Everything You Need to Know about How to Use a Lawn Sweeper

If you’re planning on maintaining a great-looking lawn this season, then there are a few tools and accessories that you’ll need.

Although your lawn mower and grass trimmers are at the forefront of your arsenal, there are other tools that you can use to make your life a lot easier. One such tool that can help you maintain a clean and pristine yard is a lawn sweeper.

Lawn sweepers are simple yet effective tools that are designed to pick up a variety of debris from your yard, therefore removing a lot of the manual labor from the equation, with VEVOR being one of the best brands on this front.

Today, we’re going to provide you with an in-depth guide on everything you need to know about how to use a lawn sweeper. Let’s get to it and teach you how to use one of these awesome devices.

What Is a Lawn Sweeper?

A lawn sweeper is a special type of mechanical yard tool designed to pick up various types of debris. Lawn sweepers are manual tools, which means that they don’t have any power source. The only thing that powers a lawn sweeper are your own muscles. This means that they are very eco friendly, because they don’t release any pollution or emissions.

They work simply by being pushed forward. When you push a lawn sweeper forward, the axles of the wheels also rotate a set of brushes. These brushes are designed to pick up different types of debris from your lawn. Lawn sweepers, depending on the quality and type of brushes they have, can be used to pick up grass clippings, leaves, twigs, pine needles, and in some cases even smaller stones.

These are super convenient tools that you can either push in front of you or pull behind you, depending on the model. Push lawn sweepers are generally manual, which means that it’s you doing all of the work, whereas pull behind or tow-behind lawn sweepers provide you with the ability to attach them to the back of your tractor or ride on mower, therefore making life just that much easier yet again.

How To Use a Lawn Sweeper: Step-By-Step

The great thing about lawn sweepers is that they are exceedingly simple to use. They are so simple to use that even a chimpanzee could clean your yard with one. Let’s go through a step-by-step tutorial on exactly how to use a lawn sweeper to create a great-looking yard.

Prepare the Yard

The first step to using a lawn sweeper is to actually prepare your yard. Although lawn sweepers are very versatile, one thing they don’t do is cut grass. If your grass is too long, it can be an obstacle to your lawn sweeper and may prevent it from picking up a variety of debris. 

Therefore, if your grass is long, you need to mow it first. You’ll also want to remove any larger rocks, branches, or any other obstacles that you think the lawn sweeper might not be able to pick up.

Adjust Brush Height

The next step in using a lawn sweeper is to adjust the height of the brushes. Adjusting brush height is essential for achieving maximum performance. The vast majority of lawn sweepers out there feature adjustable brush heights, so you can change the height of the brush to suit a variety of lawn conditions and terrains. 

Generally speaking, you want those brushes to be touching the surface of the grass, but not digging into it too far or above the grass. If the brushes are too high up, they won’t pick up the debris, and if they’re too low down, they’ll dig into your grass.

Get to Sweeping

All you have to do now is to start sweeping. If you have a push lawn sweeper, you just need to walk with it and push it forward. If you have the tow-behind lawn sweeper, you’ll first need to attach it to your tractor or ride-on mower, and then pull it behind you as you mow the lawn.

A word of advice here is to regularly empty the hopper or bag to make sure that it doesn’t get clogged. At the same time, you also want to make sure that your passes overlap with each other, even if just a little bit. This will ensure that all debris is picked up. Sometimes a single pass isn’t enough to pick up all of the debris.

Empty the Bag

Once you’re done using your lawn sweeper, you need to empty the bag. Of course, you want to empty the bag regularly while you are using the unit, because if it gets too full, it can lead to clogs, not to mention that it’s quite heavy. 

On that note, the bag on your lawn sweeper should be emptied when it is roughly two-thirds full. Make sure that you properly dispose of the lawn clippings as dictated by your local regulations.

Finishing the Job

Once you’re done, the only thing left to do is to inspect your lawn sweeper. You want to clean it once you’re done and remove any debris that may have become lodged in the wheels or the brushes. You’ll also want to check for any damage or signs of wear. This brings us to our next point, maintaining your lawn sweeper.

How To Maintain Your Lawn Sweeper

Lawn sweepers don’t require all that much maintenance, but in order to keep them in working condition, there are a few things that you’ll want to do on a regular basis, including the following.

Clean the Wheels and Brushes

Ideally, you want to clean the wheels and brushes after each and every single use. Remove any grass clippings, twigs, leaves and other debris that have become stuck in the wheels or brushes. If this debris isn’t removed on a regular basis, it will stop the one sweeper from working properly.

Lubricate All Moving Parts

Lawn sweepers are mechanical tools with moving parts that grind against each other, which means that regular lubrication is necessary. You want to regularly lubricate the wheels, axle, and any other rotating components. 

Some grease or light oil will prevent any friction from occurring, while also preventing rust from building up. Moreover, having a well-lubricated machine also makes it much easier to push or pull.

Check for Wear or Damage

Although lawn sweepers like those from VEVOR are extremely durable, they do have their limits, especially when it comes to brushes. 

Lawn sweeper brushes will wear out over time. If they’re worn down, frayed, or damaged, you’ll need to replace those brushes. You also want to check the frame, axles, and wheels on a regular basis for signs of damage.

Tighten Loose Components

Finally, you’ll also want to inspect your lawn sweeper for any fasteners that may have become loose. Any bolts or screws need to be tightened on a regular basis.

Safety Tips for Using a Lawn Sweeper

OK, so a lawn sweeper definitely isn’t the most dangerous yard accessory out there. The fact of the matter is that it doesn’t have any blades and it doesn’t even have any power source. With that being said, there are still a few safety tips that you’ll want to follow to keep yourself in one piece.

• Make sure to wear some protective gear. You’ll want to wear some eye protection and sturdy shoes at the very least. This will prevent debris from flying up into your eyes or from falling down onto your feet.
• Before you start lawn sweeping, always inspect the area. You want to remove any sharp objects or large objects that could cause injury to you or damage the sweeper. This includes glass, large branches, rocks, toys, or anything else of the sort.
• To make sure that you’re comfortable and don’t cause yourself any injury when using a lawn sweeper, make sure to use proper posture. This means using your legs to push instead of just your arms alone, while also keeping your back straight.
• As the sweeper is in operation, never get your hands near the wheels or brushes, and that as this can cause injuries.
• Don’t use a lawn sweeper in wet conditions, because you could slip and fall.

Using the VEVOR Lawn Sweeper

We just quickly want to touch on the VEVOR Lawn Sweeper, an exceedingly simple yet durable, efficient, and affordable yard tool. It’s designed for ease of use over anything else, as it’s quite lightweight and easy to push along, while also being durable and sturdy. 

A large capacity collection bag allows you to collect a whole lot of debris without having to empty it all too often. When it comes down to it, this is are one of the best lawn sweepers on the market.

FAQs

Let’s quickly answer some of your most frequently asked questions about lawn sweepers.

What kind of lubricant should I use to lubricate my lawn sweeper?

A simple grease designed to lubricate moving parts is more than enough for this purpose. A light oil will also work. Just don’t use anything far too thick, as this might actually gunk up the works.

Should I get a push or pull lawn sweeper?

If you have a relatively small yard and not all that much debris that needs picking up, then a push lawn sweeper is more than enough. Just push it in front of you, and it will pick up any debris in your way. However, if you have a very large lawn, and also have to own a ride-on mower or tractor, then a top behind lawn sweeper might be best for you.

What kind of debris can a lawn sweeper pick up?

Lawn sweepers can pick up many different kinds of debris, including grass clippings, leaves, twigs, small stones, pine needles, and more.

Final Thoughts on Using Lawn Sweepers

When all has been said and done, the reality is that using a lawn sweeper is about as easy as it gets. You really just have to push it along, empty the bag regularly, and every now and again put some lubricant on the moving parts. Remember, if you want a high-quality lawn sweeper, finding one from the right brand name is essential, and the best brand name in this space is VEVOR.