Olathe lawn sweeper

[slick]

I have a chance to buy an Olathe lawn sweeper and just want to know what a fair price to pay for this machine is! It runs and operates fine. Olathe Lawn Sweeper, Model 54HL (high lift). Hydrostatic drive. Sweeps/dethaches 54" wide. Has rubber fingers that lift debris into 3 yard hopper Engine is a Kohler Command V-twin 25 H.P. New in 1999

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[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

That is one heck of a machine! What is your view on the benefit of using that machine versus a tow behind lawn sweeper on your mower?

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[slick]

Well for 1, i think tow behind sweepers are for your mom & pop set ups, I know they would never hold up to the abuse a commercial crew would give it. And to be honest they are just not efficient enough...capacity & get off the machine ta empty them. As a big sweeper you have huge capacity, dump from seat, and on some of my bigger accounts, 6+ acres, and my commercial companies this machine would be the cats azz. After 13 years in business the only reason i have done as well as i have is because of investing in equipment that would allow me to take on more accounts while keeping the same # of guys working, and with this machine I will be able to take on more clean up in the fall and spring. O, and there is also 1 more benefit of the Olathe machine, once i sand it and paint it and put my business name on it, you have to admit when i pull up on job site with this machine people will know my company means business, that this is my business and not just a weekend or evening thing for me.
I ended up picking up the machine yesterday, just could not pass it up.lol

[B-2 Lawncare]

I have a lot of seat time on one of these. The first thing, that I would look at is the Rubber fingers.I know that they are about a buck, a peace to replace. Next look at all the hyd cylinders see if the seals are holding, If you can repalce the seals not to big of a deal but if you have to take it some where. Next is the service record has it been maintained. Brand new these are twenty to thirty thousand dollars. That beeing said If it were me, and the service record were good and the fingers weren't to wore out. I would offer 2000 to 2500 is my max. You could go buy a new DR vac for that kind of money. Not really the same but it will do the same job. And thats how I would look at it.
If you do buy it becareful when sweeping on the top of hills and rises the finers will dig in to the truf. Keep us posted on if you buy it.

[B-2 Lawncare]

Thinking about it and having run both the sweeper and a vac, I would rather have a vac. I think that the vac's do a better job pickup every thing with exception of sticks, and even ruing it on my small tractor with a 48" deck it's comparable to your sweeper speed-wise. the vac will hold about half of what the sweeper will, but the vac will make mulch out of it. And you can get a vac in to most back yards. good luck with the sweeper. Just my thoughts. PM me if you would like more info or thoughts.

[Steve]

Keep us posted on how all this turns out once you start to use it and clean it up. I'd love to hear more of your review on it.

[slick]

I will agree that it's size limits the # of lawns i can use it own, but i stole it for what i paid for it. There are no fingers missing, and the only thing wrong with it is that i have to bleed the brakes, there is some air in the lines! I can't wait to use it, prob wont be till next spring, caues i have a great system with my exmarks and debris loader and i just don't think this would be as efficient with leafs, but in the spring I have alot of use for it. Plus the kids will like it for the parade, load up the hopper with candy bags, back up ta em lift and dump, they will get a kick out of that and so will i.lol, and thanks b-2 lawncare for giving me a value, i def feel alot better knowing i didn't over pay for this machine having never owned or operated 1 before.

Jeff

[Steve]

What's your view on why it would be better to use in the spring? Simply to act as a dethatcher after all the leaves are removed?

[slick]

First olathe prob! so here is my question and hope somebody here can help, i went to use the olathe last fri at my 6 acre cemetary and when i went to load it up after i finished using it i heard a band from under the blower housing and dirt came out, though maybe a mouse nest let go in there but after i got it home i noticed bits of magnets everywhere. Tore the engine off the machine took the blower housing off and saw more magnets, took the flywheel off and yep the mags on the back of flywheel let go destroyed the stator also. And here is my question, there are no numbers ANYWHERE on the motor to identify it other that its a 25 hp kohler command pro. Dealer cant help me without the model and serier number of the engine. how do i order a flywheel and stator for this motor without any model # or serial number? And this machine worked awesome picking up BIG branches, grass, twigs, garbage pretty much anything that was in front of it. Sucks its down already. We have had lots of flooding here with debris everywhere, and was going to talk to the city about hiring me to clean up some of there properties with the olathe.

[Steve]

Is it possible you could measure the component that needs to be replaced and compare it with one from a newer engine at the dealership?

Maybe they will be the same size and you can use one of those?