Best bang/buck landscape rake?

[Chainsaw.]

I bought a King Kutter one from a local store (Runnings).

It works fine. It's a 7' rake. I'm trying to remember what I paid for it, but it was no where near $600. I think it was $400?

My only complaint is that I can't rotate it all the way around to face the tines in reverse while it's hooked to the tractor. Not a real big deal, since I don't really need to do that often. But it can be angled to the right or left. And 7' is wide enough that with it angled, it will still cover my 6' wide tire tracks.

I mostly use it to rake my gravel driveway once or twice a year.

So far it's held up fine, nothing bent or broken.

Have you tried running a shorter top link? Sometimes a shorter one, shortened all the way up and lifted fully will create enough space to spin the rake around to use in reverse….sometimes.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Have you tried running a shorter top link? Sometimes a shorter one, shortened all the way up and lifted fully will create enough space to spin the rake around to use in reverse….sometimes.

I haven't, but I'm not sure it would do any good. I run out of clearance at the back tires. Swinging the rake around hits a tire before hitting anything else, hard to visualize without a picture, I know. I think instead of a shorter top link, it would have to be a much longer 3pt hitch frame to extend the rake farther back away from the rear of the tractor. I don't think I have any pictures of it hooked to the 3 pt for reference.

It's not a huge deal, but on the rare occasion where I would want to rotate the rake all the way around, it would be nicer to do it while it's hooked up. Instead of unhooking it and trying to keep it balanced while walking the hitch around.

 

[John0829]

A short top link will angle the rake more toward the ground and if short enough it will clear the tires. I have to do this when I put the 6' rake on my 1025R

 

[Chainsaw.]

I haven't, but I'm not sure it would do any good. I run out of clearance at the back tires. Swinging the rake around hits a tire before hitting anything else, hard to visualize without a picture, I know. I think instead of a shorter top link, it would have to be a much longer 3pt hitch frame to extend the rake farther back away from the rear of the tractor. I don't think I have any pictures of it hooked to the 3 pt for reference.

It's not a huge deal, but on the rare occasion where I would want to rotate the rake all the way around, it would be nicer to do it while it's hooked up. Instead of unhooking it and trying to keep it balanced while walking the hitch around.

Ah yup. You just don’t have enough room. If its a plain ol rake (no hydraulics etc) perhaps you could extend the rakes frame? The majority of them seem to be 4” box tube between the 3 point and the actual rake, toss another foot or so of tube in?

 

[LouNY]

I've had a rake for a number of years, no idea of the brand.
I bought it from a local JD dealer years ago after he wasn't a Case dealer anymore.
I have used it for light dressing in the driveway to trying to clean the lawn with it.
My most common use is when we get a inch or two of wet snow on a thawed driveway.
Or like this week when we have had icing events, it works good to break up the ice
and stir a bit of dirt around on whats left to draw the sun and provide a bit of traction.
It will also break up the ice on the concrete in front of the garage giving a rougher surface with some grip to walk on.

 

[SmallChange]

Anyone have a County Line one?

I have one, I think it's 5'. It has worked fine for me for 25 or so years. One thing I've done with it often is pulling snow out of the corners -- the tines cover enough of the area that the snow doesn't fall between them much.