Rake York Rake Owners:

DAP · Apr 20, 2004

Still unable to pull the trigger on a CUT just yet, I'm 'borrowing' a Kubota with loader/ and a York rake where borrowing means renting. For those regionally cost concious folks ... a 25hp hydro kubota with p/u, fuel and a york rake, tax, I'm lookin at 300 greenbacks for 8 hours. But I digress ...

Anyway, I've reached critical mass with a manure pile or two and the loader will handle those fine. I've got some paddock maintenance to do...busting up some horse hash and movin it to the pile in my 1/2 ton wagon.

Will the rake help bust up the manure? Just what else will this rake do? Can I drag it through the hardened divets around my paddock gates so I can throw some fescue seed down?

Man .. this rental joint was a real trip ... they have ONE Kubota and a Ford gear tractor and about 15 TerraMites (gas TLB). I started askin questions about the Kubota. All they could tell me was that it was a hydro with a loader and the York rake on the 3pt. I asked how much HP did it have and they said about 28. I asked what model it was and they all looked at eachother and directed me to a guy in back hosin down a skidsteer who said it was a 28hp L2450. I do not believe Kubota has ever made an L2450. All for 300 bucks.

Anyway ... for anyone who owns a York rake (they didn't know the model number of the rake either), thanks in advance for your comments on the rake and how else I can make use of it. I dare not take it to the drive which more than resembles a Stringer rocket testing grounds. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

In the back of my mind, I suspect that I'll see an L2350, possibly an L2850 with shuttle on Fri. eve. Don't matter, they got me over a barrel as this has to be done. I've done this work by hand for the last 3 years and I'm not doin it that way anymore. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Bob_Skurka · Apr 20, 2004

Doug

Sometimes renting is better than buying becuase it can confirm that a product is either the right choice --or the wrong choice-- to buy and either way it gives you piece of mind.

I just used a York rake for the first time last week to clear debris out of a field behind my warehouse. What surprised me was how much stuff got dragged along with that rake when I was raking the field. Once the tine got clogged with tall grasses & misc. debris, the rake essentially worked like a back blade and simply dragged almost everything in its path. What really was a surprise to me, having never used a rake before, was how much of the topsoil ended up coming along with the debris. I actually have a debris pile that is probably 50% dirt. I think that if you want to use the rake to break up things you may have to drag the areas a couple times. After I got the debris up, I did rake the field again in a different direction and I did some areas 3 or 4 times just to smooth the ground a bit. I'll be throwing some grass seed on the area within a few days. It is not as smooth as a lawn, but it is a heck of a lot smoother than it was before I used the rake.

As for the paddock maintainence, I would suggest you try whatever tactor they rent you, but when it comes time to buy a tractor, I'd be looking for a tight turning CUT in the 20 to 25 hp range. Possibly something like a Kubtoa B7100 or 7500, a NH TC18 or 24, Steiner 430, Ventrac 4200, PowerTrac 422 or 425. Or any of the new Sub-CUTS. I'll admit to never using a tractor to clean manure out of a barn, but I've used all sorts of fork lifts in narrow aisles in warehouses and I like the articutlated units the best in tight spaces, they get you into spots other units don't go.

ducati996 · Apr 20, 2004

Its Important to have guage wheels along with the rake...if your machine has position control that will help alot, but if the terrain height changes the rake digs into the soil too aggressively. There is always a work around but guage wheels have it roll over the terrain, and help it skim the surface- thats what you want for seeding or preparing topsoil..
I like my rake and its quality made by Midwest from Corriher..
inexpensive as well because renting is expensive, better to own it...

Duc

DAP · Apr 20, 2004

Thanks Bob ... I was hoping to hear that about the rake. Hope it works. As for a CUT, I know I'll need a min of 27 hp if not for anything else but for snow and driveway maintenance. If I only had loader chores than I could prolly get away with a TC24, B7610, JD4110 class machine. With 3 acres of paddocks, 3 acres of rotary cutting, 1200 feet of the Da Nang trail (easement), snow handling, and firewood hauling, the machines you've mentioned fall a little short from an efficiency standpoint in my opinion. While they would ultimately work, they would bite into time I simply cannot spare.

Our barn has only a few stalls and only three are occupied by aminuls. Actually, at first I looked into a RAM Taskmaster for it's narrow stance and loader capabilities. At near 10k, that's a lot of money to spend on something with no seat and has a 3ft bucket but fits into any nook or cranny you could dream up. Too niche.

Usually, you pay for manuverability with utility, size, weight and HP (INCOMING from the PT guys!) ... so for me, manuverability is not really high on the criterion list.

Most horse barns use manual devices for stall clean out, dumping into a pile or directly to a spreader or wagon for cartage to a pile.

I have a mower with a 4ft deck for mowing the 3 acres of lawn. Too many obstacles to deal with having a CUT owning the finish mowing tasks.

Anyhow .. thanks for the rake info. Seems like I might make use of it as planned.

DAP · Apr 20, 2004

Duc ... I'm gonna use it to bust up some manure in the field. The ground is nearly flat and if I can get it set to minimal depth, I think it will work just fine.

I may have to scrape some with the bucket edge but we shall see.

Bob_Skurka · Apr 20, 2004

I hear you on the time issue, that is why I own multiple machines, each has its place and each does the jobs I need done very well. I will say that if you are looking at a minumum of 27hp, then the Kubota B2910 (30hp) is a nice ride. With a set of the new curved arms on the NH FELs I think I would prefer a NH TC29DA over the B2910 becuase of visibility issues, but I think the B2910 is a great machine, runs smooth, no issues after several years. The B2910 is only one frame size larger than the class of tractor I mentioned above so it is still fairly small. If I had it to do all over again, I'd probably step up the HP a bit but keep the frame size the same . . . oh well, there is always the NEXT tractor!

rambler · Apr 20, 2004

For spreading the manure clumps, running the rake backwards will bust things up. I mean, drive forward, with the rake facing backwards.

What works better is a $10 harrow (drag) serction from a farm sale.

--->Paul

DAP · Apr 20, 2004

Thanks rambler, I don't wanna spread em .. I want to loosen them and scoop 'em up and outta there.

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

markie61 · Apr 21, 2004

I just got done doing this where my horses stand all the time. I got a fat one that produces 2/3 of the manure. But I digress...

I repeatedly back into that area, pull the manure out into a nice line, then push most of it into a pile with the loader. I leave the pile in the field where it evenually composts (after adding grass clippings and leaves). You WILL pick up some topsoil and some grass, but it is not that much to me.

Mark

Mark

DAP · Apr 21, 2004

Thanks mark ....

That's what I was lookin to hear. Not too worried about scrapin up some grass. This stuff is from last winter and is all but composted and burnt up most of anything that was underneath it.

Gonna rake it, line it up, load it and dump into a wagon a cart it off to the woods.

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif