Rake - $30 and 3 Hours

[htiek126]

Here is a picture of my new 3 point trailer hitch attached 4' rake. It was a simple project (with welder, drill press, and chop saw), and I only spent $30 at TSC to buy the tines and bolts. The rest is scrap metal. It did a great job of pulling up the old grass clippings to expose the soil surface for overseeding. I just wish that I had built it years ago...

 

[trailertrash]

Now that is slick! almost eveyone has a receiver type hitch for their tractor and this is a lot simpler and cheaper to build than a tph type, I for one would be interested in a back view and some dimensions

 

[Mrwurm]

Very nice /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

You should give it a name, something like 'the ripper'. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[have_blue]

Who did you get to put all those bolts in for you?

 

[Slamfire]

I tried something like that with a length of 6x6 and the double tine springs. It attached to my carry all with u bolts. I didn't have enough tines, and they were too light to do what I wanted, pull small stones out of my garden. Yours looks pretty neat, I just liked the idea of picking it up at the end of a row.

 

[htiek126]

The width is 51" with a 48" wide tine pattern every 2". The length is 18". The drill press and a pneumatic socket wrench took care of the holes and bolts. I believe the bolts are 3/8" x 1.5" with a flat washer on the tine side. If you build this design, just make sure your 3PH goes low enough. It works fine on one of my tractors, but on the other tractor, it does not always touch the ground on certain slopes. I compensated by traveling across the slope.

 

[n3qik]

How about a TSC part number for the tines?

 

[Inspector507]

Rake teeth at TSC are anywhere from $.79 to $1.88. Depends on the style.

 

[htiek126]

Part Number: 1410004 (JD 257SE)
$0.99 each

Now I need to find a deal on core aerator teeth...

 

[MackAttack]

I have been thinking of making the same type of rake for over a year now. Is there any way you could get a close up shot of how the tines attach??? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[keeney]

All those bolts and holes reminds me of the jig I made to paint a few hundred hollow square steel railing ballusters.

I took a couple of the 10' uni-struts that are used for holding electrical conduit to walls and things. They come already drilled with holes every 2 inches. I filled all the holes with 1/2" bolts sticking through and then clamped them to saw-horses and loaded them up with 60 ballusters each per batch.

A 10' piece was about $15 at Home Depot and would be perfect to make a rake like shown - just cut it to the desired width and bolt the tines on.

- Rick

 

[Egon]

Slamfire:

Like you I made one with double tined springs but used two pieces of angle iron spaced about a foot apart. It was attached to the tool bar on the three point. Mine is used to rake after broadcast seeding and go over existing grass in the spring to make an attemp at dethatching.

My tines are also not strong enough to rake up small stones.

Egon

 

[Egon]

This is The Harrow I would really like to have but the cost was prohibitive.

Egon

 

[RonR]

Egon, mine is certainly not as pretty, but I'd guess I have less than $200 in this one, and I doubt you could tell the difference between your expensive tool and my cheap tool when it's worked the ground.

Enjoy,
Ron

 

[Egon]

Ron:

I don't have this expensive tool. I too built a much cheaper version at home.

Egon

 

[htiek126]

I attached a close up of the tine attachment details, this is the front of the rake.

 

[Egon]

Keith:

Thats the same way I attached mine. I also ran a rod trough the center of the springs so they could not turn.

Egon

 

[MadReferee]

Here is how I attached a double tine for a dethatcher that I just built for another TBNer. Notice the 2 sheet metal hex drive screws. These were placed there to eliminate any twisting by the tines.

 

[Egon]

Mad:

Seems like many have utilized tines for rakes/harrows. I ran a wooden rod through the tine spring loops to keep them from moving and/or loseing them.

Egon