Rake Landscape Rake thoughts

jcmseven · May 10, 2005

Fellow Posters,

I hope I am not treading on trodden ground, but I am interested in getting a landscape rake for my John Deere 3720. I would like to get the Frontier brand because I have an I match hitch on my tractor. My major (and about only) use for the rake would be to smooth the gravel in my 350' gravel drive. The drive is quite steep (25%) and with my box blade, I can level it but not smooth it well. I leave ridges, no matter how I adjust the BB. I want to know if the LR will smooth the drive well after blading. Currently I have to smooth with a shovel the high spots. I have to do this about every three, four days and more if it rains. Thoughts?

John M

chriswheeler · May 11, 2005

I don't use a box or blade anymore, just the rake. The rake brings the 3/4" crush gravel back to the top, smoothes it up and grades at the same time. I have 450 feet on a 1% grade. After a few passes, I roll over it with the compaction roll and it last quite awhile. Does a great job of weeding at the same time.
Chris

JackIL · May 11, 2005

Your life will be much easier if you also equip the rake with gauge wheels.

JackIL

KiotiJohn · May 11, 2005

Very likely the problem you're having with the boxblade is that you're not ripping out the surrounding material around the low spots and then leveling. This can be done easily with a boxblade, but takes practice and work.
If you only drag to fill low spots, they'll just come right back. You have to break down the whole area of indentions, and then drag the material back level.
I would shorten the top link to give the front of the box the advantage, no inside rear blade contact, just scarifiers digging in and break up the material. After you have it broken up good, lenghten the top link to allow the rear inside blade to contact, dragging the material to where you need it. You have to almost constantly adjust the box, drag to fill it, ease it up as you move to drop it, then push back with the outside rear blade to fill the missed low spots. Just experiment some with it before you go buy a rake, unless you don't have a problem with adding the rake. You'll find other uses for the rake as well.
John

creeper · May 11, 2005

My rake doesn't have gauge wheels.It also doesn't work as well as a pulveriser, wich has rippers in front then a box followed by a spike wheel to smooth it all out. For me, after all is broken up it is a one pass deal and its done.I paid under $600 from agri-supply and have had it for 5years. Just a thought.

JimMorrissey · May 12, 2005

Landscape rakes are pretty useful attachments. However if you are only trying to knock down high spots from the blade, you could try to drag a section of chainlink fence behind you. Zip tie or wire tie a piece of pipe to the end of the fence section and make some kind of yoke to pull it with. If you feel you need more weight, you could add a few 2x6s to the width on top of the fence. That'll flatten the high points out and make a nice even finish.

As others have suggested....If you get the rake make sure to get the gauge wheels, otherwise the rake will dig at the rear as the front of the tractor rises up on a bump. It's hard to make the surface nice and even without the gauge wheels.

bellweather · May 12, 2005

John

I maintain my 500' gravel driveway with a landscape rake (LandPride). It does a very good job of smoothing, grading, as well as breaking down the roadbed to eliminate potholes. I strongly recommend gauge wheels. Initially I did not have gauge wheels, and it was not possible (for me) to avoid a washboard effect...what someone on this forum referred to as "whoopty bumps". And as someone already stated, the rake does a good job of weeding and clearing leaves and other debris.

cmhyland · May 12, 2005

I think a Landscape rake is like anything else. The more you use it the better you get with it.

I finally added guage wheels to mine last fall and it's like a whole new world. What a difference.

I can cut material, I can move it, I can rake out debris, and I can smooth it...

I love mine.

Regards,
Chris

seapea · May 12, 2005

What works best, a tow behind rake or a 3ph rake? I noticed with the York rakes, there seems to be more distance between the rake and the wheels in the tow behind version. This seems like it would be better for light grading, but I'm not sure. I think it is setup this way to allow for angling. For the 3ph version, the wheels are attached to the rake so they angle together. For the tow behind version, this isn't possible, so more clearance is needed to allow for angling.

cmhyland · May 13, 2005

Seapea,

I could be wrong but I'd rather have the 3pt model. With the tow
behind the wheels set the height and both wheels adjust in unison.

On the 3pt I can have one side of the rake cut more than
the other and crown a road or move material.

I just think there are more ways to use the 3pt models.

Regards,
Chris