94BULLITT's Home Built 3 Point Hitch Dethatcher

[jenkinsph]

I have had to patch a lot of lawns in the past and it can be difficult to make it match. I have in the last few years found that it is faster and easier to till it all up and replant, and now is the time to do it. You have enough time to grow the roots that will block out the weeds before spring.

 

[94BULLITT]

I have had to patch a lot of lawns in the past and it can be difficult to make it match. I have in the last few years found that it is faster and easier to till it all up and replant, and now is the time to do it. You have enough time to grow the roots that will block out the weeds before spring.

I had a sinkhole that I filled in. The grass I used does not match the rest. I plan to someday overseed everything with it. It is way thicker than what is on the rest of the yard and it is a darker green than the rest.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Yours is cool too. I almost made mine attach to my trailer mover. I thought about making a front mount instead of a 3PH but with the weight bracket and grill guard it would be a pain to attach. Did your tines come bent or did you bend them? I bent a few extras I had. I think it may have worked better but I don't have that much thatch to do a good test on. I think I am going to add gauge wheels next. I think the weight of the 3PH, QH, and dethatcher is too much for the tines and it bends them too far back.

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The total unit weighs something less than 200#.... Like said, I have an identical tool bar with 21 chisel shanks about 12" long... They bolt on and are infinitely adjustable.... With gauge wheels that unit weighs about 325#....

The tines are JD baler pickup teeth.. The cheapest option available from my local farm supply... I bent the last 1" a little forward... But straitened them back out as they would clog up and stay clogged when raised... Strait tines pretty well self clean when raised... With the highest wheel setting it only cuts 3/4" deep... That is more than enough as with 3 rows of teeth, it is very aggressive... I have never used it any deeper than that... It works well on the damp gravel drive also...

I have 4 garden bed hiller wheel that are 16" diameter... It will make 2 closely spaced planting hills, or adjust width as needed... I plan to build a set of raised bed forming shoes one day.. To date I have had fun experimenting with different ways to prep rows.. But have only planted food plots of my own so far...

I also have been thinking of building a pair of side boards that will pin onto the tool bar frame... Also a couple cutting edges will pin in place to turn the tool bar into a pin together land/road plane.. Covington type planters or what ever else comes to mind...

Good luck...

 

[94BULLITT]

1I know clover is a sign of low nitrogen.

I meant to say nitrate.

===
The total unit weighs something less than 200#.... Like said, I have an identical tool bar with 21 chisel shanks about 12" long... They bolt on and are infinitely adjustable.... With gauge wheels that unit weighs about 325#....

The tines are JD baler pickup teeth.. The cheapest option available from my local farm supply... I bent the last 1" a little forward... But straitened them back out as they would clog up and stay clogged when raised... Strait tines pretty well self clean when raised... With the highest wheel setting it only cuts 3/4" deep... That is more than enough as with 3 rows of teeth, it is very aggressive... I have never used it any deeper than that... It works well on the damp gravel drive also...

I have 4 garden bed hiller wheel that are 16" diameter... It will make 2 closely spaced planting hills, or adjust width as needed... I plan to build a set of raised bed forming shoes one day.. To date I have had fun experimenting with different ways to prep rows.. But have only planted food plots of my own so far...

I also have been thinking of building a pair of side boards that will pin onto the tool bar frame... Also a couple cutting edges will pin in place to turn the tool bar into a pin together land/road plane.. Covington type planters or what ever else comes to mind...

Good luck...

I had a few extras and tried bending one of mine but I decided to keep them straight. That is a good point on a bent tine clogging. I also used JD baler teeth.

 

[94BULLITT]

Here is the dethatcher with the top link connection gone



Caster and plates for caster to bolt to



Caster for gauge wheels



Getting ready to weld the new upright on, 3/8x2'' bar. I have a bottle jack under the lift arms to have the Qh sitting against the lift arm pins, There is a bottle jack leveling the dethatcher, and I have the QH sitting level.



Dethatcher level



Qh level



This the were the uprights for the top link get welded, they are also level, they must have been welded on there right.



Tractor covered with welding blankets.



A shot of the new toplink uprights, it looks better than the angle from before



So you guys will know I don't throw my stuff together here is a picture of a square at the upright for the left lift arm



So right now I need to go over it and make sure everything is welded, add the gauge wheels and I have decided to add park stands. It is stable with out the park stands but I don't like the weight sitting on the tines. I am probably going to hang it up inside once I am done.