Sweeper variety means you can select the sweeper for the job

Federico says Allianz opted for the high side dump because the intended purpose of the machine was milling operations. "The high side dump is favored by contractors in milling so they can easily unload this load on site rather than going to the dump," he says. "The difference between this and other high-dump sweeper is our system doesn't shift the hopper off to the side to enable it to reach over the dump truck. The lid door is long enough to reach over to the truck. Other hoppers lift the hopper and move the whole hopper toward the truck and then dump."

Elgin Waterless Eagle extends sweeping season

When Elgin's Waterless Eagle hit the market in 2004 the sweeper was expected to be sold almost exclusively to the municipal market. The reality is that 40% of sales have been to the contract sweeper.

"It's a road and construction sweeper, and the waterless aspect offers advantages to contractors," says Brian Giles, sweeper product manager. He says advantages of a waterless sweeping include the operator doesn't have to carry the additional weight of water, and there's no mud buildup beneath the speaker. "It might be dusty underneath but it's not muddy," Giles says. "That makes it easier and faster to clean."

The Eagle's dust control system features a vacuum fan that creates an air stream through the hopper, conveyor, and skirted areas. Inward-rushing air carries airborne dust into the hopper, where it settles out with the rest of the debris. A dry filter element installed between the hopper and the vacuum prevents dust from being pulled from the hopper and blown out the vacuum fan exhaust. Most dust falls into the hopper, with only a small amount getting to the filter. The waterless Eagle also includes special dust skirting on side and main brooms to contain dust beneath the unit.

"Any dust kicked up by the broom, instead of getting kicked out into the atmosphere, or getting sprayed by water to settle back down, gets picked up filtered back."

Like the Eagle, the waterless model has a 4.5-cu.-yd. hopper that can be emptied at any height from 32 to 122 in. An 11-in. right side shift can ease dumping. Main and side brooms combine for a 120-in. sweeping path.

"In addition to dustless sweeping, contractors using the waterless Eagle no longer have to restrict work to temperatures above 32°F," Giles says. "They can sweep any time day or night, and hopefully it will allow sweepers to expand their work into the winter months."

TYMCO introduces side high-dump
Introduced in 2006, Tymco brought its 500X high-dump regenerative air sweeper to market for contractors and municipalities looking for a side high-dump unit that can sweep streets and construction sites.

"Tymco has a forward high-dump sweeper (Model FHD) but our research indicated the market needed a high-dump sweeper that could dump from the side, so that was the reason we chose to introduce the 500X," says Tom Rokas, inside sales for Tymco. "This unit gives contractors the flexibility they need to dump into their dump truck or their roll-off."

Sweeping width on the 500X ranges from 87 in. for the broom-assist pickup head only to 142 in. with both gutter brooms. The 500X has a variable dump height from 24 to 132 in. and reportedly has a 68-second dump cycle. It features a 5.7-cu.-yd. stainless steel hopper and blower housing, and stainless steel discharge chute that enables the operator to project debris into the center of a dump container without need of a hopper side shift. The chute also is designed to float 45 degrees upward, protecting it from major damage should it hit the debris container.

Rokas says unique to the 500X is its "tilt-and-seal" blower housing, which is designed to protect the seal against the body of the hopper.

"When the hopper lifts up in the air the blower housing stays stationary. If that wasn't the case every time the hopper goes up and down it would scrape the seal and weaken it," Rokas says. "The seal on our blower housing tilts away from the hopper before it's raised, then it stays that way until the hopper is lowered when a spring action pops it back into position."

Python Manufacturing: More power, more basics
Python Manufacturing's flagship S3000 high-dump road and construction sweeper is a mechanical broom with high-dump capabilities.

"Sweeping millings is the toughest job you can throw at a sweeper and this machine is designed for that," says Les Hulicsko, president of Python.

The history of the S3000 is a little complicated, but the gist of the story is Hulicsko designed the S3000 precursor, the Husky II, when Hulicsko owned Sweeprite. He sold Sweeprite four years ago, then bought it back last year.