Landscape Rake Gauge Wheels

[donconnery]

Which makes leveling it a PITA, because the wheels touch the ground, yet the arms will go lower still, which changes the angle. I don't know when to level it. Say I level it when the wheels make initial contact with the ground. Now I have to get to that exact same spot every time I lift it up, or it won't be level anymore. If that makes any sense?

 

[Avenger]

On a level piece of ground, lower the rake to it just barely touches the ground. Set your top link to your desired angle you want your rake to be at. Lower your wheels to where they touch the ground (if you want to use them) and take some of the weight off the rake. Take a sharpie and make a mark on the slot where the 3pt control lever goes though, make the mark on the front of the lever. Raise up the 3 point and drive out to where your going to be working. Now, lower the 3pt to the mark, no need to lower it all the way down. Drive forward. Now, if you are not moving enough material to meet your needs, lower the 3 point a little bit more. Make a mark on your LEVER that intersects the mark on the slot. Now, when you lift up, you can set it down in the exact same spot. If that dont work, I dont know what to tell you.

I use my rake all the time and I never seem to have a leveling problem.

 

[donconnery]

July 15, 219 - YouTube

I uploaded a video maybe this will clarify. It's a small tractor, I don't have a control lever like you. Unless I'm that dumb.

 

[Croomrider]

You are not "that dumb". Avenger has a position control 3-pt and doesn't understand how yours works.

Avenger, his is more like you trying to adjust your FEL to the same height on every pass!

 

[donconnery]

You are not "that dumb". Avenger has a position control 3-pt and doesn't understand how yours works.

Avenger, his is more like you trying to adjust your FEL to the same height on every pass!

:laughing::laughing:That would have been a much easier way to describe it than going out and recording a video.

 

[zzvyb6]

The top link serves no purpose on a rake intended for leveling. Use a chain and leave it loose while raking. The rake should sit on the tines and the gauge wheels. That's what they are for.

So, that being said, to cut down ridges, ripples, and to fill holes and ruts, you need a lot of weight on the rake to make it cut. Set it on a 45 degree angle s that the length of the tine group serves as the elevation smoothing plane. The teeth will almost be next to each other as seen by the road. I use large chunks or iron and steel to make it dig. I have enough so that the 3 pt hitch struggles to raise it when traveling.

The lower link height should be set so that when the 45 degree angle is pinned, you get the amount of road crown you desire. Do this for each side of the road or driveway. Then set the rake to zero angle and run it down the center in order to give it that professional, groomed look.

The gauge wheels set the plane of the road, independent of the tractor. If you use a rigid top link, the tractor pitching motion will evolve into a roller coaster in your road.

 

[Avenger]

You are not "that dumb". Avenger has a position control 3-pt and doesn't understand how yours works.

Avenger, his is more like you trying to adjust your FEL to the same height on every pass!

OHHHH!!!!! ok. Gotcha. That's what you meant. Well, that changes everything!

 

[BukitCase]

First off, apologies Don - I wuz starting to think you were "that dumb" (which still beats "stupid" - "dumb" is usually curable by learning, where "stupid" usually isn't

Second, I WAS "that dumb", never knew Kubota's smaller tractors didn't have position control (all my stuff is old, see my list)

Anyway, if I read your comments right your 3ph has only 2 modes, float or lift? See if this would work to get repeatability -

Set your gear up STATIC, with rake at depth (and attach angle) you want, adjust gauge wheels so they're on the ground - then set some blocks UNDER your lift arms, and try to lower the 3PH FURTHER - this is to make sure there IS no "power down" (you already "fooled me ONCE" :laughing

If the above is TRUE, you may be able to rig a couple chains and/or a turnbuckle of some sort, so that your 3PH can NOT go any LOWER than those "snubbers" - if that works, then you would just raise the 3PH between passes/turn-arounds, and lower it ALL THE WAY for the next run - that should get you the repeatability, and it's a few $$$ cheaper than a new tractor

any confusion on what I said please ask... Steve

 

[donconnery]

Wouldnt a lose chain and not being attached at all serve the same purpose? I don't have a chain for that right now, tried disconnecting. I see what you mean, but something still isn't right. With it set up like that, I can not lift rake high enough off the ground to take up the wheels.

 

[BukitCase]

The chain (in order to work as I meant) would need its upper end connected to something that does NOT move when the hitch does - the lower end of the chain would attach to the lift arm(s) so they could still go HIGHER, but not BELOW your low setting. As long as you lowered the hitch far enough each pass so it hung on those chain(s) it should work... Steve