For the lawn thatch that builds up over time, a rotary broom can be used to help thin out that thatch. A rotary broom can be used to help speed the process along, or even push the plugs into a pile where the turf can be reclaimed at a more convenient time. If plug aerating is on your once or twice yearly regimen, those pesky, ugly plugs eventually dissipate, but that process can take a week or two. A rotary broom can be used to brush the needles into a pile better handled by a collection system or even onto a tarp to drag away. Collection systems notoriously struggle to pick the fine needles up. Pine needles create problems of their own. In the fall, when leaves collect on that drive, a rotary broom can windrow leaves for later pickup by a pull/tow-behind collection system. If your drive abuts a slope and the runoff after a rain ends up with a mess of dirt/debris covering the driveway, a rotary broom is an effective and effortless way of cleaning up. So what can a tractor-driven rotary broom be used for? Sweeping, of course.

Some rotary brooms have gauge wheels (see below) which can also aid in reattaching. A storage stand makes reattaching that mass all that much easier. Rotary brooms are also heavy, ranging from a few hundred pounds to much more depending on the size. Storage stands are a must for rotary brooms, which otherwise would rest on the soft bristles making them prone to tipping over and also damaging (flattening) the bristles. On larger tractors, water dispensing systems might be part of the package and can help hold down dust. Others, such as found on larger lawn and garden tractors, subcompacts and compact tractors, may have hydraulically angling systems. Some setups might use a manual crank to change angle.

On a small lawn tractor, changing angle might be accomplished by the operator getting off the tractor, pulling a pin and manually changing the angle. Proper ballasting should be taken into consideration and many tractors will require suitcase weights, ballast box or an appropriate rear implement to keep adverse loads off the tractor and maintain traction.Īngling a rotary broom adds versatility by allowing the operator to direct the debris to the sides. Mounting methods include systems that mount to a tractor loader boom, three-point hitch (3PH), and/or specialty mounts or quick hitches specific to the tractor used. Some units, though, are able to reverse broom rotation, allowing use against a building while the tractor backs up and “pulls” rather than pushes debris away. Most units, when observed from the right side, will rotate clockwise (counterclockwise when viewed from the left), propelling debris forward, ahead of the tractor travel. Rotary brooms for tractors may be powered in a variety of ways, such as by the tractor engine/transmission using a gearbox driven by belt or chain, a driveshaft from the transaxle/transmission, by a hydraulic mower powered off the tractor hydraulic system, or even a separate pump powered by the tractor power take-off (PTO). Today many types of sweepers and brooms are readily available, from walk-behind sidewalk sweepers to street sweepers to those propelled by ATV/UTVs, and yes, tractors. Rotary brooms have been around ever since man tired of pushing a hand broom and mechanical power became available.

Walk behind rotary broom sweeper