Rake brush rake for FEL

[Cord]

We are looking at a piece of property that could use a good clean up. I'm thinking about building a brush rake for my FEL to assist in the job. Anybody build one? I was thinking of adding a thumb to the rake so I could pick the brush up and carry it. If I built a 48" wide rake, do you think a single thumb would be adequate? Once we finish cleaning things up, I'll have some logs to move. Nothing huge. With a single thumb would the brush rake be able to pick up and carry single logs?

 

[Highbeam]

Do a search for root grapple and prepare to be enlightened.

 

[beenthere]

I have the bucket as well as forks, and find between the two, brush moving and log carrying works very well. Tipping the forks straight down moves brush along the ground, and then the forks will pick up a huge pile for transporting. The bucket will also push brush but won't lift and carry it (there is where a thumb would be handy on both the bucket and forks).
To me, a brush rake would have limited uses other than raking brush, whereas the forks have many different uses (mine are on my 3pt now for moving pallets of firewood, both to the house to bring in dry wood on pallets and for moving the green, split wood out of the way for a min. of 2 years drying time). I use the forks for digging rocks, removing (mining) layers of limestone for walkways and stone walls, and find the forks in use as much as the bucket.

 

[Cord]

I was actually toying with the idea of using some forks. I need to be carefull though. My tractor is small and the loader capacity is only 750lbs. With some forks, I know that I'll be carrying pallets and such and will ultimatly break something.

It seems as if brush rakes are more for dozers and such. I've seen the threads for root grapples and thought they were being used to dig out roots, not clear brush. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[HomeBrew2]

Feel free to check out my pix if you'd like. I've been using forks on my BX (less lift capacity than yours) for a year now with great success. My designs are extremely light weight but hold up to the tractor's capacities.
My front pallet forks work fine for lighter stuff and will dig into the ground somewhat but, they really weren't designed for that.
My brush forks will pick up and haul a lot of loose brush, lumber, small logs, and can dig, again, to a limited extent ... but they only weigh 40#. I use a landscape rake (or bare bucket to bulldoze) to collect and pile brush then the forks to move it to a biger pile. I really haven't found the need for a grapple with the 4' wide brush forks ... especially not for the several hundred $ they cost.
Cheers!

 

[Highbeam]

I suppose the term root grapple is misleading but it will turn up all sorts of grapples with the search for ideas. The ability to grab relatively dirt free brush your bucket after shoving it into a pile is the goal. For strictly a rake, I have found the toothbar on my bucket to work well in raking brush and limbs off the forest floor and pushing them into piles. If I am truly root raking, I use the box scraper with the teeth all the way down and engaged to rake roots. There is a big difference between raking roots and pulling stumps though.

 

[Cord]

HB2-I've been thinking about building a box simular to what you have shown for moving firewood. How does your little Bx handle the weight?

 

[HomeBrew2]

To begin with, the boxes are pretty stout; used by farmers for transporting fruit. My BX handles a box full of soft wood (fir, cedar) easily. Note that I'm too lazy to tightly pack the wood in the box though. I just throw a bunch of it in. It will not, however handle more than half a box of oak. I use my 3PH forks for that.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

I'm intrigued by the BH thumb you built. Can you put on a close up of how you attached it the BH arm? Very COOL!. BobG in VA

 

[HomeBrew2]

Bob, the attached is as good as I've got right now. I can get a better one later if you need it. I just used 4 @ 1/2" x 4.5" gr. 5 bolts with nuts and lock washers. Because the dipper stick is tapered, applying force against it with the bucket just jams it tighter so it really can't move around.