three cheers for the toothbar

apease · Sep 4, 2012

I had some uneven dirt baking in the sun all summer. The new toothbar made quick work of it. Much better than just the straight edge of the loader. It's from iammanufacturing.com. Before and after pictures....

creekbend · Sep 5, 2012

I have a tooth bar on my FEL. I have found it to be quite useful in regards to many tasks also. BTW, good job.

Ace3 · Sep 5, 2012

I have had great results with a "Ratchet Rake" that is got from Tractor Supply.

JOHNTHOMAS · Sep 5, 2012

Good job. I to use the RatchetRake which I've had for years. Started with a toothbar and sold it. The difference is the RatchetRake would have pulled all those smaller rocks out and left it ready to plant grass seed condition.
The toothbar is great for the rougher jobs like you started with but the RR is more for finer grade stuff. Guess I'd compare it to the different grades of sandpaper.

DKCDKC · Sep 5, 2012

I used a ratchetrake to take out an old, overgrown fencerow... Saplings, vines, fence posts, wire and all and it left a beautifully smooth ground ready for seed. Only problem is that it created more for me to have to mow. Toothbars and rakes that make the FEL more effective against brush and trash add a lot to the usefulness of tractors.

crazyangel · Sep 5, 2012

Love my tooth bar. It adds another layer of versatility to my tractor. It is great for lifting things, digging, and so many more things. :tractor:

GreenAtLast · Sep 5, 2012

I did something similar for a neighbor recently. It just so happened that my toothbar arrived just before starting the work. I purchased the bxpanded toothbar after looking at many types and reading the forums. My main reason for going with that one was the fact that I can back drag with the bucket and get a smooth pull on the dirt so as not to leave tooth marks. At one end I had a five foot hard clay embankment and had to raise the other end by 2 feet (20' x 14'). The toothbar dug right in on the high hard stuff and I was able to drop the dirt and drag it out completely flat. It would have been a difficult task without the toothbar. I'll add that the toothbar I purchased is Excellent for removing brush and ivy, something there is too much of in my area.

BeezFun · Sep 5, 2012

Your toothbar is better than mine, yours can make blue tarps, concrete bags and cement blocks turn into dirt.

Amelia Farms · Sep 5, 2012

That settles it, I am gonna order me one of them toothy things!

GreenAtLast · Sep 5, 2012

I have had my tractor for about three years now. I have a backhoe as well as the FEL and I previously used the backhoe to break up the hard clay around here before moving it with the bucket. I put off buying the toothbar for too long. After I got it, I felt really stupid (cheap) for waiting as long as I did. I am soooo glad I have it, it makes many tasks easy. I did make a few modifications to the installation over the basic instructions. I added additional steel gussets at the front of the bucket to give the bucket added rigidity. The toothbar also comes with the necessary fasteners (2), but were sized at 5/8 inch so I went to a 3/4 inch Grade 8 fastener with fender and lock washers. What is nice is the ability to remove the two fasteners and remove the toothbar. It takes me 5 minutes to install or remove the thing. It does not get much easier. Don't wait, get one while you are thinking about it! You will not regret it.

RaydaKub · Sep 5, 2012

Yeah, the Piranha and some others look great for digging. I went with the RachetRake for mostly brush clearing. On and off in about a minute.

Gary Fowler · Sep 5, 2012

I have to agree that toothbars add versatility to any FEL and in some cases its the only thing that will make them get in the ground on hard or rocky dirt. NOW if have a back hoe which I use to remove those pesky vines and small trees. With the long teeth on that, I can reach in and get lots of stuff and clamp down on the vines in the trees and pull them down using the hydraulic thumb. Without a backhoe, a toothbar is a necessity. It can dig in to an extent that you can warp your FEL if you arent careful though so a word of caution on new users of them.

Deano · Sep 6, 2012

GreenAtLast said:
I have had my tractor for about three years now. I have a backhoe as well as the FEL and I previously used the backhoe to break up the hard clay around here before moving it with the bucket. I put off buying the toothbar for too long. After I got it, I felt really stupid (cheap) for waiting as long as I did. I am soooo glad I have it, it makes many tasks easy. I did make a few modifications to the installation over the basic instructions. I added additional steel gussets at the front of the bucket to give the bucket added rigidity. The toothbar also comes with the necessary fasteners (2), but were sized at 5/8 inch so I went to a 3/4 inch Grade 8 fastener with fender and lock washers. What is nice is the ability to remove the two fasteners and remove the toothbar. It takes me 5 minutes to install or remove the thing. It does not get much easier. Don't wait, get one while you are thinking about it! You will not regret it.

Amen brother! Well said!:thumbsup:

tractorshopper · Sep 6, 2012

To smooth and back drag with mine, I tilt the bucket up, which moves the teeth away from what I'm smoothing, and use the back edge of the bucket. This works very well for me.

KYDan · Sep 6, 2012

Yes, toothbars are a must if you do dirt work. I have 2 of them, one is a standard and the other is a flat one. I kept popping teeth on the flat one (72" bucket) and bought the standard model. I use the flat one when I am doing finishing work and the standard for the heavy cutting. They make an incredible difference. I also have a Horst rock and debris bucket which is great for grubbing and fencerow work. I couldn't afford these years ago, but I should have found a way to afford them. What a difference they make!

GreenAtLast · Sep 6, 2012

I looked at the ratchet rake real hard but liked the Piranha for its overall rigidity and duribility. I read reviews and comments on TBN and that helped me narrow down my choices. I like the idea of having two but for now I'll save the cost of that acquisition for some other implements of destruction. The Horst rock and debris bucket would be an awesome addition, as well as a rock rake!

RaydaKub · Sep 6, 2012

GreenAtLast said:
I looked at the ratchet rake real hard but liked the Piranha for its overall rigidity and duribility. I read reviews and comments on TBN and that helped me narrow down my choices. I like the idea of having two but for now I'll save the cost of that acquisition for some other implements of destruction. The Horst rock and debris bucket would be an awesome addition, as well as a rock rake!

I can't imagine the Piranha being any more rigid than the RR. It's a 1/2" thick or better all the way through. I've used mine for about 15 hours in tearing out honeysuckle, scraping together old down trees, leveling off soil and digging out a huge rock pile. So far I don't think I've even scratched the paint.

I don't think you can go wrong with either one. It's all in what you need to do..