72 inch Rachet Rake on sale at TSC $199

[PapaPerk]

I used and abused my ratchet rake today breaking a cable, bending the metal handle on the tie down strap and cracking the top connector where it attached to the tooth.

Since I have to take it to the welder anyways, I was going to get them to weld a side piece of metal on it to be able to bolt it on to the inside of the bucket using the existing holes that I use for my tooth bar.

Has anyone added side metal bars to the ratchet rake for bolt on convenience?

Could you post a pic. Thanks!

Wow abuse sounds right. How did you manage to break a cable?!

 

[txdon]

Wow abuse sounds right. How did you manage to break a cable?!

I think the bottom of the rake caught on a stump. After the drought in 2011 in Texas we lost a lot of oak trees that have fallen over but there are stumps at ground level or slightly below ground level.
It's just a little cable and the handle on the strap is bendable, but what concerns me is the cracked rake.

I'll get some photos of the damage. Don't get me wrong, I love the rake and will repair it better than it was before. It may be tough but not quite tough enough for a Kubota and a Texan.

 

[txdon]

I really can't tell if the weld is cracked or the paint on the weld is cracked?????

The strap handle on one end got bent up and the cable on the other busted - at different times.

The last picture is the area that I was clearing.

If it is just the paint I think I'll just get the forest service tie downs from their site.

 

[JN4310]

On my bucket a 72" piece of 1/4 x 1 1/2 flat bar just fits between the top mounting brackets and the cutting edge. I'm going to weld it to the four brackets and add side flanges to bolt to the bucket sides. It will be the same way that tooth bars attach. I'll leave the two bottom brackets to fully capture the cutting edge.

I think that I will still be able to tilt the bucket down to dig small roots and bushes out, going forward or backwards, but without the straps in the way I'll be able to load material into the bucket normally. In my clay soil, the bottom teeth just don't seem to do very much. I can't seem to even dig grass out with them, but the front teeth work great.

 

[txdon]

The ratchet rake is not cracked. Only the paint is cracked. I scraped away the thick powder coating and the bare metal underneath looks good. Since no welding is needed, and I have a heavy duty bucket, I am going with the forestry service connection hardware (binders & shackles). - just a few $ more than the standard tie downs and cables.
http://ratchetrake.com/images/ratchet_rake_fs.pdf

 

[txdon]

The ratchet rake is not cracked. Only the paint is cracked. I scraped away the thick powder coating and the bare metal underneath looks good. Since no welding is needed, and I have a heavy duty bucket, I am going with the forestry service connection hardware (binders & shackles). - just a few $ more than the standard tie downs and cables.
http://ratchetrake.com/images/ratchet_rake_fs.pdf

 

[mikeinstafford]

How do you use a RR on a box blade?

Thanks for the thread comments and pictures. I brought the last 68" in Richmond and used it on saplings, related vines and brush.

I was really excited to use it and was amazed at the result. It is so good I did not want to take the rake off the FEL. So I ordered another to use on my box blade. It has arrived and I use both this week.

I will provide photos later this week. It is doing a faster job removing the than the rented Bobcat with Forestry Cutter. It pulled saplings out by the roots. I pushed forward and then back. The brush and vines back and then the MX5 rotary cutter mulched most of it.

Quite amazing! Thanks to all for the thread.

Jim