Rating By Owners for the John Deere 44″ Lawn Sweeper
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Who Is The John Deere 44″ Lawn Sweeper For?
Note: the John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper is a rebranded version of the Agri-Fab 44″ lawn sweeper. The John Deere is not readily available for purchase online but the Agri-Fab 44″ is. We suggest you purchase the Agri-Fab 44″ instead (they are the same).
The John Deere 44″ has received an excellent rating from owners with very positive comments about its performance, ease of use and build.
It is good for larger lawns as it picks up debris at a higher rate and requires less frequent emptying.
It is capable of handling difficult debris with ease, including sticks and pine cones.
Overview
Review Background
- Author: Ray
- Published: April 19, 2015
- Updated: July 3, 2016
- Research Sources: Lowe’s
- Verified Purchases (?) Used For This Review: 11 (authenticated by Bazaarvoice.com)
- Average Lowe’s Rating*: 4.5 out of 5.0
- Average Total Owner Rating (Lowe’s)*: 4.5 out of 5.0
* On Publishing Date.
Product Facts
- Model Number: 45-0492 (Agri-Fab branded as John Deere).
- Lawn Type Compatibility: works with all common residential lawns.
- Lawn Tractor/Riding Mower Compatibility: works with machines that have a universal hitch (check with the manufacturer about your specific towing machine).
Riding Lawn Mower Required
Residential riding lawn mower
(this one is hybrid gas-electric)
The John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper needs to be towed by a riding lawn mower or lawn tractor. They come in compact residential versions (see image on your right).
Are you looking for a good one?
Then check out the best selling riding lawn mowers/tractors on Amazon. Most will be shipped to your door for free.
The John Deere 44″ has a universal hitch attachment that works on standard hitches. Therefore any best selling riding lawn mower should work with it.
What Owners Say About The John Deere 44″ Lawn Sweeper
What Owners Like
The John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper enjoys high owner satisfaction.
One owner bought it after a recommendation by a neighbor who had been using it for years with success, confirming that the John Deere 44″ works as well as his neighbour said.
A few people mention that this lawn sweeper is in the higher price bracket, but they all agree that it is worth the money considering its strong performance and build quality.
One person says that the John Deere does an amazing job of sweeping up freshly cut or dried grass, and there are reports that it works well on a wet lawn. Most other lawn sweepers struggle with damp or wet lawns.
When used on a dethatched lawn, one user was surprised about just how much thatch was collected by the John Deere.
Another person says that he only had to go over a certain area once and it picked up everything.
The John Deere 44″ is good at picking up larger lawn debris. One person says that even when the sweeping brushes lock up due to picking up a large stick, they easily unlock by reversing the sweeper slightly.
The dumping action is described as easy. There is a rope attached to the top of the hopper and pulling it tips the hopper forward, emptying all the contents.
A design feature that is praised by people is the easy to use single knob adjustment for setting the brush height. Some lawn sweepers have difficult mechanisms for adjusting the brush height, which makes the John Deere 44″ stand out.
What Owners Dislike
One user complained that the bar used for emptying the hopper is not reachable from the seat of a tractor with a rear engine, meaning you have to get off the tractor to dump the collected debris.
Another user complained about the durability of the wheels due to the friction between the plastic of the wheels and the metal gears. This can be a common problem with most lawn sweepers. The problem can be alleviated by adjusting the brush height.
What The Lawn Sweeper Picks Up Well
- Leaves (including wet leaves)
- Grass clippings
- Dry and wet oak leaves
- Pine needles
- Sticks and twigs
- Acorns
- Walnuts
What The Lawn Sweeper Does Not Pick Up Well
No issues reported with any debris.
Reported Lawn Sweeping Time Savings
One owner predicts that using the John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper will save weeks of raking over the course of a year. The time saving from not having to rake makes the purchase of the lawn sweeper worth it to many people.
Another example of time saved is that of a half-acre yard with 18 trees, which was swept in a quarter of the time compared to using a rake.
A new owner wishes that he had bought the John Deere a few years sooner, as it would have saved him hours of tedious raking and bagging.
Fun Factor
A husband and wife team describe how the lawn sweeper has made gardening together a lot more fun!
The husband uses the John Deere lawn sweeper to do all the sweeping and dumping, and she manages the pile and burns it off.
Several people mention the positive impact the lawn sweeper has made on their relationships and lives beyond the lawn due to reduced stress and saved time.
Ease Of Assembly (With Approximate Assembly Time)
The assembly of the John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper is described as relatively straight forward, with the most challenging part being fitting the tubes through the netting on the hopper.
Some people got the lawn sweeper assembled for them by paying a small fee at their local Lowe’s store.
Here is a video by an owner showing the assembly process (the camera quality is poor):
Ease Of Use
One owner says that he swept a huge lawn area in little over an hour, made possible by how easy the John Deere 44″ is to operate.
Ease Of Storage
The hopper bag detaches easily and the unit folds down flat for ease of storage.
Fatigue Reduction
The John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper makes a big difference in reducing the fatigue caused by raking and bagging by hand.
Packaging Quality
The package is reported as being very heavy and one person says that part of the lawn sweeper frame was bent upon arrival.
Otherwise there are no complaints about the packaging.
Build Quality
The John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper is described by many owners as heavy duty and of high quality. The overall frame is sturdy and solid.
In one case, even impact with a tree root did not cause any damage.
One person experienced a dropped bolt after just the first use. However, the part was quickly replaced by the manufacturer.
Several people state that it is the hopper netting that may be the weak part of the John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper. The bag is described as having a cheap feel to it and many predict it to have a short lifespan.
One person says that occasional replacement of the hopper bag is worth it as the John Deere 44″ is so impressive otherwise.
A couple of people have experienced difficulty with the wheels, which are described as being of poor plastic quality (as is the case with most lawn sweepers on the market).
They can wear out and cause slippage. The cause is probably the plastic rubbing against metal gears, potentially due to improper height settings by the people operating the lawn sweeper. It is likely that the wheels will need to be replaced each season.
Emptying Mechanism
The John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper is easy to empty without leaving the tractor seat.
A handle bar tips the collector hopper, which empties out the contents. There is no rope for tipping the hopper, which is common with other lawn sweepers and not preferred as rope can get stuck in the brushes.
Safety Issues
No safety issues are reported for the John Deere 44″.
Performance Tips From Owners
- Experiment with different brush height combinations to get the optimum pick-up. For example, dropping the brush height to 2.5 inches makes a major difference to the amount that is picked up.
- Running the lawn sweeper at optimal speed, in this case “4” on a John Deere tractor, makes the brushes pick up more debris.
- Regarding assembly, consider asking a Lowe’s staff to assemble it for you if you live near a store that stocks the John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper. Lowe’s charge around $40 for assembly (as of April 2015). One owner says that getting it assembled is a no-brainer, considering the size and weight of the product. The assembly by Lowe’s took about 1 hour.
Additional Details
About The Manufacturer
The John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper is manufactured by Agri-Fab and branded for John Deere.
Manufacturing Country
United States of America.
Warranty Coverage
The manufacturer’s warranty is 2 years and requires you to register the product with them.
Return Policy
The John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper is available from Lowe’s and their return policy is 90 days from date of purchase. This excludes shipping charges.
Replacement Part Availability And Cost
Replacement parts for the John Deere 44″ can be ordered online via the manufacturer’s site.
This product is made by Agri-Fab and the model # is 45-0492. Call their tech support for replacement parts at 1-800-448-9282.
The Verdict
John Deere is a well-known brand for lawn tractor and riding mowers. Its lawn sweepers are also getting a strong reputation for quality, though they are outsourced to companies that specialize in lawn sweepers like Agri-Fab.
While the John Deere 44″ lawn sweeper is pricier than rivals, the consensus among owners is that its performance on the lawn justifies its higher cost.
