Ratchet Rake - ever seen/used one?

[karks]

Hi All - My name is Eric and I'm the web designer who worked with the Kostyak's on the Ratchet Rake website (my business URL is Karks.com). Just wanted to let you know that yes, this is a legitimate product and the owners have been keeping up with the forum. This morning I have posted their address on the website, along with some customer feedback which is on the home page.

This is a fairly new invention (as far as being sold on the market) but I know that Brad has been working on it for many years. The thing actually does do what they say it does.

If you want to view the history of the product, feel free to check out:
Ratchet Rake, LLC - History

 

[dodge man]

Geez, now I want one also. If I order anything else for my tractor, my wife will leave me. Well, maybe next year. I have an acre or so of trees and brush I would like to clear out the small stuff and plant with grass, it looks like the perfect tool.

 

[The Dougster]

I'm curious as to what some real tooth bars might cost? Just a question mind you....

Tomatoes in BBQ sauce? Who makes BBQ so bad that it needs sauce?

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Besides clearing out some old brush, the wife wants me to level some areas in her riding arena. I'm going to see how well the rake does with this project.

My plan for back dragging with the rake is to use the float position first to see how it does and go from there.

I bet it would work well at back-dragging banked up arena footing away from the kickboards. In combination with the heel of the bucket I bet it would level arena footing fairly nice. Slight bucket curl adjustments would vary the depth of penetration of the teeth.
I would probably want to lose the ratchet straps though and use chain all the way around the bucket, hooking into turnbuckles, like some clamp-on round bale spears use.
I think I paid $400.00 Cdn for my 72" toothbar.

 

[CHDinCT]

Interesting product. I'll wait for the reviews, but one thing in the design would worry me and that's how much wear the straps would take when back draging. Would seem the nylon straps would eventually tear from contact with rocks/roots/etc. Wonder why the bolt on version is no longer available as noted in the video.

 

[Bedlam]

I agree the straps would seem to wear.Id like to have been able to see how it bolts onto the bucket. It could and should be fairly simple to weld some thing up.I assume the advantage of the straps is that it can be moved from on machine to another.

 

[rbcsaver]

From the bottom of their web page:

Ratchet Rake LLC· 405 Woodlawn Lane · Carlisle, PA 17015

regards,
Steve

 

[EE_Bota]

"Ah Hah!! Mr. EE Bota is from North Carolina or so he claims and he's accusing me of being an industrial spy. Now we know who is actually behind the Ratchet Rake being built in their home. He let it slip that he did not want me showing up at his house unannounced which soundss to me like almost a confession!!! You have to watch those NC guys, some of them can be sneeky. I see he hasn't answered the NC Barbecue question, guess he's asking the born in NC residents what I'm talking about and they won't tell him. The truth is coming out about EE and we'll all know when he doesn't know the answer and can't find the answer. Locals won't tell a foreigner much of anything."

Ah Hah! WHAT DID I TELL YOU PEOPLE!!!! Having infiltrated the rachet rake business, this HIGH POWERED industrial spy claiming to be from the Ky province of China is after SECRET BBQ ingredients!!
I was JUST ABOUT to answer, but one of my so fisticated city friends from Charlotte came in and in litened me about fancy industrial spy tech-neeks.
He said even if I tell you what's not in it, it puts you closer to knowing what IS in it.
He said I am not allowed to talk to anyone from the Ky province until I have read "The Art of War" by SunTzu.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I knew it! Mr Bota, EE that is, not Mr Nu Bota who is from another state, isn't from NC. North Carolinians will admit in a hearbeat that there are no tomatoes in barbecue sauce. OK, one more question to see if you've even been in NC Mr EE. What color is NC Barbecue? I've been spending alot of time researching the geneaology of this Bota family around the country and the conclusion of the genealogists I've talked to say they are from Japan. Now he's accusing me of being Chinese and he's oriental himself. Now I've been to Japan and China but I'm actually rooted for over 200 years in Ky. My grands settled in Md from England passed through NC and spent a few short years and then moved to the promised land of Ky in the late 1700's.
Talked to my brother in law, a machinist and had him look at web site to appraise value of product in regards cost to make. He said the grade of steel and thickness of the $299 one is a good deal at that price. He looked up patient and saw it started in 2004 and originally was welded pieces before now being what looks like bent steel and originally bolted on before straps. He speculated it changed to straps from bolts for convenience to quickly attach to bucket. If it's an issue I'm sure holes could be drilled to make it bolt on. I had a toothed bar on an earlier tractor and I believe this will do a much better job for what I want it to do than a tooth bar. The finer tips and spacing appear to better meet my needs. Hope you guys get yours quick and report back. I want one of these. Mybe they will let me go to Denton, NC to EE's house and pick it up. He'll probably have a bunch of raw fish to eat if he even offers me anything to eat. I may bring him some of the Colonels Chicken (fried).

 

[NuBota]

I agree the straps would seem to wear.Id like to have been able to see how it bolts onto the bucket. It could and should be fairly simple to weld some thing up.I assume the advantage of the straps is that it can be moved from on machine to another.

On the site I saw where they suggested using chain on the bottom of the bucket....

Ratchet Rake - Photo