Working on a new implement, needle rake

[L1802dt]

Work in progress. I really hope this will work for clearing old layers of leaves from the trails. Been using the land plane that I made for that last week... Works alright but I hope the needle rake will work better

Also made a video little clip of the new build land plane in use last week, enjoy

https://youtu.be/eIUjSTl1otw

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[torch]

I used mine this fall for raking leaves on the gravel driveway (thick mats of wet leaves play havoc with the snow blower). It worked pretty well overall.

A couple of caveats: don't leave it on float; it will keep sinking down until the tines are sprung at a shallow enough angle to start skipping over the leaves. The tines need to stay nearly vertical for best results.

It fills up pretty fast, depending on the depth of leaves. Again, once full the tines spring back and start shedding piles of leaves in clumps. I found it best to rake in two directions into large piles, then scoop them up with the loader to haul them into the bush where I was dumping them. Scraps from one pile can be dragged over the previously raked section to the next pile though.

Design-wise, I found my little B7100 3ph doesn't lift my commercially made (Titan Attachments) rake very high because the mounting points are above the tines. I think it would be easier to release a full load of leaves if the bottom of the tines could be lifted at least the height of the tines above the ground.

But then, it is designed for pine needles, not leaves.

Looks like you are doing a great job though!

 

[Tim Horton]

Yes it will work.
I made a kinda/sorta thing from the prospective of being a de thatching rake.

The John Deere teeth worked the best for me as they were 2 tines with one mounting point, and the cheapest available option.

Mine was a bit different than yours as it was made to fit my some what universal 3pt tool bar. And the rake tool could be mounted to the bar to either be pulled or push as I had intention to build a front cat1 size 3pt hitch. Never got that part done. But it worked well as a rear 3pt implement.

 

[sgtboz]

Excellent videography, Jurgen. That was a great video.

Why did you want to remove the leaves? I live on an incline so I'm always thinking about erosion.

Do you not have a lawn mower? It might make quicker work of the leaves and even mulch them up a little in the process.

Again, thanks for posting the great vid.

 

[D2Cat]

Nice work. Those teeth get expensive!

An idea for others who build a rake. Use a piece of angle iron to mount the teeth. They fit up inside the angle and bolt on. The benefit is when a tooth needs to be replaced you don't have to dis-assemble the parts in front of the broken on to get to it.

This gives the idea. I used the pickup teeth on a baler which, in this case, had curved pieces for the teeth. But they are open in the front.

 

[sgtboz]

Well done, D2CAT. Looks like an excellent solution.

 

[L1802dt]

Took the rake out for a test run this week. Does a good job. The needles I used are for a hay turning-thing-what’s-it-called-machine. Not that expansive, about €8 a piece.

I want to clear all the roads and fields on the estate I take care off. It’s 20 hectares in total, Most of it is woods and dirt roads.

Tomorrow going to take it apart and paint it

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[Stomper]

Nice Job. I have a rear blade that I have been wanting to build some sort of a landscape rake type of attachment for so I can swap out the blade for the rake when needed. This just might work out great but I would like a bit more robust tines.

 

[Lil Foot]

Nice! Love your welds!

 

[sgtboz]

Nice Job. I have a rear blade that I have been wanting to build some sort of a landscape rake type of attachment for so I can swap out the blade for the rake when needed. This just might work out great but I would like a bit more robust tines.

That's a clever idea, stomper.