There are three different types of these yard vacuums available today. There is the push type which looks a lot like a push lawn mower, there is the type that is a little handheld unit that looks like a leaf blower and there is the riding type that works like a riding lawnmower. All of these vacuums have their strengths and weaknesses.

Hand Held Lawn Vacuums

The small leaf blower style of vacuum is much cheaper than the push type. It is good for smaller, harder to reach areas, such as in or around bushes and trees, as well as right around the house. Many of these lawn vacuums have a blower feature as well so that they double as leaf blowers.

Troy Built Mulchinator

UPDATE: Troy-Bilt TB125QS Mulchinator 12 Amp 157 MPH Electric Blower/Vacuum (Amazon) lists around $88.97 (You gotta love something with a name like “Mulchinator”).

The larger push vacuums are much more costly than the small leaf blower style. They can cost as much as 5 to 10 times as much, but they are much more useful when it comes to large areas. The push vacuums cover a large amount of ground fast. Although they are much bulkier than the little handheld vacuums, they have attachment hoses that allow their owner to get in hard to reach places as well. They are much more powerful than the smaller vacuums and typically run on gas. These vacuums are a great choice for mid to large sized yards. The push style lawn vacuums range in price anywhere from $600 to $1,000. We’ve seen the Craftsman Yard Vacuum as low as $619 which is still quite a bit, but it can save you a ton of time.

UPDATE: The M T D Products 24A-060E766 Troy-Bilt Yard Vacuum (Amazon) currently lists around $529.

MTD Products Troy Built Vacuum

The most expensive type of vacuum is the riding style. These vacuums are very nice to have and work very well for large yards or parcels of land. They will suck up sticks and leaves in no time at all. They are more costly than the push vacuums and may not be worth the expense if a very large amount of land is not being cleaned. Sometimes these come with extra attachments but typically they are not great for hard to reach areas.

Swisher 2 in 1 Lawn Vacuum

Most riding style yard vacuums, with some exceptions, attach to a riding lawn mower and are pulled behind the mower. They still have a gas powered engine that creates suction and vacuums the yard debris through the undercarriage of the mower as it drives across the yard just like you’re mowing. These generally cost well over $1,000 and are only good if you have a large yard, thus the need for a large mower.

The Swisher 2-in-1 8.75 Gross Torque Lawn Vacuum and Dump Wagon (Non-CARB Compliant) #LV87537 lists around $1,391.95.

There are many additional features included with all of these vacuums that should be noted. Many of the little leaf blower vacuums have the option of either being gas powered or electric powered. Having the option is certainly nice especially with the price of gas today. An electric powered vacuum would be good for around the house uses, with a long enough extension cord most of the yard would be reachable. All of the other vacuums are gas powered and that means that they can be taken anywhere without worrying about a power source. Many of the vacuums will have a reverse feature that allows the user to eject the debris from the bag back out in to a garbage bag or storage container. This feature is very useful for anyone with a large amount of debris to move. Taking the bag off an emptying it can become a hassle if done enough. Some of the larger vacuums will have a chipping and shredding feature, and will break apart large sticks and leaves, making them fit in to bags much more efficiently.

There are a number of different brands selling these vacuums, one of the best recognized is Troy Built. This brand has a high quality product for a realistic price. They also make every style of lawn vacuum.

When considering buying a yard vacuum it is very important to know the different types as well as the different features available. With this knowledge, it will be easy to make the best selection for your personal needs.

Regardless of how thorough a job a lawn mower does in taking up leaves and clippings into its inflating bag, invariably there will be clippings and other debris scattered around the freshly-mown lawn. Unless a homeowner or gardener has no objection to arduous raking or sweeping up with an old-fashioned rake—or even a carpet sweeper, which is actually effective on very small lawns—a gas powered sweeper may be an attractive solution.

Let’s Look at a few types of Gas Powered Sweepers

If you’re looking for “gas powered sweeper,” you probably want something to sweep a parking lot, garage, or street area and possibly not a lawn; although you can use them for some lawns if the grass is blush and cut nice and even. We’ll cover both types here and if you’re talking about gas powered lawn sweepers, you’re probably thinking about leaf blowers possibly or even a lawn or yard vacuum.

A gas powered lawn sweeper is also an expensive option for your lawn maintenance. The average price range for gas sweepers is between $350-$500, and they are also heavier than the more compact and less expensive electric sweepers. That said a gas powered sweeper might also be safer to use.  If your lawn is very large, and you will work far enough from any power source, you have no worry about long electric leads that can still cause dangerous problems when operating power lawn equipment.

However, you may consider the investment worth it. When you consider that these sweepers not only blow the debris and clippings from your lawn, but many of them have air reversibility that converts them to a kind of lawn vacuum enabling you to suction the debris into a good-sized collection bag, much the way household dirt is swept into the bags of hand-held or upright vacuum cleaners. Gas powered lawn sweepers range from handheld models similar to standard leaf blowers to full-size apparatus pushed from behind or towed by a small utility vehicle or tractor mower.

Cyclone Rake

If you do not mind spending twice the average, though, you can buy the Cyclone Rake, an apparatus designed to fit a tractor mower and powered by its own gas engine, the 9hp Briggs & Stratton Vanguard. The Cyclone Rake uses the company’s Jet Path vacuum system and has a collection receptacle capable of holding up to 415 gallons worth of clippings and debris and easily unloaded into a compost heap. This apparatus includes foldaway storage for receptacle and platform, and the engine and hose apparatus can be stored compactly on its own casters.

Jet Sweep

Lacking a tractor mower, however, there are gas sweepers such as the Troy-Bilt Jet Sweep. This sweeper is pushed on two large and one smaller semi-pneumatic wheels and features a large circular sweeping system that blows debris to your left—though you will have to sweep up once it is cleared from your lawn, much like a shoulder- or back-harnessed leaf blower. The Jet Sweep runs on a Briggs & Stratton 850 engine and yields blowing speeds rated up to 150 mph. It lists normally for $449, but it has been sold as low as $419.

Power Vac

Some multi-purpose outdoor vacuum sweepers may do the lawn sweeping job as well as sweepers designed explicitly for lawn sweeping, especially for very large lawns. Industrial Air Solutions Power Vac, which you might think a little excessive for the job, may actually do well for large lawns, and many apartment complexes use it. Powered by either Honda or Briggs & Stratton gas engines, the Power Vac can cover 40,000 square feet per gasoline hour and features an 11 cubic foot, rear mounted receptacle bag that includes a zippered screen vent for dust control, and the 30- or 40-inch nozzle is height adjustable. In addition, much like a household upright vacuum, it features a hose attachment that can be unfastened from its mount atop the receptacle bag to pick up leaves, clippings, or lawn debris that the nozzle cannot quite reach.

Whichever option you choose for your home or complex lawn maintenance, there are certain basic practices to use when using your sweeper. Be sure you have the proper gardening gear, including filter masks if you find the gas fumes or flying debris—no sweeper, regardless of nozzle or brush length and strength, will fail to miss a little, though debris can escape if your receptacle or transit hose becomes dislodged—impede your breathing to any extent. Be sure the nozzle or brush height is well matched to the height of your lawn.

If your sweeper is not towed by your lawn tractor or tractor mower, do not walk too fast while pushing it—even the strongest sweeping action or suction will miss debris if you push it too fast. In addition, be very certain that your sweeper’s gas tank is closed tight and has no leaks before you begin your work.

There are several uses for lawn rollers. Knowing how and where to purchase or rent them is also essential when it comes time to use one. There are different types and uses for lawn rollers so we’ll look at a couple here.

So why exactly would you use a lawn roller?

There are several main, or popular, reasons for using lawn rollers. One is if you’re getting ready to seed or overseed your lawn and the other is if you’re laying sod. Another purpose, which really goes along with what we’ve suggested in all our lawn sweeper articles, is for smoothing out a lawn and making it more level for easier and more precise mowing. As we’ve stated many times before, lawn sweepers work the best on ground or yards that are level and void of any big mounds, bumps, roots, or ruts. So utilizing a lawn roller is a good way of improving the efficiency of your lawn sweepers. If you have a big mound in your yard, you can remove dirt from around the edges of the mound and then roll it with the lawn roller. Think of it sort of as a huge divot left by a golf ball and the process that goes into refilling your divot. And if you golf anything like I do, you have a lot of them!

Rolling For Seeding

Before overseeding you can roll the lawn several times to pad down the grass, and then rake away all the dead grass and seed. However, if you’re seeding for the first time, there’s a lot more steps to take before you use your roller. First is testing the Ph level of your soil which should be around 6. To 7.5. Next you’ll want to make sure you get all large rocks, sticks, and any other debris clear so it’s nice and clean. If you have big dirt clogs or mounds of soil that is compacted, us a tiller or hand tiller to break them up into more “dirt” than clump. While tilling is the best time to spread out any starter fertilizer or soil additives you plan on using. Next I like to use a regular garden rake or light screen to level the soil as much as possible before using the lawn roller. Now it’s time to use your lawn roller. Roll as many times as necessary to get the most even ground which helps with proper water drainage.

Lawn Roller and Laying Sod

The laying and planting of sod is when you most often see and use lawn rollers. Most rollers use water as their main source of weight since they can be stored relatively light compared to their operating weight. Unless you’re installing a lot of sod and may even do some each year, there’s no need to really purchase a lawn roller. However, if you live on a farm or have a lot of land and do a lot of work, you may benefit from purchasing one; although they can be quite expensive. In most cases, renting one from your local lawn and garden store is probably your best bet.

Once your sod is rolled out, making sure your edges are all tightly together and staggered, (this article is about lawn rollers not laying sod) you’re ready to roll your new sod! Simply speaking, the lawn roller’s purpose is to remove any large air pockets and make sure the sod is firm contact with the soil beneath it giving the roots of the sod a good chance for healthy growth. If you don’t roll, you may end up with some roots not touching the soil underneath and dead spots in your lawn.

Types of Lawn Rollers

Like most garden equipment, rollers come in many different shapes and sizes. The most common are the rollers that are filled with water for weight. This makes them easier to transport when not in use. There are rollers that are filled with sand or concrete, but those are best used for sod farms or places where they won’t need to be transported far or often. Basically there are two ways of pushing or pulling the roller; by hand or by tractor. Both work well and it obviously depends on your need or equipment. Most can be rented for anywhere from $13 to $30 depending on the type.

If you’re thinking about purchasing a lawn sweeper, there are a number of things you’ll want to take into consideration prior to making your sweeper purchase. Using reviews is one such way to insure you’re getting what you expect. As with any purchase, especially if shopping online, you want to keep your expectations in check. Getting the most out of reviews is one such way. Even with that in mind however, there comes a time when you’ll just have to make a decision. Here are a few tips to think about when reading lawn sweeper reviews online:

• Has the individual noted both good and bad qualities about the particular sweeper, or do they seem to be onesided (specifically on the “good” side). With online sales ever increasing, you have to be weary sometimes of people with ties to a specific brand of yard sweeper coming online to fluff up reviews. This tactic is common in many online review sites and is more prevalent with certain products, but it does happen with lawn equipment as well.
• What were the expectations of the individual who posted the review prior to purchasing their lawn sweeper? Many times people expect their yard sweeper to pick up everything that gets deposited on their lawn. We see a lot of bad reviews for sweepers that that owner didn’t feel lived up to their expectations in this area. It’s important to remember that a yard sweeper is not going to pick up everything. Large sticks, pine cones, and almost anything wet is often not the ideal debris to be picking up with a lawn sweeper. Having realistic expectations of your purchase prior to making the decision to buy is important in getting the right product for yourself.
• Look to see if there are any re-occurring themes in the review for a particular sweeper. Many times you can get a really good idea of the quality or features of a sweeper because the reviews will continually bring up the same issues. For example in our research we found one common review statement about the Yardwise 25” Sweep It Push Yard Sweeper to be that seemed cheap in quality. Obviously this is not the best review you want for your product, but since it’s the cheapest one we list and review here on BestLawnSweeper.com, that’s to be expected. Even with that said and a “you get what you pay for attitude” most reviewers felt the Yardwise lived up to their expectations and was a good purchase over all.

We’re trying to post new lawn sweeper reviews as often as we can or a new model comes out, but most online shopping sites have great reviews on the products you may be looking for. Try and avoid the actual manufacturer’s site as best you can, obviously they’ll be biased about the features and performance of their equipment.

Here is a list of some of the yard and lawn sweepers we’ve reviewed on our site:

Under $100

Yardwise 25” Sweep It Push Yard Sweeper

$100 to $200

Precision Products 26” Push Lawn Sweeper

$200 to $300

Agri fab lawn sweeper

Tow Behind Yard Sweeper

Parker Suburbanite 36” Tow Behind Lawn Sweeper

Like any online or brick and mortal store purchase, at some point you’re going to have to make a decision. I know how difficult it can become to pull the trigger on a purchase sometimes or get caught up in analysis paralysis. When thinking about lawn sweeper reviews, just keep the basics in mind mentioned earlier: expectations achieved by the person who is doing the review, watching for common themes in the reviews of the particular sweeper, and keeping your own expectations in check when finally making your purchase.

Push lawn sweepers are great tools to use when you want to clean up leaves, sticks, and for some sweeper models, pine needles and pine cones. There are many products out there which you may want to consider. We’ll look at a few of the push lawn sweepers that we’ve reviewed here at BestLawnSweeper.

Now, when thinking about make a lawn sweeper purchase, there’s a few things you’ll want to take into consideration. Firstly, you’ll want to have proper expectations. Knowing what to expect from your purchase greatly increased the odds that you’ll be happy with you lawn sweeper purchase. There are several sweeper models out there right around the $100 range.

Precision Products Push Lawn Sweeper

Precision Products Lawn Sweeper

The first product we’ve reviewed is the Precision Products 26-Inch Push Lawn Sweeper. This sweeper retails for around $112 on most online shopping resources. The general reviews of this product are pretty good considering its low price point. It has a 26’ hopper with 6 cubic feet of capacity so it will fill up fast but should still save you lots of time versus traditional raking. The solid steel construction and aluminum wheels are fairly well constructed and give it a more durable feel than some of the other cheaper lawn sweepers out there.

As with most lawn or yard sweeper, this one does require assembly. Most feel the assembly is fairly straight forward and had it put together within a few minutes. The gear ration (5 to 1) allows it to be moved across the lawn fairly easily to create the torque needed to keep the brushes spinning at a nice pace to adequately sweep up leaves and debris. As we mentioned, the 6 cubic foot hopper will fill up quick, but that does equal approximately twelve loads to fill a 30 gal collapsible lawn baskets. So you’re going to be dumping a lot but it still beats raking by hand.

Most of the negative reviews about this push sweeper were in regards to the support received from the products manufacturer, Precision Products. Some reported that when the sweeper arrived it was missing some parts and that emails for support went unanswered. However, we think it would be worth while to give this push sweeper a try. When looking at the design of other push lawn sweepers, the simplicity of the Precision sweeper makes it attractive as there are less parts and pieces that could eventually wear and break apart.

All-in-all, this product seems to perform up to its stated purpose and should satisfy most yard sweeping jobs.

Yardwise 25′ Sweep It Push Lawn Sweeper

Yardwise 25' Lawn Sweeper

The Yardwise 25″ Sweep It Push Yard Sweeper can be found for under $100 making it one of (if not) the cheapest sweeper out there. However, with that price you also sacrifice some things. First lets look at the selling features or specifications. This one has pretty much the same features as most others; adjustable height adjustment, 30 gallon basket (says it lifts off easily), and it folds down for storage. We must point out that the folding feature is nice as many of these sweepers can take up a lot of storage space in your garage or shed.

As with the price, the main complaint about this sweeper is it seems cheaply made; but what do you expect for under $100 (around $99 so actually it won’t be under $100 once you pay for shipping or gas if you find one locally). You really do get what you pay for, but for a quick yard sweep up and some light stuff, this sweeper may work fine.

This sweeper has a lot of plastic on it, which was a common complaint and as with the majority of others, it requires some assembly. Even with the large amounts of plastic however, most people did feel this push sweeper lived up to its claims and were overall happy with its performance. And always remember that almost none of these sweepers will get your lawn looking like vacuumed carpet. And most work best when the lawn is evenly cut, void of large ruts and hills, and the debris is not wet.

So these are the most commonly talked about push lawn sweepers and we hope you find what you need. Again, always keep in mind expectations when getting yard or other equipment. Being informed and knowing what to expect from your garden equipment will improve the chance you’ll be satisfied with your purchase.

When looking for a yard sweeper, the main thing is to really think about your expectations. What do you want to accomplish? Most yard sweepers, obviously are used for simply sweeping leaves. Which they work great for by the way.

As do most people, I dislike raking leaves. I guess “dislike” would be a kind word. Don’t get me wrong, I love working in the yard, but I also like being as productive as I can, and spending hours raking leaves doesn’t seem too productive to me when there’s better tools and equipment out there for the job.

Enter the Yard Sweeper! These things are great, you can either get a manual or push model, such as one of our favorites, the Precision Products 26-Inch Push Lawn Sweeper, or one of the bigger boys to tow behind a garden tractor. For a tow behind, one we see getting the best reviews is the Agri-Fab 38-Inch Tow Lawn Sweeper which lists for around $270. Now, with that said, the Agri-Fab is only our favorite here because that’s the most popular model and one where we found the most reviews. We also have a full page review on the Parker Suburbanite – 36in. Wide Tow Behind Lawn Sweeper. This guy is really nice but lists up around $900. Which is a lot for even the serious lawn enthusiast?

The more expensive models such as the Parker Suburbanite is touted to be more for turf professionals and those who take care of turf surfaces for a living. And yes, like anything else, you do get what you pay for. But lets look at a couple important factors when looking to purchase a yard sweeper or lawn sweeper.

First, what do you expect it to do? Meaning, do you expect it to pick up only leaves? If that is the case, then most of the push models (and most certainly the more expensive ones) will do just that. However, it is good to note that they do best when sweeping up dry leaves. That is pretty generally across the board on all lawn sweepers.

If you’re looking for something a little more industrial, and you have a lawn tractor or ATV to pull the sweeper, then some of the more expensive ones may be your better choice. Most sweepers in both categories will pick up small sticks and even some smaller pine cones and maybe pine needles. Check out our reviews and those around shopping sites to see which may work best for you.

And always consider storage space available also and keep in mind that most yard sweepers work best on mostly even lawns.

Whatever model you choose, make sure you know what to expect. Many lawn and yard equipment like sweepers are made for certain jobs. Having the right expectations will making your shopping experience more enjoyable. Oh, and also remember, that unless you purchase a used one, most lawn sweepers come with “some assembly required.”

Looking for a yard sweeper? There so many different choices out there when it comes to lawn and yard sweepers. How do you know which one is the best for you? Try reading Choosing The Best Lawn Sweeper to get an idea of what factors to look for when searching for your yard sweeper.

I don’t know about you, but I hate raking leaves. As a child I had to clear out the fence between our yard and the neighbors every fall. I hated doing that. If only I would have had a yard sweeper then, and used it a few times as the leaves fell, it would have saved me a bunch of time.

The first thing you will want to think about is whether or not you have a riding lawn mower or something to pull the sweeper with. This will obviously depend on the size of your yard. Storage is another thing to keep in mind; some of these sweepers are quite wide and can take up a lot of space in your garage or storage shed in the off months.

Let’s look at a few different ones.

Sweepit! Multi-Function Yard Sweeper

This sweeper sells for around $90 and, from our research; you will find it listed as the Yardwise 25″ Sweep It Yard Sweeper. Sears show’s this item to sale for $94.99.

Some reviews on this item say it does take some time to assemble, so be ready for that. The reviews vary from 20 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Although that seems like quite a difference to me… hmmm, maybe someone forgot some parts. Most like this yard sweeper also for it is lightweight and easy to maneuver.

Precision Products 25’ Push Yard Sweeper

The Precision Products 25’ Push Lawn Sweeper is another one of our favorites. It runs a little more than the Yardwise, averaging around $112. Some pro’s and cons of this sweeper is the low hamper capacity, which is common on the lower end push sweepers, and not the greatest customer support from the manufacturer. Something to think about is there are some moving parts on these things obviously, and things can go wrong. But for the most part, if assembled properly and used correctly, these things can and do work as expected.

Again, as we pointed out in Choosing the Best Lawn Sweeper, it is important that you have reasonable expectations for the equipment you choose. Most of these lower priced yard sweepers are designed for lightweight work. Many will not pick up wet leaves, big sticks or pinecones, or work well on lawns that are uneven. We always stress to know what to expect so you are not disappointed with your purchase.

If you do have a garden tractor or SUV, you may want to look at purchasing a pull-behind or tow-behind variety. These yard sweepers are more expensive obviously, but can handle some of the more tough jobs better than the less expensive pull models.

Parker Suburbanite – 36in. Wide Tow Behind Yard Sweeper

The Parker Suburbanite – 36in. Wide Tow Behind Lawn Sweeper is sort of difficult to find reviews on and we haven’t used this product ourselves. However, it seems to be constructed really well, which would be expected at around $900. It is constructed from a frame made from tubular steel and has cast iron wheels. Not much plastic on this bad boy. With a width of 36 inches, this yard sweeper can cover a yard in now time. The best part, it can hold 17 cubic feet of material and comes with a stronger vinyl hopper material than seen on the less expensive sweepers.

We can’t stress enough the importance of having the right expectations when purchasing yard sweepers. Just keep that in mind when shopping.

Choosing the best lawn sweeper is important. Some questions you’ll want to ask yourself are:

•    What will you be picking up with the yard sweeper?
•    Do you have a lawn tractor?
•    How big is your yard?
•    How much storage do you have?
•    How much do you want to spend?
•    Do you prefer a tow behind  or push lawn sweeper?

The best choice is always going to be the one that fits many of the above categories. Many people enjoy the larger hamper sized lawn sweepers but do not take into consideration the storage space needed store them. Especially since, depending on where you live, the sweeper may be a seasonal piece of lawn equipment. Will the large hamper or hopper capacity and width be worth the trade off for valuable storage space?

Another area of consideration is your expectations. Are you wanting to pickup leaves? Do you have several pine trees that are shedding their needles constantly that you need the sweeper to pick up? What about pine cones, are they small or large cones?

If you’re not even sure what a lawn sweeper is, check out What is a Lawn Sweeper to get started. If you’re already sure of your needs, check out the different categories we have listed here. We’re consistently updating the list and searching out the best reviews on each product in all categories.

Main Advantages of a Lawn Sweeper

It’s always good to remember that lawn sweepers (sometimes called; garden sweeper, yard sweeper, and turf sweeper) are a good alternative to gas powered leaf blowers. They’re better for the environment (the manual push ones obviously) and you don’t have to worry about fussing with gas/oil mixtures! Additionally, leaf blowers only move the leaves which mean you still have to collect them anyway. Not so with the lawn sweeper, so you’re saving yourself a step. Another great advantage is that they pretty much sweep your lawn. So you don’t get piles of grass and leaves which can kill the grass in those areas.

Types of Lawn Sweepers

There are two main types of lawn sweepers, the tow behind lawn sweeper and push lawn sweeper. Now you may also hear this equipment referred to as a yard sweeper as well, but they’re basically the same thing; meaning they sweep your yard or lawn.

Tow Behind Lawn Sweeper

A tow behind sweeper is, shockingly, towed behind something. Most often you’ll see these made to be pulled or towed behind a garden/lawn tractor or even an ATV. I know some schools in my area use ATV’s to tow lawn sweepers over their turf fields to pick up leaves and debris, we review the Parker Suburbanite Tow Behind Lawn Sweeper which is advertised for turf professionals. It’s pretty darn expensive though and is in our over $800 category which puts it out of reach for most common home owners.

One of the benefits of the tow-behind is, depending on the model, you can dump the hopper without leaving the seat of your tractor. Although make sure you check the features because some of these do not offer this and honestly, I don’t see getting one that doesn’t have this feature. Tow behind yard sweepers also take up a lot more room to store and maneuver around the yard so you’ll need a yard which allows for the wide turning radius of some of these sweepers.

Push Lawn Sweeper

Push yard sweepers are manually operated, meaning by you the person using it. These are the most commonly used sweepers as they can be purchased pretty inexpensively. Most of these models do pretty well and take up less space to store and do pretty much the same thing as their tow-behind counterparts. Although smaller, they still can take up quite a bit of space in the garage although some do fold down for easier storage. Some of these are even light enough to hang on the wall or from hooks in your garage or shed. The main thing to think about when looking at tow behind sweepers is how much hopper or hamper capacity to you want. Obviously there are other considerations such as construction, warranty, price, etc, but hopper capacity is important. Also, whether or not the sweeper is easily pushed as the hopper fills with leaves. This is when better construction comes into play.

Before You Purchase

The main point to remember when choosing a lawn sweeper is to take into consideration the bulleted points listed above. Making the right choice for your expectations will ensure you get the most value and use out of your purchase. And be sure to check out some lawn sweeper reviews.

Getting the right tool for the job is essential, especially in yard work. No one likes to work harder than they have to right?

Other Considerations and thoughts on yard sweepers and lawn care

It is always a good idea take into consideration what happens when you leave dead grass and leaves on your lawn. Think about it, grass is a plant and needs oxygen and sunlight to grow healthy. When we leave dead grass and leaves on our lawn, we’re depriving the growing grass of needed air and sunlight. Have you ever left a garden hose or something piled on your lawn? Only to move it later and find that the grass is discolored and dying underneath? Any type of yard sweeper or blower is going to help your lawn breathe better thus making it healthier. You may also consider something like a yard or lawn vacuum. Most of these work just like a vacuum, from hand held, push, to riding, some of them even double as wood chippers.

Even if you have to use a hand rake, clearing old debris off of your lawn is only going to make it healthier. Obviously we like the yard sweepers here because that’s what we’re all about, but in the long run we all want a healthy green lawn. So not matter how you get there, just remember to keep it clear of things that block sunlight, air, and water. Also keep in mind that yard and lawn sweepers work best on level, even lawns. Lawns with large ruts, mounds, or roots obviously don’t work as well. There are ways you can level out your lawn and using a lawn roller may be something you’ll want to consider if your lawn has some big bumps in it.

Top Rated Lawn Sweepers

Taking a look at the bulleted list above, the top rated yard sweeper will be different depending on your needs. According to customer reviews from Home Depot, the Brinly 42 In. Lawn Sweeper received the best reviews. For lawn sweepers under $200, we would have to suggest the Precision Products 26 inch push lawn sweeper.

With so many choices out there for lawn sweepers, one way to go is with the tow behind lawn sweeper. Obviously since it’s a “tow behind” you must have something to tow it with. Depending on what your method will be ATV, Garden or Lawn tractor, you certainly have plenty of models and features to choose from.

The biggest benefit of the tow behind lawn sweeper may be, if you get the right model, that you don’t have to get off your tractor to dump it. The tow behind model we’ll be looking at today is the Parker Suburbanite 36 inch lawn sweeper. This particular model hasn’t been reviewed much, and from what we’ve seen it does not allow dumping from the tractor seat like the Agri-Fab 38-Inch Tow Lawn Sweeper; which is odd since it’s almost three times the price. However, this Parker Suburbanite is a well built and commercial grade sweeper, so if you’re serious about getting a tow behind sweeper, check it out!

Product Specifications:
•    Sweeper Type    Tow behind
•    Sweeping Path (in.) 36
•    Hopper Capacity (cu. ft.) 17
•    Brushes (qty.) 4
•    Height Range (in.) Adjustable
•    Wheel Type Cast iron
•    Wheel Size (in.)    10.5 x 2.5
•    Dimensions L x W x H (in.) 62 x 46 x 32
•    Commercial model
•    Designed for large areas
•    Reinforced vinyl basket
•    Eight polypropylene, steel-backed brushes in four staggered rows
•    Variable vertical front faceplate adjustment helps control how debris is deflected into the basket
•    Heavy-duty rear casters
•    Tubular steel frame
•    Sealed ball bearings on the brush axle for extended life
•    Sintered pinion gears
•    Hard, vacuum-formed polypropylene bottom
•    Tow bars are independent of the height adjustment
•    Top wind apron

The Parker Tow-Behind Suburbanite Lawn Sweeper is the largest of the lawn sweepers we’ve seen here so far. This product is actually advertised as a Turf Sweeper and recommended for sports turf professionals. We have not heard reviews from anyone who have used this product so we don’t have much to go on. With a hefty price tag (we found it from $899 to $930), it would be hard to make a decision on this lawn sweeper without more first hand information. With that said, lets take a look at it’s capabilities.

This sweeper has a huge capacity of 17 cubic feet. One big difference we noticed was the cast iron wheels and rear casters. Since this is a tow behind, it features 10.5 wheels on the front and smaller cast-iron casters on the rear. It is recommended that this sweeper be pulled by front engine turf and/or lawn tractor or ATV with a rear hitch attachment. One thing we did notice, this product boast the ability to work behind a zero-turn riding mower. This is a great feature which is sometimes hard to find in some of the tow behind models.

This sweeper has all the bells and whistles and we hope to find some reviews on this so we can get them up here for everyone. We’ll be checking around to see if anyone has this model and what their experience with it is. One of the features that really excites us is the eight brushes which are polypropylene steel-backed and staggered in rows.
Something else we noticed is not listed as a feature is the ability to dump the hamper without leaving your seat! Hard to imagine on a sweeper in this price range.

Best Qualities: Size (17 cubic feet!), can be used behind zero-turning mower
Bad Qualities: Not enough experience to give good review, will keep looking. Price, around $900.

Today we’re looking at the Precision Products 26-Inch Push Lawn Sweeper

Specifications:
•    26-inch walk-behind lawn sweeper; 6-cubic foot capacity
•    Walk behind and push to quickly sweep up trimmings and leaves
•    Height adjustment for different uses; 5-to-1 gear ratio
•    90-day limited warranty; assembly required

This Precision Products push lawn sweeper is another one of the cheaper options in the push category. Priced just over the Yardwise 25”, this sweeper gives just one more inch of width. Most feel this product is a constructed with a little more sturdy material than other bands in this low-end push category. Constructed with a power-coated steel tube frame resulting in better durability then others. Most felt this product performed well under most circumstances.
With 6 cubic feet of hamper capacity, this lawn sweeper will fill up fast, but still makes quick work of most yard debris and lawn trimmings. Featuring two 8 inch pneumatic aluminum wheels, which is a feature not often found on these less expensive models.

Easy to assemble (some assembly required) and has the standard height adjustment options. One nice feature is the 5 to 1 gear ratio which eases the amount of effort and greater torque to keep the brushes moving. The 6 cubic feet capacity hamper equals out to about twelve fills or sweeper-loads to fill one of those 30 gallon collapsible lawn buckets. As with most push lawn sweepers of this size, they common complaint is people wish it would hold more, but that’s also a trade-off you face with the push versus tow-behind and lower price points.

Most complaints about the Precision Products 26-Inch Push Lawn Sweeper was with the company and not the performance of the product. Complaints were that the company did not respond to emails or that the product arrived damaged, missing parts, or parts that were supposed to be attached upon arrival and weren’t.
Based on what we’ve seen however, I would give this product a try. The simplicity of design makes it attractive and overall a good deal for the price. Most felt the product lived up to what it was advertised to do and felt it saved them valuable time. Not to mention the back!

Again, as with most lawn sweepers, this product works best when used soon after the lawn has been mowed. Which sometimes seems like it defeats the purpose but if you mow a lot and can keep most leaves off the lawn asap, these work nice.

Best Quailities: Low price, we found for around $112, simply design
Bad Qualities: Company response to support issues, low hamper capacity (again, an understood trade off)