Ratchet Rake

   / Ratchet Rake #1  

El Wood

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Messages
280
Location
Michigan
Tractor
JD 3320
Hey guys, I'm thinking about purchasing a Ratchet Rake and have been reading a lot of reviews. It seems like an awesome tool. I have some light grading to do but mostly, the tool will be used for brush clearing. I've already had a dozer do the heavy work and thought a Ratchet Rake would be a great addition. My other option would be a landscape rake but I fear that a landscape rake wouldn't be very effective at tearing out light brush. Have you ever used your landscape rake for brush removal? Would the ratchet rake be a better investment?
 
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   / Ratchet Rake #2  
Hey guys, I'm thinking about purchasing a Ratchet Rake and have been reading a lot of reviews. It seems like an awesome tool. I have some light grading to do but mostly, the tool will be used for brush clearing. I've already had a dozer do the heavy work and thought a Ratchet Rake would be a great addition. My other option would be a landscape rake but I fear that a landscape rake wouldn't be very effective at tearing out light brush. Have you ever used your landscape rake for brush removal? Would the ratchet rake be a better investment?

I too have thought about getting a Ratchet Rake, but I don't have any brush to remove. My main usage would be to help chew-up our road before box-blading it. I do have a landscape rake that I use on the road in the spring, but very seldom use it after that until the leaves fall. IMO, the LR would load-up and not take the abuse that the RR would. So, IMO, the RR would be best suited for removing brush. 'Course that's just my opinion.

Where 'bouts in MI are you?
 
   / Ratchet Rake #3  
My friend and I both have them. Work well. My friend loves his for maintaining gravel driveway. I like my for ripping out honey suckle!
 
   / Ratchet Rake #4  
I, too, have been thinking of a RR, but for coral rock removal from pastures. Anyone have experience with rock removal and an RR? I am also considering a landscape rake (root rake?!) for the smaller coral rock. I was told a "power rake" is really what I need, but I can't find one to rent and am told they are very expensive.

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   / Ratchet Rake #5  
I have both RR and LR. The RR is great for brush, vines and saplings. It tears it out easily and allows for piling the trash, etc. I also use it for my gravel driveway, but to touch up small holes and ruts between use of a boxblade. If I need the boxblade to have more gravel to work with, however, I just put the scarifiers down and it works perfectly. Usually I need do nothing.

The RR is also great in pulling out vines in pasture too low for a rotary cutter, and for tearing out sod for a seedbed. It's also great to have the implement in front of you and not, like the LR, behind where you can't watch it closely.

The LR is of little use in brush because it does load up quickly and is hard to empty. Trying to pull brush with it is also taking a risk of bending tines or the rake itself when you hit a bigger sapling or stump. I use the LR several times a year to pull gravel back into my mile long gravel drive. My blade pulls in lots of dirt and trash when I do that. The LR, however, brings only a little bit of trash in and it usually blows away quickly. The LR also pulls out the random larger stone that surfaces in the drive sometimes. And it is good for pulling rocks out of a garden or just soil.
 
   / Ratchet Rake #6  
I have a RR as well. I like it a lot. It works well for created a seed bed for grass seed as well. I live on rather hilly ground and it wants to wash a lot. I can drag little trenches with the large teeth and seed it and it has worked well. My only advise is to try and to put the ratchets behind the bucket rather than in front like the instructions show. I ruined a ratchet first thing as some brush bent it up and broke the handle. Ratchet rake replaced it free of charge with no questions asked.
 
   / Ratchet Rake #7  
Ok I mist be stupid or something! I know what a landscape rake but just what is a ratchet rake?
 
   / Ratchet Rake #8  
I, too, have been thinking of a RR, but for coral rock removal from pastures. Anyone have experience with rock removal and an RR? I am also considering a landscape rake (root rake?!) for the smaller coral rock. I was told a "power rake" is really what I need, but I can't find one to rent and am told they are very expensive.

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RR and rocks (bigger rocks) aren't good - around here we have ledge and embedded rocks and I got the RR to clean up after stump removal. Trouble was the RR kept skipping over the embedded rocks and losing the load.

So I used the York landscape rake better for this job anyway. Also the RR is something you have to remove to do FEL work so a tooth bar for you may be better.
 
   / Ratchet Rake #9  
It slips over your bucket cutting edge, 2 ratchet straps and 2 cables hold it on. It has 2 rows of VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV's. One row sticks straight out, and one row points down. This allows you to pull brush out going forward and smooth out going back. They work great on my gravel drive also.

Dave
 
   / Ratchet Rake #10  
 
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