Tiller TR3 Rake and Landscaping question

[blb078]

Been looking at a TR3 rake as I narrow down my tractor search. I've looked all over the net and it seems like most of the info is about using it on arena's and driveways. Which obviously that is a major part of it but I don't care about driveways and arenas since my driveway is concrete and don't have an arena. What I want to know is can it be used effectively in landscaping? Like can it replace a tiller and a landscape rake or any other landscaping attachments. I can't seem to find any info where people are using it for landscaping purposes. I've seen one small video on their site where it looks like they dug up a small food plot or something but I'd like to know how it works on say an acre or two. Would getting a tr3 rake remove the need for a tiller, rake, box blade, land plane or would I still need those items? So anyone have or seen one for landscape purposes and have any thoughts on how well or not it performed?thanks

Brian

 

[JMER817]

I was debating that same thing a few years ago. I just don't think it will perform like you want. I ended up purchasing a Harley rake which cut my prep time to a third.

 

[blb078]

I was debating that same thing a few years ago. I just don't think it will perform like you want. I ended up purchasing a Harley rake which cut my prep time to a third.

Thanks, that's what I've been curious about the thing not even the manufacture shows much landscape work with it but they say it's great for that but I can't get any videos of anyone doing much landscaping with it.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks, that's what I've been curious about the thing not even the manufacture shows much landscape work with it but they say it's great for that but I can't get any videos of anyone doing much landscaping with it.

It would help with smoothing similar to other finishing tools but is not going to replace a tiller, box blade or land plane grader scraper. If it would replace these other implements you would see a lot more of them. A cheap and simple pine straw rake ($500 or less) is good for smoothing and covering seeds and other minor raking tasks. I get a lot of use out of these for the money.

 

[em14]

I have a TR-3 and it does exactly what the Manufacturer claims and it does it well. BUT It now resides under an Oak Tree and has only been used once or twice. It is to slow on my drive way due in part to a very small blade. My Box Blade is by far better for my use than a TR-3. The TR-3 is well made and is great for Arenas I'm sure as it does a wonderful job smoothing and leveling as long as you don't have large wash outs!
Leo

 

[TractorGuy]

This video seems to cover everything.
TR3 Rake Tractor Rake - One Tool Does It All - YouTube

I'm leery of a company that won't post it's price without filling out a contact form though. The old school of thought on that is if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

 

[adventure bob]

I have an 8 ft and it does severely rutted and washed out really well. It will not replace a tiller though.
It will not replace a landscape rake for clearing debris like sticks and stuff.
It will replace a box blade and a land plane. It will level and grade extremely well. I cant mine about 5deg over to put a perfect crown on a 1000 foot steep driveway.
You don't see a lot of them outside of the horse community cause they aint cheap. However they are built like a tank. You will never bend or break one except for the wheels maybe. If you do they'll warranty it. If you get one as wide as your tractor and drop the tines you'd better have the HP to pull it cause it will drag 6 tines 10-12 inches deep. I have had to use the tines a couple of times to break up really rutted stuff.
And I do use it for landscaping. Just terraced about an acre around the house to get the water to run away from the house instead of to it. Used the bucket to get the bulk of the dirt out, and then leveled it with the TR3.

 

[blb078]

This video seems to cover everything.
TR3 Rake Tractor Rake - One Tool Does It All - YouTube

I'm leery of a company that won't post it's price without filling out a contact form though. The old school of thought on that is if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Thanks, I saw that. It still doesn't give you a good showing of how it would do in landscaping. I almost thing I would be better off w/a box blade and landscape rake at a fraction of the cost.

 

[JMER817]

Nice tool for the horse industry. I just don't see it outperforming a Harley rake for landscaping. Video shows nice topsoil being leveled. Throw some stones / rocks into the mix and debris left over from the builder, a 2' dia rock hidden an inch under ground. Can't windrow debris neither.

 

[adventure bob]

Um I can pull six inches of soil off the top without putting down the tines. And rocks don't bother it at all. I managed to accidentally find and pull the concrete fence post bases a previous owner had buried while leveling ground.
Strange JMER I don't see your tr3 in your pic of your tractor...

 

[JMER817]

Um I can pull six inches of soil off the top without putting down the tines. And rocks don't bother it at all. I managed to accidentally find and pull the concrete fence post bases a previous owner had buried while leveling ground. Strange JMER I don't see your tr3 in your pic of your tractor...

What does it do with soil that has a lot of small stones / Rocks? My landscape rake I know would just pop them up to the top. With a Harley rake the majority of them are buried and the remaining ones I can windrow. Not sure how the TR3 rake can do that with what I see. Maybe I'm wrong. I used to install lawns on the side and used a combination of a rototiller, box blade, landscape rake. Ran into many types of soil and conditions. Finally invested in a Harley rake and couldn't believe how valuable of a tool it was. I did look at buying a TR3 rake but the Harley rake at the time wasn't that much more. Paid $5500 in 2007 for a brand new 6' power rake with hydraulic angle.

 

[PILOON]

Watching the video I never saw any rocks, only nice dry fluffy soil.
Wonder how it would handle stones, roots and saplings.

I like to back drag with my tooth bar and level using the heel of my FEL in reverse (in float mode)and get similar results.
(I have added extra wear strip on the FEL heel)

 

[jeff9366]

A used TR3 Rake has shown up on eBay:

Abi TR3 Landscape Rake | eBay

 

[adventure bob]

JMER, what it does with loose aggregate depends on the angle you have it at on the 3 point. If I run the top link long it'll pull rocks and gravel to the top. If I run it short it just smashes them into the soil. I use it with the top link long on our parking area that is all road base. It pulls all the small gravel up on top and makes it look like I just got a fresh load dumped in. Our other driveway is 3/4 gravel over what Id call mud and I run it long to pull all the gravel back up on top. I need to remove all the gravel and actually put down a base that is less squishy when wet so that the gravel will stay on top instead of being compacted. Ive had mine a bout 2 years now and really like it for anything dirt related; driveways, landscaping, I even manage to use it to scrape ice with. The book says its not made for snow removal, but if you drop it all the way down and go backwards it will definitely scrape ice. If you crank the top link way out it, works pretty good as a rake for raking in seed. I rake it that way to about an inch of depth then roll it with a 1500lb roller. Grass and wildflower mix I plant that way comes up really nice. The one thing it sucks at is as a landscape rake for removing sticks, branches etc from grassy areas. Theres just not enough flex or tine depth, o I'm going to have to get a no kidding landscape rake for pasture cleanups when the grass is growing and were cutting/limbing trees. I have found that you can occasionally find a TR# on craigslist for decent prices if its someone who had horses and is getting out or a landscape business that is going under. I found an awesome deal on a used one but it was just too wide for my use. It was a 8 1/2 footer, catII for $1800. Because they're made like tanks I wouldn't shy away from a used one if your looking. ABI will still support you with parts and such.

 

[jeff9366]

For debris cleanup and piling, a Ratchet Rake is multiples more effective than a Landscape Rake.

Ratchet Rake spends three times more hours attached to the bucket than the Landscape Rake spends mounted on the Three Point Hitch.

I have both.

 

[adventure bob]

jeff, I have a root grapple on the front of mine that I pile and pick up the size of stuff you have in your pics. I need something a little finer that isn't going to scrape the ground bare. I can pile and pick up stuff with the grapple to what would be considered "rake clean" then however, theres still a lot of stuff that horses and mowers don't get along with leftover. Where you at? You wanna sell your rake?