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Anyone who appreciates a well-groomed lawn may want to consider adding a lawn sweeper to their stable of equipment. These handy devices quietly pick up debris from the grass surface, including excessive grass clippings, fallen leaves, pine needles, pine cones, sweetgum balls, and acorns.
At different times they can replace a blower, a leaf rake, or a mower bagger. I recently tested the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper to find out if it could handle the rigors of a typical landscape. Agri-Fab is an Illinois-based lawn and garden equipment company with a solid reputation for high-quality, dependable performance and value, so my expectations were pretty high.
My yard presents most of the challenges found in any landscape. It is an acre of grass broken up by plantings of trees, shrubs, and garden beds. We have a variety of trees in the yard and adjacent neighborhood, including pines, oaks, sweetgum, hickory, and magnolia, which all drop their bounty on the grass.
The terrain varies from flat to sloped. I used a 22-horsepower riding lawn mower to pull the Agri-Fab lawn sweeper. The sweeper performed admirably, picking up nearly all the debris in its path. It navigated fairly easily among some narrow passageways between plants and was easy to dump without getting out of the driver’s seat.
Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper: At a Glance
Rating: 9.4/10
PROS
- Straight or offset attachment
- High-speed sweeper brush
- Large hopper capacity
CONS
- Somewhat complicated assembly
- Full hopper may be too heavy to pull
- No clutch to disengage the sweeper brush
Get the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper at:
What Is the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper?
The Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper is a tow-behind lawn sweeper for medium to large-size yards. It is best used with a riding mower, a lawn tractor, or an ATV with a hitch height between 7 and 13 inches from the ground. The 44-inch sweeper brush assembly and the 5.6:1 brush-to-wheel turning ratio easily picked up wet grass clippings, fallen leaves, pine cones, and acorns from my grass.
The adjustable hitch can attach directly behind the lawn tractor or on either side of the mounting bar for an offset configuration. The 25-cubic-foot collection hopper uses an innovative flow-through design to eliminate wasted space, so the hopper fills completely and results in fewer trips to unload. When half-filled with wet grass clippings, the hopper became too heavy for my mower to pull uphill easily, but adding more volume than that would be possible if picking up dry leaves.
When it is time to dump, the tubular steel dump handle lets you tip the hopper without leaving the tractor seat. Heavy-duty components include the steel frame, dump handle, brush height adjustment parts, welded hitch brackets, bronze brush shaft bushings, and 12-inch brushes.
How Easy Is the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper to Put Together?
The package weighs about 90 pounds, and it is bulky. It’s best to have the box delivered as close as possible to the assembly location. Ideally, choose an open area with a paved surface and easy access with your riding mower. Also, it will be easier if you work with a partner. Working alone, I opened the box and spread the pieces on my driveway.
In the literature and online, the unit is promoted as being easy to assemble with just two tools in about 30 minutes. That is probably true for someone who has previously assembled a lawn sweeper. I had not. The instructions were at times unclear, and the images did not necessarily help. It took me somewhere between 45 and 60 minutes to assemble the sweeper. If you are not experienced with assembling products, it may take longer. Also, building it on the ground requires a fair amount of squatting, bending, and lifting. Not a problem for me, but some customers may want to plan for a few breaks.
Is the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper Good for Picking Up Leaves?
For context, the instructions say to set the 12-inch-long sweeper brushes to reach a half-inch below the tips of the grass blades. For taller grass, the sweeper brushes are adjusted upward, and for shorter grass, they are adjusted downward. The same half-inch setting was recommended across the board for all the sweepers I tested.
This sweeper gobbled up nearly all lawn debris in its path. Without hesitation, it easily picked up lightweight material lying on the surface, as well as heavier debris that was lightly embedded in the surface. The notable exceptions were small, heavy dense things that had worked their way deep into the grass, especially in the tracks of the mower. However, it did a great job of picking up whole and shredded leaves.
Is the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper a Good-Quality Product?
Immediately out of the box, this sweeper felt more substantial than the others I tested. Each component is made of steel and other durable materials, and the assembled product seems like it should last for many years with normal use. The reinforced plastic/fabric bag will likely be the first part to wear out but will be easy enough to replace when necessary.
The 5.6:1 brush-to-wheel turning ratio means the brush moves faster than the others I tested. This equated to better pickup power and material being moved to the hopper at a higher velocity, so it was better able to completely fill its hopper than the other lawn sweepers. Also, this was the only sweeper I tested that included a long metal handle, rather than a rope, to dump the hopper. Finally, the semi-pneumatic tires make for a smooth ride across the work zone with less bouncing and jolting. In short, this was the highest-quality sweeper we tested.
Is the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper Worth the Money?
The under-$400 price tag for the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper places it near the top end of the sweepers I tested and in the middle of the range for comparable high-quality units. A heavy-duty frame, strong adjustable wheels, a sturdy dump handle, a high brush-to-wheel turning ratio, and other quality features boost the cost. If you need a cheap sweeper to help with leaf pickup once a year, this is not it. But if you want a quality sweeper for consistent year-round use, this would be a good choice.
Is the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper Right for You?
A lawn sweeper is a convenience, not a necessity. Different rake types remove leaves and debris even better than a sweeper, but it takes a very long time. A leaf blower collects leaves and debris about as well as a sweeper, but it doesn’t solve the problem of moving the pile where it needs to go, and the sweeper may work better on windy days. A mower discharge bagger can collect grass clippings, but, unlike a sweeper, it will become clogged if the grass is too wet or too tall.
Whether you use it every week or a few times a year, a good lawn sweeper can help keep your yard looking its best with less work and time on your part. The Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper is an excellent choice for medium to large lawns.
Where to Buy the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper
Get the Agri-Fab 44-Inch Lawn Sweeper at:
