Cleaning your yard can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools to use. Lawn sweepers and baggers are effective tools that will provide a lot of assistance when it comes to cleaning your garden and yard. These tools are very helpful but you need to choose between the lawn sweeper and bagger depending on the type of lawn you have.
A lawn sweeper is a mechanical tool that is used to remove lawn debris like grass clippings, pine needles, twigs, fallen leaves, and any kind of trash on the path. It uses a rotating brush to deposit the debris in the attached bag. On the other hand, the bagger is a lawnmower accessory attached to your mower to collect grass clippings. There are different types of grass baggers depending on your mower model.
Lawn sweeper
- Hopper bag: 7 cu. Ft. Capacity; collapsible hopper bag for easy storage
- WHEELS: 9. 75" x 2. 25" plastic wheels
- Assembly: some assembly required; a video instruction Guide is available to assist with the assembly...
A lawn sweeper is a machine that has basically replaced your rake in sweeping the leaves, grass clippings, pine needles, and other debris on your lawn.
There are 2 types of lawn sweepers that include the manual sweepers that require your muscle power to operate and the tow-behind sweepers that are attached to the back of your mower and the mower drives the brush that sweeps the debris.
They come with additional attachments like dethatches. Lawn sweepers are not one size fits all tools, you have to find the right one that fits your needs.
If you have a large lawn, lawn sweepers will quickly fill up with grass clippings and other debris which means frequent stops to empty the hopper before clearing your entire yard. If you have a large property that doesn’t require manicured lawns, it’s better to use a riding mower to mulch the grass and leaves that will fertilize the ground.
Things to consider when buying a lawn sweeper
- Sweeping path
Lawn sweepers are categorized according to the size of their sweeping path which translates to how much ground the brushes can cover in one pass. Typically, both push and powered sweepers have a sweeping path of between 21 and 26 inches.
A smaller path sweeper is easier to push but you’ll need more passes to finish the job. A tow-behind sweeper has more than a 50-inch wide sweeping path, so you only need a few passes and its large hopper can hold more debris.
- Hopper capacity
The size of the machine will determine the hopper capacity with a large hopper measuring more than 25 cubic feet which will save you repeated stops to empty the hopper.
This is ideal if you have a smaller property and it can weigh quite a bit with grass clippings.
- Brush-to-wheel ratio
Lawn sweepers use cylindrical brushes that sweep the debris from your lawn into the hopper. The wheels on the sweeper drive the brushes but spin faster than the wheels turn which is made possible by a transmission that multiplies the number of times the brushes spin to the wheels.
So the higher the ratio the faster the brushes will rotate per wheel spin.
- Quality
You should always go for the best quality tools you can afford. High-quality lawn sweepers come with components made with durable materials that will ensure a longer lifespan.
Although there are some plastic parts, they’re strong where it matters most like the drive gear that spins the brush.
They also have built-in adjustable heights that allow you to choose how aggressive you want your brush to sweep.
Lawn bagger
- Includes (1) MTD 19A30031OEM Parts-42 in. and 46 in. Double Bagger for Riding Lawn Mowers (2010 and...
- Compatible with many Troy-Bilt, Yard Machines, Bolens, Huskee and Craftsman riding mowers with a 42"...
- MTD Genuine Parts are made for MTD’s family of brands including Troy-Bilt, Yard Man, Arnold,...
A grass bagger is attached to the back of your mower and is used to collect the grass clippings instead of leaving them on your lawn.
Some of the bags are made of fabric, mesh, while others have a plastic housing that holds the bags or a wire frame that holds the bag on your walk-behind mower.
The grass passes through the mulching door at the back of your walk-behind mower into the collection bag.
Avoid mowing when the grass is wet because it will get stuck inside the chute and bag causing it to clog. Also, avoid mowing tall grass with a bagger as it can also clog the system.
Things to consider when buying a lawn grass bagger
- Lawnmower type
Lawnmowers come in different models that are designed to work with specific tools like the lawn bagger. Knowing the exact type of lawnmower you own will make it easier to get the right bagger for your mower. The important details of your mower will help you a compatible lawn bagger instead of wasting money on the wrong thing.
- Type of lawn bagger
Lawn baggers come in different sizes and options so you can choose the bagger with the features you want. Some baggers are ideal for a walk-behind mower while others are ideal for riding mowers.
Also, you’ll find some baggers attached to the side of your mower while others are attached to the back of the mower. So it depends on the type of lawn bagger you’re looking for.
- Capacity
The capacity of your lawn bagger depends on the size of your lawn.
If you have a large yard, you’ll need a lawn bagger with a large capacity, but if you have a small lawn, a smaller capacity bagger will be more than enough.
However, a small capacity bagger tends to fill up quickly which means you’ll keep emptying it frequently, so it’s better to get the large capacity bagger.
- Lawn bagger features
Some features that come with lawn baggers can help you decide which one is best for you.
Some baggers use a suction system while others use a blowing system to collect the grass, and every lawn baggers use a different method of dumping.
Being aware of all these facts will help you choose the best bagger for your mower.
Other lawn mower attachments that will make your yard work easier
Attachment | Uses |
Blower | Clean grass clippings, leaves, and debris from your lawn. when paired with a bagger can act as a lawn vacuum to pick up debris |
Thatcher | Used with riding mowers to prepare an area for new seed or aerate the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients in the soil |
Utility cart | Carrying different materials for gardening or landscaping projects |
Sprayer | Applying liquid material like fertilizer and weed killer on your lawn or spot spraying a targeted area or plants |
Differences between the Lawn Sweeper and Bagger
Before you decide which tool is the best for the type of job you want is done on your lawn, there are a few factors you need to consider to help you make the right decision.
Size of your lawn
The size of your lawn is the first thing you should consider. If you have a lawn that takes you roughly 30-70 minutes to mow, you can go for an average-sized bagger that you attach to your riding mower to remove the clippings as you cut.
The size of the bagger will determine how many times you’ll need to empty it before you complete mowing your lawn.
If you have a big lawn, a lawn sweeper is better. If you’re going to mow your lawn for about 3 hours, you’ll need a tool that you can easily use and will pick up all kinds of debris.
Type of lawn debris
You can use both lawn sweepers and baggers for collecting grass, but if you have a lawn that is covered with all sorts of debris from pine cones, leaves, twigs, clippings, etc. you want a sturdy sweeper that can handle such a large amount of stuff.
Another good thing about this tool is that its soft brush won’t damage your grass. A bagger will handle a smaller amount of debris.
The grass wetness
Both the lawn sweeper and bagger aren’t very effective in their work when tidying up wet grass, so it’s best not to use them in these conditions.
However, if you must clean up your lawn, the lawn sweeper is a better option since baggers tend to clog easily when used to collect wet grass clippings.
Types of lawn sweepers and baggers
Before choosing the lawn tool to use, you also need to look at the different types of lawn sweepers and baggers available. There are different types of lawn sweepers that include:
The tow-behind lawn sweeper that you attach to a large vehicle like a tractor and is mostly used for large lawns.
Push lawn sweepers are manually-powered and require you to turn the wheels to activate the brushes for collecting debris.
Powered lawn sweepers are powered by gas or an electric motor and operate the same way as the push sweeper.
When it comes to the baggers, there are a few bagger varieties but the most common type is the attachable bagger to a riding mower.
Conclusion
While both the lawn sweeper and bagger are used to collect debris on your lawn, their different uses will help you know which one you need to use on your lawn. Determining which tool to use will make your lawn clean up more efficient and enjoyable.
Also read
Mulching vs Bagging vs Side Discharge – Which one is the Best?
