How do you use your Ratchet Rake

[sparc]

Just for the heck of it I stuck s length of pipe through the ears on my RR and clipped the cables over the top hook on my quick hitch. Here's a photo, I'll add some explanation later.

[murphy1244]

Just for the heck of it I stuck s length of pipe through the ears on my RR and clipped the cables over the top hook on my quick hitch. Here's a photo, I'll add some explanation later.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[sparc]

OK, the cable doesn't really do much but keep the rake in the position you see in the photo. if it meets enough resistance it will rotate and it seems to do so easily. but I'm thinking if i replaced the cables with a fixed length rod of maybe some long turnbuckles or even a couple top links that would have a fixed, rigid length then the rake would be much more useful and it could be used to some light dragging and level work. I don't have a FEL on my tractor and at this point no box blade or scraper blade or land plane so none of the normal tools for grading/leveling work. I usually mount the RR on my bobcat bucket but like I said I was playing around to see what would happen if I could mount it on the back of the tractor.

So I did not think to get photos but I used the RR as you see it on my TC25 to clear the leaves off the road going to the back of the property. Surprisingly it worked pretty good going forward and reverse. It would be much better if it was rigid and I'm trying to think of what I have around that I could temporarily do just that to see how much it improved performance. Then if it does I will work out something morpermanentte.

So if this interests anyone else lets hear your thoughts and ideas on how to adapt the RR for use behind a tractor hanging off a 3 point hitch.

I have another couple photos on my phone i will upload.

[Radar52]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm indeed. With no down pressure what could it do, though it is kinda heavy on it own

[sparc]

this was all makeshift using what was on hand. The pipe or bar would need to be 7/8, the holes are 1".
I used the length of 1/2" galvanized pipe I had in the shed. The RR is also not centered at this point,
but that could all be corrected with something more permanent.

[sparc]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm indeed. With no down pressure what could it do, though it is kinda heavy on it own

True, but as I said I was able to scrape the 5 inches or so a leaves off of about 200 feet of the dirt road which runs to the back ot the property. It worked very well for that. I had the raod clear down to the dirt in one pass. Took three swipes and a little touchup but in 15 minutes I was done.

[Radar52]

Pretty good idea, think it will work good once you figure how to stop it from rotating.

[sparc]

Pretty good idea, think it will work good once you figure how to stop it from rotating.

Yeah, I think its worth some more R&D. I'll see what I can work out w/o spending too much. If I can figure a way to keep it fixed that soil make a big difference.

[Bob77064]

Good idea.