# elgin sweeper



## bossplowguy

Anyone run a elgin street sweeper? How long do brushes last? What kind of rate should a guy get per hour? Just thinking of buying one, any info would be appreciated


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## hickslawns

You are entertaining the USM bid for Walmart aren't you?


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## bossplowguy

NOT A CHANCE!!!! lol, i wouldnt work for them if i was going broke!


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## Cmbrsum

I run a crosswind without cross broom. I get around 30 hours of running time on a curb brush. I do small local towns for about $100 an hour.


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## rsweeper

curb brooms last about 40 hrs or so , I get about 5 days use out of them.
rear main broom last us about 80 hrs each maybe aanother 20 hrs plus depending on what we are sweeping.
rate will varry depending on what you are doing, prev wage, gov, city, union, employee cost, insurance requiremints, bonding ( bid, performance, payment ) etc.
Are you bidding per mile, hourly, by the job etc.
With fuel prices going up and up, prices for sweeping are doing the same thing


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## Camden

I think brush wear is directly related to the quality of the brush. Some seem to last 10-15 hours but the high end ones can go for way longer than that.


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## rsweeper

curb brooms at least 15 to 20 wires per hole
rear main atleast 150 lbs material for a cable wrap if I remember correctly.

never liked or seemed to last is the strip brooms. 
core brooms just dont weigh enough to work right either.

Still it requires the right down pressure adjustments to sweep correctly and to make things last as long as they can. Most of the time it comes down to operator error on how long things last


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## hickslawns

> NOT A CHANCE!!!! lol, i wouldnt work for them if i was going broke!


Good to hear! Sorry for the semi hi-jack. If you were working for them, you would soon be going broke anyhow. hahah


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## SSS Inc.

bossplowguy;1257428 said:


> Anyone run a elgin street sweeper? How long do brushes last? What kind of rate should a guy get per hour? Just thinking of buying one, any info would be appreciated


We run Pelicans. Gutter Brooms(what we call them) last about 40 hours. More for general sweeping less when used in Chip Seal applications(that's what we do). Main broom, we can get 200+ hours out of them. Being in Wisconsin may I recommend a company called Zarnoth Brush Works in Chilton. They make their own brushes and have great products, way cheaper then the Elgin dealers and they will deliver to you door for free. They come through Minneapolis twice a week with a nifty trailer full of brooms. I can't help you with hourly rates because we tend to bid per job because of the nature of our work.

Stay away from some of the brush companies online. As someone mentioned go for cable wrapped and higher density.


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## bossplowguy

I was thinking is the neighborhood of 80-100 an hour is where i need to be pricewise. I did talk to a brush company here in WI and they seem pretty reasonably priced. They were saying 120 hours on a main broom and 60 on a gutter broom. Altho I trust the posts and what you guys say on here more. I did get it bought, she's old but should do the job, new to this whole thing so if it dont work out i can scap or sell the ol buggy and make some coin on it. Has a IH gas motor in it.


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## bossplowguy

SSS Inc.;1262337 said:


> We run Pelicans. Gutter Brooms(what we call them) last about 40 hours. More for general sweeping less when used in Chip Seal applications(that's what we do). Main broom, we can get 200+ hours out of them. Being in Wisconsin may I recommend a company called Zarnoth Brush Works in Chilton. They make their own brushes and have great products, way cheaper then the Elgin dealers and they will deliver to you door for free. They come through Minneapolis twice a week with a nifty trailer full of brooms. I can't help you with hourly rates because we tend to bid per job because of the nature of our work.
> 
> Stay away from some of the brush companies online. As someone mentioned go for cable wrapped and higher density.


Thats who I got my prices from, very helpfull folks! And that free delivery seals the deal


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## bossplowguy

And thanks for all the input! Very helpfull here as always Thumbs Up


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## Camden

SSS Inc.;1262337 said:


> Being in Wisconsin may I recommend a company called Zarnoth Brush Works in Chilton.


I called these guys and their prices just aren't competitive IMO. Is their quality worth enough to pay extra for?


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## SSS Inc.

Camden;1262360 said:


> I called these guys and their prices just aren't competitive IMO. Is their quality worth enough to pay extra for?


Where are you getting brooms? I have bought at Mcqueen Eq.(obviously expensive), several internet places and Zarnoth is the best price and quality. The quality is great. I only know Pelicans but their main brooms come with the end plates attached where you bolt the triangular spindle to.(if that makes sense.) So basically the big shaft that goes through the tube is no longer needed.(Time and weight saver.) Because of their incorporation of the end plates its more or less an exchange program with them. They take the used ones back and re-wrap them. I can honestly say I will use nobody else from now on for the pelicans anyway. Plus they will deliver right to your shop at no charge. We run several Tennants also and there is a company close to our shop in Shakopee that has the best prices and good quality.(They make the Tennant brushes for Zarnoth)


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## SSS Inc.

bossplowguy;1262342 said:


> I was thinking is the neighborhood of 80-100 an hour is where i need to be pricewise. I did talk to a brush company here in WI and they seem pretty reasonably priced. They were saying 120 hours on a main broom and 60 on a gutter broom. Altho I trust the posts and what you guys say on here more. I did get it bought, she's old but should do the job, new to this whole thing so if it dont work out i can scap or sell the ol buggy and make some coin on it. Has a IH gas motor in it.


It looks like a clean machine. Is it a Whitewing? Your hourly rate seem fine. Are you driving it job to job or transporting it on a trailer? 120hours from my experience is way low. 60 on a gutter broom is about right. Does it have hydraulic down pressure or are there chains on the sides of the main broom? Setting the proper down pressure and pattern will make or break the life of both your brushes. One tip. Grease the heck out of it and clean it daily. These are great machines and will last a lifetime if properly maintained. Sweepers are high maintenance.


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## Camden

SSS - I bought right from Tennant so I'm sure I paid 50% more than I needed to. Going into this season I intend to do a better job of shopping around and that's why I called those guys in WI. 

There are a lot of guys on ebay selling brushes at decent prices. Do you have any experience buying from there?


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## SSS Inc.

Camden;1262419 said:


> SSS - I bought right from Tennant so I'm sure I paid 50% more than I needed to. Going into this season I intend to do a better job of shopping around and that's why I called those guys in WI.
> 
> There are a lot of guys on ebay selling brushes at decent prices. Do you have any experience buying from there?


Do not buy from Tennant unless you call them right about now. They run an ok special if you buy say 3+ brooms in the early "Spring". Like I mention there is a place in Shakopee that I'm sure can ship to you. I have have been happy with the price and quality and Zarnoth actually buys their Tennant brooms from them because Zarnoth only makes the big brooms for Elgins and the like. I have bought off online companies but not Ebay. They all seemed to work but were lighter weight. Look on Craigs list as I have bought locally from a guy that went out of business 12 main brooms for an 800/810 model for $50 bucks a piece. That was the best deal ever. There are a few on their now in mpls but they don't fit my machines. I do have two new main brooms that fit a 385 I think and planned on selling them cheap because I don't have a machine for them. What model are you running.

P.S. Zarnoth will ship via Speedy to your door for free if you tell them you need it right away.


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## gd8boltman

*We have used Zarnoth brooms on our*

Sweeprite and are very happy with the quality of their service, delivery, and from what we have compared, their pricing is very fair. We use only cable wrapped on the rear broom, and they last 200 hrs. + or-


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## bossplowguy

SSS Inc.;1262402 said:


> It looks like a clean machine. Is it a Whitewing? Your hourly rate seem fine. Are you driving it job to job or transporting it on a trailer? 120hours from my experience is way low. 60 on a gutter broom is about right. Does it have hydraulic down pressure or are there chains on the sides of the main broom? Setting the proper down pressure and pattern will make or break the life of both your brushes. One tip. Grease the heck out of it and clean it daily. These are great machines and will last a lifetime if properly maintained. Sweepers are high maintenance.


It is a whitewing 475. It depends where the jobs are. I have a semi and a trailer, so hauling wont be a problem. As far as the chains I am not sure yet, gotta run and pick it up this week sometime. I do know the botton roller on the conveyer is a bit noisy.....I think it has sat for a year or 2, so gonna break out a case of grease and go to town! The break pedal goes to the floor, so gonna have to investigate that. All in all tho, I think it has been very well cared for. Thanks for the tips


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## SSS Inc.

bossplowguy;1263076 said:


> It is a whitewing 475. It depends where the jobs are. I have a semi and a trailer, so hauling wont be a problem. As far as the chains I am not sure yet, gotta run and pick it up this week sometime. I do know the botton roller on the conveyer is a bit noisy.....I think it has sat for a year or 2, so gonna break out a case of grease and go to town! The break pedal goes to the floor, so gonna have to investigate that. All in all tho, I think it has been very well cared for. Thanks for the tips


The lower roller bearings can be replaced easily. Once the seals go on those is is very easy for sand to get in and ruin them. They are not terribly expensive though. Grease might be all it needs. As far as brakes go I rarely use them but that is on Hydrostatic machines. The master cylinder is right under the seat area. Does it have a functioning water system? I have some old parts books if you ever need anything.


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## Camden

SSS Inc.;1262558 said:


> What model are you running.


I have two 355s. Great little units that fit my needs perfectly. Hopefully we won't have to worry about sweeping for a few weeks yet Thumbs Up


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## SSS Inc.

Camden;1263383 said:


> I have two 355s. Great little units that fit my needs perfectly. Hopefully we won't have to worry about sweeping for a few weeks yet Thumbs Up


 The 355's are a great size. We have a few 800/810's. We used to have some 265's and I still have a 255. 
I hear ya on not starting for a few weeks. I'm not ready and either is the equipment(Half of its still buried). To be honest I hope we get a couple more storms to delay it a little longer. I can't see all these piles melting until late April anyway.

BTW I might have a deal for ya. PM on its way.


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