Beach maintenance: chain harrow, landscape rake, rocks, other?

[johnsayen]

Hi all,

Recently got first tractor (L6060) and have been using it to clear our beach which on the lake side is mostly sand and on the grass side is mostly dirt. After back-blading to tear up most of the grass and roots I started dragging a drag/chain harrow with the tines in the down/dig position. It helped clean up quite a bit of material but I've also kicked up a good amount of rocks/gravel in the process. I've got a 3-point landscape rake on order which I intend to use into the future to help with all of this, and I'm looking for help in the meantime to try to produce a nice beach experience.

What do you recommend as a next step? Flip the harrow so the tines are up/not digging and drag? Try spending 900000 hours picking rocks by hand or using a leaf rake? Other?

Included a picture - thank you.

 

[WranglerX]

Leave the rocks, if you remove them only more will float up next season.... To smooth things out I use a section of chain link fence folded over a "T" bar fence post and chain to tractor, maybe add some weight for more smoothing action...... Basically its a flat surface dragging on the ground and tends to knock off the humps and fill the voids... You can try flipping the harrow to see if will give finish you desire, "zero" cost in that..

 

[Peace]

Can you go to the local equipment rental and get a Bobcat with a Rockhound attachment? $3-400 a day. They pick up everything from 3/4-8” rocks.

RockHound 72B | The Original Landscape Rake | Valley Tool Mfg

The RockHound 72B Landscape Rake is the original skid steer implement designed to remove rocks, level ground before sod is laid or prepare seedbeds.

valleytoolmfg.com

 

[jeff9366]

Swap the chain harrow end-for-end.

 

[johnsayen]

Swap the chain harrow end-for-end.

So that the tines still dig in but not as deep? The idea being they will help pick up the rocks a little? Better than flipping it upside down with the tines pointed upward? Thank you.

 

[sea2summit]

I would go to the rake but I'd remove a bunch of tines and shorten the top link so it doesn't dig at all, maybe drags more than scrapes.

 

[jeff9366]

I would go to the rake but I'd remove a bunch of tines and shorten the top link so it doesn't dig at all, maybe drags more than scrapes.

Chain Harrow would be my preference.

If using a Landscape Rake, orient it backwards, so the tine tips are oriented to the rear. It will not dig in.

 

[jeff9366]

So that the tines still dig in but not as deep? The idea being they will help pick up the rocks a little? Better than flipping it upside down with the tines pointed upward? Thank you.

YES.

 

[civilian]

So that the tines still dig in but not as deep? The idea being they will help pick up the rocks a little? Better than flipping it upside down with the tines pointed upward? Thank you.

Flip it over so the tines are up. Might have to reattach hooks to bar. I use it three different ways, no tines, shallow tines and deeper tines. Jon

 

[JohnnyMX]

If you have a harrow there is no point in doing a homemade job using fence. That is usually what you do when you don't have a harrow and want a cheap/quick fix. FLIP it over. You would think it wouldn't do anything, but it will smooth it out and will most likely actually capture some of those rocks as you make your passes. If you can, drag it all to one area and clear the harrow of debris so you have a limited number of piles to remove later.