Front-End Loader Ratchet Rake // Today

[jeff9366]

I had a snarled mass of wild grape vines and brush near a gate. Decided I should clear it today, before everything emerged from dormancy.

Photo #1 Ratchet Rake on bucket. Downward oriented teeth make this attachment excellent for pulling brush and light grading, but you cannot dig a hole with a Ratchet Rake attached to your bucket.

Photo #2 "Before" Note Ratchet Strap tensioning Ratchet Rake against FEL bucket lip.

Photo #3 Another "Before" photo.

Photo #4 Technique I used today was to grab the vines and brush with the downward facing teeth, then pull them out with the tractor in reverse. Then lift the bucket to drop debris. Drive over debris to take another bite.

Photo #5 "After" I will let weather settle the dirt for a week or two, then excavate the Palmettos with a Bucket Solutions' Bucket Spade FEL bucket attachment. Finally, I will add fill and smooth.

Photo #6 Ratchet Rake spreading fill dirt.

Photo #7 + Photo #8 I had my seven tine Dirt Dog "All Purpose Plow" AKA Field Cultivator on the Three Point Hitch.

Photo #9 + Photo #10 Used DD Field Cultivator to pull 500 pounds of removed detritus to the burn pile. Very little of the load lost, though it was a 1/4 mile pull over an asphalt road to the burn pile. Probably as effective as a grapple for transporting tangled detritus. I never got off the tractor.

Photo #11 Bucket Spade on Kubota B3300SU.


SEE OTHER RATCHET RAKE THREADS IN THE "SIMILAR THREADS" BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.

 

[JPRambo]

Good luck with removing palmettos with the shovel bucket attachment. They are a force to be reckoned with.

 

[jeff9366]

I have excavated over 1,000 Palmettos with the Bucket Spade. Occasionally Palmettos four layers deep. It is usually a two or three stab job. Sometimes up to six stabs.

I have Kubota's optional L2296 Heavy Duty, Round-Back bucket, which is a rigid base for the Bucket Spade.

 

[hturner12]

I have cleared about an acre with the ratchet rake. The only minor problem is the ratchet straps were taking a lot of abuse. They warranted one out for me. Since I have a lot more clearing to do I am going with chains and binders

 

[ProjectKing]

Great pictures and write up!

 

[blb078]

Can you go forward with a ratchet rake with it on the ground(dirt) like using it as a rear landscape rake? I've been looking at one of these and figured it would be much more useful than a landscape rake for what I want.

 

[Jw5875]

Can you go forward with a ratchet rake with it on the ground(dirt) like using it as a rear landscape rake? I've been looking at one of these and figured it would be much more useful than a landscape rake for what I want.

Yes, should use the "float" position of your front loader.

I use my "rake" a lot breaking ice along my road during winter in float position.
Also do the same in reverse.

JW5875

 

[jeff9366]

I've been looking at one of these and figured it would be much more useful than a landscape rake for what I want.

Yes you can. Either with both set of teeth engaging the ground or, alternately, with just the short, lower teeth engaging the ground.

A Ratchet Rake is better than a Landscape Rake for piling brush. When piling brush with a Ratchet Rake you usually operate the tractor in reverse, pulling the brush into a pile.

Expand on the precise task you wish to accomplish ~~~~~

 

[hturner12]

Here is a photo album of what I have done so far with mine.

Land - Google Photos

 

[jeff9366]

I have excavated over 1,000 Palmettos with the Bucket Spade. Occasionally Palmettos four layers deep. It is usually a two or three stab job. Sometimes up to six stabs.

I have Kubota's optional L2296 Heavy Duty, Round-Back bucket, which is a rigid base for the Bucket Spade.

Recent photos.

 

[jeff9366]

6/09/2016​

This post concerns Ratchet Rakes Vs. light Box Blades, such as the 60" Land Pride BB1260/346 pounds/69 pounds per foot.

I searched for the weight of kubota L3301 bucket but could not find a number. I presume L3301 bucket weighs approximately 240 pounds, extrapolating from other kubota specs. 68" Ratchet Rake weighs 88 pounds. Adding 240 + 88 = 328 pounds, pretty close to 346 pounds of BB1260 Box Blade.

In addition, the (operator controlled) weight of the FEL frame bears on the Ratchet Rake. Likewise, weight of the Three Point Hitch bears on the Box Blade. FEL frames weigh much more than ( 3X? 4X?) Three Point Hitch components. So, including some FEL weight, I guesstimate that ground contact pressure on Ratchet Rake and BB1260 would be at least equal, perhaps greater pressure on the Ratchet Rake.

Further in Ratchet Rake's favor you have articulation of bucket/RR combination in two planes from the operator's station and 1-1/2" serrated teeth on the Ratchet Rake.

Box Blade can be raised and lowered hydraulically from the operator's station. Box Blade angle of attack is adjustable via the Three Point Hitch Top Link, but not from the operator's station. Standard Box Blade does not have rippers, standard is a smooth cutting edge.

Ratchet Rake is capable of tearing up sod with its serrated teeth, the initial operation in much grading. The Ratchet Rake will not pull as large a load as a Box Blade but it may pull 35% of capacity of BB1260 per pass, with faster cycles. Ratchet Rake is more intuitive in operation than a Box Blade, which requires considerable experience to operate efficiently.

This is why I feel the Ratchet Rake is superior to light Box Blades for LIGHT grading.

I own both a Ratchet Rake and a Rollover Box Blade.

When I have heavy grading to do, I mount my 60"/625 pound (125 pounds per foot) Bush Hog (brand) Rollover Box Blade on the tractor's Three Point Hitch AND the Ratchet Rake on my FEL bucket.

 

[hturner12]

For the most part I keep my ratchet rake on my Ls 3025. Since I am mostly clearing vs grading it works well. I did make one modifaction I replaced the straps with chaind and binders as was busting straps. I have hooked up my jbar light duty box blade with sacrificer and used them together.

 

[yellerdog]

This is my first real question on the forum. I hope I am asking the question in the right place. I had a guy come in and mulch about 7 acres of my twelve acres. I want to rake the wood chips up so I can get the grass to grow quicker. I am looking at getting a landscape rake or the ratchet rake. I think I would be able to do a wider variety of things with the ratcher rake. Will the ratchet rake work good to get the wood chips all together. The landscape rake I hear has to have more weight on it to make it work in the application I want to use it. Any advice and opinions are appreciated.

 

[rekees4300]

I have used a Rachet Rake on wood chips and it works very well. Never used a landscape rack so have no opinion on that.

 

[hturner12]

The lanscape rake is a 3point attachment. The ratchet rake attaches to your bucket. With on you a limited scooping ability because off the teeth on the bottom. I have run both rachet rake and box blade together

 

[jeff9366]

Decided to clear a mass of wild grape vines from an overgrown fence row yesterday. PHOTO #1
I attached the Ratchet Rake to the bucket and mounted my EA Subsoiler to the tractor's Three Point Hitch.
Pulled out a 1-1/2 tons of vines in an hour.

The Subsoiler was useful in pulling/loosening grape vines below soil grade.
Ratchet Rake gripped vines above ground and pulled surface material plus considerable loosened roots.
Ratchet Rake is a first rate tool for consolidating debris. PHOTO #2
Green debris is piled against a tree as a backstop, so pallet forks can be fully loaded. PHOTO #3
I will have my 650 pound Box Blade mounted as counterbalance when carrying dried vine debris 1/3 mile to the burn pit. PHOTO #5 not taken yesterday.

Next I will mount a Dirt Dog APP (All Purpose Plow/Field Cultivator) in place of the EA Subsoiler and rake out residual roots 12" deep. Subsequently I will Disc Harrow lightly and Chain Harrow in order to leave a very smooth, attractive surface, then seed with Buckwheat in mid-March as a green manure to shade out weed seeds which germinate. Considering a row of mixed fruit trees after the ground is lovely. Perhaps two each Satsuma Tangerine, Fig and Sand Pear.

I have more vines to remove but I made a start. PHOTO #4

I was appreciative of the 1,650 pound FEL lift/downforce capacity (estimated after 1,700 engine hours) and the extra weight of Kubota's optional L2296 round-back, heavy-duty bucket during this job.

 

[rekees4300]

Had a Ratchet Rake for several years. When it comes to cost vs. benefit, it's hard to beat.

 

[jeff9366]

dlctcg 6/2021

Is there a reason the 68” version would not work with a 72” FEL bucket that has a bolt on reinforcing edge installed?

If the mounting gap on the RR is a tight fit over the bolt-on edge on your bucket, after use you may need a sledge to break the RR free.

So I called RR about RR fitting the FEL bucket with the bolt-on edge installed. After much discussion they recommend the 68" width because the RR would have room to be positioned left or right along the bucket to avoid conflict between the edge attachment bolts and the mounting parts of the RR. The standard RR will accommodate a bucket (or bolt on edge) up to 7/8" thick without modification. However with (designed) modification it can handle up to 1-3/8" thickness....

 

[Frankenkubota]

I have cleared about an acre with the ratchet rake. The only minor problem is the ratchet straps were taking a lot of abuse. They warranted one out for me. Since I have a lot more clearing to do I am going with chains and binders

i broke one of the QA metal straps soon after i got my RR.

I have calmed down since then.

 

[Gord Baker]

If you have any rocks in the soil those flails and rotary cutters can cause sparks! Nuff said.