Yard Rake Home Made

[downsizingnow48]

I've been looking at rakes for a while. Didn't find one with the features I want so built it.

1. Tool bar assembled to three point hitch. It can be offset either side for raking close to a fence.
2. Tool stand installed for easier hookup.
3. Rake teeth assembled on rake bar and attached to tool bar. It is 48" wide for use between trees and bushes.
4. Brackets for mounting secondary spring assembly.
5. Secondary spring assembly attached to rake. The 26 individual springs allow the bottom of each rake tooth to move 3" side to side and 4" front to back. This allows the rake to follow uneven ground. When the small springs reach the limit of their travel, the stronger spring built into the rake tooth takes over.
6. The gage wheel uses needle thrust bearings at the caster pivot point and a threaded collar, which can be adjusted just right and locked in place.
7. Gage wheels assembled to rake. They attach with pins for quick removal when operating without gage wheels. They are adjustable so rake action can vary from mild to aggressive.
8. Rake in action. It works as planned.

 

[deerseeker001]

Good job Pat

 

[Scooter78]

Very nice work.

 

[roadhunter]

nice work

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Thats a really clean, well planned job

I'm curious about the adjusters you used, off the shelf parts or did you make the center?

 

[downsizingnow48]

The adjuster links are store bought. I was in TSC buying the draw pins and still puzzling how best to make the adjusters. Right on the rack next to the pins were these little top links. A bit pricey at $30 but an easy and good solution to my problem.

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

The adjuster links are store bought. I was in TSC buying the draw pins and still puzzling how best to make the adjusters. Right on the rack next to the pins were these little top links. A bit pricey at $30 but an easy and good solution to my problem.

Ah, they are short top links for a compact tractor?
Nice solution

 

[jenkinsph]

Nice looking build.:thumbsup:

 

[JKR]

Nice looking rake.

 

[M E Race]

Work Of Art! You might as well file the police report now, because your design has been stolen by now. One question. With the rake bar clamped to the tool bar, could the rake be swapped for other tools to utilize your gauge wheel system? This could be the start of a multi function tool with any number of mutations.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Yes you are right. That is one reason I built it that way. Next yard chore is reseeding so am thinking how to cheaply and simply make a verticutter to be assembled to the tool bar in place of the rake.

 

[JKR]

I took another look at you build. It looks like it all bolted together. No welding. Any reason for that?
I do see in one photo you have a part on a welding table.

 

[downsizingnow48]

There are three things welded.

Gage wheel caster frame - 1x2 wheel carrier cut at a 45 and welded to short length of 1x3.
Lower tabs for gage wheel height adjuster - the pix show these with u-bolts, I was experimenting with best location. They are now welded to the 2x2 locating arms.
Tool stand - 1 1/4 tubing welded to 1/4 inch plate.

Those three things had to be welded. The rest is take-apart. Either for maintenance, or because I might want to reconfigure into a different tool, or because I wasn't sure it would work and wanted to be able to re-do easily if need be.

 

[JKR]

Those three things had to be welded. The rest is take-apart. Either for maintenance, or because I might want to reconfigure into a different tool, or because I wasn't sure it would work and wanted to be able to re-do easily if need be.

Good call on not welding it all together. I like ability to change thing easy.

 

[Daver1963]

Very good job. You, like myself, couldn't find what you needed so you built it. I built a yard rake with everything bolted together just because I don't have a welder.
Here is a link to that thread.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/317986-yard-rake-home-made-2.html

 

[downsizingnow48]

Daver1963 pls post your thread, I want to study it!

 

[Daver1963]

This is it.
Good landscape rake - cheap (Part 2 - Daver1963's attempt)

 

[downsizingnow48]

maybe my browser is messed up. that link also takes me to my own thread instead of yours.

 

[downsizingnow48]

OK I find the thread using tbn search. very interesting. I thought about using rubber teeth and also about using my TSC carryall. It looks like it works just fine too. I also see that a contributor on the thread made a good looking 3-gang rake. I have thought of having a second row of teeth. Thanks for the reference!

 

[Daver1963]

I don't know how I managed to do that, LOL, sometimes I'm pretty talented without knowing it.
If anyone else would like to look at my rake the real link is below.
downsizingnow48, if you look at post 22 of my thread you'll see that I built a hitch for it. That was mainly to get it higher off the ground.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/300969-good-landscape-rake-cheap-part.html

(I checked it this time and it goes to my thread.)