Parks and reserves in metropolitan areas with rivers and lakes nearby can often lead to an influx of geese and the unsightly problem of goose droppings on local walkways and fields.
It is a common problem in many parks around the world.
Not only are Goose faeces unsightly and unpleasant, but they are also packed full of nasty bacteria that can lead to serious illness in humans. Therefore, removing the goose poop is a health and safety precaution for your residents and visitors.
The Tow and Collect makes quick work of collecting goose poop from the grounds, it’s easy to operate and highly effective.
Over many years the Tow and Collect has been used to collect goose droppings from around parks, fields and lakes. We have supplied many of the machines into councils and organisations responsible for parks etc for the very purpose of picking up and cleaning up Goose Poop.
Goose droppings, poop, excrement, faeces, manure etc need not be the problem it can be. With the Tow and Collect these unsightly and unpleasant droppings are easy to pick up leaving the athletic fields, sports fields, parks and lakes clean and tidy and most importantly safe for people to enjoy every single day.
High-traffic spaces demand a reliable routine, not endless deterrents. See how Maine Maritime Museum transformed their goose cleanup routine with the Tow and Collect 1500 Pro.
“People don’t mind the geese, just not what they leave behind. Only one complaint since purchasing the Tow and Collect, usually 25-30 complaints a season!”
Tow and Collect 1220 User
USA
“We’re saving $50-$60 per day [in staff resource] – By the end of 2 summers it would have paid for itself in those savings”
Tow and Collect 1220 User
USA
“So I’m totally convinced this is the way to clean up the sports fields throughout Canada. I mean, I think it’s wonderful.”
Mike Hicks
Canada
Parks and Recreation, Sports Clubs and community areas with ponds, lakes and slow running rivers often attract all types of geese, from the Canada Goose species to the Domestic Swan goose. They can be a pleasant bird to have around at times but lurking beneath their pleasant looking exterior is a big problem on grassy areas.
Geese are foragers, foraging for seeds and grazing on grass in paddocks and fields. Geese typically poop between 1 to 1.5 pounds of faeces every single day. That’s a lot of poop per bird. They mate in monogamous relationships with about 5-9 gosling chicks every year. It does not take long for the population of geese to explode creating a rather large problem with their excrement.
For this reason, there are two solutions to the problem of Goose droppings.
In many cities around the world, but also here in the USA, there are beautiful lakes and rivers that are in the cities. Many of these have resident geese of varying types and their presence is both an attraction to the local community but also problem for local authorities.
In the warmer weather families will travel to these water ways for picnics and family time, a little outdoor activity, walks and to allow their children to play in the playgrounds and trees. Children love feeding the birds, chasing them into the water and generally become enraptured by their presence.
Hidden in plain sight are the droppings and goose manure that carry bacteria such as E. Coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and other nasty disease-causing agents. Small children, in their efforts to chase and feed the geese can fall onto the poop or pick it up on their shoes and clothes. The risks are very real, and parents and grandparents should be ever vigilant when with their children around Geese and their excrement.
Washing hands immediately after accidentally touching Goose Poop is essential.
Geese love the wide-open grassy plains of sports fields and playgrounds. They are an area where they can forage and feed till their heart is content. Come the weekend Saturday sports, or even evening trainings, the geese will have left their presence across the fields where the players of sports, children and adults alike, will fall in, be tackled in, slide in the goose’s droppings. Naturally this can lead to serious consequences after the event in the way of sickness.
However, clearing the sports field of this unsightly problem is not easy. That is until now.
In the video above Mike Hicks talks about the purchase and running of the community Tow and Collect 1220.
The Tow and Collect has been called the “Poop Zamboni” by a sports fields manager in Canada. You can see the video here how Mike Hicks had a major problem with Goose feaces on the metropolitan sports fields.
“It’s just a mess. You know, if you slide in for a big steal or something, you get up and you’re just head-to-toe poop,” he said.
“This (the Tow and Collect) is the solution as far as I can see, and it works perfect.”
“I tried it on the rainiest day possible — wet fields, wet poop, a fresh motherlode of it, and it swept it up beautifully,” he said.
Back in the US and James Bradford of Accurate Lawnscapes was tasked with the problem of removing Goose Faeces from the community athletic fields. The Tow and Collect was his solution you can see his little Facebook video here.
As Mike Hicks from Canada said in his video he has been referred to as a hero, but he prefers to be called a “Poop Buster”. Becoming a Poop Buster is easy with the Tow and Collect.
In the video above Paul Elliot talks about the purchase and running of the Tow and Collect Mini 700 to clean their park from goose poop.
The Tow and Collect is highly effective at picking up goose droppings from grass areas. It has been successfully used in parks, sports fields, and other public spaces to keep them clean from goose poop and safe for visitors. They use nylon brushes (which are easily replaceable) which counter-rotate from direction of travel throwing the debris and manure into the catcher/hopper. The machines work very well for grass grooming, they will pick up small debris like cigarette butts and litter, small sticks, bark and leaves.
Grass – The Tow and Collect was designed to be used on grass/pasture. Ideally, the length of grass for the machines to be most effective is no more than 4 inches in height for the Mini 700 and 1220 and 6 inches for the 1500 Pro/Pro E.
Wet – The machines will work in the wet, but we recommend letting the ground and droppings dry out to prevent smearing.
Sand – The Tow and Collect is a brush/sweeper system, so if using it on sand, the unit will also collect the sand. You may also have traction issues with the ground driven units and the sand will wear the brushes faster than grass due to the abrasive nature. For these reasons we do not recommend the machine for beaches or sandy areas.
Paved Areas, Paths & Asphalt – We do not recommend using the Tow and Collect on these surfaces. These areas are abrasive and wear brushes faster that grass. We also find the paths will require power washing as the manure will smear on the surfaces.
The machine can operate at speeds up to 5-9 mph, depending on the towing vehicle and terrain. This allows you to cover large areas quickly and efficiently, reducing the time and labor required for cleanup.
To completely cover an acre, going at an average speed of 8mph, the 1500 Pro will take 18 minutes, the 1220 25 minutes and the 700 Mini 35 minutes. If you are just spot cleaning the areas this time will be faster.
Our customers tell us they save at least half the time (most of the time, more!) than it takes to collect by hand or other manual means.
The biggest financial benefit will likely be the reduction in labor time and costs.
We recommend a UTV, ATV/4 wheeler motorbike, however the machines can also be towed by many zero-turns, lawn tractors, small farm tractors and most other farm machinery.
We recommend a tow capacity of 300cc or greater and a tow ball height of between 10 – 16 inches. The coupler is a metric 50mm size. This will fit on an 1”7/8 ball or an older worn 2” ball hitch (US).
The brushes sweep the waste into the catcher/hopper at the back of the machine. The hopper is easy to open, using a crank handle which is assisted with a gas strut or remote controlled actuators.
Surprisingly, the brushes do not get overly dirty or clogged so there is no need to wash the machine every time you use it.
But, if you prefer to keep it clean, compressed is effective to blow dust off. You can also clean the machine with soapy water and a hose or gently pressure wash with care.
1500 Pro/Pro E – It is important to remove debris from around the engine and filters with every use. Also check that there isn’t anything wrapped around the shaft or jamming the brushes.
Using the height adjuster handle, you can easily wind it down to adjust the brush height and then visually check where the brushes are sitting against the height of the ground and grass.
The 1500 Pro E makes adjusting the brushes even easier with the push of a button. It is still important to check the brush height visually when you set up the preset height.
The Mini 700 and 1220 are very quiet to operate. However, when turning the machines around a corner or reversing they do put out an audible clicking sound. This is normal due to the self-drive system that turns the brushes.
On the 1500 Pro/Pro E, the motor is the noisiest part and is similar to the running of a hand-pushed motor mower.
We have parts available for immediate dispatch from our warehouse through our website here Spare Parts Archives – Tow and Collect – US or contacting us directly.
The most frequently replaced part are the brushes, the brushes will last up to 2 years under normal use and conditions – Normal use is defined as being between 2-3 pickups per week. It’s important to make sure your brushes are set to the right height to avoid premature wear.
Servicing is simple and we have maintenance videos available here on our YouTube channel.
Potentially! Give Brigitte a call and she can see what’s possible. Otherwise check out our Youtube and social channels to see the machines in use.
Yes, the Tow and Collect machine is being used by numerous states and municipalities across the US and Canada. It has proven to be an invaluable tool for maintaining clean and safe public spaces.
Hopefully – we’d love to meet you! We’ll be at the 2024 NRPA Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in October Stand #1367. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with where we’ll be exhibiting next.
At the moment the best place to purchase your Tow and Collect is directly through us, the sole proprietor and distributor of the Tow and Collect in the US and Canada. To order, you can call us on 877-778-7181, send us an email on [email protected] or purchase via the website. Need a formal quote? Complete our RFQ form here.
We generally hold stock of all models in our Georgia based warehouse and aim to dispatch orders within two working days. Freight timelines will vary based on your location but is usually within 7-15 working days.
Need an official quote for your organisation to review and approve? Fill in the form and we will endeavour to send through a formal quote within 1 business day.
Any questions – please call Brigitte on 877 778 7181.
