Best Lawn Sweeper Reviews 2017
Fall is a popular time of year for many…
It’s also time for the leaves to drop and much more work is created in your garden.
While the burnt brown of those leaves might look attractive, you certainly don’t want them piling up and becoming an unsightly trip hazard.
It’s the perfect chance to invest in getting the best lawn sweeper you can afford to make light work of this tedious chore.
If you’re looking for a well-manicured lawn without needing to break into too much of a sweat, a lawn sweeper is the ideal compromise.
We’ll look today at what you should be considering when buying one of these handy tools.
After that, we’ll walk you through 5 of the best lawn sweeper reviews.
You’ll then be ready to suck up all those leaves from your garden and restore it to its full glory!
Contents
What Is A Lawn Sweeper?
A lawn sweeper is a simple but ingenious device to take all the manual effort out of gathering leaves from your lawn. Much like you would use an electric chainsaw instead of an axe for heavy-duty chopping, if you have a large expanse of grass, a lawn sweeper is an outstanding way to make your life easier.
- Push Sweepers
- Pull-Behind Sweepers
One thing to bear in mind before thinking about buying a pull-behind lawn sweeper…
This is not a standalone piece of kit.
You will also need a lawn tractor, ride-along lawnmower or ATV in order to make use of it.
If you do not own a motorized mower, think about a push sweeper.
The sweeper comes equipped with a series of brushes. As it passes over the grass it will pick up leaves along with twigs and other small bits of debris. It will not pick up larger pieces.
The leaves are stored inside the sweeper until you empty it out.
Why Use One?
Although lawn sweepers are particularly useful in the fall, they can also be pressed into commission during the other seasons.
Raking fallen leaves and other garden detritus is an extremely demanding physical task. For many, this is either impractical or impossible.
If you have any kind of physical limitations or own a sprawling garden with large expanses of grass, a lawn sweeper is just one way to make your maintenance much easier.
For any lawn grooming projects, whether residential or commercial, getting hold of the best lawn sweeper is a great short cut to outstanding results.
Many mowers do not trap the cuttings and leave them strewn all over the lawn. This is one of the principal benefits of a sweeper.
With some models, you can also dethatch or aerate your grass as well as simply picking up stray leaves.
If you are looking for a no-nonsense way to maintain your lawn without breaking your back, you should think seriously about a lawn sweeper.
How To Use A Lawn Sweeper
With a push sweeper, it’s as simple as rolling it around your lawn and collecting any small pieces that you need to deal with.
Pull-behind sweepers attach to a lawn tractor or ride-on mower.
Simply fix it to the back of your vehicle and you’re good to go.
It’s always best to sweep your lawn when the grass is dried if at all possible. The brushes will grip much more effectively on dry leaves than on wet and slippery materials.
Lawn sweepers work much more efficiently on short grass than when it gets too long. The brushes will struggle if you neglect cutting and try to pick up loose leaves when the turf is excessively long.
In terms of what speed to drive around at, different models vary quite considerably in the way they perform. When you first get your lawn sweeper, simply experiment until you find the optimum speed for maximum pick-up.
What To Look For…
If you have your lawn tractor, ride-on mower or ATV in place and want to buy yourself a lawn sweeper, here are some handy factors to bear in mind.
Budget
Price is always an important element of any purchase.
With a lawn sweeper, think about how much you have already spent on your towing vehicle and think about the price of the lawn sweeper in relation to that.
Rather than focusing solely on the bottom line, think about what sweeper offers you the best overall value for money within your budget and buy accordingly.
Size: Width of The Lawn Sweeper
When it comes to tow-behind lawn sweepers, size does matter. They are not all created equally.
The width of your lawn sweeper is the key factor that determines how quickly you can deal with the leaves and debris on your lawn.
A 21 inch sweeper should be sufficient for a small yard.
For larger spaces, look for anything up to around 50 inches.
If you need a lawn sweeper for commercial projects, you can find them as wide as 100 inches to make light work of any large-scale sweeping tasks.
Size: Hopper
As they are collected up, leaves will be caught in the hopper.
Hopper capacities are measured in cubic feet and they vary considerably.
For smaller outside areas, a 12 cubic-foot hopper should be adequate. 26 feet hoppers cater for larger gardens.
If you have a truly expansive lawn or want to undertake any commercial jobs, heavy-duty lawn sweepers are available with multiple hoppers to deal with up to 78 cubic feet of leaves and general debris.
The Hitch
Your lawn sweeper will come equipped with a hitch so you can attach it to your vehicle.
Make sure that the height you choose reflects the size of that vehicle. ATVs, ride on mowers and tractors all have slightly different requirements in terms of hitch height. You can combat this and opt for maximum versatility by choosing a sweeper with multi-hitch height functionality.
OK…
Now you are aware of the basics, we’ll outline 5 of the best lawn sweeper reviews so you can choose the best product for your precise needs.
Best Lawn Sweeper Reviews 2017
Product Name | Image | Type | Width | Capacity | Price | Our Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pull-behind | 44 inch | 25 cubic-feet | $$$ | #1 | ||
Brinly STS-427LXH 20 Cubic Feet Tow Behind Lawn Sweeper, 42-Inch | Pull-behind | 42 inch | 20 cubic-feet | $$ | #2 | |
Pull-behind | 42 inch | 22 cubic-feet | $$$ | #3 | ||
Leaf Bag | N/A | 24 cubic-feet | $$ | #4 | ||
Push | 26 inch | 10 cubic-feet | $ | #5 |
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Agri-Fab-45-0492-Lawn-Sweeper-44-Inch/dp/B00B7E75VU
First up is an expensive but top quality lawn sweeper from a brand you can trust.
This heavy-duty 44-inch model can be collapsed down without using any tools at all so that it becomes about the size of a small push mower.
The manual relies on pictures rather than vague instructions which makes assembly a breeze.
With a fine mesh at the back, up to 25 cubic feet can be contained before you need to empty it.
A lever allows you to make adjustments to the height of the sweeper so you can pick up debris with consummate ease.
There’s another lever at the front you can use to dump the contents without dismounting. If you are working in a large space, this can save both time and effort.
The tough and durable brushes will deal with all debris including pine cones without any problem.
If you want a truly top-notch lawn sweeper and you have the budget to stretch to it, give some serious thought to the Agri-Fab 45-0492.
Pros
- 44 inches is enough to cope with most residential needs
- Very easy assembly and clear instructions so no headaches
- Holds 25 cubic-feet of debris
- Height is adjustable for maximum convenience
- Fully collapsible so a great space saver
- Very durable so buy with confidence
Cons
- Expensive
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Brinly-STS-427LXH-Behind-Sweeper-42-Inch/dp/B0021BSLIY
Another household name in gardening supplies, Brinly, offers a superb 42-inch lawn sweeper, the STS-427 LXH.
Whether it’s leaves, twigs or larger debris, the 6 brushes on this lawn sweeper and 42-inch width deliver maximum results with minimum fuss.
You’ll get about 20 cubic-feet of matter in the hopper before you need to empty it. Although the fabric inside the hopper is fairly tough, it’s only built to contend with regular garden debris so be careful of what you pick up with it.
You can buy a dethatcher or aerator and attach them easily to your lawn sweeper if you want to do more than just pick up leaves. The Brinly is great for total lawn care.
This is not the simplest piece of equipment to get assembled out of the box so be aware of this if you are not the most practical person.
If you are looking for a high quality lawn sweeper that is built to last and can deal with large areas, search no further than the Brinly.
Pros
- 6 brushes for complete efficiency
- Added attachments (dethatcher/aerator) available at extra cost for total versatility
- Collapsible for easy storage
- Easy to adjust height of brushes
- Deals well with pine needles
- Sturdy build for long lasting sweeper
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Does not hold a huge amount of leaves before you need to empty it
- Awkward to assemble
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Ohio-Steel-42SWP22-Sweeper-Spiral/dp/B00SGV34L2
Next up comes a pro-grade lawn sweeper from Ohio Steel, another popular 42-inch model.
With its wide sweeping arc and 22 cubic-feet capacity, you can kiss goodbye to the mess in your yard in no time.
The brush has a patented spiral design for enhanced efficiency.
The 9-inch chute means there’s much less chance of clogging.
By pulling a rope, you can easily empty the hopper once it’s full up without any need to break your workflow and dismount.
You can adjust the hitch and attach the lawn sweeper to any tractor with no need for additional parts.
For a rugged and effective lawn sweeper, this model from Ohio Steel offers wonderful value for money with no compromise on quality.
Pros
- Spiral design of brushes is remarkably effective
- Good value for money
- Easy to empty hopper without getting off your tractor or mower: simply pull a rope
- No-slip height adjustment
- 3-position adjustment for hitch means you can hook up to any tractor with no need for spacer rings
- Collapsible hopper detaches for easy storage
Cons
- Can struggle with pine needles
- No dethatcher unit available
- Relatively tough to assemble
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/ALDA-GROUP-201698-Monster-Leaf/dp/B005LCM4BA
A variation on a lawn sweeper, our next choice is ALDA’s Monster Leaf Bag.
Whether you have a lawn tractor, snow plow or leaf blower, this bag will attach with ease and save you a ton of manual work.
Weighing just 3 pounds, the bag has an impressive 24 cubic-feet capacity.
With openings at either end, you will be able to use different attachments with ease unlike with many other similar leaf bags.
An innovative Ground Shield protects the bottom of the bag from getting damaged.
When you use this leaf bag with a mower, you will need one with a bagger system so watch out for this.
Emptying requires a little grunt so be sure that you are up to the job.
If you want to target an inexpensive variant of a lawn sweeper to conduct your yard work without breaking into a sweat, the Monster Leaf bag is worth a place on your shortlist.
Pros
- Lightweight bag with large capacity of 24 cubic-feet
- Fixes to a wide range of vehicles with ease
- Dust vents so you can work in comfort
- Openings at both ends enabling you to use different attachments
- Slick material keeps dust inside
- Ground Shield to protect bottom of bag
Cons
- Only good for lawn mowers with bagger systems
- Takes a little effort to empty
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Agri-Fab-45-0218-26-Inch-Push-Sweeper/dp/B00004RANC
Another Agri-Fab product to finish up our list of the 5 best lawn sweepers, this time a much cheaper push model.
With a width of 26 inches, this sweeper is best for smaller gardens. The limited size has its advantages in terms of being very easy to move around and maneuver into tight spots.
The bag is fairly small and tends to fill up pretty quickly. Frequent emptying is required.
For a less substantial sweeper, the 45-0218 deals with most types of debris without a snag. Be careful of trying to pick up larger pieces, though. Pine cones are fine but bigger sticks will prove problematic.
Be certain to wear eye protection as there will be some dust and possible flying debris.
If you don’t mind a little exercise and want a lawn sweeper on a budget, this push sweeper from Agri-Fab merits a mention.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Trustworthy brand so you can buy with confidence
- Manual model means it’s highly eco-friendly and silent to operate
- Deals with most debris admirably
Cons
- Push model which requires some physical effort
- Not great for larger spaces
- Small bag that fills up quite quickly
Conclusion
Whatever style of lawn sweeper you have in mind, buying one of these handy devices really is a great way to save time and effort when it comes to maintaining your lawn.
Any of the above models would make a worthy addition to your toolkit so think about the size of your yard, your own physical strength and the amount you have to spend.
If you want a fully automated experience, go for the pull-behind models. If you want to combine cleaning up with some light exercise, the push version is worth a shot. The leaf bag offers a novel twist if you are looking for something affordable and slightly different.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or feedback.
Happy sweeping!