How good or useful is a tractor rake?

[wooftank]

Guess it also depends how even is your ground

 

[Onecountry]

Been looking at one of these for use in timber by wood pile and using on roads on farm.

 

[kenhar]

Depends entirely on what you're raking. Works fine around the house but not in the woods or clearing ground. Raking brush, I use a chisel plow with all the teeth on the back row. Spring mounted teeth work best. Can't use on a small tractor very well because of the ground clearance. Does wonders raking tree limbs and brush.

 

[jjeff]

Recently bought a 60," Chinese made rake plugs into a 2," receiver fortunately I had hacked together three point trailer mover with a 2" receiver so I plug it into that ran it down overgrown Xmas tree rows picks up branches and any other debris blocking my rows run into piles lift three point and it drops it off in piles usually I'll torch or chip them. Works great because it was a receiver plug in attachment was a fraction of the price of a dedicated tph attachment can take pics of my set up available on request. I do use a hydraulic top link with it seems to make it work more effectively. Finally starting to get pretty good using 8018 electrode simply turning down the amperage turns what sounded like burning bacon blow thrus into properly cooking bacon lol.
I might hard face the rake tines with 8018 especially if I'm using it to clean up branch and other debris off drivable gravel access rds.

 

[Runner]

Recently bought a 60," Chinese made rake plugs into a 2," receiver fortunately I had hacked together three point trailer mover with a 2" receiver so I plug it into that ran it down overgrown Xmas tree rows picks up branches and any other debris blocking my rows run into piles lift three point and it drops it off in piles usually I'll torch or chip them. Works great because it was a receiver plug in attachment was a fraction of the price of a dedicated tph attachment can take pics of my set up available on request. I do use a hydraulic top link with it seems to make it work more effectively. Finally starting to get pretty good using 8018 electrode simply turning down the amperage turns what sounded like burning bacon blow thrus into properly cooking bacon lol.
I might hard face the rake times with 8018 especially if I'm using it to clean up branch and other debris off drivable gravel access rds.

That is a very interesting observation. I wonder if the reduced weight (not having the three-point connection A-frame) helps it to "float" and not dig in?

When you are using it, do you have it tilted forward or backward with the top link?

 

[jjeff]

The trailer mover i Hacked together that I plug it into has A frame it was mostly off a repurposed tp attachment in derelict condition I had no use for. I did have use for a tph trailer mover though. You run the hydraulic top link retracted it does seem more aggressive and the tines dig in the ground sometimes aggressively, extended its less aggressive think because the curvature of end of tines are more parallel if not floating above ground. You really want to use the rake aggressively which I don't recommend especially the quality of this one you can retract the top link break thru the ground then extend top link until you hit rocks or roots it can dig down pretty aggressively. Not using the draft control. Both my old kubotas have two different set ups for using tph regular up down found on most tractors and draft control lever which is what I normally use when rakes on. Anyways I usually set draft control midway and use lever for controlling top link and subsequent tine angle.

 

[sixdogs]

I've heard that you can plow snow with a landscape rake, but never tried it. Never understood why it might work better than a blade, but maybe the tine arrangement allows any gravel that it picked up to fall through while the snow is lighter and keeps rolling sideways?

I'm going to have to remember to break out the rake and try it sometime.

I think the vibrating times help work the snow to the side of the blade and off the edge. It doesn't flow through the tines, nor do any stones. You can't use a rake on soft gravel and set it down hard on the gravel or it will pick some up.

I keep my 8 ft blade on a sharp angle so that also helps the snow ever to the edge. Best is on frozen ground and not possible on a snow that has set on warm ground or a few days. Shorter rakes work since you'r driving over the snow first, before the rake hits it.

 

[Rockbadchild]

"the most useful implements" ?? hard not to find that funny as a statement.

your #5 is a good idea, I would think it would work great for that

''5)We have a horse paddock that's compacted with sand on it. It's about 50x60, level & hard as concrete. Horse piles I clean area every 2 weeks or so. Would it work for that?''

 

[sixdogs]

"the most useful implements" ?? hard not to find that funny as a statement.

your #5 is a good idea, I would think it would work great for that

''5)We have a horse paddock that's compacted with sand on it. It's about 50x60, level & hard as concrete. Horse piles I clean area every 2 weeks or so. Would it work for that?''

Pretty sure of it. I'd borrow one first to try it out but should be no problem. Best if you have draft control so the dips and lumps get flattened out, rather than accentuated.

 

[sixdogs]

Understanding Draft Control---Here's a thread on draft control. Yes, landscapes rake without it but they tend to raise high spots further and the low spots lower. Draft control is where the magic happens.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/understanding-draft-control.443419/