Brinly STS-42BHDK-A 42″ Tow-Behind Lawn Sweeper w/ Dethatcher and Hamper Windscreen Review
Leftover grass clippings on the surface of your lawn might seem like a small problem in the short term. However, when they are allowed to dry and turn into thatch they can become a major headache. The more thatch that settles on the upper layers of your lawn the worse the problem gets.
Left unchecked long enough, it can create a stubborn barrier that blocks water and key nutrients from settling down into the lower root layers of your lawn’s turf. In time, excess thatch can cause dead spots and even force your grass to go into premature dormancy.
For a larger lawn of half an acre or more dealing with excess thatch via a walk behind dethatcher, scarifier or aerator can be a daunting task. Yet the cost that lawn care companies charge to deal with thatch buildup can be prohibitive for a large lawn of an acre or more.
In times like this, your best option might just be to hitch your riding lawn mower or lawn tractor to a large tow-behind lawn sweeper like the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A. Not only can it help remove thatch from your lawn during the middle of the summer, but it can also be used to help pick up stubborn leaves in the fall without all the back-breaking labor of raking or blowing.
Key Features
- Dual-purpose sweeper and dethatcher
- Tow behind
- Windscreen to keep down flying debris
- 5:1 Brush-to-Ground Ratio
- 2 Rows of 12 Independently Flexing tines
- 20 Cubic Foot Hamper
- 42-inch Sweep
- Compact storage
Performance
The lightweight construction of the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A makes it very easy to tow behind your riding lawnmower or lawn tractor. It tracks easily, which lets you make consistent passes, while minimizing the number of three point turns.
When used as a high-capacity lawn sweeper the 5:1 Brush-to-Ground Ratio of the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A does a great job of capturing both leaves and stubborn thatch. This spares you having to make a second pass in the same sweeper session.
Ease Of Use
For a tow-behind lawn sweeper a great deal of effort was put into designing the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A to be easy to use. It hitches up conveniently, which can’t always be said of some of the competition. It’s 5:1 Brush to Ground ratio is highly effective for collecting leaves as well as loosening thatch.
You will need to pay some extra attention to the difference between the width and turning radius of your lawn tractor and the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A. If there is a significant disparity from a smaller riding lawn mower, you might want to take an every-other pass strategy to clearing your lawn.
This will let you make an odd number of passes out from the garage, and an even number of passes back to cover every square inch, without having to make any tricky three-point turns. This is a similar strategy that farm tractors use when planning their tram lines.
SPecial Features
The windscreen on the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A is one of those things that doesn’t feel all that “Special” on paper. Though if you’ve ever used a sweeper on a windy day, you’ll appreciate it’s ability to keep organic debris in the collection bin without letting it spray out the back with every random wind gust.
Cut Quality & Options
The Brinly STS-42BHDK-A has a 42 inch sweeper path to collect leaves and loosen thatch from the layers of your turf. In this way it has two different capacities.
First as a dethatcher the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A has a series of tines that are designed to contact the soil and loosen the dried thatch layers from the top of your lawn. This frees up the upper layers of your turf to better allow air and moisture to penetrate down to the roots. If you don’t have a mulching or bagging mower, this feature can also help to collect clumps and windrows of grass clippings before they have a chance to dry or matt down onto the upper soil levels.
When the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A is set up for its rake functions, you can use it to collect a copious volume of leaves in the fall. The 20 cubic foot container also has a windscreen that keeps gusts from blowing them back out again once harvested from your lawn.
Maintenance
The Brinly STS-42BHDK-A does require some routine maintenance. All the moving parts will certainly benefit from lubrication in the spring. Especially in the tine assemblies and the wheel hubs. If you aren’t sure of lubrication point, there are maintenance instructions in the owner’s manual.
You should also make it a point to check the tires at the start of the season or any time after the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A has sat for a while. Running a large tow-behind sweeper like this on low tires can damage the tires as well as affect performance.
One of the great things about the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A is that it collapses down easily for compact storage. This is great for a garage or storage shed that might be a little sparse on available space.
Safety Features
The Brinly STS-42BHDK-A is set up to run when you pull it forward with your riding lawn mower or lawn tractor. If there is ever problem in the middle of a sweeping or dethatching session, all you have to do is stop moving and it will arrest the sweeper.
The collection bin was also engineered to be easy to dump. This lets you back up to your compost pile or waste bins and dump it away without having to worry about a lot of spillage.
Cost-Effectiveness
When you compare it to the cost of paying a lawn care company to sweep and dethatch your lawn, the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A pays for itself in short order. True it isn’t a deep aeration device, but if you use it to help manage thatch and spent grass clippings, it can virtually eliminate the need for spring aeration. The fact that it’s also made from heavy duty materials, it is sure to last for years to come.
