Paddock Cleaners

[Colline]

I was wondering if any HHO users have paddock cleaners either the suction type or the sweep type and if so which would you recommend - make, model etc. Just been looking at different websites but of course each company thinks it has the best machine on the market!!!

 

[chunkytfg]

whats wrong with a broom and a bit of elbow grease!!

 

[Colline]

3 years ago i damaged the tendons in my right arm. Cleaning up after 5 horses is not easy and takes me a lot longer now so i was looking into all options available.

 

[chunkytfg]

Oh okay.

Feel a bit of an idiot now. Must remember to remove foot from mouth before posting.

sorry

 

[Colline]

No probs

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

Look here i want one of these

Poo Hover!

 

[nikkiportia]

We use a paddock sweeper. The make is Nicholson. They do smal and large ones depending on your needs. They are very effective, as they also harrow as well as pick of droppings and loose grass. They are brilliant for short grass especially.
They hitch onto a tractor, which must have a PTO in order to run the brushes.
However they're only really worth it if you have a large amount of land and a tractor of course!

Redwings have a whole fleet of them which is where I learnt how to use one. The stud I now work on is just 80 acres, and the sweeper only comes out about once a fortnight.
The bad side is that they're not very good in the wet, and when it's muddy you would wreck your paddocks with the tractor.
PM me if you want any more info

 

[Rachmeister]

Before it got nicked a couple of months ago I had a Trafalgar paddock vacuum swivel thingy that was towed behind a quad. Quite honestly after the novelty value wore off the amount of effort you have to put into vaccing is just about the same as traditional barrow and fork, other than it did do dried up poo that had been spread into hundreds of little bits really well. The smoke from the two stroke engine was also stinky and got in hair and clothes. I am not replacing it. If I did I would get one that picks up muck as a sweeper not a vacuum.

 

[Rainbowrider]

How do the sweeper ones work? Do they spread the worm eggs all over the field?

I would think a suction one would be better, but by the time you have got it out, got the quad bike out, put petrol in it, hitched it up, got it into the field, you could have just done it with a barrow! Depending on size of the field I suppose.

A sweeper one may be easier for your arm though. As I said, I am not sure exactly how they work.

 

[Colline]

I wondered that too?? I was hoping i would be able to leave the machine attached to the towing vehicle (probably my dad's ride on lawnmower - not that he knows it!!!) I've used a suction one and i was a bit worried that it would end up being quite heavy and awkward to use for any length of time.

 

[nikkiportia]

[ QUOTE ]
How do the sweeper ones work? Do they spread the worm eggs all over the field?

I would think a suction one would be better, but by the time you have got it out, got the quad bike out, put petrol in it, hitched it up, got it into the field, you could have just done it with a barrow! Depending on size of the field I suppose.

A sweeper one may be easier for your arm though. As I said, I am not sure exactly how they work.

[/ QUOTE ]

The sweeper has a large rotating brush behind some harrow spikes. You run it along the grass, the spikes break up the poo, then the brushes sweep it up and it all flicks into the bucket at the back. When it is working correctly it doesn't spread the dung, it picks it all up, and any worm eggs with it

Here's the link to the model we use
http://www.nicholson-machinery.co.uk/paddock.html

 

[Bossanova]

We had a well known make of paddock vacuum and it was utterly rubbish, actually far harder work than a scoop and wheelbarrow