Last updated on March 30th, 2023
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If you often feel like you’re Cinderella’s cousin, always sweeping your pavement, decking and driveway with a brush, perhaps you need to add an outdoor floor sweeper to your arsenal of garden maintenance time-saving tools. Floor sweepers are a fast and convenient alternative to sweeping all the litter, leaves and other debris on your outdoor hard surfaces and then bending down to push the rubbish onto a dustpan. Eliminate this one back-breaking garden task with an outdoor sweeper that gulps down whatever’s in its way. (They can deal with the mess on your garage or workshop floor as well.)
Our Best Outdoor Floor Sweeper review examines a variety of floor sweepers, from push-along ones for home use to ones for professional use, a cordless model and finally a large petrol-driven sweeper for those whose floor-sweeping chores cover acres of ground, for example, a very large yard. We detail the pros and cons of each one and give our recommendation. Our Buyer’s Guide is worth a visit as we provide some information as to what to look for in the best outdoor floor sweepers.
Our Best Pick is the Karcher S 650 Push Floor Sweeper. This push-along outdoor floor sweeper has two choices of cleaning brush height and handles light dust and dirt well. It’s a versatile floor sweeper at a reasonable price.
The Runner-up is our choice for Best Professional Push Floor Sweeper. the Kärcher KM 70/20 C Professional Sweeper. This is our most expensive push-along sweeper but it comes with a variety of features for professional use.
BEST PICK
RUNNER UP / BEST PROFESSIONAL PICK
Best outdoor floor sweeper reviews
1. Karcher S 650 Push Floor Sweeper
BEST PICK
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Karcher S 650 Push Floor Sweeper is an outdoor floor sweeper that picks up dirt and debris from pavements, pathways, driveways and from the messy floors of your garage or workshop. It’s powered manually by pushing it along so it goes as fast as you push it.
This is a basic but versatile push sweeper for your outside needs. The sweeper’s cleaning width is 65cm, so that’s the width of the strip you clean with each pass. The manufacturer says that you can clean up to 1,600m2 an hour of floor or ground, and we’re guessing that’s working at an average and focused pace.
The waste collector bin holds 16 litres of the rubbish and dirt that you pick up. This is the smallest bin of the sweepers in this review and online reviewers state that the bin fills up quickly if you’re picking up leaves and twigs. You may have to stop and empty the bin frequently if you’re cleaning a large outdoor area or consider buying a more substantial larger model.
This Karcher sweeper operates with two side brushes. The advantage of side brushes is that they go right up to the edge of walls, borders or other enclosures around your space. Reviewers report that the brushes are lightweight and soft and don’t handle wet or heavy material well. This sweeper does pick up dirt, dust and light dry debris well though. You store the brushes conveniently away in the waste collector bin (after you’ve emptied it).
You have a choice of two cleaning heights for the brushes, one for flat surfaces and the other for those that are slightly bumpy and uneven. The sweeper works best on flatter, smoother surfaces.
The sweeper handle is adjustable to two positions which is a nice feature to have and will save the strain on your shoulders and arms as you can get the handle position just right. It’s one of the lightest sweepers we looked at so you don’t need much upper body strength to push it along. The handle easily folds down to reduce the storage space needed for the unit which is handy because it can be stored upright flat against a wall.
Pros
- Outdoor push cleaner for all outside hard surfaces.
- Onboard dirt waste container holds up to 16L of waste and grime.
- Two choices of cleaning heights to handle different textured surfaces.
- The handle is adjustable to two positions for the comfort of your shoulders and arms.
- The cleaning width is 65cm.
- Cleans up to 1,600m2 in an hour at, we’re assuming, a regular walking pace.
- Weighs 11kg.
- Easy storage of its two side brushes in the waste compartment of the machine.
- Handle folds down for compact upright storage and ease of transportation.
Cons
- Doesn’t cope well with wet and large debris.
- Small waste collection container.
Our recommendation
The Karcher S 650 Push Floor Sweeper is a versatile outdoor sweeper that covers all the basics. It’s lightweight and easy to push. It uses two side brushes that sweep up to the edges of walls or cupboards picking up all the dirt and debris. You have a choice of two cleaning heights for the brushes to accommodate different textures of the floor. Its ergonomic handles are adjustable to suit your own height and posture.
We recommend the Karcher S 650 Push Floor Sweeper for its basic features, its budget-friendly price and its ease of use and storage. It’s our choice for Best Outdoor Push Floor Sweeper because it’s suitable for most people who need a sweeper for home use or smaller to medium-sized areas.
What we will say is that there are a few bad reviews online so we will address the issues quickly. The main issue is that the debris needs to be dry for the sweeper to work effectively. With this in mind only use it when it’s dry outside. It’s also difficult to push on artificial lawns so is not suitable for this, for this we recommend an artificial grass vacuum or brush.
If you’re looking for the best push floor sweeper and have a dry, medium-sized space to look after, the Karcher S 650 Push Floor Sweeper is a great selection.
2. Karcher KM 70/20 C Professional Sweeper
RUNNER UP / BEST PROFESSIONAL PICK
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Karcher KM 70/20 C Professional Sweeper is one of the larger and more fully-featured push floor sweepers in our review. Its professional features and relatively heavy weight, at 23kg, making it suitable for use in larger and dirtier areas.
This Karcher Professional Sweeper has a 70cm working width. While this is not the largest cleaning path in our review, it is ample for large domestic driveways or small professional car parks. The manufacturer says that you can clean up to 2,800m2 of dirty floor or ground an hour; we guess that this is at a regular cleaning pace.
The professional design of this outdoor floor sweeper starts with two wheels – each wheel turns the main horizontal brush. This gives dual power to the horizontal brush and allows for the sweeper’s excellent turning ability. The main brush acts alongside the side rotating brush to pull the debris on the ground/floor into the collection bin as you push the sweeper along. The heights of both brushes are adjustable to three positions to suit the height of the terrain or how large the debris is. The bristles of each brush are waterproof, so the Karcher KM 70/20C sweeper handles damp debris well, something our best pick couldn’t do.
The 20 litre, ergonomically designed, waste collection bin is not so large that it’s difficult to pick it up and empty when it’s full. A dust filter is part of the waste bin structure. This prevents dust and dirt from building up when you’re sweeping and cleans the air coming from the exhaust pipe. You won’t be breathing in any foreign particles from the sweeper. (Although we still recommend that you wear a mask.) The foam filter in the dust filter is washable so you can clean it regularly to keep the filter working as efficiently as possible.
Pros
- Professional-build push sweeper for outdoor and indoor use.
- 70cm working width for fewer passes across the ground.
- Adjustable side brushes for cleaning up to the edges of walls and kerbs, so you don’t have to go back and clean there separately.
- Both wheels drive the main brush and this gives excellent cleaning and turning power.
- The main and side brushes are height adjustable to suit different surfaces, smooth or bumpy.
- The dirt container holds 20L of dust and debris so you don’t have to empty it too often.
- A dust filter prevents dust build-up when you’re cleaning and cleans the exhaust air.
- The ergonomic handle is adjustable to suit your height and width.
- Folds flat for easy storage in your shed or garage.
- Weighs 23kg.
Our recommendation
The Karcher KM 70/20 C Professional Sweeper has the features needed by a professional sweeper to keep a larger outdoor space clean. Its two brushes operate in different places to collect all the dust and rubbish, right up to walls and fences. The effort you push into both the wheels powers the horizontal brush which picks up the dirt in a 70cm wide strip. The surrounding air is kept breathable by the dust filter that removes dust and dirt particles from the exhaust.
We like the Karcher KM 70/20 C Professional Sweeper for its ergonomic design, its wide cleaning strip and its other professional features. This sweeper is our Best Professional Push Floor Sweeper as well as our overall runner up.
If you need to keep a fairly large surface area swept clean of debris (both wet and dry), the Karcher KM 70/20 C Professional Sweeper could be the one for you. The reason this model is not our best pick is simply that the price is much more expensive, meaning it is probably not going to be a good choice for those with smaller areas to sweep, where our best pick will be more suitable.
3. Ryobi R18SW3-0 18V ONE+ Cordless Debris Sweeper
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The Ryobi R18SW3-0 18V ONE+ Cordless Debris Sweeper provides more floor sweeping power than most of the other outdoor sweepers in our review because it’s powered by a Ryobi 18V battery. This is the same battery that’s used in any other power tool in the Ryobi ONE+ power tool range, so if you have one already, you’ll be all set. Alternatively, you can buy this cordless floor sweeper with a battery and charger.
The extra power of this cordless Ryobi sweeper lets it easily pick up larger debris such as nails, screws and woodchips left on your workshop floor after a DIY project. Outdoors, it handles leaves and twigs, both wet and dry, without any effort. This is the lightest sweeper in our review at 8.2kg, so having the battery power really makes a difference in the amount and size of rubbish it sweeps up. If you use this floor sweeper with an 18v 5Ah battery you should get a very impressive 3 hours of sweeping time. This is more than enough time, even for the largest workshops or patios.
Starting the floor sweeper is both easy and convenient – just kick the accessible on/off switch at the base of the sweeper, this means no bending down to switch it on and off, this is a great feature. The working width of this sweeper is a generous 100cm, making it suitable for large outdoor spaces. Two spinning brushes inwardly rotate to pick up all the debris which is then directed into the waste collection bin. With a volume of 17L, the collection bin is an average size for a domestic floor sweeper. However, this bin has a transparent lid so you can just peer in occasionally to see how full it’s getting. The sweeper has convenient side bumpers so you don’t crash into obstacles like walls or fences at your side. This saves some wear-and-tear on the body of the sweeper.
The telescopic handle lets you adjust its position to suit how you want to place your arms throughout your sweeping chores. The handle usefully folds down over the sweeper’s body for compact upright storage.
Pros
- Cordless (battery-powered) floor sweeper that can handle large debris including nails, screws, wood scraps, leaves, grass clippings as well as general dirt.
- Excellent in large workshops and garages for all your DIY leftover bits and on patios and walkways for your garden debris.
- Two large (53cm each) spinning brushes rotate inwards to pick everything up in short order.
- The battery is the same 18V model that is interchangeable within the Ryobi ONE+ system of cordless tools.
- Kick the easily accessible on-off switch at the base of the machine to start or stop the cleaner.
- The waste container holds 17L of assorted-size debris and is quick release.
- The telescopic handle adjusts to suit your height and make your cleaning chore more comfortable.
- The rear-wheel is height adjustable to go easily over bumpier ground.
- Side bumpers stop you from crashing into walls, fences and other obstacles.
- Store upright with the telescopic handle collapsed for a compact footprint.
- Weighs 8.2kg.
- A three-year warranty ensures a high-quality product and peace of mind.
Our recommendation
The Ryobi R18SW3-0 18V ONE+ Cordless Debris Sweeper takes most of the effort out of pushing a floor sweeper along your workshop floor or your pathways and patio as you aren’t manually powering the pushing. The 18V Ryobi battery is the same type used in every other ONE+ Series power tool, so make use of such a battery you might already have. This extra power enables this outdoor floor sweeper to pick up larger bits of rubbish, debris and wetter garden materials. This sweeper works on both smooth and bumpy terrain and the side bumpers stop you from scratching up the sweeper body along walls and fences if you become distracted.
The Ryobi R18SW3-0 18V ONE+ Cordless Debris Sweeper is our choice of Best Cordless Outdoor Floor Sweeper.
If you’re looking for an outdoor floor sweeper for your home that takes minimal effort to use, the Ryobi R18SW3-0 18V ONE+ Cordless Debris is a good choice.
4. Stiga SWP 577 Push Sweeper
Buy from Mowers-online.co.uk
The Stiga SWP 577 Push Sweeper is a serious outdoor sweeper that easily picks up large waste including twigs, leaves and grass clippings as well as the usual dust and dirt. Its waste collection bin is the largest one of the floor sweepers in our review. At a very impressive 50 litres, you won’t have to stop very often to empty it when you’re sweeping a large outdoor area. The manufacturer states that with this sweeper, you’ll be able to sweep an area of 3,000m2 an hour, now that is impressive.
The sweeping is done by two long-bristle disk brushes, as shown above, each 41cm in diameter, and a 46cm horizontal roller brush. The 77cm working width of this floor sweeper lets you sweep clean a variety of surfaces with its eight height adjustments for each brush. This is a selection of five more heights than any other sweeper we looked at. Change the brush height from one central control dial. With this height precision, the sweeper pulls up all the debris from any texture of the surface, leaving it clean. The edge guide roller helps with this by letting you clean right up to the edge of any borders around the space.
Although the debris is swept directly into the waste collection bin, your breathing health is made safer by the air filter. This additional safety feature keeps the fine particles of dust away from you and is a feature many manufacturers don’t incorporate.
Pros
- Push-along outdoor floor cleaner that works well for larger areas.
- The waste collector holds 50 litres and is the largest collector of the outdoor sweepers in our review.
- Picks up large waste such as leaves and grass clippings along with small debris like dust and dirt.
- The edge guide roller helps you clean right up to the edges of walls or pavement borders.
- Long-bristle brushes have eight height adjustments controlled by one easily accessible dial.
- The two brushes are each 41cm in diameter for a wide sweep of your surface.
- The wheels are large and rubber covered and give good traction on any hard surface.
- The air filter keeps the dust away from you when you’re using the cleaner.
- Covers 3,000m2 per hour of average-speed cleaning.
- Weighs 17.5kg.
- Two-year manufacturer’s warranty for peace of mind.
Our recommendation
The Stiga SWP 577 Push Sweeper is a serious floor sweeper for those who have large outdoor areas to be kept swept. With the largest waste collection bin in this review, (50L), you don’t need to keep stopping to empty the rubbish you pick up during your sweeping session. The two disks and one roller brush attack the task from different perspectives and have eight height adjustments to cover all types of uneven terrain. The air filter stops you from breathing in dust particles, although we do still recommend the use of a mask.
If looking at the vast expanse of outdoor areas you need to keep swept clean makes your stomach sink, but you still have some energy, take a good look at the Stiga SWP 577 Push Sweeper. This model is also more affordable than our professional pick by Karcher so is well with considering when comparing the two.
5. Hyundai Self Propelled Petrol Powerbrush Sweeper
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Buy direct from Hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk
The Hyundai Self Propelled Petrol Powerbrush Sweeper is the most fully-featured of the outdoor floor sweepers we looked at. There’s no pushing required on your part at all. This Hyundai floor sweeper is self-propelled, this means that you just guide it along and it has 3 forward speeds. And it’s powered by a 4 stroke petrol engine so no petrol and oiling mixing required like that of 2 stroke engines. All you need to do is keep the fuel topped up, press the start button and engage the manual transmission. You’re good to go.
Of course, an outdoor floor sweeper of this power and size means that it’s best suited for very large outdoor spaces such as car parks, salesroom forecourts, farmyards, parks, builders merchants or finally very large gardens. It’s overkill for anywhere smaller. The 173cc 5.5hp petrol engine starts easily with a push-button electric start and the three forward gears (manual transmission) let you choose your sweeping speed, from a slow 2.5kph to a brisk walking pace of 4.3kph. The reverse gear backs you up out of tight spots.
Forget about having to focus just on removing twigs and small pieces of rubbish. Head straight for the drifts of leaves, piles of manure, mounds of litter or light snowdrifts. The Hyundai Self Propelled Petrol Powerbrush Sweeper is an all-year-round outdoor sweeper that clears just about anything. It’s great in tight spaces as well as large open places.
Many features are adjustable and ergonomically designed on this yard sweeper to make your clearing task comfortable for you. Adjust the handle to the position that suits your height and stance. All the most-used controls are within reach of your fingertips (e.g. speed adjustment lever; clutch control lever) and the set-up controls (e.g. brush height adjustment lever) are placed within easy reach on the sweeper body down from your hands.
The working width of the brush is 1 metre and it has a 35cm diameter. The brush height and the angle of the brush are independently adjustable from separate levers. Your selection of brush angles includes 22.5° left, horizontal, and 22.5° right. The brush speed is also variable from 180rpm to 350rpm. With all these variations in the features, there shouldn’t be a piece of litter, debris or unwanted organic material that’s safe from this sweeper.
Pros
- Self-propelled petrol sweeper for use on large hard surfaces.
- Useful for car parks, forecourts and other large hard surface areas.
- Hyundai 173cc petrol engine with push-button electric start.
- Manual transmission with three forward speeds and one reverse gear puts you in control.
- Three forward speeds from 2.5kph to 4.3kph to match your energy level.
- Cleans hard surfaces of small and large debris including leaves, litter and snow.
- Handle height is adjustable for your comfort and convenience
- The brush height and angle are adjustable to reach whatever’s on the ground.
- The brush working width is 1m and its diameter is 35cm.
- Three-year Hyundai Platinum warranty ensures excellent product quality.
Cons
- Does not have a waste collection bin so debris is swept into a large pile and picked up using a shovel.
Our recommendation
The Hyundai Self Propelled Petrol Powerbrush Sweeper has it all – 5.5hp 4-stroke petrol engine power, the ability to propel itself and the year-round features that truly make it a model for sweeping professional spaces. Use it in winter for clearing light snow, in the autumn for getting rid of the deep drifts of leaves and in all seasons for the litter that customers and passers-by insist on leaving behind. The angle, speed and height of the 1-metre wide brush are all adjustable to fit whatever ground conditions you have, and the ergonomic design of this yard sweeper’s controls reduces the stress on your body of using a large yard sweeper.
If you’re ready to invest in a piece of powerful machinery with all the features you need in a professional yard sweeper, try out the Hyundai Self Propelled Petrol Powerbrush Sweeper.
The only downside is that it does not collect the debris so you need to sweep it into a large pile and then shovel the debris onto the back of a van, trailer, large builders bag, tractor bucket or however else you can move the collected debris. We used a similar machine means years ago and used to fill large builder’s tonne bags and then take the rubbish away in that.
Buyer’s Guide
If you’ve used an indoor carpet sweeper, an outdoor floor sweeper will seem familiar. In this Buyer’s Guide, we go over the basic components and what to look for when making your purchase choice.
How do outdoor floor sweepers work?
Floor sweepers are quite an elegant piece of simple engineering. In general, the box of the sweeper has brushes and rollers that are connected by a belt or gears. When the sweeper is pushed along a hard surface, the rollers turn and make the brushes rotate. The brushes sweep the dirt, dust and debris from the floor and push them back into the waste collection bin.
Power
Many outdoor floor sweepers are called “push” sweepers. All floor sweepers, regardless of their power source, are pushed along. But a “push” sweeper usually means that it’s pushed by you – that is, it’s human-powered.
If the floor sweeper has another source of power, it’s generally specified.
Cordless indicates that the sweeper is powered by a battery – usually 18V. Some power tool manufacturers (such as Ryobi in this review) use an interchangeable battery in their series of power tools. If you already have the battery in another tool in that series, you can use it in their floor sweeper. If not, don’t forget to buy the battery plus a charger. Knowing the time that the battery charge lasts and the length of time it takes to recharge helps you plan your sweeping sessions.
Petrol engines are usually reserved for floor sweepers for use in professional yards such as car parks, farmyards or factories. (See the Hyundai yard sweeper in our review section.) These floor/yard sweepers are larger with more adjustable features to clean a diverse range of hard surfaces where you will find more types of debris. The size of the fuel tank dictates how often you need to stop and refuel, especially if you have a long sweeping session ahead of you.
Self-propelled isn’t a power-type but it is an option that comes along with a powered floor/yard sweeper. A self-propelled sweeper takes minimal effort from you because it only needs you to guide it along and not push it.
Brushes
After the type of power, the next feature to consider is the brushes.
Brush type
Some floor sweepers come with disk brushes, some with roller brushes and some with both.
Disk brushes rotate in circles and cover the floor in that pattern. There may be two disk brushes on a floor sweeper and they overlap in the middle of their cleaning pattern. If the disk brush is mounted at the edge of the sweeper and slightly out from the sweeper body, it can reach the edge of the wall or other item enclosing the cleaning area. You won’t have to go back and sweep along the edge with a brush.
Roller brushes rotate along a horizontal bar under the front of the sweeper. Their advantage is that they pick up the debris underneath them in a predictable pattern.
A combination of the two brush types gives the most sweeping coverage.
Cleaning width
The size of a disk brush is given as its diameter; the width of the roller brush is its length.
The cleaning width of the sweeper is usually the same as the width of the roller brush but less than the total of the diameters of two disk brushes. The cleaning width of the sweeper relates to how many strips you need to clean your space in – the wider the width, the fewer times you need to go across your space.
Brush material and strength
Many of the online complaints about the sweepers we review here were that the sweepers didn’t pick up the kinds of debris that the owners wanted them to. In many cases, they identified this as being due to the lightweight or flimsy material of the bristles of the brushes.
Be sure to identify what you want your floor sweeper to pick up and what the brush bristles are made of. And check what the manufacturer says the floor sweeper can handle. If you just want to clean your floors of dust and light dirt, then you don’t have to worry. If, however, you need the sweeper to collect wet twigs, takeaway containers or heavy grass clippings, then you need to look for a more professional rather than domestic model which usually has stiffer brushes.
Adjustable brush height
If you plan to sweep up debris from a variety of hard surfaces, look for a sweeper where the brush height is adjustable. You need a close sweep on a smooth and flat surface but a more flexible one on bumpy ground. Instead of adjusting the brush height, some models let you adjust the rear wheel to adjust the height of the entire sweeper for the same result.
Waste collection bin
The size of the waste collection bins of the sweepers in our review range from a volume of 15 litres to 50 litres and one didn’t even have a collection bin. If you intend to always sweep a small domestic area of dirt and dust, a smaller bin should be enough and you won’t need to keep stopping to empty it. However, once you start picking up leaves, twigs or pieces of end-cut wood, the collection bin fills up quickly. Unless you have a large bin, your time spent emptying may increase.
Look for a sweeper with a waste collection bin of a suitable size. If you go for a larger bin, ensure that it’s designed to be easily picked up when it’s full. Also one with a transparent lid makes it easy to see when it needs emptying.
Comfort and convenience
Look for sweepers that are ergonomically designed with structural features that are adjustable to suit your height and stance. Adjustable handlebars fit your shoulder and arm position, frequently used controls within hand’s reach don’t stress out your fingers, push-button starts for cordless and petrol models make it quick to get going and an easily accessible central control for brush height adjustment encourages you to use the correct setting.
Safety
It may seem that an outdoor floor sweeper is a relatively harmless power tool. There are no really sharp bits to cut you and you’re outdoors in the fresh air using it. But even though all the dirt and debris are immediately pushed into the waste collection bin, you are still stirring up dust particles. Not all of them are captured.
For your safety, at the very least, please wear a mask. And gloves if your skin is susceptible to a dust allergy.
Final Conclusion
An outdoor floor sweeper saves you, and the health of your back, from wearing out when cleaning the hard surfaces in your garden and outdoor buildings. This review contains a variety of human-powered sweepers along with a cordless model and a petrol-powered super-professional model for those who have large areas to keep clear of rubbish and garden debris. Whichever one you choose, make sure that it’s adequate for your needs – size, what it can handle, the complexity of environment etc. – and you may not need to buy a new brush again.
Our choice for the Best Push Floor Sweeper is the Karcher S 650 Push Floor Sweeper. This budget-friendly sweeper has all the features you need to keep your outdoor space clean from dust, dirt and small debris.
Our vote for the Best Professional Outdoor Floor Sweeper goes to the Kärcher KM 70/20 C Professional Sweeper. Its higher purchase price reflects the professional-quality features it comes with, including adjustable side and circular brushes, and a washable foam filter.
If you’ve become enthusiastic about cleaning and clearing your garden, garage and workshop spaces, check out our reviews on other products and tools that help with this worthwhile mission.
How to Clean a Patio or Decking with a Power Washer
The Best Tools to Keep Your Garage Clean
How to Clean Garden Tools Correctly
Best Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner
Last update on 2024-04-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
