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Skid steer sweeper attachement

Johnc

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
15
Location
Toronto
hey guys, Im trying to find a heavy duty sweeper attachement with a deep bucket. everything I seem to use on the job behind the 500 doesnt last too long. Welds crack and the frame's shot after a month. Something thats capable of picking up heavy millings and dumping it into a tri-axle without a problem. thanks.
 

milling_drum

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2008
Messages
725
Location
out west lately
Occupation
asphalt mill operator (ret)
Over the years I haven't seen many operations using those types of attachements for cleanup because like you mentioned, they can't handle it. A kick broom (Broce) with a loader (skid steer) and a little shoveling goes a long way as opposed to fighting with equipment.

Full sized pickup brooms are nice too.....if you can find a good operator.
 

motrack

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2003
Messages
332
Location
Ingalls Indiana
Occupation
field service tech
We sold a lot of bucket brooms over the years from several brands and I have yet to see one heavy enough to last in that application.
 

Johnc

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
15
Location
Toronto
Ive had bad luck with Sweepster and cat brooms. After a couple good days work, the welds break and the frame bent. They may be good for a light clean but not milling.
 

Toegrinder

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
131
Location
CO
Occupation
Milling Foreman
You could also try the broce broom with the conveyor built on to it, they are pretty nice
 

bean

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2008
Messages
131
Location
Canada
Has anyone ever tried the 3 wheel broce brooms or the similar design from other companies? I see them for sale pretty cheap from time to time but I imagine they are pretty unstable?
 
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motrack

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2003
Messages
332
Location
Ingalls Indiana
Occupation
field service tech
we sold a few Broce 3 wheelers and the customers got along ok with them. I never operated one so cant say first hand.
 

RobVG

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2009
Messages
1,028
Location
Seattle WA
Occupation
17 excavators and a stewpot of other stuff
We have a Sweepster. It got mangled twice. I replaced the thin wall box seciton frame with heavier box tubing and it hasn't happened again. Also replaced the wheel with something more stout.
 

Johnc

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
15
Location
Toronto
The bucket on the sweepsters are low capacity. They cant hold too much before the broom starts spitting out in front of the clean pass.
 

Georgiaboy

New Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
1
Location
Georgia
I don't think that it has a bucket attachment but I read an article that Roadtec is producing Brooms now. Going to be at Con Expo.
Suppose to be heavy duty. I googled Roadtec Broom and found a few things about it.
 

BLconst

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2008
Messages
68
Location
So Cal
I had a sweepster and the bucket is way too thin and the part where the lid and bucket comes together always cracked. I have had a bobcat sweeper 60 and it has lasted almost 5 years. A lil welding here and there and a custom all metal water kit with the hose routed thru the bucket like the hydralics is the ticket.
 

Asphalt/Dirtman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
66
Location
Ohio
We have a 74inch Bobcat bucket sweeper and it has held up well in millings. They make an 84 incher too. We try to use two skids when cleaning. 1 with a bucket to get the heavy stuff especially in the patch or joint, then bring the bucket sweeper in behind that.

Dedicated unites that jjust kick out the millings are handy but i think the damn controls could be simpler. The broom should also oscillate more.
 

milling_drum

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2008
Messages
725
Location
out west lately
Occupation
asphalt mill operator (ret)
Is that Bobcat unit a highflow? maybe you could tweak the pump or if its chain driven make some type of adjustment to the chain that would get more revolutions out of the broom. I've seen the worn out units with chains falling off them and they pop a link out and it spins like a .... well.. it spins good.
 

milling_drum

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2008
Messages
725
Location
out west lately
Occupation
asphalt mill operator (ret)
In the picture on this webpage...

http://www.gerkencompanies.com/gerken milling.html

You can see that a Case (might be a 480) has a full size broom mounted on the rear end of it and still has a bucket on the front. I've never seen that setup working like that but I can imagine it would work quite well in high production situations. Great Idea really.
 

bigbrushoff

New Member
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
1
Location
Peoria, IL
Other options?

Have you looked at some other options for cleaning up? For example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMXWokO_QAE this is a video of using a broom to throw everything into a wheel loader bucket. It's a much more durable operation and you won't have the same equipment failures. This broom was built specifically for heavy duty clean up.

More information at http://www.thebigbrushoff.com. Give me a call and we can talk about it some more.

Dan
 

Toegrinder

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
131
Location
CO
Occupation
Milling Foreman
Have you looked at some other options for cleaning up? For example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMXWokO_QAE this is a video of using a broom to throw everything into a wheel loader bucket. It's a much more durable operation and you won't have the same equipment failures. This broom was built specifically for heavy duty clean up.

More information at http://www.thebigbrushoff.com. Give me a call and we can talk about it some more.

Dan

But it would require hauling a skid steer AND a loader around to every job. Not many milling companies including me would be willing to do that when you could just use a pickup broom or skid steer with a pickup broom attachment.
 

hardtooth

Member
Joined
May 26, 2011
Messages
7
Location
Colorado
Why bother with all that equipment. One good sweeper (like a broom bear) with a good operator (not driver) is all you need. This is in no way an ad for broom bear or elgin products. I have done sweeping and milling. The only thing ya need a skid steer loader for is the trimmer head.
 

tryan

New Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2013
Messages
1
Location
Ireland
Heavy Duty Skid Steer Sweeper

hey guys, Im trying to find a heavy duty sweeper attachement with a deep bucket. everything I seem to use on the job behind the 500 doesnt last too long. Welds crack and the frame's shot after a month. Something thats capable of picking up heavy millings and dumping it into a tri-axle without a problem. thanks.

Try a MultiSweep....very heavy duty sweepers.
Expensive, but will last years. www.multisweep.com
Can be purchased direct from the factor too.

Email me to tony@rota.ie and I can send you through a video of one.

Good luck.
 
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