#Best broom sweeper how to
#Best broom sweeper Patch

Slow and steady wins the sweeping race! Routes should be properly mapped so that an operator can move at the proper speed and still complete their assignment for the day. Most sweepers should be operated at a maximum speed of 5 MPH to do their job well. It's not a race remember, the goal is to remove all of the material from the roadway. Be sure to make adjustments as your brooms wear out to maintain the proper forward angle.Įach sweeper's ideal speed-to-efficiency ratio may be different, but oftentimes operators are driving too fast for successful sweeping.

Also, many times a strip of debris will be left behind when the pickup head or main broom passes the area that wasn't in contact with the side broom.įor the vast majority of road surfaces, a proper 5-degrees out 5-degrees forward tilt setup is ideal. Too many operators tilt the side brooms at too great of an angle which causes sweeper inefficiency as only part of the side broom is in contact with the road surface. The exception, of course, is a street with deep gutters that are tough to reach without an aggressive angle. Some operators think that a higher down pressure means that they can get down into the dips of the road easier – that's actually addressed more efficiently by air cylinder actuated gutter brooms that keep in better contact with the road than hydraulic gutter broom mechanisms.įor the vast majority of streets, a harsh broom angle is not needed.

#Best broom sweeper Patch

In the case of a mechanical sweeper, a four-inch contact patch is standard. The side broom down pressure should be adjusted so that material is flicked into the path where it can be picked up by the pickup head, nozzle or main broom. This bad habit can be corrected by simply increasing operator awareness of the job of the brooms. Uneven bristle wear is a sure sign that too much down pressure is being applied. Since a higher down-pressure also causes more of each broom bristle to be in contact with the road, broom wear life is severely affected. If you crank up the down pressure, it turns the brooms into more of a mop, which dutifully pushes the material down the road but does not flick it into the area of the sweeper that picks it up. Operators need to remember the main function of the vehicle they are driving, and that is to SWEEP. If you really want to dig the debris out of every nook and cranny, amp up the down pressure, right? Wrong.

This is the most common mistake operators make.

#Best broom sweeper how to

Let's go through the ones that are the most prevalent and address how to correct them. No matter the level of experience, there are common mistakes that operators make that not only make their machine less productive, but also reduce the wear life of their brooms.

Then, on the other end of the spectrum is the greenhorn operator that worked in the sewer department the past couple of years and was recently moved to the street department.

In this article, Brett Wise of Oregon-based Owen Equipment offers an overview on how to ensure you get what you need out of your gutter/curb and main brooms: long life and effective cleaning.Įvery sweeping operation has them: the operator that has been diligently doing his job for twenty years and knows everything about sweeping – the way s/he does things is THE way, and the ONLY way. Gutter and main brooms are one of the major wear items on a sweeper. Best Management Practices for Street Sweeping