Any experience with a landscape rake?

glenk · Oct 9, 2023

My lot has a lot of small 2-4" rocks that I would like to clear. I was going to try to collect them by hand with a garden rake but it's just to much. I can buy a 48" landscape rake for my BX for $600 but was wondering if it would be the right tool. My rototiller sorted out all the bigger ones. Thank goodness for it's slip clutch.

Tnx, gk

oldnslo · Oct 9, 2023

Yes it should help rake those into a pile. Problem might be depth control. I have rake with gauge wheels and it works well for leveling and windrowing rocks when angled.

2manyrocks · Oct 9, 2023

I have a landscape rake for the full size tractor, but years ago I needed to get some rocks up in the yard. I bought three or four cheap garden rakes at one of the box stores, welded them to a cross bar, and then fabricated a bracket to use behind a small garden tractor.

The full size landscape rake will be better for larger rocks and tree limbs. Can be also be used on gravel driveways, BTW. Will have good resale value.

If the rocks are too small for a full size landscape rake, you could fabricate something.

CADplans · Oct 9, 2023

We had rocks like that,,
the rake, when angled ,, "windrowed" the rocks,,

Then, I plowed snow with it,, it is a 7 foot rake.

scootr · Oct 9, 2023

I have the same rock situation. Lots of small rocks on the surface. I use a landscape rake to windrow the rocks until there is a bunch of them in a row. Then I scoop them up with a bucket (it takes dirt and rocks) or a rock bucket. Most rock buckets have 3 inch spaces which leaves a lot of the small stuff behind. I dump the small rock in my creek crossing to help make a more sustainable crossing.
I have done this for a few neighbors and they are all pleased with the results.

nyone · Oct 10, 2023

If you leave every tooth in the rake and angle it unless the dirt is extremely dry (like dust) is going to act more like a back blade and just scrape the top surface.

I have found that removing every other tine works very well for doing actual land scape rake things.

Jrasband · Oct 10, 2023

A landscape rake would be a great tool for the job. I LOVE my landscape rake and is prob my most used 3 pt. implement. You might want to get a 5' though.

scootr · Oct 10, 2023

I use a 7 ft rake on my 6ft tractor. When angled some width is lost.

tractortroof · Oct 10, 2023

We use a 7’ rake on a 6’ tractor for the rock driveway, it of course brings big rocks up and it does help build the driveway up and flat, it takes a while to really settle down after we do it

Xfaxman · Oct 11, 2023

Here is my experience with a 6' landscape rake, it is a little different:

Xfaxman · Oct 12, 2023

Here is another of my experiences with the 6' landscape rake, it is also front mount:

duffer · Oct 12, 2023

I use a 7' landscape rake to maintain my ½ mile gravel drive. It works very well for that application, but in your case, with "small rocks" the issue, even at an angle it will likely leave 20%-30% of them on the surface.

A previous poster had a great idea, IMO, by welding a bunch of hand held rake "blades" together and mounting on the landscape rake super structure, so those could be angled. That would do a superior job in getting almost all of the rocks accumulated.

tfuller · Oct 12, 2023

Depending how much land you need to remove rocks from you may be better off hiring someone with a rock hound attachment on a skid steer or possibly renting one if a local place has it available.

Xfaxman · Oct 12, 2023

Here is my experience with the 6' landscape rake in the normal 3 point configuration:

nyone · Oct 12, 2023

Is there anyone with out a bent up rake? Lol. Mine also started to bend but fixed it for good.

John0829 · Oct 12, 2023

I needed something quick for clean up when I got my landscape rake and TSC was the place locally to have one available so I bought it. Sure wish I had not...

Mine looked like a pretzel after first use, in just 30 minutes raking up some limbs I noticed something wasn't right and could not believe damage. Didn't hang it on anything big or solid to put that much strain on it, as it turns out it is just made of soft metal.

nyone · Oct 13, 2023

Na that's just normal metal. I have a TSC one I bought new also. I had to re design it slightly so the pivot pipe didnt only attach to a 6in wide section of the tine frame. That's the same reason why all these bend.

I got the idea from a Woods brand rake.

John0829 · Oct 13, 2023

Post a pic of what you did, I have tossed a few ideas around but not settled on any one plan yet.

nyone · Oct 13, 2023

John0829 said:
Post a pic of what you did, I have tossed a few ideas around but not settled on any one plan yet.

I dont have a pic of mine but this is the general idea. You spread that twisting load that's put on the tine holder way out from the pivot.

I cut off the pivot tube right at my tine holding bar and welded in a 3' section of 2x4" angle iron and filled in below the angle to the tine bar. I have backed into trees by accident hard enough that I broke one outer tine off and didnt bend the rake. It's been a few years since I have done this and raked many acres of land.