After you’ve laboriously mowed your lawn, residue is hard to avoid. But also if you have trees on or around your property, you can count on leaves, twigs, needles and cones. Those who live on busy and -traveled roads also have to deal with unpleasant debris left behind by people.
But to still have a clean lawn, there are useful lawn sweepers. These lawn sweepers help you keep your lawn nice and clean. To make the choice easier, our editors have put several lawn sweepers under the microscope and present you with our favorites in our 2022 lawn sweeper test.
The most important in a nutshell
- A good lawn sweeper collects leaves, grass and other unsightly things from the lawn. That is why it is important for a well-kept lawn.
- A distinction is made between lawn sweepers with manual operation or those for a ride-on mower
- Important are the width, the volume and the areas of application to decide on the right device
Lawn sweeper test: editors’ favorites
The best cheap sweeper
The sweeper from vidaXL convinces with a favorable price and its very simple operation. It is pushed by hand and is also best for light yard use. It can sweep up over 100 liters of grass clippings, twigs and other debris covering your lawn in one pass.
Since it is pushed by hand, the manufacturers have made the device a lightweight of not even 6 kg. The height of the lawn sweeper can be manually adjusted to the desired level. The lower levels are suitable for all surfaces, the medium settings for wet, slippery or rough and loose surfaces and the higher levels are used for maintenance and transportation of the lawn sweeper.
The best lawn sweeper for tractors
This DEMA sweeper is mounted on an ATV or other small tractor. It is ideal for lawn tractors, holders, quads and smaller tractors. It also cleans the lawn from smaller branches, leaves and manure. But the machine can also pick up small remnants of packaging and paper.
You can easily change the sweeping height of the machine with a control lever. The collection bag of the sweeper you can fill with up to 480 liters with branches, mowed lawn and Co. Fill. Large wheels with a diameter of 26 cm make the sweeper move easier and faster.
The best hand operated lawn sweeper
The Earthwise lsw70021 Sweep lawn sweeper helps you remove leaves and grass clippings from your lawn quickly and easily. It also manages twigs and cones. The height of the sweeper is easy to adjust, making it suitable for many types of terrain. In addition to lawns, this also includes patios, sidewalks and driveways, which, with the right setting, ensure optimal sweeping results.
The device is about 54 cm wide and is therefore particularly suitable for small to medium-sized gardens and properties. The collection bag of the sweeper is easy to empty and reusable. So you do not need more bags and also behave more environmentally friendly.
The best lawn sweeper for small lawns
With the Karcher S 4 Twin 2-in-1 sweeper, you can clean smaller areas in no time at all. With the sweeper, even wet sidewalks, garage entrances or terraces can be quickly and conveniently freed from dirt. All outdoor surfaces can be cleaned again in no time at all without strenuous bending over.
The machine is operated by hand, giving you better control over the strength of the brushes. The filling capacity of the sweepings container is approx. 20 l.Due to the two pairs of side brooms included in the scope of delivery, the sweeper can be used without any problems for dry sweepings as well as for wet sweepings.
Also interesting
Guide: Questions you should deal with before buying a lawn sweeper
What is a lawn sweeper?
A lawn sweeper, by moving forward by hand or machine, drives bristles that propel the sweepings into the bag. The simple principle makes it easy and safe to use.
The most illustrative is a video with a lawn sweeper in operation:
Advantages of a lawn sweeper
Although a leaf blower is also fast and easy on the back, it makes a lot of noise. For the sake of your neighbors and your hearing, you should not use such a blower as a private owner.
A sweeper combines all the advantages. Fast, safe and quiet. In addition, it is also inexpensive.
Why you should use a lawn sweeper
Besides, a lawn sweeper protects against moss infestation when used regularly. A lawn sweeper is therefore indispensable for lawn care.
"The love of gardening is a seed that, once sown, never dies, but grows on and on – an enduring and ever-fuller streaming fountain of joy."
Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932), English garden artist, landscape architect and author
Where can I buy a lawn sweeper?
- Hornbach
- Obi
- Stabilo Specialty Market
- Amazon
- Ebay
Well-known manufacturers are:
- Vidaxl
- Agri-fab
- Dema
- Karcher
- Earthwise
- Husqvarna
How much does a lawn sweeper
You must also consider the value of the product. Metal costs more than plastic, but also lasts longer.
| Lawn sweeper | 70€ – 700€ |
| Ride-on sweeper | 6.000€ – 40.000€ |
Alternatives to purchase
You could team up with your neighbors and share a sweeper. Otherwise you could buy a used sweeper on Ebay.
So the lawn sweeper lasts long
But it is important that you clean the machine after each use. So remove the mud, wet grass and stuck run immediately. How to keep your lawn sweeper in working order.
Decision: What types of lawn sweepers are there and which one is right for you?
In principle, lawn sweepers are divided into two models. The manually operated model and the model for a ride-on mower
Hand operated model
You push the hand-powered model in front of you. For a small lawn this is very practical and quite sufficient. Your neighbors will thank you. Since one needs however muscle strength, one must be persevering. If you weaken, the machine can’t pick up the leaves properly. Easier it goes there with the model for lawn tractors.
- Cheap
- Suitable for small areas
- Muscle power
- different requirements depending on the area
Model for ride-on mower
With the variant for lawn tractors you attach the sweeper to the trailer hitch of the tractor. If you drive the tractor, the sweeper is automatically driven by the forward movement. You can empty the basket from the seat with the hoist
- Time-saving
- Catch basket set
- Expensive
- Width must be right
The lawn sweeper thus replaces the catch basket of the lawn tractor. This is very time-saving, because it allows you to mow, clean and collect at the same time.
Buying criteria: You can compare and evaluate lawn sweepers based on these factors
In the following we will show you on the basis of which aspects you can decide between suitable lawn sweepers.
The criteria include:
- How to drive
- Wide
- Volume
- Height
- Wheels
- Application
Below you can read what the respective criteria are and find out why it makes sense for you to purchase a device based on the criteria or not.
Drive type
Generally, there are hand-operated lawn sweepers and those that can be hitched to a riding mower as a trailer. Which type you need depends largely on the size of the lawn you want to sweep and your budget. Machine-operated sweepers are significantly more expensive than their hand-operated counterparts.
Hand-operated lawn sweepers have a large handle, while those for riding mowers have only a trailer.
Wide
Different sweepers have different widths.
The wider the machine, the more difficult it is to move it. For a small lawn with many curvy spots, choose a small version.
On the other hand you should use a wide sweeper for large area.
Be sure to check that the width matches the cutting width of your riding mower. There will be an unsightly result if you mow and only pick up half the grass. It is also a waste of time. It is best that the width of the sweeper exceeds that of the mower.
Volume
The volume of the collection basket can save or cost you time. The volume varies greatly depending on the model. The Agri-Fab version offers you about 200 liters of capacity, while the vidaXL "only" offers about 100 liters.
With lawn sweepers for lawn tractors, the volume is even more important. You don’t want to stop every minute to empty your bag.
Fortunately, some models have a pulley that lets you empty the hopper from the comfort of your tractor seat.
As with the lawn mower, the lawn height is important. Make sure you can adjust the height. This is especially important in uneven places.
Wheels
Make sure that the wheels give a good grip and don’t leave marks on your lawn. You should avoid working on wet grass. The moisture facilitates the formation of tracks.
Application area
Some models you can use not only for your lawn, but also for your yard.
Trivia: Other facts worth knowing about the lawn sweeper
Beware of confusion!
A lawn sweeper is not a scarifier
A lawn sweeper and a scarifier have different tasks.
The lawn sweeper removes unwanted debris and makes the garden look nicer.
The scarifier does not have bristles like the sweeper, but blades that score what is called turf. This is to give the lawn more air and the grass grows better.
So the lawn sweeper is like a shower, while the scarifier is a massage. Both have the same task of beautifying the lawn, but they are not the same thing.
Scarifiers look like lawn mowers and come in electric as well as gasoline-powered models.
A lawn sweeper is not a hand sweeper
Here there is a great risk of confusion. A lawn sweeper is often called a leaf sweeper, sweeper or leaf sweeper.
But this does not mean a hand sweeper! A hand sweeper is a device with one or two round bristle rollers that lie flat against it. Unfortunately, the word sweeper is often used for both devices. Pay attention to the construction of the device.
The round bristles are a feature of hand sweepers. For this purpose, there are gasoline or battery-powered hand sweepers. You don’t need this with lawn sweepers. The difference is small, but you can’t use both devices the same way.
A lawn sweeper is what you use to primarily clean your lawn, and maybe your driveway as well.
You only use a hand sweeper to sweep everything around your house except the lawn (!), to clean. So to speak the opposite of a lawn sweeper. Due to the positioning of the bristles you can not use the machine on the lawn.