tom4018
Silver Member
Never used a landscape rake, we have had a few acres cleaned up with a dozer. Looks like there is going to be lot of small limbs left laying around. Will a landscape rake work for this?
Landscape rake for cleanup?
- Thread starter tom4018
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gwdixon
Elite Member
Probably not as well as you would like. Visually, a landscape rake looks perfect for the job but has a tendency to pick up rocks, clods, and dirt much like a regular rear blade would do. This will be more likely with ground torn up by a dozer.
Some people have taken off every other rake blade to let more ground material get through while still catching the limbs and brush. It can be done but is delicate and the rake has to just barely scrape the ground. Uneven ground will cause the rake to dig in or lift too high.
Still, the rake will pick up lots of limbs and brush but ending up with a clean cleared area is doubtful. Anything is better than doing it all by hand. Photos may help to view the exact situation.
Another alternative, depending on the size of the debris, is to put the rippers down on a box blade and use it like a rake by keeping the box out of (off) the ground. That will get most of the big stuff and slightly level the ground as well.
Carl_NH
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
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- 3,782
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- Coastal NH
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- 01 Kubota B21TLB, 2010 Ferris 52" ZTR, Cub Cadet 1811, Gravely Super8
I had two acres to clear after stumping - lots of rocks roots and clods. Tried the Rachet Rake - too much ledge and the RR kept bouncing off the ledge losing the debris.
Second I had a friend come in with his 6' Harley Rake but again the embedded rocks were beating up his machine so that method was not working.
Went to the landscape rake with wheels set so the tines just touched the ground. This worked the best for me. I would windrow the rocks and roots into a row then with the FEL push this whole mess of rocks and roots into two 15 yard piles. Probably equal parts of roots/rocks/dirt.
The piles sat for a year composting down and then with the BH and FEL removed all the rocks for walls then the roots to the burn piles.
There is no easy way to clean up land but for me the landscape rake worked. It's also a regional thing - here in NH a BoxBlade with rippers are not that common due to stones and ledge in most areas.
Second I had a friend come in with his 6' Harley Rake but again the embedded rocks were beating up his machine so that method was not working.
Went to the landscape rake with wheels set so the tines just touched the ground. This worked the best for me. I would windrow the rocks and roots into a row then with the FEL push this whole mess of rocks and roots into two 15 yard piles. Probably equal parts of roots/rocks/dirt.
The piles sat for a year composting down and then with the BH and FEL removed all the rocks for walls then the roots to the burn piles.
There is no easy way to clean up land but for me the landscape rake worked. It's also a regional thing - here in NH a BoxBlade with rippers are not that common due to stones and ledge in most areas.
Sniggle
Silver Member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2008
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- 233
- Location
- Jefferson County, WV
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- 2003 Kubota B7800 (new to me @ 435 hours
I had 3 acres cleared for pasture, that included the removal of both brush and lots of large trees.
I used a box blade with rippers down initially to pop out roots, rocks, etc. I probably spent 6 hours running over the area with the box blade.
I then used the landscape rake to pick up roots, sticks, rocks, ect. I must have spent another 6 hours running the landscape rake back and forth, dropping what had accumulated at one end of the pasture.
I then spent several hours walking around and loading sticks, rocks, ect. into the bucket to finish the clean up.
It was a lot of work, but the surface was pretty level and it took pasture seed well (turn the landscape rake around and used it to cover the seed).
Just be prepared to spend twice as long as you estimate getting the surface to where you want it.
I used a box blade with rippers down initially to pop out roots, rocks, etc. I probably spent 6 hours running over the area with the box blade.
I then used the landscape rake to pick up roots, sticks, rocks, ect. I must have spent another 6 hours running the landscape rake back and forth, dropping what had accumulated at one end of the pasture.
I then spent several hours walking around and loading sticks, rocks, ect. into the bucket to finish the clean up.
It was a lot of work, but the surface was pretty level and it took pasture seed well (turn the landscape rake around and used it to cover the seed).
Just be prepared to spend twice as long as you estimate getting the surface to where you want it.
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
I use a field cultivator for gathering limbs and larger debrisrunning as close to the surface as I can. The dirt flows through much easier than a landscape rake. Once this is done I use a pine needle rake to catch the small stuff. Often the best thing to do is gather the stuff by hand, this is best when you can drive the tractor around and have your wife pick up everything and put it in the bucket. I am not that "special or lucky" so I hire that out.:laughing: