Rake Uses for a landscape rake

[Rayder]

I'm looking for examples of what people use their landscape rakes for.

I purchased a 7 ft landscape rake when I was converting part of my property from timber to pasture. That job is done and I wondering whether I should hold onto the rake or get rid of it. If I thought that I would ever need it in the future, I would keep it ... but I'm having a hard time thinking of how I will use it.

So, I'm curious to hear about any stories of how you use your landscape rake. I'm lazy so I'm always interested in a better way to do something ... and if it involves seat time on my tractor, even better.

 

[Will_C]

I use mine to rework my gravel drive every spring. It is also very helpful in the spring when I clean up from winter snowplowing.
Will

 

[NewToy]

I also use mine to dress up my 520' gravel drive once every few months. It does a great job leveling the whoops out. I like to do it after a good rain when it's softened up a bit.

John

 

[Onthesauk]

I use my rake as much as anything except the loader and tiller. I drag 1/4 mile of drive a couple of times a year and use it to finish up fresh road after cutting with the box blade. Use it to rough up soil before planting grass seed.

 

[ronjhall]

Your bio shows that you have a BH. Last week I completed a 150' trench for a gas line from my house to shop. Filled in the trench with the FEL then leveled out the area with Landscape Rake. My rake has gage wheels to help level out dirt flat.

 

[jimgerken]

ATV trail maintenance, and driveway re-shaping. It has more uses than a box blade so often times it is the "counterweight" of choice when doing loader work. I have added hydraulic angling to it and still want to add hyd tilt for landscaping trails into hillsides. All these options make it heavier, which makes it work better too.

 

[CTyler]

I have a 600'+ drive and use it for....

Pulling rock out of the grass without tearing it up.
Shaping and light grading of the drive.
Poor mans de-thatcher.
Spreading and smoothing dumped dirt on rutted grass areas.
Seed prep.
Cleaning up sticks, twigs etc.. in wooded areas.

 

[Freds]

I filled in a low spot on the front of my property and was glad I still had the rake to smooth things out. I've also used it to rake fallen fruit into a pile for the loader. With the right setting it won't damage your grass at all. And of course smoothing out new gravel on my drive like everyone else and getting the road's shoulder back where it belongs after winter.
I wouldn't get rid of a relatively speaking low cost implement no matter how little I use it.

 

[BobReeves]

First implement I purchased was a LS rake, even before I owned a tractor and was borroing a MF 135. Use it for all the above mentioned tasks and wouldn't be without it. Keep it, you will use it more than you think.

 

[JustGary]

Well! I'm surprised at the replys here. I've got a FEL and a rotary tiller, and assumed that my next purchase would be a box blade. It almost seems from the replys that a landscape rake might be even better given that I have the loader.

I have a little road maintenance to do, but only a short section is on a hill. I can handle erosion problems on that section with the loader, but I guess I could make it prettier with other implements. Pretty isn't really my concern though.

I could see me using a rake to clear deadfall from the pine rows (once I get the Yaupon under control with the rear mower), but I never though I could use one for road work.

Is a rake really as versatile as you all say? Should I consider one before a BB? This is very interesting. Keep replying with your uses for a rake!

Regards,

Just Gary

 

[2nstonge]

I use my BB quite a bit for gravel drive repairs - my own and customers - the LS rake is by far more versatile and even for driveway repairs, if the damage isn't severe the rake can probably clean it up. I skim the rake over my own drive (about 700ft plus a big parking area around the barn) just to make it look pretty about once a month in the nice weather. Have also used it, like others have, to clear out dead fall and crawling, prickly vines from a real nice pine grove that seperates us from the neighbors. Get the tines at just the right level and I can also clean rocks from virgin soil...not that there's many rocks in Vermont /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

-Norm

 

[CTyler]

The rake is more usefull than was anticipated. Kinda thought after the house was built there wouldn't be that much use for it.

I used the rake the first year with out gauge wheels and was a little disappointed at first. However having an HTL let me change the front/back angle a lot which helped. Then I built gauge wheels for it. Makes things a lot easier and the rake more efffective.

 

[Freds]

I bought a BB after hearing how great they were and after trying to level some areas of my back field with it... it's been sitting for about a year in the same spot, which isn't on the back of my tractor /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. I know there's a "learning curve", but I get more accomplished and more quickly with a tiller and a rake when trying to level the field, and my driveway hasn't been bad enough to tackle that with the BB yet. Still, I won't get rid of it, just in case I get a use for ir some day.