Specking out a landscape rake

[kirklowj]

Hello,

I'm in the process of determining what type or make, model etc. landscape rake to buy for my Kubota B3030 HSD. I am thinking of a 72" rake but I have heard that some designs will not hold up to the type of raking that is done after trees are cleared etc. I have cleared 2-3 acres some flat and some sloped (5-7% grade). There were a lot of vines in the area and even though I had the tree stumps removed there are still a lot of small roots under ground from the vines. Some information that I received said that almost any design that employs a angle iron cross member for the teeth will eventually twist and bend form the amount of torque on the ends of the bar. A box design for the teeth is preferrable. In my search so far, most of the designs I have seen are the angle iron cross member design i.e. farm force, bushhog, and I think the woods "standard duty" series.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to what would be a good landscape rake for my tractor and type of terrain I'm dealing with. I know Woods has a "medium duty" 72" rake that may be a good fit but I was quoted a price of $1200. I really didn't want to spend more than about $800. I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

thanks,
kirklowj

 

[pitt_md]

I just finished doing some reserch on this issue. One of the better units I found for the money is the Leinbach. I ordered a 84" unit with wheels.
Here is a link to the Ebay site with a 6' rake.

6' Tractor Root, Rock and Landscape Rake FREE SHIPPING - eBay (item 200241037720 end time Jul-29-08 10:08:36 PDT)

 

[CHDinCT]

Hello,
A box design for the teeth is preferrable. In my search so far, most of the designs I have seen are the angle iron cross member design i.e. farm force, bushhog, and I think the woods "standard duty" series.

thanks,
kirklowj

My 60" Farm Force from TSC has a boxed section where the tines mount to the frame - just thought I'd let you know. Maybe the larger versions use angle iron only. I have not used it yet so I can't comment beyond that.

 

[RobJ]

You can tear up anything if you try real hard. Since I built my 5' rake a few weeks ago, you can quickly see how they work. If I drag it over a small stump, a couple of the tines will pop over it. If I get it caught on a vine, it'll eventually break it or the vine pull through the space between the tines(mine is 1.25"). Even though I used 5" channel on mine, I guess my simple design would avoid bending the bar. With most of them that pivot in the middle there is a lot hanging out there. The one posted in the Ebay link looks plenty strong even though the tubing doesn't go all the way out, just a little unsupported angle.

Unless you wack it against a tree, or its 8' wide with little support, most ImO should be plenty strong.

I love my rake for doing just what you said.

Good Luck,
Rob

 

[ronjhall]

I have a 84" Land Pride landscape rake. Works very well on my B2910. Gage Wheels make a big difference in getting the job done. The extra width makes it easier to work close a building or other object. Of course it does have a lot of swing when making a turn.
Price today are higher than when I bought mine. $800 for a brand name landscape rake may be on the low side unless it is used.

 

[kirklowj]

Thanks for all your input. It's like anything else I guess, you get what you pay for. There are some rakes out there by some manufacturers that are reasonably priced for a 72' rake i.e. Farm Force, Leinbach, Bush Hog. The prices for these rakes range from $465 (Farm Force) to $675 (Bush Hog). The designs on all are very similar. The Farm Force is a box like design for the tine cross member but the bottom is segmented into 4 pieces. I originally wanted to purchase one of these rakes at TSC but several people had posted information stating that the rake had twisted and bent after little use. In one case someone said the rake bent in just several minutes of light use. I couldn't believe something that looked well constructed could not stand up to normal use. So that is why I started this thread. I wanted to see if anyone on this site had a similar experience.

The same size rake in a Woods or Land Pride goes up in price to $875 for a standard duty or $1200 for a medium duty Woods. I have not heard any complaints about these manufacturers so I'm wondering if there isn't something unique about their design that enables the rake to be used for some tough use that is often the case when clearing property.

 

[RobJ]

This is interesting to. When I first used mine it puts very little load on my tractor. On a hard surface I move the 3pt lever all the way down and it just rides along the ground. I thought the tines would catch and "pop" all the time, not so. If you have a lot of limbs, it doesn't take long to fill it up and stuff starts getting under the tractor, time to dump. I even hooked up with a couple 4" dead trees, no problem. I ran it in the garden to clean it out, the sand would pile up a little but quickly filter out if I raised it a little or got back on the grass.. Hard to believe they get that expensive.

 

[rcowan]

Modern has one.

I'm not sure of the quality or price on it but I have a rotary cutter and box blade that seems to be dong well.

 

[Charlesaf3]

Get heavy duty, and get gauge wheels.

I have the farm force. Its junk. Light work beats the **** out of it. I should have paid more in the first place. I'm now looking for a used one of good quality with more understanding of where the failure points are.

They are much more useful than I would have guessed by the way, especially for earth moving and road maintenance.

 

[kirklowj]

Charlesaf3,

Your response is very similar to some information I got over the internet when I started to spec out a rake. I looked at the farm force at TSC and they look like they are built rugged enough but after hearing some of the stories from people who have them there were a couple unsatisfied customers. The heinbach and bush hog designs also look fairly strong but they are also priced fairly low in relation to land pride or woods. I would like this to be my one and only landscape rake purchase so I guess I'm a little overly cautious. Anyway, I am going to visit a land pride / woods dealership this week and if they convince me that the designs on those rakes are superior to the cheaper models, I'll probably go that route and cough the extra money.