Rake homemade pasture de-thatcher ??

[rmroper]

I need to dethatch a horse pasture (6 acres) and used a chain harrow in the past. The tines will fill up with grass / brush very quickly and it is really painful to clean them out.

Two questions.

1) has anyone made a homemade frame (3pt) for a chain harrow (8ft x 10 ft) that could be lifted via the 3 pt to clean? The harrow only weighs about 300lbs so the tractor can pick it up easily.

2) Any experience on making a FEL mounted de-thatcher? I'm thinking of using some hay rake springs mounted to metal angle iron. The angle iron would be held on with chanin and binders.

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bcp]

Put a pipe on the front and rear, then use a boom pole or a carryall-style frame to lift it.



Mini Hay Balers and Compact Hay Balers | Small Farm Innovators

1.8m Mounted Triple Chain Harrow - BSG Tractors & Machinery

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/209177-boom-pole-tsc-any-good-2.html

Bruce

 

[jjmarotz]

Here is how I did mine for the 3pt. As you I got sick of trying to clean out the tines, now just drag it all into 1 pile, lift up, and burn the junk left.
Heavy wall 3" pipe with tabs welded on for the harrows to bolt to, and the lift frame welded on. Double nut the bolts to allow the harrow to still follow the contours of the ground. The rears are held up with chain but again allows them to follow the ground.

 

[rmroper]

That is a good looking spring tooth harrow rig, I have been watching for one at local farm consignment sales. The harrow I have is a heavy chain harrow so it is a little unwieldy to work with. I think I will end up using a boom pole as bcp suggested.

Thanks for the help.

 

[GGB]

Very nice! I'd like to duplicate this for my harrow, which is smaller. It also looks like this would work well for my drag.

GGB

 

[sixdogs]

JJMAROTZ

I built one just like you did and it was great for dirt but not for sod. It tore my grass up too much so I sold it.

I'm going to try again this year using tedder tines or the tines off the rear of some soil finisher type tillage tools. It would be maybe 8 ft wide and 3 pt hitch so I could dump the grass. Has anyone built a de-thatcher like this?

 

[rmroper]

This link shows a pretty neat way to use a 3 pt carryall and homemade dethatching implement using hay rake tines. Looks very promising.


http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/217825-3pt-forks-de-thatcher.html

 

[ironwood]

I just bought an old two spinner three point tedder that dethatches REALLY well. FYI. Heavy steel tubes, not the new flat bar stock ones on the more modern ones.

 

[sixdogs]

jjmarotz

Do you have a couple more pics of how you hooked the harrows to the frame you built? that is a smart design that was done right.