Bucher Municipal, of globally renowned Bucher Industries, offers an unparalleled variety of street sweeper designs, including truck-mounted sweepers, twin-engine, single-engine hydrostatic, and compact models. From heavy-duty street sweepers for road construction to compact models for optimal maneuverability in congested urban centers, Bucher builds sweepers for all purposes. Todd Parsons, General Manager, Bucher Municipal, shares with us his advice on selecting the best street sweeper for specific applications.
Parsons is the industry’s foremost expert on Bucher’s state-of-the-art equipment and among the world’s leading authorities on advanced street sweeping technologies. Here, he offers NAS readers key insights on how to select the best type of sweeper for your particular application. For example, he provides recommendations for the right sweeper type to use for construction site cleanup, milling operations, parking lot maintenance, municipal street sweeping, industrial site maintenance, or other purposes.
Types of Bucher Sweepers
While some manufacturers offer only one or two types of sweepers, Bucher Municipal has a comprehensive selection. Here’s a quick look at the full range of Bucher sweeper models:
Truck-Mounted Sweepers
In Bucher’s truck-mounted sweepers, there is a more advanced use of technology than the industry standard for this class, delivering unequalled sweeping results and significantly reducing the cost of ownership:
MaxPowa V-Series: This line features the V50, V65, and V80 models, popular for their unmatched first-pass sweeping performance and overall efficiency in a wide range of applications.
- MaxPowa V80/V65/V50: This premier Bucher sweeper features “first-pass sweeping” and the patented hydrostatic drive for precision control in dense urban environments and a single-engine alternative for minimized maintenance. (Like an automatic transmission, the hydrostatic option makes driving simpler. But it uses hydraulic fluid for power transfer instead of a system of clutches and gears as in regular automatic transmissions).
- MaxPowa E35m: The “bulldozer” of street sweepers, this is Bucher’s large single-engine mechanical sweeper, made for simpler functioning and maintenance.
- MaxPowa R65m: The R65m is a single-engine regenerative air sweeper designed for high performance at a low cost and low impact on the environment.
Compact Sweepers
Bucher’s compact and mid-compact sweeper models excel in servicing central business districts, as do the company’s sub-compact options for bike paths, trails, and parking decks:
CityCat Series: This innovative line of sweepers for pavement maintenance in city centers Includes industry-leading models:
- CityCat 5006: This design is engineered for ideal maneuverability in the tightest areas. Electric models are available.
- CityCat V20e: The V20e option is also made for maximal maneuvering to clean around obstacles in small spaces. Electric models are available.
Bucher Electric Sweeper Models
Bucher is among the first manufacturers in the industry to have already rolled out its new line of electric pavement sweeper trucks. And, true to loyal customers’ expectations of the brand, it now offers the largest variety of incomparably fuel-efficient electric options:
- CityCat V20e: It operates with zero emissions and can be fully charged in under 8 hours.
- City Cat VR50e: The VR50e has the same capacities as the diesel design, but it operates with zero emissions and can be fully charged in under 8 hours.
Key Features of Bucher Sweepers
Just some of the important features of the industry-leading Bucher brand pavement sweeper trucks include:
- Mechanical, Vacuum, and Regenerative Air Sweeping: Bucher’s mechanical brooms, vacuum sweepers, and regenerative air designs are unsurpassed for debris cleanup.
- Dual-Engine System: This design enables the chassis and sweeper to function independently, providing much greater power and flexibility for the operator.
- Hydrostatic Drive: Allows significantly increased efficiency with precision sweeper control, speed, and decreased operating costs significantly.
- Advanced Filtration: Bucher designs feature advanced stainless-steel mesh filtering screens along with air flow management that produce a cyclone effect to remove fine particulates in the vacuum system that prevent carryover and minimize fugitive dust in the atmosphere.
Recommendations from Bucher’s Top Industry Expert
Todd Parsons explains the key street sweeper design features that make a particular Bucher model best for a specific application. For example, regenerative air vs. mechanical sweepers. As he concludes simply, “There should be a fit for any application based on the type of work the sweeper is expected to do 80% or more of the time.” Here Todd, explains his suggestions for matching sweeper trucks with tasks:
For Construction Site Cleanup
Our full line can be characterized by one of three simple classifications: pure vacuum, which is like a shop vac in the way it conveys debris into the hopper, regenerative air, which is a closed loop system (meaning it utilizes the air that the exhaust fan expels to move debris into the hopper, and the mechanical sweeper, which is like a “dust broom and dustpan on wheels”. Most construction sites, or spring clean-up jobs after winter, require a heavy-duty sweeper. The best option is a mechanical sweeper (a.k.a. “the bulldozer of sweepers”).
For Milling Operations
Pure Vacuum or Regenerative Air technology is superior for milling applications. It’s a lot more proficient and productive in cleaning the fines (micro dust particles left on the substrate from milling). If those are not removed thoroughly enough, they can cause the next layer applied to fail due to inadequate adherence. So, more meticulous cleaning is required in this application than in many other types. Over the last 5 years, more states’ DOT contracts have come to require an air sweeper for milling operations vs. a mechanical sweeper.
For Municipal Streets
To determine which sweeper is best for public streets, consider what the condition of the street requires. Does it have a lot of overlay, a lot of crowning? What is the frequency of sweeping? Two times per month? Four times? How is the debris collected being handled? If you have a lot of crowning that requires following the contours of a road, the V65 is most versatile. It becomes a dual-purpose sweeper when cleaning storm drains is a requirement. It can generally go 10 feet deep to clean.
For Parking Lots
Because parking lots are typically flat surfaces, a regenerative air sweeper model is likely to be your best option. Since most parking lots, if done right, are flat, the pickup head of a regen sweeper designed for this application is normally 93 inches wide. It performs well on straight flat surfaces. As for maneuverability, it is challenged when faced with numerous light poles to work around, uneven surfaces and crowning of streets.
For All-purpose Use
A good multipurpose sweeper for a solo entrepreneur or a small business just starting out, the V65 is a strong choice. The pure vacuum is the best fit since it’s the most versatile. It will allow the operator to excel at many different kinds of applications he may be asked to perform. Even if it is used for work involving a large amount of buildup, being disciplined in maintaining the equipment can keep the sweeper in good condition over a long time. For best results, the operator should consult with a Bucher rep to discuss the sweeping application.
Before You Buy a Street Sweeper
There are questions that are critical to get answered to secure the “best fit” in a street sweeper based on your application(s). Bucher Municipal believes the most important factor in achieving customer satisfaction is to discuss applications honestly and provide a recommendation without bias. This is the only way to obtain the best value for your investment in terms of performance, durability and reliability.
With those criteria in mind, you are well-advised to learn all you can about the unique features and benefits of the various innovative Bucher designs before investing in a street sweeper.
For more information about Bucher Municipal of Bucher Industries, call (704) 658-1333 or visit buchermunicipal.com.
Additional Information Resource for Readers
“5 Things You Must Know Before Buying a Street Sweeper?“ It offers a wealth of impartial information to help you decide which street sweeper is the ‘best fit” for your application. 5 Things Street Sweeper Report | Bucher Municipal | United States