County Line(TSC) Landscape rake

[liberty2701]

I was over at TSC lookinag at their 6ft landscape rake. I can get it out the door for $450. It appears well built. Made by Tarter in the USA. I did some reading here about the the brand and alot like them and some hate them. It says rated up to 40hp tractor. Mine is a 50hp. Has anyone used this rake on a tractor my size? If i use it within its limits will it perform as needed? What are the weak spots that will possibly need reinforcement? Yes, I have been looking for a used better quality one with no luck. I am also not willing to spend 700 or 1000 for a better quality new one. I will be using it to clean up a couple of acres that I just cleared of trees. Thanks

 

[sjm1580]

Can't offer any insight to the Tater Landscape rake, but I did have a Tater Boxblade. I racked the support frame and tried to replace after straightening them several times. Tater (only sells through TSC) wanted $275 for replacement. I felt the racked pretty easily and the replacement cost was extreme considering the cost of the unit. I sold it for scrap and just bought a heavy duty boxblade. I know this doesn't directly answer your question, but just my experience with Tater.

For cleaning up just a couple of acres it may be the perfect unit. Hopefully others that have used the rakes can give you better direction.

 

[LD1]

ITs a rake. Not a hard working piece of dirt moving equipment that engages in the ground and can tear things up. Nothing wrong with the TSC rakes IMO

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I was looking at the same thing last year. I went with the Everything Attachments unit. Its pushing $700 but the tine support is Much better and the offset feature adds significant utility.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

The top channel that holds the tines, ends up twisting like a churro. If you use it for very light work, it may be fine, but it sounds like you have some serious clean up to do, I would look at others. Unfortunately I doubt that you will find what you actually need for the $$$ that you are willing to spend.

Good luck.

 

[liberty2701]

The top channel that holds the tines, ends up twisting like a churro. If you use it for very light work, it may be fine, but it sounds like you have some serious clean up to do, I would look at others. Unfortunately I doubt that you will find what you actually need for the $$$ that you are willing to spend.

Good luck.

I went back over to take a look at it. The channel where the tines are looks pretty heavy duty( 2 pieces sandwiched together). My guess is the tube that it pivots on is the weak point. I can not tell how thick the wall is. Does any know if this is the case?

 

[jeff9366]

I was over at TSC lookinag at their 6ft landscape rake.
I will be using it to clean up a couple of acres that I just cleared of trees.

I own both an excellent ETA Landscape Rake AND a Ratchet Rake bucket attachment.

For piling/pushing brush and tree debris a Ratchet Rake out front on your bucket is both more effective and easier to use than a Landscape Rake.

Ratchet Rakes are sold by the T-B-N store, button in the black ribbon at top of this page.

 

[liberty2701]

I already have the ETA single lid wicked grapple for brush. I figured the landscape rake would be better for clean up than the grapple.

 

[Clay45]

Liberty,

I have the 5ft rake from TSC and like it very much. While I did remove some brambles with it while using it to comb trash out of the brush it is not for heavy duty scrub brush removal. That Ratchet Rake looks a lot better suited for that.

After plowing up a small opening with my Middlebuster Plow I used the TSC rake to collect the busted roots I revealed during the plowing. Because it easily spins around I also used it to push everything up in reverse into a nice burn pile.

The only criticizm I have it that for some reason the channel in the main beam tends to hold water and I haven't found a good way to drain it out although some seems to come out when you reposition the angle of the rake. How the rain gets in there is a mystery too.

Regards,

Clay

 

[jeff9366]

"I already have the ETA single lid wicked grapple for brush. I figured the landscape rake would be better for clean up than the grapple."

I do not have a grapple.

A Ratchet Rake tops a Landscape Rake for the use you have specified plus Ratchet Rake is cheaper and nearly indestructible.

((You listed two concerns about TSC Landscape Rake: price and weakness.))


After debris is piled the grapple will be wonderful for moving debris to a burn pile or trailer.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I went back over to take a look at it. The channel where the tines are looks pretty heavy duty( 2 pieces sandwiched together). My guess is the tube that it pivots on is the weak point. I can not tell how thick the wall is. Does any know if this is the case?

This may be the case for the unit you are looking at. I did not have that exact same unit, but I did have one that had that same setup for holding the tines. I would bet that the TSC rake has the same setup, channel is 3/16"-1/4" at best. Now my rake was 8' wide, so a lot of stress can be applied in that width. My opinion is with your 50hp tractor, the 6' unit is to narrow and either a 7' or 8' unit would serve you best.

Just my :2cents:, good luck with whatever you end up with. :thumbsup:

 

[Apsterbobed]

My opinion is with your 50hp tractor, the 6' unit is to narrow and either a 7' or 8' unit would serve you best.

Just my :2cents:, good luck with whatever you end up with. :thumbsup:

I agree with this, I have the Dk40 with industrial tires and a 6' rear blade. When I angle the blade it doesn't clear my tire tracks. But using the sway links on the 3pt to get as much offset I can get the blade to stick out 4 to 6 inches on one side and about even with the inside side of the other tire. The blade was a perfect fit for our JD 790 and I can make it work on the Kioti but it's not ideal. Now if you have tight trails you travel on the 6' might be easier but I would go 7' or 8'. I have also been looking for a used rake and there are plenty of 4' and 5' for a fair price, but it seems like the 6' and 7' are few and far between and priced high.

 

[DKCDKC]

Just echoing the comments that the ratchet rake might do what you want better. They are not indestructible - I managed to bend a tooth - but they are great for pulling and stacking brush. Also good for grading roadways. Even the heavy rakes can be damaged with indiscriminate brush gathering. I have an 8 foot once commercial-type landscape rake I use in grading. I could use it for some brush work, but the RR is so much better I don't. BTW, that rake cost me $100 because I bought it used. Equipment like that is great to get used because you can visually examine it and, if you don't mind rust and slight bends, you can know you get what you want at a good price.

 

[the old grind]

IMO, the EA landscape rake is unparalleled and worth the price in the long run. "GP" was nice enough to loan me his. (thanks, again!) Re-crowned ~250' of my driveway and did in a few passes what my weighted back blade couldn't in a good hour of trying to scratch-up well-packed gravel.

That said, and after watching several Ratchet Rake videos, I realize it would better suit my own land clearing if not the OP's, because I have more saplings (poplar, elm, willow) and brush (autumn olive :thumbdown than weeds or thatch to manage. The mini-BH is the slowest machine I have to maneuver or to cover much ground. The big Deere has 'boocoo' power, but 2WD and ag rubber digs holes when I don't stomp the clutch quickly enough. The NH CUT does 90% or more of my work and goes into cover that thwarts the other machines or IMO could make backing a rake in like 'getting out of a straight jacket in a upper berth'. (btw, how ya gonna pile up stuff drug behind you w/o a grapple & doing a '180'?)

So thanks to you guys (ahem) I just (finally) ordered the 68" RR. Should fit the NH's 60" bucket if not the Deere's 84" Allied's. It would be up front when working (grapple is), very maneuverable, and easy to 'park' (space) when not. (grapple not 'so' ..) ~half the $$ of a LR worth owning. (MHO)

I hope this isn't too far from the OP's quest for a good landscape rake, but the RR has been mentioned and I hope our guy is darn sure what's the best for all his reasons & don't mind taking an extra lap around the bases. (Well, that & I just had to tell someone I finally 'woke up'. Now if I can sleep waiting for my new toy to arrive...)

 

[liberty2701]

IMO, the EA landscape rake is unparalleled and worth the price in the long run. "GP" was nice enough to loan me his. (thanks, again!) Re-crowned ~250' of my driveway and did in a few passes what my weighted back blade couldn't in a good hour of trying to scratch-up well-packed gravel.

That said, and after watching several Ratchet Rake videos, I realize it would better suit my own land clearing if not the OP's, because I have more saplings (poplar, elm, willow) and brush (autumn olive :thumbdown than weeds or thatch to manage. The mini-BH is the slowest machine I have to maneuver or to cover much ground. The big Deere has 'boocoo' power, but 2WD and ag rubber digs holes when I don't stomp the clutch quickly enough. The NH CUT does 90% or more of my work and goes into cover that thwarts the other machines or IMO could make backing a rake in like 'getting out of a straight jacket in a upper berth'. (btw, how ya gonna pile up stuff drug behind you w/o a grapple & doing a '180'?)

So thanks to you guys (ahem) I just (finally) ordered the 68" RR. Should fit the NH's 60" bucket if not the Deere's 84" Allied's. It would be up front when working (grapple is), very maneuverable, and easy to 'park' (space) when not. (grapple not 'so' ..) ~half the $$ of a LR worth owning. (MHO)

I hope this isn't too far from the OP's quest for a good landscape rake, but the RR has been mentioned and I hope our guy is darn sure what's the best for all his reasons & don't mind taking an extra lap around the bases. (Well, that & I just had to tell someone I finally 'woke up'. Now if I can sleep waiting for my new toy to arrive...)

(btw, how ya gonna pile up stuff drug behind you w/o a grapple & doing a '180'?) Not sure what you mean with this. I do have a grapple. The EA wicked grapple. Works great.

 

[jeff9366]

I (finally) ordered the 68" RR. RR is easy to 'park' (space). ~half the $$ of a LR worth owning.

Yes. Storage requires minimum space.

 

[the old grind]

(btw, how ya gonna pile up stuff drug behind you w/o a grapple & doing a '180'?) Not sure what you mean with this. I do have a grapple. The EA wicked grapple. Works great.

Sorry if confusing. (Too far, huh? Perhaps more helpful to those w/o grapple) I pile snow (pull away from buildings with box blade) but don't turn & scoop every 'pull' to be dumped elsewhere. Trying to imagine making much of a brush pile to scoop up w/o driving over several gathered under the 3PH one by one. (job & fire pile not always adjacent, move 'short' pile later & I do have plenty of thorny autumn olive and black locust to grub)

That we have grapples you'd think they'd do well for clearing brush, but ... there's always more than one way to skin a cat & I'm counting on the RR not hooking into a 'super' root while 'charging forward' thru mixed & iffy stuff like the grapple might. (so, might be over-thinking the job)

I'm sure LR tines would deflect around the worst obstacle, but that's where EA's method of attaching them impresses beyond just the offsetting feature and o'all ruggedness. (retired Toolmaker who loves the smell of fresh-cut steel. :laughing: )

Saw a guy carve up a brand new KK LR after a few runs because he'd grab more in it than would just drop out when raising the 3PH. He bolted the crossbar/tines to the FEL bucket and can gather a huge ball of greenery, lift the tines clear more easily to go back for more. (Some of us old guys do 180s better steering with the wheel than turning around in the seat.)

Ain't that grapple sweet, though?

 

[hookdrvr]

I have one of the 6' TSC rakes pulled behind a 60 hp JD for about 5 years now. I use mine primarily for raking up limbs, roots, etc after I've cleared an area of stumps with my dozer. Having all the tines installed raked up too much dirt. I removed every other tine and that made a huge difference, allowing dirt to pass through but still catching the big stuff. I've had to repair mine a few times after catching it on things that will twist it around. I'm using it for way more than it was intended, but its worth the money for lighter work. Sure there are more expensive versions out there, but I can buy two of these for one of those. Good luck with it.

 

[oldpilgrim]

The ratchet rake is available from tsc.


Check out their online site for customer reviews on about everything.

I git my RR there and really like it. Very useful.

 

[Chain Bender]

I have a 5' TSC. I've never been one to "baby" any piece of farm equipment. I have backed into and turned into trees with it. So for that part "my bad"! However, the tines don't seem to be much stronger than tension bars on chain link fences. It's a pain in the rear trying to keep MOST of them bent in or out in a semi-straight line. They don't seem to have much "spring" to them. I advise new users to keep their top link screwed in short so the bite on the rake isn't very aggressive. I don't understand the horsepower rating on a rake. Unless you are raking something at 45 MPH. My L3200 pulls my 5 footer just fine. Even when I have a ball of dirt and roots the size of a 55 gallon drum rolled up in front of it.

Good luck with what ever you go with,
CB