Pasture Sweeper

[CrescentMinis]

The recent threads about stall cleaning and pasture vacs have me thinking about an easier way to do outside cleanup.

In lieu of the 3000.00+ Pasture Vac, has anyone tried an option like this? Did it pick up manure very well? The reviews I've found sound like it handles things like pine cones, so why not horse poop?

They aren't very much $ and I'm thinking of trying one out (watching craigslist).

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores...dkey=THDSiteMap

 

[muffntuf]

I don't know if it could get through the taller grass around the poo piles. I had thought about this, but looking at them close up and knowing grass grows around poo piles, I don't know if it would.

Interested to hear if anyone is using one and how succesful it is.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Have one from Sears......about same price, maybe a little less. Works amazingly well

Yep, will pick up pine cones, small sticks, etc. You want dry manure for best results. Even in the yard if the grass was heavy, it needs to dry some before it picks up really well.

Only problem I have is that as the brushes sweep up and "throw" the items into the back basket area, the items don't travel far. Well most of the stuff just drops into the basket toward the front. So you have to stop and move that stuff to the back of the basket area. A small rake (I use the ones that look like a kids, gotten at Lowes ) or hoe to do this. I find that the minis manure breaks into very small pieces, thus dries quickly on a hot day.

But those "piles" that they share......or stallions.......create some occassional issues. Because of drying this is a late afternoon venture, usually. A run over before mentioned piles with a mower will spread it to dry

Couple others on here use/have used these......as I remember with some success.

ADDED: Yes tall grass hinders. Many of us don't have that luxury LOL

 

[Equuisize]

We have a powerful yard vac that you walk behind. It does great at picking up

fall leaves, needles and pine cones, even rocks when you vaccum the driveway.

Never thought about trying it with horse manure. The bag is quite large so when it's full

of say fall leaves it's not so bad to have to empty but it might get a bit cumbersome

full of pony poo poo.

Tomorrow I'll have Michael start it up and give it a test run though.

I'd post a photo but my photo program is still on the fritz.

 

[gorgeous]

We recently bought a used pasture sweeper from craigslist after searching for years to find a used one. It is huge and heavy and not the easiest thing to hitch up but once it starts it cleans our pastures like nobody's business. One pass and it is clean as a table top. Before we begin we pull or cut any weeds and it gets all of those too. It will hold about two acres of poop from 15 minis. When finished just take it where you want to dump it and back it up. It opens from the rear and spreads the manure wherever you want it. It does exactly what it needs to do. The only negative thing is, it creates a lot of dust in dry conditions. I suggest doing it after a good rain. We paid $600.00 for it and it is worth every penny. It requires a pretty good sized tractor with a three point hitch.

 

[Echo Acres]

Darn, I just sold our sweeper like that. Never thought about trying it to pick up poop. Only thing I could think of is that the back is a bag and you have to empty. Might get heavy to unload, and might wear out the bag faster.

 

[CrescentMinis]

Tall grass hasn't been seen here in a few years, so it sure sounds like it's worth a try...thanks for the input. I'm hoping the rolling brush won't "spear" the horsey apples if they aren't dry enough, and fling them back up at me instead of dropping them in the basket!

Ewwww....

 

[Allure Ranch]

[SIZE=12pt]My husband thought that they would be the perfect thing. So he purchased two of them for some reason about 3 years ago and they don't work worth a darn.... Don't waste your money.[/SIZE]

 

[kaykay]

We have a cheaper version of that that we have used for years and just love it. Works great.

 

[Shari]

When my DS finally moves out.. I am going to have to get one.

Was looking at something like this.

http://www.pasturevacuums.com/

 

[Jitterbug]

Lawn sweepers work great IF you don't run over rocks, gravel or thick grass.

As long as you do it periodically you won't have a problem dumping it.

Justine