Best Lawn Sweepers of 2022

What is a lawn sweeper

If you like to have a clean yard but don’t like to clean it up, a lawn sweeper is a lifesaver. This yard maintenance equipment will help you gather debris and leaves quickly and effortlessly. Also known as a yard sweeper, this gardening tool is designed to replace the classic rake or loud leaf blower, picking up grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and other lightweight debris.

How does a lawn sweeper work?

A lawn sweeper consists of a system of brushes that work in a fashion similar to a carpet sweeper.

Yard sweepers utilize a series of stiff brushes, usually four or six, to comb through the grass on your lawn and collect light debris including grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and even small rocks, flipping them into an attached collection hopper.

Depending on the type of sweeper, you will have to either detach the hopper to empty it or use a dumping mechanism in the case of a tow-behind lawn sweeper.

Types of lawn sweepers

Although all lawn sweepers use the same principle, there are various types designed for various yard sizes.

• Push lawn sweepers: Are the smaller models. They are designed for yards of up to half an acre and work just like a push lawn mower. You will act as the driving force of your equipment and push it along your lawn. The push lawn sweepers are usually lightweight and easy to maneuver, but they come with rather small hoppers.
• Powered walk-behind lawn sweepers: Perfect for properties of up to an acre, these are the equivalent of the self-propelled lawn mowers and walk behind weed eaters. They are powered by either gas or electricity (corded or cordless), and due to their motorized brushes, they can pick up larger debris. Also called grass sweepers, they are often equipped with shredders that break up larger debris, a great feature if you want to dump the organic material into a compost pile.
• Tow-behind lawn sweepers: The largest grass collectors around, they attach to the hitch of your lawn tractor, riding mower or zero turn mower just like a tow-behind plug aerator. They are perfect for properties larger than an acre, and often employed in commercial-level operations due to their large capacity hoppers. When the bag is full, you can operate a lever or rope mechanism to dump the debris without getting off your tractor seat. Some models can also attach to the hatch of an ATV, but they are too big to use on small properties.

Lawn sweeper cleaning width

The main thing to consider when picking the right cleaning width is the size of your property. Larger widths clean faster, but they might not fit into the smaller corners of your lawn. In broad lines, you’ll need:

Hopper bag capacity

Another important thing to decide when choosing a lawn sweeper is the hopper bag capacity. Depending on the type of equipment, it can vary from around 5 cubic feet to 25 cubic feet or over.

Your first impulse might be to get the biggest bag out there. However, a smaller hopper bag could be more suitable for a push sweeper. This because a big bag can get too heavy and hard to empty.

If you have a pull behind lawn sweeper instead, a bigger hopper could be more appropriate. You’ll be able to gather more debris, and just dump it into a compost or trash pile when you’re done with the chore.

Brush to wheel ratio

The brush to wheel ratio is one of the most important specifications to check before buying. The ratio tells you how many times the brushes rotate in relation to one turn of a wheel.

A higher ratio means that the brushes are turning fast enough to ensure an effective collection of debris, which means faster cleaning of your yard. The best lawn sweepers have a high brush to wheel ratio, usually 5:1 or over.

Other features to consider

Beyond the essential features above, you should also consider the following features before buying:

• Height adjustable brushes: This feature helps you reach the best performance depending on the type of debris you want to gather.
• Collapsible hopper: Folds flat and allows you to store the lawn sweeper in an upright position.
• Maintenance: All lawn sweepers require maintenance, such as seasonal lubrication of the wheel bearings and brush shaft. However, some need more maintenance than others, so it’s a good idea to check before buying.
• Spare parts availability: Lawn sweepers may need brush replacement now and then. It is recommended to check spare parts availability before dropping your bucks.

How to use a lawn sweeper

If you want to maintain your lawn sweeper as new for longer and enjoy its benefits to the fullest, you must learn how to use it right.

The first thing to keep in mind is that they are not designed to pick up large debris, such as hedge branches or pruning debris. The lawn sweeper is designed to replace a rake or leaf blower and must be used for the same type of debris you’d usually gather with any of the mentioned tools.

Now that we’ve got that settled follow the steps below to make the most out of your lawn sweeper.

1. Mow your lawn. Although lawn sweepers can gather small debris from most surfaces, they tend to work better on freshly mowed lawns.
2. Adjust the height of the brushes to the height of your grass. For the best results, set it to about an inch lower than the height of your grass, so you can gather the most debris.
3. Follow the same pattern you used when mowing and start sweeping your terrain. Empty the hopper bag when full and repeat until you’ve cleaned the entire property.

The easiest way to maintain your property clean is by sweeping it regularly. Don’t wait for the debris to pile up, just sweep once a week. Not only you’ll maintain your yard beautifully, but this will also improve the health of your lawn.

Also know that lawn sweepers don’t have exceptional performance on wet terrain, that’s why you should wait for your lawn to dry before sweeping after a rain.

Best Lawn Sweeper for the Money

Best value

Agri-Fab 45-0320 42-Inch Tow Lawn Sweeper

Best value tow behind lawn sweeper

Semi-pneumatic tires ensure smooth towing on all types of terrains.

Check price on Amazon