I've searched around quite a bit and never seen all this in one place, so I thought a post was in order. I just purchased a 6-foot landscape rake to help clean up the mess left behind after clearing some pine trees. My tractor is a Kubota BX2660.
I bought the rake at Tractor Supply. The brand is CountyLine, but the rake is actually made (in the U.S.) by Tarter Gate. I compared it with other offerings in the $500ish price range, including those by King Kutter, Hawkline, and Everything Attachments. At this price point, the KK and Hawkline weigh about the same, and none have the ability to be adjusted for crown angle unless you do it with your hitch. The ETA rake is heavier and stronger, and also $200 more expensive.
The Tarter rake uses a 3" junior channel as the main beam across the top of the tines, with a slightly smaller formed channel nested inside of it from below. The interlocking channels sandwich the tines, which are held in place using a hole in the tine over a pin in the lower channel. The two channels are held together with a row of bolts. The design is simple and seems effective, and it also seems stronger than the open 4" angle used by KK and Hawkline. The ETA rake uses a flat bar with a reinforcing lip formed on one edge, plus a box-beam reinforcement that extends about two-thirds of the width of the rake. It's a stronger design, but (yes) it's $200 more expensive. Also, truck delivery is difficult to arrange here (as I learned when I bought my pine straw rake).
For the Kubota hitch, the lower pins need to be reversed to provide the 20" spacing that works best on that tractor. Thus, the pins need to be mounted on an ear so that the hitch can reach them when they are turned to point inward. The KK uses a formed flat-bar lower frame that would not allow this, but the Hawkline is similar to the Tarter in this regard. The ETA uses a clevis arrangement which is strong but can't be repositioned in this way. With the stock Kubota top link extended and attached to the lower hole on the rake, the 6' Category 1 rake mounted level on the 2660, which will then raise it a good 6" above the ground. I've read many reports that the yellow CountyLine stuff from TSC will not fit on a Kubota SCUT, but this is not the case with either this rake or the rear blade that I also have.
In use, the rake seems to work quite well. In my initial test, I hit rocks big enough to stop the tractor (going slowly, of course) and none of the expected bad things happened: No bent tines, no broken tines, and no bent cross beam.
Here is the manufacturer's web page for the rake that is sold under the CountyLine brand at Tractor Supply these days (their web page shows only the 5' rake--see the list for the other sizes):
5' Landscape Rake - By Tarter Farm & Ranch Equipment
But the tractor is a little too short and bouncy for smoothing rough terrain, and the rake needs gauge wheels. Tractor Supply can order them, but I was able to hunt them up by knowing the manufacturer. I found them here:
Tarter Landscape Rake Wheel Kit LRWK America's Farm & Home Store
I have ordered them and will provide a review when they arrive and I've had a chance to do something with them.
Rick "in support of future searches" Denney
I bought the rake at Tractor Supply. The brand is CountyLine, but the rake is actually made (in the U.S.) by Tarter Gate. I compared it with other offerings in the $500ish price range, including those by King Kutter, Hawkline, and Everything Attachments. At this price point, the KK and Hawkline weigh about the same, and none have the ability to be adjusted for crown angle unless you do it with your hitch. The ETA rake is heavier and stronger, and also $200 more expensive.
The Tarter rake uses a 3" junior channel as the main beam across the top of the tines, with a slightly smaller formed channel nested inside of it from below. The interlocking channels sandwich the tines, which are held in place using a hole in the tine over a pin in the lower channel. The two channels are held together with a row of bolts. The design is simple and seems effective, and it also seems stronger than the open 4" angle used by KK and Hawkline. The ETA rake uses a flat bar with a reinforcing lip formed on one edge, plus a box-beam reinforcement that extends about two-thirds of the width of the rake. It's a stronger design, but (yes) it's $200 more expensive. Also, truck delivery is difficult to arrange here (as I learned when I bought my pine straw rake).
For the Kubota hitch, the lower pins need to be reversed to provide the 20" spacing that works best on that tractor. Thus, the pins need to be mounted on an ear so that the hitch can reach them when they are turned to point inward. The KK uses a formed flat-bar lower frame that would not allow this, but the Hawkline is similar to the Tarter in this regard. The ETA uses a clevis arrangement which is strong but can't be repositioned in this way. With the stock Kubota top link extended and attached to the lower hole on the rake, the 6' Category 1 rake mounted level on the 2660, which will then raise it a good 6" above the ground. I've read many reports that the yellow CountyLine stuff from TSC will not fit on a Kubota SCUT, but this is not the case with either this rake or the rear blade that I also have.
In use, the rake seems to work quite well. In my initial test, I hit rocks big enough to stop the tractor (going slowly, of course) and none of the expected bad things happened: No bent tines, no broken tines, and no bent cross beam.
Here is the manufacturer's web page for the rake that is sold under the CountyLine brand at Tractor Supply these days (their web page shows only the 5' rake--see the list for the other sizes):
5' Landscape Rake - By Tarter Farm & Ranch Equipment
But the tractor is a little too short and bouncy for smoothing rough terrain, and the rake needs gauge wheels. Tractor Supply can order them, but I was able to hunt them up by knowing the manufacturer. I found them here:
Tarter Landscape Rake Wheel Kit LRWK America's Farm & Home Store
I have ordered them and will provide a review when they arrive and I've had a chance to do something with them.
Rick "in support of future searches" Denney
