Rear Blade Rear blade or landscape rake?

HCJtractor · Mar 16, 2009

I am considering my next tractor implement to add to my collection. I have 5miles of dirt "woods" roads to maintain and numerous food plots. Most roads are simply bulldozed paths with no crown or ditches, but adequate for foot traffic or 4WD use. I was wondering which implement would be more useful to buy first. I realize they are for different purposes. Since I have a 70 hp 4WD, I would want a heavy duty version of either. I was looking at a Tufline GB4 series 84" rear blade w/o hydraulics or a Landpride LR35 series rake. I feel that with the blade I could fairly adequately maintain the roads and level the food plots after disking, and with the rake, I could also drag the roads and clean up the food plots also. ( I have a box blade that I now use to scrape the roads) My question is, if you were only buying one, which one would be more useful? And what width of either would be best? What uses would you use these for on a 300 acre hunting property. Keep in mind that the roads are not driveways, as we have only a short 1/2 mile stretch of gravel. The blade costs about $1000 and this rake is $2000. Which would you use more, a rear blade or a heavy rake?

AchingBack · Mar 16, 2009

Howdy. I have a 7' blade, and a 7' rake with gauge wheels. If I had bought the rake first, I probably would not have purchased the blade. With the rake fully angled, it covers the tracks of my wheels, leaving a nicely groomed appearance. The rake has been super for raking the dead thatch from the pasture, and cleaning up storm debris. I did get a lot of use from my blade, but the rake would have done a better job.

My blade is adjustable so as to extend out past the wheels for creating a roadside ditch; something I can't do with the rake. In addition, if needed, the blade can be angled horizontally, the rake lacks that adjustment.

amigauser · Mar 16, 2009

If you already own a box blade there is no real reason to get the blade as the box blade can do just about everything that a rear blade can do. I would purchase the rake and make sure it is wide enough to cover your wheel tracks when fully angled.

Rakes are fantastic at cleaning up debris and smoothing out a surface. I used one extensively when cleaning up a previously wooded area and changing it to a finished lawn. When I had both a rake and a rear blade I used the rake probably at least 3 to 4 times as much as the blade.

Good luck.

Thomas · Mar 16, 2009

Might consider rake w/drop down blade.

Eaglebait Ranch · Mar 16, 2009

I would agree with Mr. 'back in that I have both a blade and a rake and use the rake a lot, lot, lot more than the blade. I use the rake for plowing snow on the dirt/gravel roads here because the rake doesn't "fight" the imbedded rocks in the road like the blade does.

You also mentioned you have a box blade. To me, that would mean you would use the rake a few more "lots" more than the rear blade, because the box blade would substitute for the rear blade in many cases.

JB4310 · Mar 16, 2009

I have a 5' box, a 6' blade and a 6' rake, with a little experience with all 3.

I agree, rake all the way, especially if you have a box scraper, you should never need a rear blade unless you want to plow snow on pavement.

Using a rear blade to do grading takes a high degree of skill/experience, where as with a box or a rake with wheels you just drop and drag. They tend to level themselves as you go, scraping the highs and filling the lows.

Most people think of a rake as strictly a fine finish implement, I'm always surprised at the rough work it will do, I was pulling out 1" saplings in soft woods dirt, and taking off 2-3 inches of dirt at a time.
Make sure you get the wheels.

I now have a HTL but haven't tried it with box or rake yet, I'm sure it's gonna make a huge difference with the box, not sure about the rake though?

JB.