Rake Rock Rakes

   / Rock Rakes #1  

roysallis

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2000
Messages
271
Location
Alabama
Tractor
JD 5210, JD 521 Loader, JD MX6 Rotary Cutter, TufLine 6' Disk, TufLine 6' Grader Blade, TufLine 6' Box Blade
Anyone got some advice on rock rakes. I have a lot of sand stone rocks (small and flat, about the size of a saucer to a plate) and some limestone rocks (size from grapefruit to watermelon). I will use it with a JD5210.
Thanks
 
   / Rock Rakes #2  
I have lots of rocks and an inexpensive 6-ft rock rake. I can do a better job of spreading gravel (roadbase) with it than I can a boxblade because the rake will roll up an 8 - 10 inch wave of rocks and distribute them evenly. My rake does not have wheels on it, but that is probably a good accessory to have. Your 5210 can pull as wide a rake as you want, but it should be at least as wide as the tire tracks when tilted to the desired angle to windrow the rocks.

I also have an OLD hay rake that does a really nice rake job and the fingers are 2-3 inches between the tines. It is about 10 foot wide, but lets a lot of the small rocks slip through.

Have raked up thousands of rocks and it does a fair job. It does a lousy job of trying to separate rocks from the soil as it takes way too much soil along with the rocks and you can't shake the soil out.

The best solution seems to be one of the PTO driven dual roller rakes. They seem to cost a lot of money, but do a much better job of separating the rocks from the soil.

I believe rocks and compact tractors do not go well together (rocks are rough on equipment), so you may have a hard time getting a lot of response.

Mark does landscaping as do several others on this board and they must face this problem daily to prepare nice level seed beds for grass and other landscaping projects. Maybe they can shed some light on it. Unfortunately the developers around here just haul in 4 inches of sand and bury the rocks and hope they won't be seen until they sell the house.

If there is a reasonably priced solution, I WANT one. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
   / Rock Rakes #3  
The local Kubota rental plate found that it was cheaper to buy the York brand rakes for $1500 instead of the inexpensive rakes for $300 for rental purposes. Maybe there is a reason why some things cost more than others. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
   / Rock Rakes #4  
Hi Roy.
Rakes....mmmm, like the old saying goes " you get what you paid for"

I had a Woods box scraper & rake which was about 5 years old when I sold them this year.
I bought a York rake model RI this spring and I'm impress !!
This 7'er does a real nice job with angling,grader blade,end boots,scarifier,removealbe caster wheels.
I have a long driveway and I'm always seem to be cleaning ditching also leveling the land,and stones...maybe thats why they call it the Granite State.

If you should consider in buying a York rake be warn,for it will put a dent in your check book.

York rake information.

York
Unadilla,NY 13849

Phone. (607) 369-7111 or 1-800-643- YORK (9675)

Fax. (607) 369-2625
E-Mail. sales@yorkmodern.com

Web: www.yorkmordern.com

Good luck on what ever you may purchase,better than and iron rake. :eek:)
 
   / Rock Rakes #6  
Wen, you mentioned several important points. The standard rakes do a pretty good job at windrowing rocks when they're tilted. I'm really a big fan of gauge wheels - they make blades and rakes so much easier to use and more effective. I'm getting ready to convert the manual gauge wheels on my 8' combination blade and rake to hydraulic ones.

I've used a powered rake once - they're amazing. But not amazing enough for me to shell out that kind of cash for one.

And you're also right about rocks being hard on compact utility tractors. One thing though: I mentioned a related issue in the discussions on tires, but it bears mentioning here: Radials, when inflated to the proper pressures, make them a lot easier to deal with. Instead of bouncing you up and over them, the tire deflects to absorb most of it.

Mark
 
   / Rock Rakes #7  
I guess it depends by how rocky the ground is, I raked rocks for awhile in my rock-potatoe land that a glacier "landscaped." Looked great, then it rained and or froze and in a short time looked like I had not done much! Was just half an acre or so lawn so I just dug it down about 6 inches, used it for fill where I wanted roads and had a lot of rockless sandy dirt and/or topsoil brought in. Ten years later still no rocks have popped up. Since I had plenty of uses for the fill I dug out it made sense. My rock experience with rakes is they do a good job but don't look at your work a week later cuz the spuds will be a'poppin out agin. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

[email]oldcarparts@mygarage.com [/email]
 
 
 
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