Master Magnetics - Magnetic Sweeper with Wheels, 14.5” - Pick up Nails, Needles, Screws and More 07263

After losing a dog last year when she swallowed a finishing nail, I was paranoid about stray nails when our roof was just redone. The roofing contractor ran their large magnet sweeper around the yard several times but of course it wouldn't fit in the flower beds around shrubs. I looked at several models of small magnetic sweepers on Amazon and went with this one.I went into this purchase knowing it was a "mini" model and would therefore not be as powerful as a commercial unit, and also kept in mind some of the negative reviews. However, I was surprised how many nails I picked up in the flower beds, in the grass and in the cracks on my driveway. We have a 2 story colonial and I picked up at least 50 nails on my first go-around. Many were at the base of shrubs and this could be wheeled in and around bushes fairly easily. It maneuvered on the grass pretty well, although in high grass it may not be as easy. Rolling over the concrete driveway was obviously very easy, so this probably works well in a workshop environment. I plan on re-running it over everything in a week or so, just in case any nails get dislodged from shrubs. I also found several ancient, dirt-coated rusty nails that were in the flower beds (not from the roof project).Notes that may be helpful to you:--You'll probably need to move this around and then go back over the area in a perpendicular direction, then diagonal. I collected nails on the second and third sweeps that the initial passes missed. Overlapping rows is also a good idea.--As another reviewer noted, the handle does not stay screwed in securely and I had to keep re-securing it tight. I think a little Loctite gel may alleviate this. Since the handle just screws in, you may be able to change out the handle if you want.--Another reviewer mentioned packaging problems when their item shipped. My unit was delivered unassembled (handle and magnet bar - two parts). All you have to do is screw the handle on. The unit came in a long skinny box and Amazon shipped it inside another box. Nothing arrived damaged and it was ready to go in a few seconds.--I walked around with a paper grocery bag in one hand to pick up the pieces and rolled the roller with the other hand. I wore gloves since many of the roofing nails were rusty. It was almost rewarding to hear it "ping" as it picked up nails. I retrieved the nails off the bar after every few collected so they didn't fall off. This unit does not have any type of "release" so you have to pull things off the magnet (I wouldn't expect this feature on such a low-cost model). The wheels click a little so you may think you've collected a nail -- but it's just the wheels moving.--This is good for occasional use, such as cleaning up after a new roof, after your contractor runs his sweeper. If you are looking for a small model to use every day, it may not be the best choice; you may want to look for something stronger so you can pick up more in one pass.I am happy with this purchase and it was worth the $20 cost -- I expected to collect several nails and picked up over 50. For reference, in my area, it is $25 to rent a large commercial sweeper for one day. I went with this unit because it was smaller to get into harder to reach areas, and I'll be able to use it in the future for other home projects to make sure everything is cleaned up well.(If this review was helpful to you, please click "yes" below).

This thing is amazing well worth the money, it's actually a bargain. My wife and I bought our first house and previous owners had a new roof put on before we bought it. I started noticing very large roofing nails and gutter nails as they were done too all up and down my driveway. My driveway is red rocks. Kept finding more and more nails so my wife mentioned they make this device and I figured what 12 bucks 13 bucks whatever it was I wasn't gonna cry if it didn't work. Well I was beyond surprised and happy. Wheeling this thing up and down the drive way it was pulling nails out from under the rocks that kind of buried them. I made about 20 to 30 passes over a few days and had to pull up at least 50-75 nails. My driveway is probably 30-40 yards. But yea this thing is great it's light weight easy to use sturdy was one of the best 12 bucks I spent . I recommend it to anyone. It doesn't pick up aluminum nails but that's true of any magnet.

This thing works well, considering the low price. I recently had a new roof put on. The crew used a large magnet to pick up nails and screws, but they never get all of them. I took this thing around my property and collected a quart Ziplock bag full of metal stuff, even cap nails from the roofing job I had 13 years ago!.It works much better if you drag it behind you, rather than pushing it. I don't really see much point to the wheels. They're very small, so if you push it, they get hung up in tall grass or uneven terrain. You could just as easily drag the thing without wheels.The magnet is pretty strong. You'll hear a "clink" every time you pick up something metal. You should stop every time you hear a clink and pull the nails off. Otherwise, they're liable to get knocked off as you go through the grass.The handle screws into a threaded metal insert in the base. It fits pretty well, but I'd recommend a few drops of blue Loctite to keep it from coming loose.Update: I just realized that this thing pulls up old nails that had been buried in the ground tip down from my last roofing job years ago. One of them popped out of the ground, but the magnet didn't get it, or it fell off when I was rolling it. It's now stuck in my riding mower tire!

There's a lot of people working on the house next door. I've never met the homeowner. Neither have they. New faces every day, lots of hammering, lots of loud radio music, dumpsters moving in and out. One sound I never hear is a broom. Nope, never. I found out they don't have any. (they seem to be sharing a hammer). They're nice people, but cleanup is beyond their skill set (so far).You know what else we have? Nails in our tires. One flat cost me about $250 - two new tires, plus labor; didn't count the cost of missing half a day's work. So, I bought the magnetic sweeper and every couple days I run it around the curb parking area in front of my house, and the one next door. I've filled up a peanut butter jar with various screws, nails, razor blades, and assorted other metal crap. It's really sort of fun, and it beats a flat tire any day. My street is bumpy and dirty. This sweeper is holding up just fine. If the wheels give up in a year or two, they'll be easy to swap out with some off the shelf wheels. I think it paid for itself the first day I used it.