Been there, done that... magnets are hit-or-miss at best. Honestly, your best bet is grabbing one of those rolling magnetic sweepers. They're basically a magnet on wheels—just roll it around your work area after you're done, and it'll snag most of the nails hiding in the grass or gravel. Saved me from countless punctured tires and feet. Plus, they're not too pricey if you can't convince the boss it's "essential equipment."
Totally agree, the rolling sweepers are pretty handy. Just a quick tip—if you're on a tight budget (like me), you might wanna check local tool rental places or even hardware stores that rent equipment. I've rented one a couple times for weekend projects, and it cost next to nothing. Also, do a quick pass with a rake first to loosen things up—makes it easier to snag those stubborn nails hiding deeper in the grass or gravel. Saved me from buying new tires more than once...
"Also, do a quick pass with a rake first to loosen things up—makes it easier to snag those stubborn nails hiding deeper in the grass or gravel."
Good tip on the rake, but honestly, I've found rolling sweepers can sometimes miss the really embedded nails, especially if they've been there a while. If you're dealing with gravel or compacted dirt, you might wanna try a strong magnet bar instead. They're usually cheaper than renting equipment and you can just drag them slowly across the area. I picked one up at Harbor Freight for pretty cheap and it's been a lifesaver on job sites. Just make sure you wrap it in a plastic bag or thin cloth first—makes cleanup way easier when you're done. Plus, magnets don't have moving parts, so there's less chance of something breaking mid-project... learned that one the hard way after a rental sweeper jammed on me halfway through a cleanup.
"Just make sure you wrap it in a plastic bag or thin cloth first—makes cleanup way easier when you're done."
That's a great trick—I wish I'd thought of that sooner. I used a magnet bar last summer after tearing down an old shed, and it definitely beat the sweeper I rented before that. Still ended up spending forever pulling rusty nails off the magnet by hand, though... lesson learned, haha. Next time I'll try your plastic bag tip for sure.
Yeah, the plastic bag thing might save you some hassle, but honestly, I found it easier to just keep a bucket nearby and scrape nails off the magnet with a piece of scrap wood or cardboard. Plastic bags tend to rip pretty easily on sharp nails, especially if they're rusty and jagged. Learned that the hard way after a green roof teardown last fall... might save you from picking up nails twice.
