Landscape Rake, should I get Gauge Wheels?

[Mistyridgefarm]

You can live without the wheels only if you have never used a rake with them. I have a woods LR96 with all the options except the long tailwheel. I like the idea of putting the gauge wheels further back. I may have to do some tinkering! The wheels really help maintain the right dig without going very slow and looking back the whole time. Spend one day without them and then see if the 3 bills is worth the chiropractor.

 

[Danner]

You can live without the wheels only if you have never used a rake with them. I have a woods LR96 with all the options except the long tailwheel. I like the idea of putting the gauge wheels further back. I may have to do some tinkering! The wheels really help maintain the right dig without going very slow and looking back the whole time. Spend one day without them and then see if the 3 bills is worth the chiropractor.

Compelling argument. :thumbsup:

 

[JDGreenGrass]

Ah what the heck....I'll say it again.

You don't need gauge wheels to have a great finished product.

If you do need the gauge wheels on a rake...why don't rear blades come with gauge wheels.?? Why don't 3pt. snowblowers come with wheels.??

Also, on the chiropractor...Think about it, EVERY 3pt. attachment is out back. You need to pay attention to your implement no matter what the task is. So, why is it only snowblowers cause kinks in the neck.?? And now, rakes without gauge wheels do too.!! Where does it end.?? Does a cultivator cause kinks.?? How about a box blade.?? To me, that whole argument is a joke.

Some arguments I just don't understand.

I can accomplish what I set out to accomplish without gauge wheels. And, without going to the chiropractor. Heck, I can avoid the chiropractor by laying on my livingroom floor and stretching out.

 

[kco]

Ah what the heck....I'll say it again.

You don't need gauge wheels to have a great finished product.

If you do need the gauge wheels on a rake...why don't rear blades come with gauge wheels.?? Why don't 3pt. snowblowers come with wheels.??

Also, on the chiropractor...Think about it, EVERY 3pt. attachment is out back. You need to pay attention to your implement no matter what the task is. So, why is it only snowblowers cause kinks in the neck.?? And now, rakes without gauge wheels do too.!! Where does it end.?? Does a cultivator cause kinks.?? How about a box blade.?? To me, that whole argument is a joke.

Some arguments I just don't understand.

I can accomplish what I set out to accomplish without gauge wheels. And, without going to the chiropractor. Heck, I can avoid the chiropractor by laying on my livingroom floor and stretching out.

It is great that you don't have back problems and can repair things yourself. Not everyone is so fortunate and conditions will change with the years. I don't know your age, but give it another 15 or 20 years and you may find you're making adjustments to continue to enjoy the activities you don't give a second thought today.

I'm in my late 60's and like you had negligible physical problems. It's a real blessing and not everyone is so lucky. Things change and I am increasingly fine-tuning.

For example, when cutting firewood I fill the chainsaw once (which does 2 to 3 trees) and quit when the fuel runs out-sort of a crude governor. If I do that I can cut wood day after day and still enjoy everything else. 10 years ago I could cut wood all day. Snow plowing my 800' driveway while watching my back blade is similar, I can do it but no longer volunteer to help my neighbour as often as it wrecks my back. This year I likely will purchase a pull-type rear snowblower and will again be able to help my neighbours more often.

The great thing about this is that, being retired, there are no time pressures to immediately get things done. I still feel as fortunate (maybe even more so) as I did 20 years ago. It reminds me of a quote that VERY roughly goes something like:

"Old age is a priviledge not always granted to everyone"

 

[JDGreenGrass]

It is great that you don't have back problems and can repair things yourself. Not everyone is so fortunate and conditions will change with the years. I don't know your age, but give it another 15 or 20 years and you may find you're making adjustments to continue to enjoy the activities you don't give a second thought today.

I'm in my late 60's and like you had negligible physical problems. It's a real blessing and not everyone is so lucky. Things change and I am increasingly fine-tuning.

For example, when cutting firewood I fill the chainsaw once (which does 2 to 3 trees) and quit when the fuel runs out-sort of a crude governor. If I do that I can cut wood day after day and still enjoy everything else. 10 years ago I could cut wood all day. Snow plowing my 800' driveway while watching my back blade is similar, I can do it but no longer volunteer to help my neighbour as often as it wrecks my back. This year I likely will purchase a pull-type rear snowblower and will again be able to help my neighbours more often.

The great thing about this is that, being retired, there are no time pressures to immediately get things done. I still feel as fortunate (maybe even more so) as I did 20 years ago. It reminds me of a quote that VERY roughly goes something like:

"Old age is a priviledge not always granted to everyone"

Oh, my back can hurt. Surely it can. And yes, I am blessed. And thankful for those blessings, too. I think you are missing my point....

All 3pt. attachments are behind the tractor.!! It is often talked about, you know, the 3pt. snowblower causeing health problems. Well, why doesn't a rake with gauge wheels cause those same problems.??

Fact is, all 3pt. attachments deserve attention. Therefore, one MUST be turned around to give the attachment the attention it deserves. Right.?? Of course, you must also pay attention to where you are going.

When tilling, do you ignore the tiller to "not" cause back problems.?? Of course not.!!!! It is the nature of the beast. The attachment must be watched.

I wish you all good health....

 

[greg_g]

First tractor, first rake, no gauge wheels. Frustrated me. So second tractor I made sure bigger rake had gauge wheels. Big waste of money. Between first and second tractors, I actually learned how to use rake w/o wheels. Still have the 2nd rake, but the gauge wheels haven't been used in years.

//greg//

 

[kco]

Oh, my back can hurt. Surely it can. And yes, I am blessed. And thankful for those blessings, too. I think you are missing my point....

All 3pt. attachments are behind the tractor.!! It is often talked about, you know, the 3pt. snowblower causeing health problems. Well, why doesn't a rake with gauge wheels cause those same problems.??

Fact is, all 3pt. attachments deserve attention. Therefore, one MUST be turned around to give the attachment the attention it deserves. Right.?? Of course, you must also pay attention to where you are going.

When tilling, do you ignore the tiller to "not" cause back problems.?? Of course not.!!!! It is the nature of the beast. The attachment must be watched.

I wish you all good health....

I'm not missing your point. Agreed, all 3 pt attachments require attention, but some significantly more than others.

I mow a pasture area with a 5' finishing mower and after mowing around obstacles and the borders, don't have to watch the mower at all. I'm confident it will follow the tractor and mow where I expect. In contrast brush hogging on my trails requires constant monitoring of the mower to avoid rocks, stumps and trees and, for an equivalent amount of mowing time, I can notice the difference in my back.

Similarly while plowing snow on with a rear blade on my driveway I do NOT watch the blade and am confident it is following along and doing its job as expected. It takes me two passes each way and results in a mound of snow on each side. I can't move that mound into the ditch with an offset, angled blade because of the rudder effect that kicks out the back end of the tractor. But I can move that mound into the ditch by reversing the blade and going backwards because the blade angle and offset forces cancel each other out. In the last couple of years that plowing backwards has got harder on my back. So now my preference is to make one pass down and back with my walk-behind snowblower to blow the mounds into the field. As stated before, I will likely get a pull type 3 point snowblower this winter and will be able to completely clear the snow with one pass down and another up, all without having to watch the blower.

I use a landscape rake to grade the gravel drive once or twice per year. I don't have guage wheels and it does require constant monitoring of the rake to keep things consistent. But so far it has not been a problem. However, I can see where guage wheels might reduce the amount of monitoring required.

 

[IslandTractor]

First tractor, first rake, no gauge wheels. Frustrated me. So second tractor I made sure bigger rake had gauge wheels. Big waste of money. Between first and second tractors, I actually learned how to use rake w/o wheels. Still have the 2nd rake, but the gauge wheels haven't been used in years.

//greg//

That is pretty much my story as well. The wheels are helpful in the beginning or when doing fine work like final prep for a new lawn but otherwise they don't do much and do sometimes get in the way.

 

[KRH2015]

Oh, my back can hurt. Surely it can. And yes, I am blessed. And thankful for those blessings, too. I think you are missing my point....

All 3pt. attachments are behind the tractor.!! It is often talked about, you know, the 3pt. snowblower causeing health problems. Well, why doesn't a rake with gauge wheels cause those same problems.??

Fact is, all 3pt. attachments deserve attention. Therefore, one MUST be turned around to give the attachment the attention it deserves. Right.?? Of course, you must also pay attention to where you are going.

When tilling, do you ignore the tiller to "not" cause back problems.?? Of course not.!!!! It is the nature of the beast. The attachment must be watched.

I wish you all good health....

Yes it's true that all 3 point hitch equipment is behind you but you are driving forward giving the equipment quick glances. Most rear mount snowblower's require you to be in reverse and back up almost the entire time. So it's not quite the same. You are alway's turned and looking back. By the way I don't have a snowblower but have read this many time's here. No health issue's for me yet and I sure would like to own a 3 pnt. snowblower! K.H.

 

[KRH2015]

I have a rake without gauge wheels and i think it does a great job. Then again i have never tried them. I can make them myself cheap enough so maybe I will this summer if time allow's. I think if your ground is already pretty smooth to begin with a rake without wheels will do fine and maybe you don't require them. But if everything is uneven and rutted up wheels will help. So keep in mind everyone's condition's may be different. K.H.