Walk-behind sweepers: when is a small brush sweeper enough?

The stated capacity of the GS machines in the catalogue ranges from approx. 2500 m² per hour on the GS 0750 to approx. 4000 m² per hour on the GS 1010.

That covers yards, pavements, car parks, building sites, cowsheds and stables. It does not cover long stretches of street, or jobs where the material has to be sucked up and taken away.

Sweeping roller or radial brush

The GS machines have either a horizontal sweeping roller or a radial brush, and the brushes suit different jobs.

• Horizontal sweeping roller — the GS 0750, GS 0850 and GS 1010 have a roller of Ø 320 mm, the GS 1200 Pro of Ø 400 mm. The roller can be angled left, right or neutral, so the material can be deposited on whichever side you want
• Radial brush — the GS 0700R with Ø 70 cm and the GS 0900R with Ø 90 cm. The brush rotates both clockwise and anticlockwise and is height-adjustable. GS describes the GS 0700R as well suited to stubborn dirt, and in cowsheds and stables it sweeps hay and feed out to the sides

Capacity depends on width

The figures are stated as approximate, and in practice it is obstacles, edges and emptying the collector that determine how much actually gets swept. For the roller machines, GS states:

• GS 0750 — 75 cm working width, approx. 2500 m² per hour
• GS 0850 — 85 cm, approx. 3000 m² per hour
• GS 1010 — 101 cm, approx. 4000 m² per hour
• GS 1200 Pro — 100 or 120 cm sweeping unit as optional equipment. Capacity is not stated

Petrol, diesel or battery

The engine is chosen according to where the machine will work and how heavy the work is:

• Honda GCV160, 3.3 kW (4.4 hp) — on the GS 0750, and as an alternative on the GS 0700R and GS 0850
• Honda GX200, 4.3 kW (5.8 hp) — on the GS 0900R Hydraulic and GS 1010, and as an alternative on the GS 0700R and GS 0850. The GS 1010 is also available with electric start
• Honda GX270, 6.3 kW (8.4 hp) — on the GS 1200 Pro, also with electric start
• Hatz diesel with electric start — alternative on the GS 1010 (Hatz 1B20) and GS 1200 Pro
• GS 0900R Elektro — 12 V, 0.45 kW electric motor and 12 V / 66 Ah battery, supplied with a charger. GS states that it was developed for cleaning in enclosed spaces, which is why it is electric

Reverse and accessories

Beyond width and engine, it is gears and accessories that set the models apart in everyday use:

• Reverse — the GS 0750 has one forward gear. The GS 0850 goes forwards and backwards, and the GS 1010 and GS 1200 Pro have one forward gear and reverse. In dead ends and tight corners, reverse is worth a lot
• Accessories — the GS 0750, GS 0850 and GS 1010 can have a collector, sulky, manure scraper, snow blade, snow chains and hydraulic side brush. With a snow blade and chains, the brush sweeper also becomes a winter implement
• Brush options — the GS 0700R is available with a steel brush for weeds or a nylon brush for normal sweeping, and can have a splash guard
• Tool carrier — the GS 1200 Pro is built for heavier and longer-lasting loads, with an extra-large oil reservoir and a separate hydraulic system. It can also take a front sweeper, feed auger and manure scraper

When a small machine is not enough

A brush sweeper moves dirt, but it does not capture the dust or take it away. Among the road sweepers in the catalogue, the CityCat VR17e is the narrowest, with a width of 1200 mm and a 1.7 m³ hopper.

Consider a suction road sweeper from Bucher if any of the following apply:

• The material has to be collected and taken to an emptying site, not left behind in a windrow
• The client asks for documented dust capture
• The stretch is so long that the operator walks more than the machine sweeps

When you contact us

Describe the job, and we will find the right width, brush and engine:

• How large an area is to be swept, and how often
• The surface: asphalt, paving stones, concrete, gravel or stable floor
• What is lying there: sand, leaves, hay and feed, manure or construction waste
• Indoors, outdoors or both
• The narrowest passage the machine must get through, and whether there are places without room to turn
• Whether the machine will also push snow in winter