landscape Rakes at work

siphoxolo · May 9, 2004

It would be greatly appreciated if you would mind posting some photos of you landscape rakes at work.

I am about to embark on a large landscaping contract and would like to see how exactly these implements function. Its the first time Ive seen anything like it.

Not that mechanised here in South Africa. Loads of Labour for hire over here you see. Theres no /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif real need for these labour saving devices

Thanx a stack

Siphoxolo

BobReeves · May 9, 2004

Can't answer your question quite yet, maybe in a few days, in the mean time am hoping someone that knows will chime in.

Just bought a 6 foot rake today and have never used one. I've been trying to get a 170 foot circle leveled and cleaned up for thee last two days working with a disk, box blade and home made drag made out of heave duty chain link fence. My problem is the grass clumps just bunch up in a pile when the pile gets big enough the drag ends up going over the top leaving a mounds of dirt and grass all over the place. The rake is a last ditch effort before calling in a landscape company.

LoganWildman · May 10, 2004

I co-own a landscape company and we use our landscape rake for many tasks. Everything from pulling debris off, to pulling rocks off, to grading, to spreading gravel. It is a very usefull tool.

Currmudgeon · May 10, 2004

I've found that you can pull grass and brush quite a way with the landscape rake, if you set the top link right. right now, I'm grooming out the property line, getting rid of vine tangles, leaves, dirt piles, and scrap metal. The rake does a pretty good job of that.

When using the rake to clear nup the windrow and transport the stuff to the waste pile, stuff will spill off the ends and the rake will randomly override the pile, depending on exactly when the junk balls up and rolls. But several passes does a pretty good job.

The rake moves a lot of dirt along with the grass and brush. Perhaps taking off every other tine would pull more brush and spill more dirt. As it is, the stuff goes into a pile. I'll let it compost and use it for lansdacape fill in a coupla years.

More than about a hundred yards, the multiple raking gets to be a nuisance, so I pile it and move it with the front loader.

The levelling will take patience. I haven't started that phase of my restoration yet, but you need to get the clumps and root wads out, or it will always be a lumpy mess. The rake appears to be the tool for that, although some areas will probably be stubborn and require hand work with a manure fork and the FEL bucket.

BobReeves · May 10, 2004

Spent the morning with the landscape rake, after two days of fighting clumps and two hours with the rake to get rid of most of them I am completly sold. Still have a few clumps but had to get to work so will finish it tomorrow morning.

Eric_Whitney · May 12, 2004

Bobcat has a nice Quicktime video of the Landscape Rake in action. You may have to get the quicktime player if you don't already have it installed. You can get it on www.apple.com

Here's the link to Bobcat

Bob Cat

I'm renting a Landscape rake today. I let you know how it works.

siphoxolo · May 16, 2004

Thanks for the response. Thats some landscape rake from bobcat , Not at all what I Had in mind. Never seen anything like it here. I think a Normal landscape rake behind a Kubota would do me just fine. Just have to do some homework to see who could manufacture me some tines.

any assistance with info would be gr8

Cheers

Siphoxolo /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

rockyridgefarm · May 16, 2004

I understand the tines are the tricky part, and there are only one or two companies that make them. I bet it would be a good plan to have some shipped in, rather than trying to make them...

OkieG · May 17, 2004

Talked to Tractor Supply this weekend. They sell replacement tines for their KK rakes, priced at ~ $30 for a 5 pack. Don't know if that is a good price or not.

OkieG

siphoxolo · May 17, 2004

Shipping them accross the atlantic is the costly part and that would still have to be added on top. Even at $30 for 5 its almost a whole weeks wages. I assume one would need more than 5 tines!!

We have a number of engineering firms here that would be able to knock some up. just gotta get some more info.

Cheers

Siphoxolo