sand sifting machines for beach and turf
What is a Sand Sifting Machine?
A sand sifting machine screens small debris — glass, stones, plastic, and cigarette butts — out of sand by passing it through a vibrating or raking screen and returning clean sand behind it. Alongside the Surf Rake line of beach cleaners, we offer walk-behind sand sifters for smaller sandy areas. Compare our sand sifting machines and the jobs each one suits below.
Two Sand Sifting machines for specific uses
Barber's sand-sifting line has two machines, all using a vibrating screen to lift sand and drop it back while collecting debris. The walk-behind Sand Man 850 suits small beaches and turf, and the center-wheel Radius excels in tight spots like golf bunkers.
| Machine | Type | Power | Best for | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Man 850 | Walk-behind sifter | Self-propelled, 5.5 HP Honda | Small beaches, sporting grounds, turf | Three screen sizes; high-flotation tires |
| Radius | Walk-behind sifter | Self-propelled | Bunkers, arenas, playgrounds, tight areas | Center wheels for tight turns; 3⁄16 & 3⁄8 in screens; hot-dip galvanized |
The SAND MAN 850 is barber’s most popular sand sifting machine. As a self-propelled walk-behind unit, it is a powerful tool for small beaches, sporting grounds, and turf applications. Learn more about its applications, how it works, and its technical specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
A walk-behind sand sifter suits small, dry, relatively flat sandy areas where fine debris is the main concern, while a tine-raking machine like the SURF RAKE is built for larger beaches, wet sand, and heavy seaweed loads. H. Barber & Sons builds both because they solve different problems: sifting screens excel at fine surface debris but clog on wet or organic material, which tine raking lifts all materials cleanly across larger beaches. We don’t make larger tractor-towed siifters at scale, because we’ve found our clients find them to be limited as conditions change and prefer the tine-raking mechanism.
Sand sifting machines work best on dry, loose sand; wet or compacted sand along the tideline tends to blind the screen, resulting in removing too much sand from the beach. One customer estimated that their tow-behind sifting machine’s hopper contained 80% sand and 20% debris when used to remove seaweed at the tideline, which is is why they contacted us and swithed to the SURF RAKE. H. Barber & Sons sifters like the SAND MAN 850 handle slightly damp sand, but can’t handle heavy organic material that often builds up there. For consistently wet sand or waterline cleaning, a tine-raking SURF RAKE is the better tool. If you aren’t sure about the right match for your beach’s conditions, our team can steer you in the right direction.
Screen size sets the trade-off between how fine the debris you capture is and how much sand you can process. H. Barber & Sons offers multiple screens — the SAND MAN 850 in three sizes and the RADIUS in 3/16 and 3/8 inch — so a finer screen catches small glass and cigarette fragments but sifts more slowly, while a coarser screen moves faster for larger litter and is required when cleaning wet sand. Choose based on your dominant debris size.
Sand sifting machines typically clean the top few inches of sand — the zone where surface litter, glass, and buried small debris collect. H. Barber & Sons walk-behind sifters lift this top layer through a vibrating screen, drop the clean sand back, and retain the debris, with effective depth varying by sand condition. For deeper burial or large debris, a tractor-towed SURF RAKE processes more sand per pass.
A sand sifting machine needs simple, routine upkeep: clearing the screen after use, checking and lubricating moving parts, and standard engine service on self-propelled units such as the Honda-powered SAND MAN 850. H. Barber & Sons builds these machines for harsh, abrasive sand, so daily care stays minimal. Rinsing salt and sand off after each use and following the service schedule keeps a Barber sifter running for many seasons.
Sand sifting machine pricing ranges from $15k-$25k for walk-behind units to $25k-$100k+ for large tractor-towed units. Specific pricing depends on the model, configuration, and freight to your location. H. Barber & Sons prices walk-behind sifters like the SAND MAN 850 and the RADIUS well below tractor-towed beach cleaners because of their smaller footprint and self-contained drive. Larger sifting units, like the SANITIZER are priced in the mid to high 5-figures. We don’t publish list prices online, since shipping and options change the final figure — contact us with your location and use for a quote.