How to clean a landscape rake?

[Rebel]

What about a lighter?

Don't forget the lighter fluid and a couple of your favorite adult beverages

 

[YM-135trac]

I've seen some gifted fabricators on this board that could take this idea and work out the geometry and materials used to make it work. Basically create a "rake cleaner" that would pivot about a fixed point (via the fixed drawbar) and use the upward motion of raising the 3 point to push down on the opposite end of the rake cleaner in order to dislodge the debris between the tines. This would eliminate the need to add additional hydraulics and keep your seat on the machine warm. If the geometry and design was right, it would also have an added benefit of making it so the rake would be more prone to slide over an obstacle you don't want to gouge or rake up when raised all of the way up in transport mode. Obviously it would involve connecting in 3 additional places each time you attached to the landscape rake in addition to the materials and time, but it's an idea.... at least it makes sense in my mind. Let me know if you guys think it would work.
View attachment 103489[/QUO


get 8'w MIN tiny HP req to pull.


terific idea, but lift height is limited to rake-tine length.(24")Need highest rake/dump possible.(I have 3' high dump,sometimes not enough) thought about you idea already. I Took every other tine out helps. hydro-toplink-back-up deal wrks best for me.

 

[IslandTractor]

OK, here is the update. First, I removed the guide wheels. Second, I switched out the standard toplink for the hydraulic one. Then I went and loaded up the rake so I could test out some of the ideas on cleaning it.

Before commenting on the cleaning, I have to say that removing the guide wheels makes the rake a whole lot easier to control. I don't think I'll be putting them back on. Also, I had not thought of using the hydraulic top link with the rake but that really also increased the flexibility and control considerably. It is nice to be able to make those changes on the fly.

Now, as to the cleaning. I first tried just extending the toplink all the way dropping the position control to lower the rake and backing up. No joy. The roots/vines/sticks/grass/canes etc did not unload.

Next I tried backing into a brush pile. Not much better. It just crushed the brush pile and got tangled so I ended up pulling some brush out of the pile when I drove forward. I had backed in with toplink extended and rake low then raised the rake. It just pushed the brush out of the way but the crap on the rake stayed put.

Final approach was to back into an isolated stump (6 inches x 3 feet tall). That did work quite well but took six or seven passes to get all the debris out. It did work however. I used it several times after loading the rake up again and it worked each time. Unfortunately I got a little aggressive on my last pass and busted one of the rake tines when I backed in too far before raising the rake to scrape.

Photos below show the tree stump method results.

My bottom line is that the stump method works but is pretty inefficient because you need to move the tractor a number of times to scrape each section about a foot at a time of rake width. A nice six foot I-beam mounted scraper about 18 inches high would be ideal if there was a way to transport it.

 

[Engine66]

OK, here is the update. First, I removed the guide wheels. Second, I switched out the standard toplink for the hydraulic one. Then I went and loaded up the rake so I could test out some of the ideas on cleaning it.

Before commenting on the cleaning, I have to say that removing the guide wheels makes the rake a whole lot easier to control. I don't think I'll be putting them back on. Also, I had not thought of using the hydraulic top link with the rake but that really also increased the flexibility and control considerably. It is nice to be able to make those changes on the fly.

Now, as to the cleaning. I first tried just extending the toplink all the way dropping the position control to lower the rake and backing up. No joy. The roots/vines/sticks/grass/canes etc did not unload.

Next I tried backing into a brush pile. Not much better. It just crushed the brush pile and got tangled so I ended up pulling some brush out of the pile when I drove forward. I had backed in with toplink extended and rake low then raised the rake. It just pushed the brush out of the way but the crap on the rake stayed put.

Final approach was to back into an isolated stump (6 inches x 3 feet tall). That did work quite well but took six or seven passes to get all the debris out. It did work however. I used it several times after loading the rake up again and it worked each time. Unfortunately I got a little aggressive on my last pass and busted one of the rake tines when I backed in too far before raising the rake to scrape.

Photos below show the tree stump method results.

My bottom line is that the stump method works but is pretty inefficient because you need to move the tractor a number of times to scrape each section about a foot at a time of rake width. A nice six foot I-beam mounted scraper about 18 inches high would be ideal if there was a way to transport it.

How did you bust a tine? Is that a woods rake? I have a Landpride and those tines have been through **** pulling and pushing. Several of them hung up on some deep roots and bent a little, but none broke. I also found a way to bend the tine back to position quite easily. As far as the wheels go, the Landpride has the wheels extended further out than the woods and allows the wheels to swing around...I think it helps level the ground...just my opinion...but I did find that they got in the way when backing into a pile. A rake is indispensable for land clean-up...no doubt. I think I got on and off my tractor 100 times to kick out some stubborn sticks and roots...a cleaner would be nice for sure.

 

[IslandTractor]

How did you bust a tine? Is that a woods rake?

I broke the tine when I intentionally backed into the stump I was using to clean off the rake. I backed too far one time before scraping the rake up with the position control and the stump got pushed between the tines right at the top of the tines where they connect. One snapped off. I've never broken one before but it is no big deal to replace and I think will cost about $4 or so.

It does show the disadvantage of the "stump rubbing" approach to rake cleaning though.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Does anyone have a better system/method for keeping the rake clean while doing this sort of work?

This might work, but you have to remove the wheels:

Next to your brush pile suspend a roll of chain link fencing rolled onto a pipe between two trees. Drive a couple stakes thru the roll, or chain it, to prevent rotation. When youre full, back up to it and lift rake. Push spoil into pile and youre set to go again.
larry

 

[IslandTractor]

This might work, but you have to remove the wheels:

Next to your brush pile suspend a roll of chain link fencing rolled onto a pipe between two trees. Drive a couple stakes thru the roll, or chain it, to prevent rotation. When youre full, back up to it and lift rake. Push spoil into pile and youre set to go again.
larry

Based on my experience with the other cleaning methods I think that your suggestion would work. It might be possible to set up a simple mount for such a roll on the rake itself to transport it from one spot to another or it could travel in the FEL.

Even better might be something that was not smooth sided like chain link fence but rather something that looked like a comb. Perhaps sticking some rebar through the chain link so it acted like a comb might help grab the material stuck in the rake.

I was actually wondering about just getting an angle iron with upside down rake tines on it and some method like stakes to hold it in one spot. Maybe have a series of spikes on the angle iron to go into the ground (pushed in by the FEL). With the upside down rake tines held in place you could just back in until metal hit metal or the tines intertwined and then use either 3pt position control or hydraulic toplink to scape the rake clean. I'd guess you'd only need about one upside down tine for every 3-4 rake tines so it would not necessarily be a difficult thing to fabricate.