What to use to remove gravel from lawn?

Brad in WI · Apr 18, 2011

After plowing snow all winter, I am left with alot of 3/4 inch stones in my grass. Has anyone figured out some easier way to pick up or remove them with out destroying the lawn. I have looked into a lawn sweeper but I am not sure if it will pick up the smaller gravel rocks. Any insight is appreciated.
Brad

55 50 Ron · Apr 18, 2011

I find that an old fashioned metal leaf rake works reasonably well if you use a vigorous raking action. After raking a while, they form into rock windrows and are easier to pick up by the handful or with a spade. Doesn't get them all but it sure thins them out. I have my mowers set fairly high too so not much danger of hitting those rocks with a mower.

Tom from Ontario · Apr 18, 2011

Landscapers around here have the rubber flap sweepers on string trimmer power heads, all Stihl in this area. Rental outfits have rotary sweeper brushes on BCS tractors for big areas.

Bob · Apr 18, 2011

Just today, I proved that an 11-y-o that wants some $$$ customized Lego figures from Brickarms can be an effective tool for such a job.

Tom from Ontario · Apr 18, 2011

Landscapers around here have the rubber flap sweepers on string trimmer power heads, all Stihl in this area. Rental outfits have rotary sweeper brushes on BCS tractors for big areas.

Ed the wine farmer · Apr 18, 2011

I use a back blaid --- The slower you go, the better it works Ed

Dave Sherburne NY · Apr 18, 2011

Stihl Power sweeper or Brush.
Stihl Power Sweeper

RoyIA · Apr 18, 2011

I saw a guy using a rotary broom on the front of a garden tractor. Saw another guy advertising for work with the same

msb · Apr 18, 2011

A York rake does a decent job. Tears out a little grass,but it will come right back.Wife uses a shop vac.

jim murphy · Apr 18, 2011

I have had good luck with the stiffer yellow plastic leaf rakes, rather than the regular metal rakes. They don"t bend as easy and pull the stones rather than let them fall through. You can pull it with a flatter stroke and put more pressure on it.

KSTractor · Apr 18, 2011

I used a Deutz rotary hay rake to move the parking lot off of the lawn at our church.Set it down till it really scratches use more RPM's than normal and low gear

JOHNNYfromMI · Apr 18, 2011

I just use my mower to lanch the gravel into the great unknown!

IOWA NORTHEAST · Apr 18, 2011

The guys around here get one hundred dollars a hr with a broom on the front of a garden tractor. I have one, and so far I seldom chsrge.

It will remove every rock at about normal mowing speed. It could not get any better. This unit costs alot of money.

Crem · Apr 18, 2011

My brother has a power sweep similar to the one shown in the link and it works quite well for gravel in the lawn. He added a small set of wheels on the arm behind the sweep kind of like the wheels on a rototiller. The wheels allow better control and less fatigue.
Power sweep

Doug in Illinois · Apr 18, 2011

I have the same issue. Some of the ideas are OK if you have the money. My long tined hard plastic leaf rake got most of the rocks, but still missed some.

One of the people on my mail route had the right idea. His kids and the neighbor kids were almost running into each other picking up the rocks.

He had went out and marked quite a few with a dot on the bottom side with the kids understanding that to get the money for the marked rocks they also had to pick up all the rocks.

I think that was brilliant on his part. DOUG

mooger · Apr 18, 2011

leaf blower with a flat tip...

G. L. Grumpy · Apr 19, 2011

I found big 30" plastic rake does better than a wire one. Must be gettin' old tho, it wears me out quick. I do in steps or diff days. The ones you can't get settle into dirt/lawn and really don't get picked up by mower. I thought sweeper would work, but heard the grass gets whacked pretty hard at same time and still doesn't get the rocks any better than a rake. Big shop vac idea if you have long cord sounds do able. But, that's a lot of rock, you'ld have to empty often. I also mow my yard first time in spring with the old blades still in, that way rocks damage old blades Before I sharpen or replace, not new ones.

Jim in Ma. · Apr 19, 2011

You could also rent a backpack blower.

Inno · Apr 19, 2011

The wife keeps asking me where all the crushed rock from the driveway has gone. Well she can see the stuff on the lawn but she's not aware of the growing pile in the ditch across the road!
I have been using a leaf rake for the most part to pile it then bring the tractor over and set the loader bucket gently down on the ground at the pile and rake it all in the bucket. Then I can re-distribute it around the bare spots on the driveway easily.

big fred · Apr 19, 2011

First determine which window of which vehicle will be the cosliest to replace. Then position it about 10 yards from the gravel you are trying to clean up. Now, mow the lawn. I guarantee that every rock in the place will go thru that window. BTDT with my F-150.

Goose · Apr 19, 2011

I had the same problem with fine crushed rock a year ago.

Best thing I found was a 16 gallon shop vac with an open tube, no attachment. A little time consuming, and you'll use up a filter in the vac, but it pulls the grass upright at the same time.

case441 · Apr 19, 2011

A stone magnet works great for me.

Unruh · Apr 19, 2011

If the lawn is fairly level, an old combine conveyer chain dragged upside down behind a lawn tractor or 4-wheeler collects and drags them along pretty good. I have a 4X4 metal tube with three conveyer chains side by side. It smooths the yard pretty good after it dries a little too.

JerryBowers · Apr 19, 2011

Brad: You don't mention what area is involved, but a couple of 12 year olds with buckets would seem to be a good solution. Beats any mechanized solution I can think of, and teaches kids about work, responsibility and money.

JMOR · Apr 19, 2011

(quoted from post at 10:17:39 04/19/11) First determine which window of which vehicle will be the cosliest to replace. Then position it about 10 yards from the gravel you are trying to clean up. Now, mow the lawn. I guarantee that every rock in the place will go thru that window. BTDT with my F-150.

ind of kinfolk to laser guided bombs, except rocks have a built in glass-homing sensor/guidance system.

Todd Heck · Apr 19, 2011

best thing I found to remove the it was to turn on the tv in the garage to watch what you want in just rake it to the drive. I take a break when I want and the wife is happy that it is out of the yard

Brad in WI · Apr 19, 2011

It ends up being maybe 3/4 or maybe an acre that has to get cleaned up. I would prefer not to have to rake the entire thing but try to find something that would work to remove MOST of the rocks.

landlord7012 · Apr 19, 2011

Power broom, the kind that attaches to a walk behind snowblower drive (Ariens sells them) will work good for stones and thatch. Check with a rental place.

tx68 · Apr 19, 2011

Shop vac

GeneMO · Apr 19, 2011

Drag a metal cattle panel around behind the ATV or mower to knock down any ridges.

Then when the ground is wet and spongy, drive over it with something with turf tires, or better yet a round, drum like lawn roller. Mash the gravel down into the soil.

Gene

Anonymous-0 · Apr 19, 2011

Here's what I use:
Harley Rake

Brian G. NY · Apr 19, 2011

I use the snowplow blade on my garden tractor with no skids. It has a hand lift and I can feel just how much pressure to put on it without tearing up the sod. If the ground is really wet, I use the backblade method. Believe it or not, this will get most of the stones, especially the ones big enuf to be a problem for the mower.

jd b puller · Apr 19, 2011

I haven't used this exact model, but a similar one from a different manufacturer.
Broom

John730D · Apr 20, 2011

Here's what I use. Backhoe is mine. Sweeper is rented. Skid steer and sweeper can be rented anywhere.

Jiles · Apr 20, 2011

Not trying to be cute, but---many years ago, I had exactly the same problem. I had three grade school kids and a few of their friends to gather every single rock. I paid them One Cent for each stone they gathered and it was hilarious :lol:
Later, I had a home roof removed and a new one installed, I gave them 5 cents for each roofing nail and when they were finished they said they got them all

I told them I would give 50 cents for any more. They literly pulled the grass up and found a few NAILS 100 foot from the house.
That was FUN and it cost less then $20.00
My kids are now grown and they still talk and laugh about it.

S.Crum · Apr 20, 2011

BTDT too, Last year's lesson in mowing and keeping cars out of the way. This is my favorite 93' Sedan DeVille. A $248 and change lesson as taught by a John Deere 316.

gab · Apr 20, 2011

A lawn sweeper will get a lot of it and I'm going to bury the rest with a lawn roller.

What to use to remove gravel from lawn?

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