landscape rakes?

[SW OR John W]

Still getting into this tractor stuff so please forgive my lack of knowledge....I have a Kioti 2610HST, looking for a landscape rake to level and get rocks out of areas we'd like to plant grass.

Looked at a CNL Rake at Tractor Supply, and a Rankin rake at the dealer where we bought our tractor, who said Rankin is American Made.

Looking, I can see some quality difference in the Rankin, more continuous welds instead of spot welds...but looking for more informed / experienced opinions about whether its worth the extra money. This is something I'll probably use 10-20 hours a year, not a daily driver.

Thanks kindly for any advice.

 

[Wolfy]

You would be better off buying an older used rake. In any event they perform 3x better with wheels.

 

[nyone]

Post a link to the one your looking at so all of us dont have to try and find it.

Buying an older rake sounds great but typicaly people want big bucks for these things or are totally beat to hell..or both.

I have a 8yr old tractor supply brand rake. I did some modifications to it like hanging a 100lb weight off it and removing every other tooth. It really helps smooth things out.

How ever if your expecting this type of rake to leave the ground smooth and mowable with an average lawn mower, it dosnt do that well. Your still going to have to pick rocks. Dragging something like a chain harrow or old bed spring over the ground really smooths things out.

 

[mikester]

Rent

 

[MGP4506]

Still getting into this tractor stuff so please forgive my lack of knowledge....I have a Kioti 2610HST, looking for a landscape rake to level and get rocks out of areas we'd like to plant grass.

Looked at a CNL Rake at Tractor Supply, and a Rankin rake at the dealer where we bought our tractor, who said Rankin is American Made.

Looking, I can see some quality difference in the Rankin, more continuous welds instead of spot welds...but looking for more informed / experienced opinions about whether its worth the extra money. This is something I'll probably use 10-20 hours a year, not a daily driver.

Thanks kindly for any advice.

I love my Land Pride rake. It works great. Stay away from the cheap tractor supply ones. I agree with having wheels (Make sure they are removable)

 

[EverythingAttachments]

For those who are planning ahead and want the absolute best, for the best value, EA rakes can't be touched.

A little paragraph I composed on the subject..
Travis

Rakes Take a Beating​

It's the nature of the beast. A tractor landscape rake, otherwise known as a root rake or rock rake, can be used for grading loose material, smoothing driveways or lots, grooming trails, cleaning up after acreage is logged, or even snow removal. We're talking steel tines being pulled forward, directly on the ground, and usually with debris such as rocks, brush, limbs, logs, roots, or any other sort of rubbish you may run up on. In order to use something like a landscape rake with complete confidence, the rake should be built to perform necessary tasks without the operator worrying about breaking it. Here at EA, before ever making the best rakes you can buy, we had many years of experience using, selling, breaking, and fixing rakes by other manufacturers, so we know exactly where strength needs to be, and how much movement the tines need to perform optimally for a wide variety of tasks. If you demand premium, and only want to buy once, choose EA.
Proudly Made in the USA!

See our various models, videos, and 500+ combined customer reviews here: EA Landscape Rakes

 

[scootr]

Years ago I bought a used Brush Hog brand rake from a neighbor. It is very useful and durable. I use it mainly for raking small 3-6 inch rock into a windrow. Then scoop the rocks up with a bucket.
Being as the tractor is smallish and the use is infrequent I would say you could go for a medium duty or even a lighter duty implement

GL with your projects.

 

[/pine]

I bought a used Woods landscape rake...very solid and heavy duty...
I put end plates on it so now I have a "box rake"....prevents windrows from the ends...!

 

[rScotty]

You would be better off buying an older used rake. In any event they perform 3x better with wheels.

I have to agee with that. 3pt accessories haven't changed much in the last 20 years or more - unless you believe there has been a change in quality of materials and workmanship.
Most of 3pt attachments are simple enough that the average person can do anything needed in an afternoon with hand tools - although it's rarely needed. Name brands seem to have spare parts as needed.

Landscape rakes are a good example. I bought this one used 30 years ago, and it wasn't new at the time. A couple of years ago I ordered some spare parts from Woods & they were all in stock.

This 7 foot Woods is their medium duty rake with decent spring teeth, a flip down grading blade with removeable end caps, two trailing wheels, and is adjustable for angle and height. All the good stuff. You definitely want two trailing wheels. I paid $700 used in the mid 90's.
rScotty

 

[scootr]

The price of that rake new today would shock you. Heck the wheel kit alone is $600

 

[rScotty]

The price of that rake new today would shock you. Heck the wheel kit alone is $600

I guess that's another argument for looking for used 3pt accessories. I see used box blades for $300 and new ones for close to $1000 - and it beats me what could possibly be different about a new box blade versus a used one. Maybe the paint?

Probably we shouldn't even look at the price for the flip down blade and end caps....Which BTW, is a really clever way to add a blade to a landscape rake.

Back to the wheel kit, the original one in the photo above has two adjustments for the length that the wheels trail behind the rake tines.
The positions are: #1 which is way too close or right up against the tines, or #2 which is still too close to the tines to work well, and interferes when it pivots.
The photo shows them in the #2 position.

So if you spend the $600 to get the wheels set, you might want to check that they've fixed that problem.
This might be the year I finally do so myself....
rScotty

 

[scootr]

I'm working on adding wheels to mine... But I got sidetracked adding a cylinder to it sows I could change the angle from the seat.

 

[2manyrocks]

I'd suspect that an older used rake would have higher quality spring tines than whatever they are selling new today if the OP could find one.

 

[rScotty]

I'm working on adding wheels to mine... But I got sidetracked adding a cylinder to it sows I could change the angle from the seat.

The Woods wheels on mine may be expensive, but the quality is there. Ball bearings, cast rims, industrial tires, height adjustable. They just need to sit farther back.

I'd suspect that an older used rake would have higher quality spring tines than whatever they are selling new today if the OP could find one.

It would surprise me if the springs were different at all. Here is a closeup of the Woods landscape spring tines from some 30/40 years ago. They still sell them, so today's should be the same.
Note that they are fairly thick, and the the flexible curved section - the part of the tine that has to bend like a spring - has a long continuous radius. The tine itself has had the edges rounded to reduce fracturing, and it fits into a similarly shaped oval stamped hole in the body of the rake. From an engineering perspective those are all little touches that make it work nicely. No reason to change those kinds of things to save mere pennies.
rScotty

 

[duffer]

IF you can find a used one, I'd go that route. Today's steel prices are crazy.

If you're trying to remove rocks, I've had more success with turning the rake at 45° and making multiple passes. I also like the post from above about putting side plates on it to keep from getting spill over wind rows.

 

[oosik]

I've tried using a landscape rake to clear about an acre of land. Prior to planting into wild grasses. Unfortunately the landscape rake didn't do a good job.

I DID clear all the rock though. A wheel barrow and bending over for each and every rock.

 

[Username Taken]

Still getting into this tractor stuff so please forgive my lack of knowledge....I have a Kioti 2610HST, looking for a landscape rake to level and get rocks out of areas we'd like to plant grass.

Looked at a CNL Rake at Tractor Supply, and a Rankin rake at the dealer where we bought our tractor, who said Rankin is American Made.

Looking, I can see some quality difference in the Rankin, more continuous welds instead of spot welds...but looking for more informed / experienced opinions about whether its worth the extra money. This is something I'll probably use 10-20 hours a year, not a daily driver.

Thanks kindly for any advice.

Rocks, stones or boulders? Just stones, I'd bust them out with my Box Blade then pick them up with my grapple if possible. If they're small enough, I'd just use my EA grapple to dig them up. It's an amazing tool. Spendy, but worth it. The worst part is putting the 3rd function on. Hated that. I could do it again in 1/3 of the time and aggravation but -- There's no 'but'. It sucks. It's got to be done, though.

Unless you have money to pay for it to be put on. That would be nice. I wouldn't know.

Get a Wicked 55. It's like going to the Dentist, might as well get it over with, it ain't gonna get better on its own.

 

[scootr]

I've tried using a landscape rake to clear about an acre of land. Prior to planting into wild grasses. Unfortunately the landscape rake didn't do a good job.

I DID clear all the rock though. A wheel barrow and bending over for each and every rock.

Been there done that. Even invited the inlaws over for a rock-picking BBQ. They all got a turn driving the tractor while the rest of us pitched rocks in the bucket. I tried to have a repeat event but everybody was busy?
Now I windrow and scoop.

 

[SW OR John W]

Thanks to EVERYONE for all the quality responses. I'm reading over and digesting. I will mention for a laugh, the salesperson at my local tractor shop didn't know what the mounting plates on the top of the rake were for. Its now clear to me they are for optional wheels he didn't have in stock. I'll also mention that around where I live (Southern Oregon) its hard to find used implements, and reasonable priced ones seem to go fast, for all the good reasons mentioned aove. Thanks again for helping me slowly progress past novice. Best best community out there. Feels like everyone is on the same side, even if there are disagreements.

 

[Username Taken]

I guess that's another argument for looking for used 3pt accessories. I see used box blades for $300 and new ones for close to $1000 - and it beats me what could possibly be different about a new box blade versus a used one. Maybe the paint?

Probably we shouldn't even look at the price for the flip down blade and end caps....Which BTW, is a really clever way to add a blade to a landscape rake.

Back to the wheel kit, the original one in the photo above has two adjustments for the length that the wheels trail behind the rake tines.
The positions are: #1 which is way too close or right up against the tines, or #2 which is still too close to the tines to work well, and interferes when it pivots.
The photo shows them in the #2 position.

So if you spend the $600 to get the wheels set, you might want to check that they've fixed that problem.
This might be the year I finally do so myself....
rScotty

I've looked for used attachments many, many times. Facebook, various papers, Tractorhouse, even Church bulletins.

Most everything I see is overpriced. I'm talking same as new pricing. You call and it's like, "make me an offer." That's not how it's supposed to work. It's a terrible, amateur-hour way to do business. I got no time for the Mr Haney's of the world.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sF4WCFgIOa4/maxresdefault.jpg

It's like "Bring your Ol' Lady by and we'll dicker." I mean, most of the prices aren't just a little bit high, they're absurd. Beyond absurd. They're idiotic and I won't do business with an idiot.

So I very seldom bother. If I see something and it's priced right, priced fairly, I'll give it some serious thought even if I don't have to have it right then and there.

So, most everything is gone by the time I get to it. Especially these days