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Guide · Cleanup · Magnet sweepers, round-head magnets and nail pickup

What does a magnet sweeper do, and which size do you need? Rolling magnet sweepers at 14, 18, 24 and 36 inches, releasable vs fixed magnets, T-bar and wheeled sweepers, hand pickup magnets, sweeping a yard after a tear-off, and rental vs buying

A magnet sweeper is a bar of permanent magnets in a steel housing on wheels or a handle; rolled over a lawn, a driveway, a shop floor or a parking lot, it picks up the nails, screws, staples, metal shavings and wire that a tear-off, a framing job or a metal shop leaves behind. Widths run from 11 and 14 inch handheld bars for beds and tight spots to 18, 24, 30 and 36 inch rolling sweepers for yards and lots; a releasable sweeper has a lever that drops the magnet away from the tread plate so the load falls into a bucket instead of being picked off by hand. Roofers sweep the yard, drive and walks after every tear-off, twice, because roofing nails in a tire or a foot are the complaint that costs more than the sweeper.

Bayshore Safety. Industrial safety, roofing tools and jobsite supplies since 2017. · Current as of November 2026 · the C&R magnet sweeper product data on this site (MA-14 14 in handheld sweeper, powder coated; REL-11Mag 11 in handheld releasable sweeper; MA-24 and MA-36 removable-magnet sweepers with wheels; N22 and N30 releasable sweepers with tread plate; T-bar sweepers in 18, 24 and 30 in by the case of 6; round-head magnets 5 in on a 37 in handle and on a 35 in handle; MCL-290 9 in torpedo level with magnetic base; magnetic bit holders and nut setters)
Magnet sweepers and magnetic tools we stockAll roofing tools
C&R MA-14 Magnet Sweeper, 14 inC&R MA-14 Magnet Sweeper, 14 inThe product data lists the MA-24 and MA-36 as removable-magnet sweepers with wheels in 24 and 36 in
$66.88See the product

Why it is a roofing tool. A tear-off drops hundreds of roofing nails and staples into the grass, the beds, the gravel and the gutters, and a reroof adds the ones the nail gun spits. The cards below answer the sweeper questions in order: what it does, which width, releasable or fixed, wheels or T-bar, whether a magnet sweeper can be rented, what one costs, how to make one, how to use it on a lawn and on gravel, and what the round-head pickup magnet is for; then the other magnetic tools people search alongside it (the magnetic torpedo level, magnetic bit holders and nut setters), which are covered in their own guides linked below.

Magnet sweepers, question by question

Widths, releasable features and handle lengths are from the product data on this site.

What does a magnetic sweeper do?It drags a magnetic field a few inches deep across the ground and lifts ferrous metal into it: roofing nails, framing nails, screws, staples, wire, metal shavings, fence staples, tin snip cuttings and the steel washers from cap nails. It does not pick up aluminum, copper, brass, stainless-steel fasteners (most are non-magnetic) or anything buried below its reach, which is about 2 to 4 inches for a rolling sweeper over grass and less on a thick lawn. Sweep slowly in overlapping passes, in two directions, and again after rain or a mow brings more to the surface.
Which size magnet sweeper do I need?By the area and the surface: 11 and 14 inch handheld bars for planting beds, gravel strips, under decks, gutters and truck beds; 18 and 24 inch rolling sweepers for residential yards and driveways (a 24 inch sweeper covers a front and back yard in ten to fifteen minutes); 30 and 36 inch sweepers for commercial lots, shop floors and long walks, where the extra width halves the passes. T-bar sweepers (ours in 18, 24 and 30 inch) are the economy pattern on two wheels; the removable-magnet sweepers on wheels (MA-24, MA-36) and the releasable sweepers with a tread plate (N22, N30) are the production tools.
What is a releasable magnet sweeper, and why does it matter?A fixed-magnet sweeper holds its load until each nail is pulled off by hand, which means gloves and ten minutes a bucket; a releasable sweeper puts a stainless or aluminum tread plate between the magnet and the ground and a lever that lifts the magnet away from the plate, so the whole load falls off in one motion over a bucket. For a crew that sweeps after every job the release lever is the feature that gets used most; the fixed handheld bar is fine for a quick pass through a bed.
Can you rent a magnetic sweeper, and how much does one cost?Equipment rental yards carry rolling magnet sweepers by the day, and for a one-time cleanup that works. For a roofing or framing crew the arithmetic is simple: a 24 inch sweeper costs a few days of rental and lasts for years, and the product band below has the current prices for each width. There is nothing in a magnet sweeper to wear out except the wheels and the paint; the magnets are permanent.
How can I make a DIY magnetic sweeper?The usual home version is a magnetic strip or a row of magnets screwed to a board on a broom handle, or a strong magnet in a plastic bag dragged by a rope; both work on a small patch and both leave the pickup stuck to the magnet. The commercial sweeper’s advantages are a continuous bar magnet of known strength, a housing that keeps the magnet a fixed height off the ground, wheels that hold that height, and the release lever. For a yard after a tear-off, the time saved pays for the tool on the first job.
How do you sweep a yard after a roof tear-off?Pick up the big debris first (a magnet sweeper on a pile of shingle scraps does nothing). Rake or blow the surface so the nails are not under a mat of leaves. Roll the sweeper slowly in overlapping passes down the slope of the yard, then across it, with the magnet an inch or two off the grass (set by the wheels); drop the load in a bucket at the end of each row. Do the beds, the gravel and under the eaves with the handheld bar, the gutters with the round-head magnet on its handle, and the driveway and street with the big sweeper. Come back after the first rain or mow. The tear-off guide linked below has the rest of the cleanup.
What is a round-head magnet or magnetic pickup tool for?A round-head magnet is a 5 inch disc magnet on a 35 to 37 inch handle: a pickup tool for nails in a gutter, a trench, under a deck, a dumpster corner or a truck bed, and for fishing a dropped fastener out of a wall cavity. Telescoping pickup magnets do the same at pocket size for engine bays and tool boxes. The 5 inch disc on the handle (our R5-MAG) also sweeps a narrow bed or a step that a bar sweeper cannot reach.
What is a magnetic torpedo level for, and what do magnetic bit holders and nut setters do?A magnetic torpedo level (our 9 inch MCL-290 with a magnetic base) sticks to pipe, conduit, strut, steel studs and metal roofing so both hands are free to adjust the work; pipefitters and electricians are its main users, and roofers use it on gutter and drip-edge runs. It is covered in the squares and levels guide linked below. Magnetic bit holders and nut setters hold the screw on the bit so it can be started one-handed; the Torx and nut setter guide covers them. None of these picks up nails; the sweeper does that.
Does a magnet sweeper work on gravel, and will it pick up everything?On gravel and bark it works with the magnet set as low as the stones allow; nails that have worked down into the gravel are out of reach and come up with the next pass after a rake. It picks up nothing non-ferrous: aluminum trim nails, copper flashing nails, stainless screws, brass and most ring-shank aluminum roofing nails stay where they fell and are found with a rake and eyes. It will also lift steel washers, bottle caps and the odd key; check the bucket before it goes in the trash.

Magnet sweepers in plain words

  • A bar of permanent magnets on wheels or a handle that lifts nails, screws, staples and shavings out of grass, gravel and off floors.
  • 11 to 14 inch handheld for beds and gutters; 18 to 24 inch for yards; 30 to 36 inch for lots and shops.
  • Releasable: a lever drops the magnet off the tread plate so the load falls into a bucket.
  • Reach is 2 to 4 inches; sweep slowly, overlap, two directions, and again after rain or a mow.
  • It does not pick up aluminum, copper, brass or stainless fasteners.
  • Rent for one cleanup; buy for a crew. The magnets do not wear out.
  • Round-head magnet on a handle for gutters, trenches and under decks.
  • Magnetic levels and bit holders share the word, not the job.

Questions people ask

Which magnet sweeper do you buy?

For a roofing crew, a 24 inch releasable sweeper with a tread plate and a 14 inch handheld bar for beds and gutters; a 36 inch sweeper for commercial lots.

What is a magnetic torpedo level for?

A 9 inch level with a magnetic base that sticks to pipe, conduit, strut and metal so both hands are free.

Can you rent a magnetic sweeper?

Yes, from equipment rental yards by the day; a crew that sweeps after every job buys one.

Which magnetic impact driver bits last?

Impact-rated bits with a torsion zone in a magnetic bit holder; see the Torx bit guide for the details.

What does a magnetic sweeper do?

Lifts ferrous nails, screws, staples, wire and shavings out of grass, gravel, floors and lots as it rolls over them.

How much does a magnetic sweeper cost?

From a handheld bar at the low end to a 36 inch releasable sweeper at the top; the band on this page has the current price for each.

How can I make a DIY magnetic sweeper?

Magnets on a board on a broom handle, or a magnet in a bag on a rope; both work on a small patch and hold the load until picked off by hand.

What does a magnetic bit holder do?

Extends a 1 inch bit and magnetizes it so the screw stays on; see the Torx bit guide.

Does a magnet sweeper pick up aluminum nails?

No; aluminum, copper, brass and most stainless fasteners are not magnetic.

How deep does a magnet sweeper reach?

About 2 to 4 inches over grass, less on a thick lawn or gravel; rake first and sweep twice.

Related guides

Roof tear-off toolsShingle shovels, spud bars and how long it takesSpeed squares, framing squares and torpedo levelsReading pitch and checking squareTorx bits, nut setters and bit holdersThe common sizes and what each doesPush brooms, handles and extension polesBristles, braces and telescoping poles

The ratings, test results and standards shown here are the manufacturers' published values, reproduced as published. Nothing on this page is a recommendation by Bayshore Safety that any product is suitable for a particular task, hazard or workplace. Selecting safety products and protective equipment is the responsibility of the end user and the employer, based on their own hazard assessment and the regulations that apply to their work. Confirm every value on the manufacturer's own documentation before use.

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