Ratchet Rake - ever seen/used one?

[OrangeBeast]

Question for all you RR guys, Trying to figure out how well it would work on fairly hard packed gravel driveway? Or if I am better off with a Box Blade with scarifiers?

Yes I tryed searching but have not found anything that helped me answer my question.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Question for all you RR guys, Trying to figure out how well it would work on fairly hard packed gravel driveway? Or if I am better off with a Box Blade with scarifiers?

Yes I tryed searching but have not found anything that helped me answer my question.

BB. It will dig up and or level out surface more aggressively than the RR. I believe the BB should be the second implement bought for other than mowers that have a FEL if for nothing else but counter weight with an occasional tear up and or level out hard yard/ground.
I have a BX25 with BH for counter weight so my BB is only used for digging/leveling projects. Actually my nephew three houses down has my BB now and has had for a few weeks but I know where it is. I use my RR second only to my FEL and BH probably comes in a close second or third for use but I don't have a gravel drive that I maintain.

 

[JordanFTW]

I just picked up a 72" RR at TSC on closeout for 200$, cant wait to try it out! If anyone is on the fence and has a larger bucket, you should really consider checking out your TSC to see if they have any of the 72" models in stock, they should also be able to tell you if any stores near you do have them...

 

[beppington]

Well dang, there's one 35 miles from me. Ya'll are really talkin' this thing up ...

Do I "need" to drive 70 miles round trip & spend 200 bux to get this thing??

Is it gonna do that much more than this, which I already have?:

 

[Ken45101]

Is it gonna do that much more than this, which I already have?:

I don't think a RR and your attachment are in the same ball park, they are totally different tools with totally different purposes.

Unfortunately, I can't find any of the clearance RRs around here.

Ken

 

[IslandTractor]

I don't think a RR and your attachment are in the same ball park, they are totally different tools with totally different purposes.

Unfortunately, I can't find any of the clearance RRs around here.

Ken

I agree. RR is quite a different tool from a grapple or rock rake. Grapple and rock rake are for lifting fairly big objects. RR is more like a very heavy duty hand rake being wielded by the defensive line of the NE Patriots (Go Pats). It does exactly what a hand rake does but does it with a lot more force than you or I could manage. It is therefore best at raking out weeds, sod, smaller rocks etc. Also, a key point is that one usually uses the RR while moving in reverse so you are scraping backwards. Most grapple work is done "plowing" forwards. Finally, with grapple you immediately move whatever it is you have been working on. With the RR you cannot really use the bucket to move the spoils (the RR prevents you from scooping normally), so you end up creating small piles that you need to go back and collect once you have taken the RR off. I use both tools and find the RR does not overlap much at all with what the grapple does. If anything the RR overlaps with the standard bucket as you can scrape soil with a standard bucket too (but not as effectively). I think the RR is a good value for someone who is cleaning up woods or overgrown areas prior to regular mowing.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I've owned two RRs. The first one was the wide one which I sold when I traded tractors, sold my bigger tractor and immediately got the second one for my smaller tractor bucket. Right now my neighbor has my RR and has for a few months but I know where it is. Not concerned that he will tear it up or sell it. I mostly used mine back dragging cleaning, leveling and finishing ground for seed. I finally did the forward use on some growed up scrub weeds, briars and small pines and am even now even more impressed. It just grabs the stuff and pulls it out of the ground. It's one of my easiest on and off implements by myself and one of the most used.
As the others have told you, different beast altogether than what you have.

 

[don white]

The trick to a hard driveway is to work on it in the spring when it is soft.

 

[AHNC]

I bought the 52" last month and have used it for grading and leveling my new driveway. Excellent piece of equipment. Made the job much easier.

 

[johnrex62]

Question for all you RR guys, Trying to figure out how well it would work on fairly hard packed gravel driveway? Or if I am better off with a Box Blade with scarifiers?

Yes I tryed searching but have not found anything that helped me answer my question.

I grabbed one of the 72" rakes the other day for my 66" bucket. I accidentally had the bucket too low when I went across a section of hard packed caliche gravel parking pad and it took a good 2 inch gouge out of a high piece of ground before I even realize it was low enough to make contact. Rake teeth still have paint on them after the fact. I can attest they are tough. I would think the boxblade scarifiers would be much more durable however.