Gauge wheels for landscape rake

[MadReferee]

For the past several weeks gauge wheels for rakes and box scrapers have been big discussion items here on TBN. The price for landscape rake guage wheels has been reported to be around $225 give or take. Well that is more than I wanted to spend so I decided to make my own for my homemade landscape rake.

After a little search I found the 13" wheels on Ebay and the rest of the material came out of my scrap bin and from leftovers of previous projects.

The next few posts contain the details.

 

[MadReferee]

Here are the parts before assembly but after welding.

 

[MadReferee]

Here is the stringer tube and one of the forks. The tube is 1" ID schedule 40 pipe and the stringer is 2" x 2" x 1/4" steel tubing.

 

[MadReferee]

Here is a closeup of one of the wheel forks. The spindle is a 1" x 6" hitch pin I bought from Agri-Supply. The forks are 2" x 3/8" flat bar and the fork base is 2" C-channel. I drilled axle holes for 13" and 10" wheels just in case.

 

[MadReferee]

This picture shows the brackets made from scrap. They are 2.5" angle. The reason for the diagonal cut is that it came from the short side of a rectangle and is cut at 45 degrees. I screwed up on the length so into the scrap bin it went only to be resurrected for this project.

 

[MadReferee]

The wheel installed. I still have to make a few spacers for the spindle to set the proper height.

 

[MadReferee]

Now for the best part, the cost. I have less than $35 invested into these gauge wheels and $22 of that (including shipping) was for a pair of wheels from ToolsAmerica on Ebay. Total time spent was less than 8 hours, only because I work slow. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Finish was 2 coats of Rust-Oleum protective enamel.

Now all I got to do is figure out how to spend the $200 I just saved. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Henro]

Paul,

Those wheels look great and may actually work a lot better than what I have as far as making things flat.

I am attaching a pic of the KK gage wheels I bought for my KK rake at a cost of $150. Probably more like $175 since I had them UPS shipped, rather than wait for the normal truck... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

The wheels are mounted the way the KK instructions said to. This surprised me as I thought they should stick out more, like yours do.

The one advantage of the KK setup may be that I can rotate the rake without the wheels getting in the way...

 

[MadReferee]

Bill, I took your advice and moved the wheels out fairly far. The stringers are 3' long which puts the wheels out almost 2' from the tines. I chose that distance because that is what I had leftover for tubing.

Although my rake was designed to rotate 360 degrees, I have never tried it or needed to rake backwards. I do have angle settings for 15 and 30 degrees both right and left.

I can remove the stringers very quickly as only 2 bolts hold each one to the brackets.

 

[Junkman]

Very nice project. The only thing that I see missing is the grease fitting for the wheel spindle and one drilled in the wheel for the axle. I find that running in dirt, my Howse wheels need a lot of grease all the time. What is the next project?????? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MadReferee]

Junkman,

Those wheels have bearings on both ends and are a tight fit around the 5/8" axle. The fork spindle tubes are supposed to be 1" ID but are really just shy of 1 1/8" ID. Plenty of room for the 1" spindle to turn freely and not hold dirt, although I did think of putting a fitting in there.

Between now and November I have very little free time due to college soccer referee committments. However, I think my next project will be to add a hydraulic cylinder to the chute deflector on my Puma snowblower. Since I will not be using the tilt link for the winter I will have a free spool to use for the chute cylinder. After that I think a hydraulic angle for my back blade would be next, unless, of course, something else interesting comes along.

 

[djradz]

Very nice job Mad. One thing I immediately notice and then got to thinking about with all these wheel installations is: With the wheels so far out, it seems there could be quite a bit of susceptability to any change in the top link of the 3-pt, almost so much that you wouldn't need any adjustable pieces in the wheel spindle, just change the top link length slightly, and the rake will rise or fall correspondingly. Have you noticed this to be the case yet? Maybe that is why some of the manufacturers bring the wheels in so close (which makes them useless for going backward - unless you turn the rake around) but makes them less susceptable to the position of the top link. Seems out so far might also make the rake more sensitive to the ups and downs of the front end of the tractor, but it might be a pretty minor effect.

Did you look at all at premade spindles? TSC sells the wheel/spindle assempbly for about twice the cost of the wheels alone, but it still seems reasonable compared to what the rake-makers want. Anyway, very very nice.

 

[rbcsaver]

Mad,
Very nice project. I have a Land Pride LR1572 which Iused for the first time today. I did not buy the wheel set because of the cost. T rake alone was $580 last summer. I know now that Iwill need to make a set of wheels. If you drill and tap the wheel spindle collars,
then you can use a set scew/nut etc to set the wheel height while in the field. Welding a small pipe perpendicular to the collar, then drilling/tapping the whole thing will give you more threads.
regards,
Steve

 

[MadReferee]

I thought about that but I figured for my uses, once I got it set right with collar spacers I would never have to change it.

 

[djradz]

Yes, and the little that you might can easily be accommodated with just a slight lengthening or shortening of your 3-pt top link. Longer link, less digging by rake, shorter link - more digging. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[PILOON]

I like your setup and think I'll borrow a lot of it

ONLY
I will adapt it to my back blade to make it into a 'guaged' grader.

I have been mulling ways of adding 'guage wheels' to my blade as I grade a fait bit and am tired of the whoopie doos that tend to happen.

Mind you grading backwards cures that, but kinky neck I can do without.

The guage wheel with spacers should solve the problem of the tilted blade for crowning operations.

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I was looking at the wheels (tires) you used. I have a landscape rake (not sure of the manufacturer now) but the gauge wheels are "solid rubber pieces, mounted on a rim" (the best way I know to describe it). They are very heavy, and have a tendency to plough in tilled soil rather than turn (I have kept the shaft well lubed). I have wondered if a lighter tire would work better, but was afraid a tubeless or tubed tire might roll off the rim when turning. Can anyone give me some advice from their experience? )</font>

Hasn't happened to me. The air filled wheels tend to just float along.

 

[Freds]

My ga wheels are filled with air, also. They work equally well whether using the rake or the blade in snow.

 

[awilco]

Old thread, wanted people to know you can build a cheap wheel. Who needs 2? My Land Pride 60" weighs less than 175 lbs. Ran cross a heavy caster wheel at TS for $10 + 2 trailer clamps and an old piece of oak. 10 minutes later have a functioning gauge wheel. Works fantastic and about $15 total.

 

[airbiscuit]

Pics please ...