Very disappointed with my landscape rake

[AlbertC]

I know I am probably the first to say this but I am disappointed with my landscape rake. I am not disappointed with the quality of the rake, I bought it from Everything Attachments and the workmanship and materials are top quality.

Problem is it doesn't seem to do a very good job for what I bought it for. I have lots of trees and lots of limbs. Previously, I hooked up my 12 ft utility trailer to my tractor and drove around and picked up limbs by hand. It is a lot of work and takes a lot of time. I thought the rake would make the job much easier but it hasn't.

The problems I have encountered are that I am frequently jumping off the tractor to turn the rake around for pulling and pushing limbs. Also, every time I rake limbs to a location I have to jump off the tractor and kick the limbs off that are tangled in the times. Also, my land is not perfectly flat and it seems that I rake more leaves sometimes than I do limbs.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to improve my use of the rake? At this point, I kind of regret that I bought it.

 

[otlski]

Gage wheels might help but makes it so switching from pull to push becomes a unbolt/rebolt task.

 

[Gordon Gould]

You might try removing every other or two out of three tines on the rake to let the leaves pass thru and let the branches shake out easier. Just a thought and not guaranteed to work.

gg

 

[jeff9366]

I have an ETA Landscape Rake and a Ratchet Rake bucket attachment.

The Ratchet Rake is superior to the Landscape Rake for every task involving tree debris.

 

[AlbertC]

I have an ETA Landscape Rake and a Ratchet Rake bucket attachment.

The Ratchet Rake is superior to the Landscape Rake for every task involving tree debris.

Unfortunately, I don't have a loader.

 

[Captain Dirty]

I know I am probably the first to say this but I am disappointed with my landscape rake. I am not disappointed with the quality of the rake, I bought it from Everything Attachments and the workmanship and materials are top quality.

Problem is it doesn't seem to do a very good job for what I bought it for. . . . At this point, I kind of regret that I bought it.

The chorus from those of us who have, use, and like various tooth bars on our FELs has already begun.
Those who have, use, and like grapples will soon join in.
You may get a comment from some who use pallet forks and some who use a chipper in tandem with a trailer.

Otiski and Gordon have made some operational suggestions. You might try driving over the offending limbs in an attempt to break them into more manageable pieces. With sufficient time and experience you may become so adept at using the rake that you could comb a baby's hair with it.

 

[bambam31]

I’ve experience the same problem you describe. Someday I will remove every other tine to hopefully prevent the limbs from getting jammed. Fortunately, I don’t have to use it very often. I’m glad I only paid $250 for it off Craigslist.

 

[PHPaul]

When I saw the title to this thread, my immediate response (before reading) was "Probably because he's using it for something it wasn't designed to do."

I was right.

It's intended purpose is to work dirt, not limbs and twigs. If you're raking freshly spread loam, it will pull out clods, rocks and the odd twig or root. Even then, you have to get off and clear the tines occasionally if the loam hasn't been screened.

Just the nature of the beast. Still beats a leaf rake.

 

[Thomas]

"Probably because he's using it for something it wasn't designed to do."
Agree. just have to keep trying.

 

[Oldoak]

When I saw the title to this thread, my immediate response (before reading) was "Probably because he's using it for something it wasn't designed to do."

I was right.

It's intended purpose is to work dirt, not limbs and twigs. If you're raking freshly spread loam, it will pull out clods, rocks and the odd twig or root. Even then, you have to get off and clear the tines occasionally if the loam hasn't been screened.

Just the nature of the beast. Still beats a leaf rake.

That was my thoughts too.

But then again, what ever works for other people, go to it, even if it means modifying it to suit other purposes.