneven Terrain?
For every sweeper advertisement, you probably see a person sitting on a tractor, smiling, pulling around a sweeper. However, their yard never has any hills or ditches in it. This is because it is very simple to use a sweeper on a flat surface.
When you use a sweeper on an uneven surface, chances are it will not work quite as well. When the sweeper dips up and down, it will miss certain areas. If your yard is on a slope, the sweeper will probably work just fine. However, if you have lots of rolling hills, ditches, and spaces in your yard, the sweeper is probably not the best choice.
The problem with trying to run a sweeper up and down over hills is that the height won’t adjust automatically. In some areas, the sweeper will hit the ground, and it could bend. In other areas, it will be so far above the debris that it wouldn’t be able to catch it. Make sure you look at how to level your yard is before purchasing a sweeper.
