Single tooth ripper or 3 tooth rake on BH?

   / Single tooth ripper or 3 tooth rake on BH? #1  
C

CDN Farm Boy

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
1,384
Location
Ottawa Ontario
Tractor
Kubota B3300SU
I've got a B3300SU with the BH77 hoe with thumb (soon to be converted to hydraulic). I've got a bunch of cleanup to do around the yard from old (small) piles of brush that need moved and burnt to piles of old building debris mixed with steel, concrete, dirt, etc that I need to sort thru to burn what I can, recycle as possible and bury the rest. Unknown future uses at this point but I'm sure I'll find them. I do not have a bunch of stumps to dig out, nor will I. The majority of use will be sorting/picking/moving with occasional use 'stirring' loose dirt.

I've seen many great threads on single rippers (4shorts most recently) but none on hoe mounted rakes. In fact I'm not sure I've seen a rake on anything smaller than a 8 ton mini ex.

I'm thinking the rake would be better but looking for other's thoughts on the subject.

Thanks
 
   / Single tooth ripper or 3 tooth rake on BH? #2  
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   / Single tooth ripper or 3 tooth rake on BH?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
The bypassing idea is perhaps a good one, not so much for breaking old limbs (probably would work well on some of the junk I have) but I'd also have the ability to clam tightly on smaller branches or a pipe. Or would it make more sense to have tips line up exactly like 94BULLITT did with his grapple build?

My factory thumb is 8 1/4" wide.
 
   / Single tooth ripper or 3 tooth rake on BH? #5  
I think it depends on your existing bucket - is it 16-18"? I would try that first - the rakes are going to replace a bucket and I can imagine its $1000 for the rake setup. The other thing, a 30" rake might be great for brush but be underpowered with your machine for heavier materials like concrete or rocks.

I think the utility of a 24"standard bucket along with your thumb might be the most cost effective solution since you may be able to find a used bucket. The difference in my opinion of a 24" bucket to 30" rake is minimal unless you have a lot of debris to filter out but a tooth bar would do similar.
 
   / Single tooth ripper or 3 tooth rake on BH?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Yup, existing bucket is 16". I've been working with it and the thumb last summer but I've got a lot of dirt to sort out of the mix, that's why I'm leaning towards the rake. I'm sure converting the thumb to hydraulic will help too. No way a rake is going to cost me a grand. Steel is cheap if you wait long enough to find what you are looking for and I've got a buddy with a CNC plasma that will cut it for me cheap once I've made the drawings. I don't imagine that I'll be into the rake for more than $300 with what I'm thinking.

Carl, you running a 24" bucket on yours? You find you've got enough power/weight to make it work well?
 
   / Single tooth ripper or 3 tooth rake on BH? #7  
Hi CDN,

I have the 16" bucket - the weight difference 16" is 80 Lbs and 24" is 105Lbs so not a big difference.

The specs on BH77 are 3421 digging and on the B21 3200 digging force, so they are close, and I know I can accomodate a 24" weight wise but utility of a wide bucket for my uses and changing out is not easy.

When I did some land reclamation 3 years ago I used a landscape rake and pulled rocks, roots, branches and dirt then piled them up 8' high. The next spring I "sorted" this with the BH and loader.

Even with the BH and FEL it took a lot of hand labor to filter the piles of debris, and if this is the type of thing you are doing then the thumb/rake approach i think is perfect.

So if you can make one for $300 do it and keep the weight around 80-100 Lbs - it will be a great tool to have.

Carl
 
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