Ratchet Rake

[Robert6401]

I keep thinking of things this would be useful for....

For instance, I have a 4 acre pasture that is overrun with cactus, you know, the kind that grows close to the ground and if you cut a piece of it off with a mower the detached piece turns into another plant. Anyways, If I could use the ratchet rake to remove a few inches of the topsoil, I could scrape up all the cactus and dispose of it. Then hopefully what does pop back up would be a manageable problem. Right now it would take me days if I tried to dig it all up by hand.

I really think I need one of these.

 

[IslandTractor]

I keep thinking of things this would be useful for....

For instance, I have a 4 acre pasture that is overrun with cactus, you know, the kind that grows close to the ground and if you cut a piece of it off with a mower the detached piece turns into another plant. Anyways, If I could use the ratchet rake to remove a few inches of the topsoil, I could scrape up all the cactus and dispose of it. Then hopefully what does pop back up would be a manageable problem. Right now it would take me days if I tried to dig it all up by hand.

I really think I need one of these.

I don't know how deep cactus root systems are. The ratchet rake works well with brush where the roots are mostly within the first few inches of soil or strong enough that they pull out of the ground completely when you yank on the stem. If cactus just breaks off rather than pulls out, the ratchet rake might not solve the regrowth issue.

 

[Robert6401]

The cactus root system is almost as fine as hair and it runs right along the surface. An inch deep would get all of it. No part of the cactus just "breaks," but a bushhog will cut the leaf.

 

[IslandTractor]

The cactus root system is almost as fine as hair and it runs right along the surface. An inch deep would get all of it. No part of the cactus just "breaks," but a bushhog will cut the leaf.

Then the RR should work fine.

 

[TigerfaninAR]

Went in to my local TSC store today to get an idler pulley for a riding lawn mower. The pulley was located in the far back corner of the store . I got the pulley off the shelf and when I turned around I almost tripped over several rachet rakes. Couldn't believe they had about 4 just laying on the floor behind me. The employee that was helping me find the pulley , was not overly impressed with them. He said they had only sold one. (Most people probably don't even know what they are)

Needless to say I spent a few minutes looking them over, almost forgot about my idler pulley. I was very impressed with the weight and thickness of the metal. They really look well made and I am certain that I would break something on my FEL before i break one of these rakes.

I decided that Santa Claus is bringing me a rachet rake !

You'll love it.

When I went to get mine a few months ago the folks working there had no clue what I was talking about. 15 minutes of looking and they found them. Went by 3 days ago and they had 3 of them outside by the front door.

 

[DAY]

Good things come to those who wait

I couldn't remember what "it" was called, and googling "toothbar" was no help at all:mur:
So I am happy to see the thread once more front and center. Now to go see if they are also front and center at my local TSC:thumbsup:
(and if it will fit the 6' bucket on my Yella Fella. . .)

 

[BMW]

I picked one up on the way home today. I had decided to spend the extra money and get the beefier 72" since it will just fit my 66" bucket. Low and behold when I get there the 52" is $299.99, the 68" is $329.99 and the 72" is...wait for it....$299.99! That's a full $60 off the list price. :thumbsup: Needless to say, I'm happy with my purchase. I peeled the price sticker off when I got it home and there was a $359.99 price sticker underneath. If you're thinking about getting the 72", I'd suggest doing it now.

 

[oj may]

I bought one last spring at TSC, 52" for $299. It does a very nice job on weeds, leveling/grading and I use it on the bucket to push over small trees. Once the roots are exposed it can push/lift them out. It is much faster than the BH.

If you are willing to make multiple passes, it does woody brush pretty well. It has made a real difference on my property and it gets a lot of production from the tractor. I am very happy to have it.

 

[Riderguy]

Are there any issues attaching this to a bucket that has a cutting edge on the lower lip? I have a JD3270 with a 300CX 60" bucket and a cutting edge attached. I'm not sure by the pictures if this will work.

 

[IslandTractor]

Are there any issues attaching this to a bucket that has a cutting edge on the lower lip? I have a JD3270 with a 300CX 60" bucket and a cutting edge attached. I'm not sure by the pictures if this will work.

I wouldn't think so. You might need to offset it an inch if there is a bolt that overlaps one of the three fingers on the RR that hook over the lip.

 

[Riderguy]

Well I went out and got a Ratchet Rake at my local TSC and tried to install it. I have a 300CX on my JD3720 and the 60" bucket has a cutting edge on it. The RR will not fit on the edge (too thick) but the instructions say to cut off the tangs with a hacksaw on the mounting hooks. Looks fairly straightforward. Now to go out and get a hacksaw....

 

[CHDinCT]

Well I went out and got a Ratchet Rake at my local TSC and tried to install it. I have a 300CX on my JD3720 and the 60" bucket has a cutting edge on it. The RR will not fit on the edge (too thick) but the instructions say to cut off the tangs with a hacksaw on the mounting hooks. Looks fairly straightforward. Now to go out and get a hacksaw....

Might a grinder do? Or a reciprocating saw with a metal blade? Hack saws seem so yesterday! :laughing:

 

[Riderguy]

Might a grinder do? Or a reciprocating saw with a metal blade? Hack saws seem so yesterday! :laughing:

The instructions mention a recip saw, but mine is in another location.

 

[Russ Hatch]

I had to hand dig a 25 foot long trench yesterday to lay some under ground electrical wire to my well. This morning after everything was hooked up I decided to use my Kubota with a FEL to back fill the trench. I had the ratchet rake on the FEL and did not want to take it off as I am going to rip out some brush today, so I thought lets see what happens. Back filling went great. I also have taken a trailer hitch ball and slid it between two of the teeth on the rake and tightened down to use as a temporary hitch to move trailers around. This works fine and will be there till I get time to weld a regular hitch on the top of the bucket.

 

[Riderguy]

I got my ratchet rake attached to the bucket with a bit of physical effort using a hacksaw and a dremel tool. The unit went on as advertised. I tried dragging the rake over my field grass to rip it up, and although it did make rip marks in the grass it did not peel it back as I had hoped. I may have had some misconceptions about this implement but I was hoping for a better job than what it did. In all fairness though, the ground was was not 100% dry and the rake got clumped up with dirt (actually clay) and I had to pull the material off the rake numerous times.

If the ground is dry and the grass is short, from those that have a few hours on their rake, will this implement do a good job of ripping grass down to the dirt?

 

[IslandTractor]

I can rake backwards to dirt easily but you cannot do more than a few yards max at a time as the raked material builds up. The RR is not optimal for desodding a field. It is designed more for removing patches of light brush and undergrowth. To clear a whole field a 3pt rake with multiple passes or a powerrake would be better. Plowing under would also work.

 

[Fixemall]

Went to TSC today and noticed the 72" was $299 and the 68" was $329, since my bucket is 72" I loaded the heavy beast and used my 10% coupon. It fit like a glove and seems to be well made. I plan on actually using it later in the week to rip out some brush by my pond, hopefully it works as advertised.

 

[CHDinCT]

Just picked up a used 52" RR for $200 from another TBN member. Haven't used it yet but did check the fit and it seems to fit fine on my 48" bucket lip. Probably won't see any work until Spring. I like that I won't have to take my BH off every time I want to do a little rake work. May even sell my landscape rake once I get it back from my BIL who seems to have adopted it.

 

[IslandTractor]

Just picked up a used 52" RR for $200 from another TBN member. Haven't used it yet but did check the fit and it seems to fit fine on my 48" bucket lip. Probably won't see any work until Spring. I like that I won't have to take my BH off every time I want to do a little rake work. May even sell my landscape rake once I get it back from my BIL who seems to have adopted it.

Don't sell your landscape rake until you've had a chance to use the RR. I have both and they are good for different tasks.

 

[lhfarm]

Don't sell your landscape rake until you've had a chance to use the RR. I have both and they are good for different tasks.

I agree. Two very different implements and I'm glad I have both. Sort of like having a leaf rake and a garden rake. You could get by with one or the other, but much better to have both. The BIL will want to borrow the RR too.