UNDERSTANDING GUTTER BROOM TERMINOLOGY

from North American Sweeper - September 2021

4 WAYS TO ATTRACT QUALIFIED WORKERS

Gutter brooms go by many names with different sweepers using different style gutter brooms. Most gutter brooms are filled with a steel wire while some have a polypropylene bristle for less aggressive sweeping needs or where wire breakage would be hazardous. These brooms are used on mechanical and vacuum sweepers. Whether the sweeper is digging out debris from the curb line or sweeping up millings, the gutter brooms sweep the material towards the centerline of the sweeper within reach of the rear broom or vacuum head.

Years ago, when there were only a few sweeper manufacturers, understanding gutter broom terminology was easy. If you had an Athey Mobil sweeper you would call your supplier and ask for a couple of Mobil side brooms. If you had an Elgin, you’d order an Elgin 4-segment or Elgin 5-segment side broom. Today, there are many different sweeper manufacturers and models with a variety of gutter broom options. Over the years, Keystone worked to come up with the terminology to identify the different styles of gutter brooms, which are now commonly used throughout the industry. Here is a breakdown of the different styles of gutter brooms and the sweepers they are used on.

150KP GUTTER BROOM (4 SECTION)

The 150 gutter broom is a 4-section gutter broom. Each section or block has 32 bristle holes that take the standard 26” wire. All gutter broom wire is bent in half before being stuffed into each hole making the wire 13” in length. This is measured from the bottom of the wire to the top of the gutter broom head and applies to all gutter broom styles. The diameter of the 4-section 150 gutter broom when mounted is 44”. This gutter is commonly called a Wayne gutter broom which refers to the old Wayne sweeper. Today this broom is used on all Global Environmental Vanguard sweepers, Stewart Amos sweepers, and the old Johnston 3000/4000 sweepers.

250KP GUTTER BROOM (4 AND 5 SECTION)

The 250 gutter brooms can be used as 4-section or a 5-section gutter broom depending on the sweeper make and model. The 250 gutter broom is the most common

of all gutter brooms and is used on a variety of sweeper models. The 250 gutter broom has 31 holes in each section. The 4-section has a 36” completed diameter and 5-section has a 46” diameter. All Elgin sweepers use the 250 gutter broom with some using the 4-section and others using the 5-section. The Crosswind and the Whirlwind come standard with a 2-section 650 block but do have an option for the 250 gutter broom. Schwarze, Stewart-Amos, Tymco, the Nitehawk Supervac, the Tennant Centurian, and the Xbroom all use the 250 gutter broom. The section count (4-section or 5-section) varies depending on the sweeper model.

The 4-section 250 is available with the standard 26” wire as well as a 22” wire for the SuperVac S-Series sweeper and the Tymco 210 air sweeper.

350KP GUTTER BROOM (4-SECTION)

The 350 gutter broom is a 4-section broom with 35 holes in each section. The diameter of the finished broom is 43”. The 350 was originally designed for the Athey Mobil sweeper. Although Athey has been out of business for more than 20 years, there are still some refurbished Mobil’s in use today. The Tymco 600 also uses the 350 gutter broom.

650KP GUTTER BROOM (2-SECTION)

The 650 gutter broom is a 2-section broom with 30 holes in each section. The diameter of the finished broom is 16”. The 650 is available with the standard 26 wire, 26” poly, and a combination of poly and wire. The 650 is used on the Elgin Crosswind and Whirlwind, the Johnston 605 and 650, and Nitehawk sweepers. There are several Caterpillar sweeper attachments that have a gutter broom option, these take the 650 brooms. Broce and SB Manufacturing road construction sweepers also have an option for certain models that use the 650 brooms.

750KP GUTTER BROOM (2-SECTION)

The 750 gutter broom is a 2-section broom with 24 holes in each section. The diameter of the finished broom is 13”. The 750 broom is commonly used as an option for Bobcat and Sweepster attachments.

1100KP GUTTER BROOM (12-SECTION)

The 1100 gutter broom is a 12-section broom with 12 holes in each section. The diameter of the finished broom is 44”. The 1100 is commonly known in the industry as the SureGrip. Today this broom is an option for all of the Global Environmental Vanguard sweepers and the old Johnston Allianz 3000/4000 sweepers.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

The Tymco 210 and Schwarze SuperVac air sweepers can use a 10” x 36” sloped wafer as a gutter broom. The poly bristle of these wafers is set on an angle to replicate a traditional gutter broom. Many of the smaller imported sweepers use a 1-piece gutter broom. Some of these sweepers include the Ravo, the Dulevo, the Multi-hog, the Johnston 651, and the Tennant Centennial sweepers. While different sweepers can use a different style gutter broom, at the end of the day they all have the same basic construction: wire bristle in a plastic block that’s bolted to the drive plate on the sweeper. You just need to find the one that fits your sweeper. Happy Sweeping!