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Pick-up Brooms

ASPHALT04

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Joined
Mar 9, 2008
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137
Location
Wisconsin
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Owner / Doing whatever it takes to pay the bills!
I went to an auction today and there was a 60" pick-up broom (Had be poorly painted and couldn't make out brand). No one saw whether it worked or not nor the condition of broom inside. I'm kind of kicking my self now because it only went for $200. I guess I am wondering if I still should be kicking my self?


And on another note, just to show how much people go crazy at auctions; There were 3 used 12-16.5 skid loader tires (under 1/2 tread), unmatched (3 different brands), and one had a screw in it. The guy who bought them gave $95.00 EA. :beatsme
 
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TriHonu

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Apr 17, 2007
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139
Location
Minnesota, USA
If you have a use for one, $200 is cheap.

Other than general condition, the thing to check is for bristles that have become brittle. For the poly bristles you should be able to bend them back on themselves and they should not break. The broom doesn't exert much resistance on the hydraulic motor. Depending upon the operator and conditions, you may find the cutting edge worn if they were having to scrape frozen mud etc. During normal use the cutting edge is not in contact with the ground.

Bucket brooms keep the bristles out of direct sunlight and don't normally get brittle. Angle brooms that are stored outside tend to to get brittle. Once they are brittle you will know it. The first time they hit the pavement they will just snap off.

I have a 5 foot Sweepster. It takes 35 broom sections. The poly sections are $5.59 and the wire sections are $6.70. To replace the broom is $215. I can get the broom sections at the local equipment dealer that specializes in street sweeping equipment. Note that the wire sections are much more aggressive and should be used with caution on concrete and pavers that are for show. The wire bristles can leave marks on the surface. Brush life is dependent on proper adjustment of the sweeper, the surface you are sweeping and operator. If the broom is set too low, the bristles will bend over and you can wear them away quick. You only want the tips to contact the surface and they need to be routinely inspected adjusted.

I got 33 broom sections (half wire half poly) on Ebay for $10 + $60 for shipping. The guy didn't know what broom they were for!:D
 

ASPHALT04

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Mar 9, 2008
Messages
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Location
Wisconsin
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Owner / Doing whatever it takes to pay the bills!
I got 33 broom sections (half wire half poly) on Ebay for $10 + $60 for shipping. The guy didn't know what broom they were for!:D

You made a good buy! I find alot of things like that on Ebay if you know what your looking at. I bought a new Northern 110v mig welder last summer for $24 +$35 shipping because the title said "New 110v Northern mig welder manual". I think it was supposed to say "no manual".

On another note I did find a pick-up broom for free, :D It just needs a couple hoses and the bottom of bucket replaced. Not sure how it got bent up like it is but someone must have caught it on something. :beatsme
 

digger242j

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Self employed excavator
Depending upon the operator and conditions, you may find the cutting edge worn if they were having to scrape frozen mud etc. During normal use the cutting edge is not in contact with the ground....


...Brush life is dependent on proper adjustment of the sweeper, the surface you are sweeping and operator. If the broom is set too low, the bristles will bend over and you can wear them away quick. You only want the tips to contact the surface and they need to be routinely inspected adjusted.

I'll have to remember to get some pictures of one that's been subject to use by, uh,... let's just say, some people that have never given those things any consideration.
 

will_gurt

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Nov 30, 2003
Messages
163
Location
southwestern ,PA
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operator in extended holding pattern
I'll have to remember to get some pictures of one that's been subject to use by, uh,... let's just say, some people that have never given those things any consideration.


And shall we say well thought out and demonstrated training on the proper positioning of ground clearance and speed. If I remember corectly the first thing to go on that attachment was the curb sweep attachment? Got bent really badly. Photos please, especially of the nonexistant cutting edge. Fellow HEF members, We aretalking only getting around 50 hours out of set of brushes. One time the drive drum was replaced along with a hydraulic motor rebuild.

Constant down pressure Wears the bristles out real quick!
 

KSSS

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Feb 27, 2005
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4,319
Location
Idaho
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excavation
And shall we say well thought out and demonstrated training on the proper positioning of ground clearance and speed. If I remember corectly the first thing to go on that attachment was the curb sweep attachment? Got bent really badly. Photos please, especially of the nonexistant cutting edge. Fellow HEF members, We aretalking only getting around 50 hours out of set of brushes. One time the drive drum was replaced along with a hydraulic motor rebuild.

Constant down pressure Wears the bristles out real quick!

I have a Quick Attach pickup broom with a wheel on the front helping to eliminate operator error.
 

ASPHALT04

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Mar 9, 2008
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137
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Wisconsin
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Owner / Doing whatever it takes to pay the bills!
I have a Quick Attach pickup broom with a wheel on the front helping to eliminate operator error.

The one that I just picked up has a wheel on it too, but someone still managed to mutilate the bucket! :pointhead

I guess nothing is truly bullet-proof!
 

will_gurt

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163
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southwestern ,PA
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operator in extended holding pattern
I have a Quick Attach pickup broom with a wheel on the front helping to eliminate operator error.
This might have helped a little with these "operators" digger is referring to. It would've gave extras before getting to the bucket.
The one that I just picked up has a wheel on it too, but someone still managed to mutilate the bucket! :pointhead

I guess nothing is truly bullet-proof!

Sounds like these guys we are referring to. costantly had the front wheels pointing to the stars and never say a word about needing ajusted, huh
Digger242J?
 

digger242j

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Sounds like these guys we are referring to. costantly had the front wheels pointing to the stars and never say a word about needing ajusted, huh Digger242J?

Well, you know it saves wear and tear on the front tires... :cool2
 

digger242j

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Pictures...
 

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ASPHALT04

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Can you say "lighten up!", The one I just got looks worst than that!!!! :Banghead
 

digger242j

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ASPHALT04 said:
On another note I did find a pick-up broom for free,

ASPHALT04 said:
Can you say "lighten up!", .The one I just got looks worst than that!!!!

Then you got a good deal, didn't you? :)

The company bought this one, brand new. And as Will said, he replaced the drum and drive motor once already. How long ago did they buy that, Will?

They asked me to sweep the street with it one time, and it wouldn't pick up worth a darn. I just ran it in reverse, and blew all the dirt off the street into the weeds.
 

bobcatmechanic

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Mar 26, 2008
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429
Location
kansas
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bobcat mechanic
i recognize that broom its a bobcat right yeah ease up on the pressure they don't stanbd up to well with all the wieght of the machine on the cutting edge also replace or flip the cutting edges regularly it keeps your repair bill down i am replacing 6 inches of the bucket the cutting edge the worn skirts the drive motor resealed the brisstles where just replaced by us and the rear hinges are all rigged up because they tore them off my buddy that works for them says the guy that tears it up is an idiot:pointhead he puts the weight of the machine on it and has the front tires on the s250 6in off the ground yeah i'm pissed because i hace about 10 hrs in repairing the thing still have to weld a piece of 6in strap back in and put the reinforceing strap on and drill 12 holes threw the 3/16 plate granted its not that thick but its just anoying to do because it could have been prevented if they would just train there guys on how to run their stuff but its a city so they don't care about the tax payers money they tear up all their stuff up
 

will_gurt

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southwestern ,PA
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operator in extended holding pattern
Then you got a good deal, didn't you? :)

The company bought this one, brand new. And as Will said, he replaced the drum and drive motor once already. How long ago did they buy that, Will?

They asked me to sweep the street with it one time, and it wouldn't pick up worth a darn. I just ran it in reverse, and blew all the dirt off the street into the weeds.

What this basically boils down to is severe abuse and not respecting your employers "toys". The , we'll call "operators", plainly just DO NOT give a rats hind end. After several tries to instuct in proper use, they just go about bussiness as usual.
As for you digger, The motor and bristle change in question was like almost three years ago. I had changed the set atleast two othertimes before my departure. This also included the shaft bearing on the righthand side as it is nearly impossible to remove without destroying it. The rubber splash guards are missing from this unit in question. This is why you were getting the splash in reverse. The reason it probably is not picking up with the brush rolling in the forward direction, is out of adjustment and the missing section of bucket with cutting edge.
 

TriHonu

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Apr 17, 2007
Messages
139
Location
Minnesota, USA
Jeez, these folks need a class on sweeper operation. :jawdrop

1. When traveling forward the drum should rotate to push the debris forward. The debris are brushed ahead and over the top of the brush and into the bucket. The cutting edge should be UP and the bristles should just touch the top edge of the cutting edge. (That is why there are adjustable stops to adjust the clearance between the brush and cutting edge.)

2. When you get to the end of a run, you stop the brush, pick up the broom slightly and move forward about 2 feet. Drop the broom and lower the cutting edge to the ground. Reverse the broom rotation so the brush is now sweeping toward the bucket and back up to get the last of the debris into the bucket.

Those buckets look like some one was running the brush sweeping toward the bucket with the cutting edge on the ground all the time. If this was the way to run them you would not need rubber skirts on the front of the broom. The only time I run them like that is when I need to scrape dry mud off the pavement.

Someone may be pending demotion to using a push broom :nono
 
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