Yard Raking Attachments

[WinterDeere]

I've also kept my eyes peeled for a good fallen branch solution for many years, as I have about 100 trees scattered across our nearly-golf course quality lawn, and lose a few full days per year to picking up fallen branches.

But one thing I've realized is the time of year you're stuck doing this are often when the lawn is a bit soggy, and not suitable for driving on or dragging implements over. Our worst period is spring, catching up on all of the winter deadfall, just when the strongest winds hit us in March.

 

[OldPaint]

Anything that will move a significant amount of sticks as described is going to be a bit rough on turf, especially if it uses straight tines or wide stiff ones. If it isn’t a highlight area of your yard, a dethatcher would move most of it, or at least help you pile it up for gathering into something to haul it with, and wouldn’t destroy the turf with a few passes. But the turf is only going to tolerate so much abuse. An old style horse drawn McCormick hay rake (towed by the BX) would be the cat’s pajamas because it’s designed to lift hay from the stubble and windrows perpendicular to the line of travel. It would require a second person to operate the rake, but Ive ridden on many miles and would swear by it. Still doesn’t solve the problem of actually picking up the sticks and loading them for disposal, but would likely capture anything over 12 inches long and drop it in very neat piles. Unfortunately, most of the ones I see these days are yard ornaments for country folk wannabes.

I have a sycamore on the edge of my yard on the bank of a ditch, but it isn’t a large one, so I don’t get anything near as large as the OP’s problem. I’m thinking it’s probably diseased or intolerant of Alabama summers because the top comes down every year. All the growth more than a couple years old seems to die every year, yet it hangs on and leafs out every year. It’s probably 12-14 inches at the base and no more than 30 feet tall with a ragged looking top.

 

[Endless47]

I've wondered how a skid steer broom would do. Not sure what flow they require or if it'd be too rough on the grass.

 

[WinterDeere]

I've wondered how a skid steer broom would do. Not sure what flow they require or if it'd be too rough on the grass.

Same. Was hoping someone would post using one!

With the top of the drum spinning toward you, it'd be ejecting all branches forward. Seems you could make a nice pile of sticks every 1/4 or 1/2 acre, and then just run around with a wagon or loader to retrieve the bundles.

 

[Hdavid]

Just came across this video and thought it might be relevant to the discussion.

 

[airbiscuit]

Or this

 

[Runner]

Just came across this video and thought it might be relevant to the discussion.

Best answer, but $4500, so depends on how bad you want it done.

 

[alpha&omega]

Just came across this video and thought it might be relevant to the discussion.

Unfortunately I don’t think this thing is any match for a hardwood like sycamore.
The same goes for any pine or landscape rake. A stiffened pine rake might work, but the best option I’ve found is picking up the bigger limbs by hand, then using a Stihl backpack blower BR800 C-E Magnum to move all of the other limbs up next to the trees.
I did put a really good set of mulching gator blades on my belly mower and my finish mower, however I still don’t like mowing over anything too big that will run the risk of damaging the blades.
So I hear what you’re saying about not wanting to mow over the hardwood. I still think even after saying something, it still turned into more of a discussion about leaves and mulch than it did specifically relate to hardwood limbs. Probably “two many werds for some folks to reading”.

For the price of some of these suggestions, you could buy a rotory cutter and just beat the limbs to death until they are small enough for your bagger or a lawn sweeper to pick up. That’s not to say they are bad ideas, they just might not necessarily work for your specific situation is all.

 

[Zork]

So sorry, I did miss losing the sticks like leaves. Best bet is to hire a tree company and have your canopies cleaned-they pick up the mess. My last estimate a year ago was $18k.