Pine Straw Rake

[RidgeHiker]

Anyone have any experience with the Field Tuff FTF-60PSR3PT Pine Straw Rake, 3 Pt? Amazon.com : Field Tuff FTF-6PSR3PT Pine Straw Rake, 3 Pt : Patio, Lawn & Garden
Could only find 2 reviews on Amazon but they seemed positive. Am confident that this is not the quality of Everything Attachments pine straw rake but it is more than twice as expensive and EA's shipping costs to the west coast makes it especially impractical.
Saw one from Howse as well but their cost with shipping is about double this one. Probably have more confidence in the Howse brand though. 5' Pine Straw Rake - Pine Straw Rakes - Pine Straw & Landscape Rakes - Product Lines
Have a lot of large evergreens that drop various types of needles, branches, cones, etc. Would remove the larger branches by hand before raking. Also have a Ratchet Rake if things get particularly heavy duty.

 

[bcp]

After you get your rake, buy some plastic bags.

Pine needles



Bruce

 

[EverythingAttachments]

I think you'll be happier with more tines, which will produce better results and leave less mess behind. More tines working together also creates more durability throughout the width of the attachment.
Our 60" model has 32. It looks like the farm tuff has 20some.

I can't tell if the Howse tines are bolted or welded, but bolted is much better for future replacement. Is Howse still in business in MS? I thought they closed and sold everything earlier this year.

The EA pine straw rake is more expensive, but there's more involved in making ours.....LOTS of laser time! It's US quality vs the Field Tuff, which I'm sure comes from china. No biggie to some, though.
Has anyone quoted you shipping to CA?

Travis

Here's a customer video I found a while back. I think another of his videos also features our rake.

 

[jenkinsph]

The first rake doesn't have enough tines, the spacing is too far apart and you need three on each end. This rake has two on the ends and will leave a trail of needles that fall out each side. It does appear to have bolt on tines but how are these attached and are the tines held straight?

The second rake has closer spacing on the tines but are welded on. That makes replacement a pain and more important these are prone to braking at the weld. BTDT.

I use pine straw rakes a lot in my work and will be ordering an EA rake Friday to replace one of the welded rakes. I have found that proper tempering of the tines is one of the most important things to consider. I would rather apply the $206 for the Amazon rake to the better Everything Attachments rake and be done. There is no question to me the EA rake is better constructed and will leave a clean path devoid of missed needles. That saves me time and money over the long haul.

 

[RidgeHiker]

Thank you jenkinsph. Did not notice all that you described. Have not doubt about the superiority of the EA rake. If it was part of my business would have no doubt about buying it.

 

[RidgeHiker]

Ted, if I lived within the 1000 mile shipping radius probably would consider it. Problem with buying large, heavy equipment is the shipping costs. This is something I would probably only be using a few times a year. The comparative quality of the EA rake is totally obvious.

 

[RidgeHiker]

Bruce, kind of lost track but I think just finished hauling 12 - 14 4' x 8' x 3'+ compacted trailer loads of rakings and branches to the dumb. Plus 4-5 loads in my pick up bed. Don't need plastic bags, need dumping trailer. LOL

 

[bcp]

But-but-but you just dumped thousands of dollars worth of needles at two gallons for $15.



Bruce

 

[RidgeHiker]

But-but-but you just dumped thousands of dollars worth of needles at two gallons for $15.



Bruce

Your welcome to come by and pick up the next loads any time (please...).

 

[kthompson]

Our previous yard had about an acre of short needle pines. We found best rake for us was a peanut rake. Tines were not real close so small limbs would flow through it, the tines were tall for was made to plow a crop and also were strong for made to cultivate with. IF you can find an old used one sitting around a farm the price probably is low. You may find those used in areas that do not raise peanuts as they would be good in some other crops. You may have some needles to run through the tines but will only be with when you begin so just swing back though that short area. About forgot the tines are round and when you lifted the rake the needles were not stuck on square tines which have used on landscape rakes.

Glad I went to internet looking for peanut rakes, found all kind saying they were but none of the type I used. So looked for pine straw rake and this is most like the peanut rake I used. You want a design that allows for the limbs to flow through and not harm the needles. I think you will find a regular landscape rake with have all kind of trash captured and will damage the needles compared to their design of the tines. If all you are tying to do is remove the needles and the trash stuff should work fine but for selling think you will be disappointed.

http://pinestrawrake.com/

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Ted, if I lived within the 1000 mile shipping radius probably would consider it. Problem with buying large, heavy equipment is the shipping costs. This is something I would probably only be using a few times a year. The comparative quality of the EA rake is totally obvious.

PM me when you're ready and you'll be surprised at the cross country shipping! The way we build and package our Pine Needle Rakes allows us to ship them to a residence via FedEx ground for convenience.

If you really wanna be spoiled, we make a Wicked Grapple for pine needle packing; just ask Rich from California! He has one on his L47 Kubota.

Yes, we pay good money for pine needles around here. I had 50 bales put out a few weeks ago at my house!
Travis

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

We have long needle pines and I have an old linebacke rake works great but they have gone the way of Howse EA has good quality and are good people to work with I would use them if I needed a rake

 

[corl]

I bought an EA pine needle rake a few years ago. I use it in the spring to rake the twigs and little branches that fall on the yard. Use to hand rake over a period of 2 weeks and the EA rake does the job in about 45 minutes. Love this rake. It works well for the few pine needles I have a well. It is one of 5 attachments I have purchased from EA and everyone has worked out well.

 

[kthompson]

Feel like a dummy, no idea how I missed the post from EA on their pine straw rake. Have never bought from EA but have no doubt they are accurate and reasonable.

 

[RidgeHiker]

Feel like a dummy, no idea how I missed the post from EA on their pine straw rake. Have never bought from EA but have no doubt they are accurate and reasonable.

You must be mistaken. Aren't any dummies around here.

 

[sdquick]

Question for you guys with the EA rake. What is your preference 60 or 72 inches?? Thanks

 

[RBA50]

I have the EA 60" pine straw rake I had forgotten that it was shipped Fedex, but now I think about it it came in 2 boxes as I recall, one for the tines/hardware, one for the frame/hitch, which is shipped flat and bolts together. Shipping was fairly reasonable as I recall. My landscape rake on the other hand came assembled on a skid and was a little pricey to ship, but well worth it for the quality. Only issue I have with the pine straw rake is I had to modify it to fit my quick hitch. I knew that in advance, but do wish the drawbar spacing had been quick hitch compatible. As far as the top link attachment, with a Harbor Freight QH, with the hook at the topmost setting, it works ok. Not a perfect fit, it is almost not high enough, but it does stay in ok. I will adjust the pin on the rake one of these days. Ted says you need all that height to make it dump, but I haven't seen any reason it won't work if the pin is a little lower.
YMMV