Ratchet Rake

[El Wood]

Hey guys, I'm thinking about purchasing a Ratchet Rake and have been reading a lot of reviews. It seems like an awesome tool. I have some light grading to do but mostly, the tool will be used for brush clearing. I've already had a dozer do the heavy work and thought a Ratchet Rake would be a great addition. My other option would be a landscape rake but I fear that a landscape rake wouldn't be very effective at tearing out light brush. Have you ever used your landscape rake for brush removal? Would the ratchet rake be a better investment?

 

[duroc]

Hey guys, I'm thinking about purchasing a Ratchet Rake and have been reading a lot of reviews. It seems like an awesome tool. I have some light grading to do but mostly, the tool will be used for brush clearing. I've already had a dozer do the heavy work and thought a Ratchet Rake would be a great addition. My other option would be a landscape rake but I fear that a landscape rake wouldn't be very effective at tearing out light brush. Have you ever used your landscape rake for brush removal? Would the ratchet rake be a better investment?

I too have thought about getting a Ratchet Rake, but I don't have any brush to remove. My main usage would be to help chew-up our road before box-blading it. I do have a landscape rake that I use on the road in the spring, but very seldom use it after that until the leaves fall. IMO, the LR would load-up and not take the abuse that the RR would. So, IMO, the RR would be best suited for removing brush. 'Course that's just my opinion.

Where 'bouts in MI are you?

 

[PapaPerk]

My friend and I both have them. Work well. My friend loves his for maintaining gravel driveway. I like my for ripping out honey suckle!

 

[Cane Thing]

I, too, have been thinking of a RR, but for coral rock removal from pastures. Anyone have experience with rock removal and an RR? I am also considering a landscape rake (root rake?!) for the smaller coral rock. I was told a "power rake" is really what I need, but I can't find one to rent and am told they are very expensive.

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[DKCDKC]

I have both RR and LR. The RR is great for brush, vines and saplings. It tears it out easily and allows for piling the trash, etc. I also use it for my gravel driveway, but to touch up small holes and ruts between use of a boxblade. If I need the boxblade to have more gravel to work with, however, I just put the scarifiers down and it works perfectly. Usually I need do nothing.

The RR is also great in pulling out vines in pasture too low for a rotary cutter, and for tearing out sod for a seedbed. It's also great to have the implement in front of you and not, like the LR, behind where you can't watch it closely.

The LR is of little use in brush because it does load up quickly and is hard to empty. Trying to pull brush with it is also taking a risk of bending tines or the rake itself when you hit a bigger sapling or stump. I use the LR several times a year to pull gravel back into my mile long gravel drive. My blade pulls in lots of dirt and trash when I do that. The LR, however, brings only a little bit of trash in and it usually blows away quickly. The LR also pulls out the random larger stone that surfaces in the drive sometimes. And it is good for pulling rocks out of a garden or just soil.

 

[radrock]

I have a RR as well. I like it a lot. It works well for created a seed bed for grass seed as well. I live on rather hilly ground and it wants to wash a lot. I can drag little trenches with the large teeth and seed it and it has worked well. My only advise is to try and to put the ratchets behind the bucket rather than in front like the instructions show. I ruined a ratchet first thing as some brush bent it up and broke the handle. Ratchet rake replaced it free of charge with no questions asked.

 

[Guesseral]

Ok I mist be stupid or something! I know what a landscape rake but just what is a ratchet rake?

 

[Carl_NH]

I, too, have been thinking of a RR, but for coral rock removal from pastures. Anyone have experience with rock removal and an RR? I am also considering a landscape rake (root rake?!) for the smaller coral rock. I was told a "power rake" is really what I need, but I can't find one to rent and am told they are very expensive.

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RR and rocks (bigger rocks) aren't good - around here we have ledge and embedded rocks and I got the RR to clean up after stump removal. Trouble was the RR kept skipping over the embedded rocks and losing the load.

So I used the York landscape rake better for this job anyway. Also the RR is something you have to remove to do FEL work so a tooth bar for you may be better.

 

[Dr Dave]

It slips over your bucket cutting edge, 2 ratchet straps and 2 cables hold it on. It has 2 rows of VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV's. One row sticks straight out, and one row points down. This allows you to pull brush out going forward and smooth out going back. They work great on my gravel drive also.

Dave

 

[GreenWannabe]

You can get more information on the Ratchet Rake here: Ratchet Rake, LLC - Rip and Dig, All Terrain Rake, Snow Edge, Tractor attachment, Bucket attachment, Loader, Skid loader, Kubota, Skid steer, Landscape rake, Brush remover, York Rake, Harley Rake, Rock Rake, Tractor rake attachment, Construction atta. Tractor Supply carries the two smaller models at some stores.

 

[RaydaKub]

My friend and I both have them. Work well. My friend loves his for maintaining gravel driveway. I like my for ripping out honey suckle!

Exactly my usage last summer! That was really fun!

 

[B Hoofed]

I used my Ratchet Rake today for piling up old hay in the pasture that the donkeys didn't eat. I didn't want to scoop up the soil, which the bucket by itself would have done, but the ratchet rake pushed up the hay while leaving the soil behind. I have used it to loosen up the stone dust footing in our riding ring, to fill potholes in gravel driveways, to rip out brush, and to prepare a seed bed for grass. Well worth the money.

 

[jerrybob]

Here's another option.......take a look at the Piranha tooth bar.....I have one. Great product.....built to last....great for clearing brush and light digging. Put one on about two months ago.....have never removed it.
BXpanded Piranha Tooth Bar

 

[Cane Thing]

Thanks, Carl NH. That helps. I'll look into the York LR.

 

[radrock]

RR and rocks (bigger rocks) aren't good - around here we have ledge and embedded rocks and I got the RR to clean up after stump removal. Trouble was the RR kept skipping over the embedded rocks and losing the load.

So I used the York landscape rake better for this job anyway. Also the RR is something you have to remove to do FEL work so a tooth bar for you may be better.

Ill have to agree with you on this. I had a landscape rake for awhile and it is better for cleaning up rock. I also used a box blade with serrated cutting edge and it works fair but I think the rake worked better. That rake did not work good in brush. You are pulling stuff out of the spring teeth all of the time

 

[Tim13]

Anyone using a ratchet rake in addition to a grapple (obviously not at the same time)?


I'm anxiously awaiting my grapple delivery and am thinking about how to clear the remnants of the brush pile.

 

[radrock]

Anyone using a ratchet rake in addition to a grapple (obviously not at the same time)?


I'm anxiously awaiting my grapple delivery and am thinking about how to clear the remnants of the brush pile.

I do not have a grapple but can see their advantage. I work for a construction company and have used thumbs on a track hoe and also a clamp bucket. They work similar and are very handy indeed. I do have clamp on forks for my tractor and they work kind of good for brush piles. A lot better than a bucket by itself. I would say a grapple would be the Cadillac in brush removal.

 

[ultrarunner]

I just had one shipped my way... will need to report back on my findings.

The only one in stock right now is the 72"

 

[phiferpharm]

I use a Grapple, Ratchet Rake, and Landscape Rake. Just finished clearing about an acre of pretty dense undergrowth, sapplings and trees to put in another pasture for my horses. Each of the items (RR, Grapple, LR) were used in the process. Grapple was used to pick up trees and larger stuff we pushed over with a large Front-end Loader and keep feeding the burn pile. Ratchet Rake was used to scrape out the vines, roots, etc, and the Landsccape rake was used to flatten everything out and mix the ashes in from the burn. Gonna disc the whole area and hit it with a drag harrow next week.

If I could only have either RR or Landscape Rake, I would recommend the Ratchet Rake.

 

[T Dew]

I recently found myself in the same boat. I decide on the piranha bar, since it was something I could leave on all the time. I cannot comment on how well it works, since I have not used it yet. I hope to mount it and use it tomorrow or Monday, but I have high hopes for it based on all the reviews from owners on this forum.