Grading 00 Series Root Raking & Grading

[michellesc7]

About 2 months ago I bought a new root rake - skid steer design, separate attachment for my 4wd 6500 FEL. I have been doing alot of rootraking and grading with it. It does okay, but I have stalled the tractor alot if I put it in 3rd or above gear. 2nd gear seems optimum. for really tough work, 1st gear. I have alot of work to do and not a whole lot of time (have to take care of my guys), so I am looking for suggestions on techniques for using this root rake. Mostly raking and contouring ground that has been bulldozed. I am also trying to root rake an area that has bamboo roots. I will take any suggestions. My root rake looks homemade - I bought it new at an auction.

 

[Dougster]

About 2 months ago I bought a new root rake - skid steer design, separate attachment for my 4wd 6500 FEL. I have been doing alot of rootraking and grading with it. It does okay, but I have stalled the tractor alot if I put it in 3rd or above gear. 2nd gear seems optimum. for really tough work, 1st gear. I have alot of work to do and not a whole lot of time (have to take care of my guys), so I am looking for suggestions on techniques for using this root rake. Mostly raking and contouring ground that has been bulldozed. I am also trying to root rake an area that has bamboo roots. I will take any suggestions. My root rake looks homemade - I bought it new at an auction.

You may have a lot of work to do, but I would take it slow & easy with a root rake made for a skidloader but mounted on a tractor FEL. It's scary for me (with a mere 4110) to think about stalling a 7,000+ lb. 6500 4WD using a root rake at higher speeds. I would be worried about damaging the FEL or worse.

As folks here (and elsewhere) have repeatedly told me... it's best to do serious ground contact work pulling with 3-Pt hitch implements rather than pushing with FEL attachments. Don't get me wrong... I am a big fan of root/rock rakes (with or without grapple arms) and plan to use mine for the very same purposes around trees, property lines and in sensitive, close quarters situations. But for those wide open spaces, I'll be depending on a rear blade or box blade, landscape rake and a middle-buster or sub-soiler for attacking the worst areas. After that, I will turn around and use my root/rock grapple to pick up the pieces!

That being said, I noticed early on that some root rakes appeared to be far more prone to getting "stuck" than other designs. I specifically chose one that I felt would be easier to control.

Dougster