Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker?

   / Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker? #1  

npalen

Elite Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
3,478
Location
Beloit, KS
Tractor
Kubota B9200 HSTD and Mahindra 3015
I have the 6 ft. York Landscape Rake on the B9200 Kubota, mainly for counterweight for the Fel. I find that is works fairly well as a rear blade for moving snow with the drop/down blade in the down position. The blade hangs just in front of and against the tines. Didn't try it with the blade in the up (retracted) position yet but need to. What I found is that the spring tines of the rake act as a "vibrator/jack hammer" shaking the blade violently which tends to break up any packed snow. This is the stuff that has had some traffic on it but not yet turned to ice. Has anyone else tried this and what was your experience? I do realize that most landscape rakes don't have the drop-down blade.
 
   / Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker? #2  
I try this couple time but found once the rake was ful rake would start to raise..no down pressure on 3pt hitch.

Also shakes as you said,but the price of tines etc. not worth it.
 
   / Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
That was my experience also. I imagine it might self destruct over time.:)
Is there anything else that will get under packed snow and break it loose? I find that the FEL even with down-pressure will do this to some extent but eventually starts skating over the snowpack. I suppose a sharpened edge on the bucket would help but probably not feasible for long term use. Seems some some kind of finely serrated edge would have some possibility. I guess that the rippers on a box blade might do the trick but at the expense of the concrete or asphalt and rapid wear on the ripper teeth. Wouldn't be so good if I pulled up a chunk of asphalt on the neighbors driveway.:D
 
   / Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker? #4  
Npalen,

I have the B21 with the 3/4" bolt on cutting edge and rear blade for snow, and in the winter the shady parts of our paved drive get packed and iced - I try to get it up w/o chemicals but if cold its really hard. What I do is spread some salt/sand mix the night before a warm day say 30*. Then I go out and scrape off the next day getting under the ice. Usually its a few 15-20' long sections that are iced over hard, so it takes half bag of salt and a full bag of sand or about $10 to do the whole thing.

I only have these conditions 1-2 times a winter. The rear blade I have works great once it gets under the ice pack - rolls it up once underneath it.
 
   / Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker? #5  
I've used a landscape rake to plow a couple miles of gravel road. I thought it worked very well and don't recall any shaking or excessive wear on the tines but I tried to stay on top of it before the neighbors drove on it and packed it too much. Once it did pack or turn to ice I used the tooth bar on the bucket to break up the sheets and the rake would carry the chunks to the side of the road. Unfortunately, the system work so well I started doing it faster and hit an immovable object (rock, root, or pothole) under the ice. The tractor came to a sudden stop but I didn't. The only thing that kept me from going over the hood was that my thumbs were wrapped around the steering wheel. I couldn't pick my nose with my thumbs for a couple of weeks. Now I keep my thumbs up and my speed really slow if I need to travel with the bucket low.
 
   / Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker? #6  
I have the 6 ft. York Landscape Rake on the B9200 Kubota, mainly for counterweight for the Fel. I find that is works fairly well as a rear blade for moving snow with the drop/down blade in the down position. The blade hangs just in front of and against the tines. Didn't try it with the blade in the up (retracted) position yet but need to. What I found is that the spring tines of the rake act as a "vibrator/jack hammer" shaking the blade violently which tends to break up any packed snow. This is the stuff that has had some traffic on it but not yet turned to ice. Has anyone else tried this and what was your experience? I do realize that most landscape rakes don't have the drop-down blade.

Npalen,

Do you like your York Rake overall? I'm thinking of getting one in the spring and I may be wrong, but it seems York has the best one. Are they pricey?
 
   / Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
El Wood,
I'm finding the York a really great all around tool with the optional gauge wheels, blade and ripper. I couldn't afford a new one but was lucky to find a very old rusty one but it had seen very little use.
Model RS - 6' Rake - Category 0 [003106] - $1,146.00 : York Modern
They are not cheap by any stretchbut York has been around for many years and I think they may have been the pioneer in the rake business. Interesting website and video also.
York Modern - York Rake and York Broom Videos
 
   / Landscape Rake/Ice Breaker? #8  
El Wood,
I'm finding the York a really great all around tool with the optional gauge wheels, blade and ripper. I couldn't afford a new one but was lucky to find a very old rusty one but it had seen very little use.
Model RS - 6' Rake - Category 0 [003106] - $1,146.00 : York Modern
They are not cheap by any stretchbut York has been around for many years and I think they may have been the pioneer in the rake business. Interesting website and video also.
York Modern - York Rake and York Broom Videos

Thank you for the info!
 
 

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