Landscape rake question

[Vigo]

^Good stuff.

A lot of times you can find those old 'side delivery hay rakes' broken for almost no money, and there's a whole bunch of those spring loaded tines, gearbox, wheel hubs, heck there's at least TWO other implements in there if you're a fabricator. They also sell those tines at Tractor Supply etc although to get a bunch of them it does add up.

There are also dethatcher implements as well which can be useful.

I have an ATV 50" landscape rake, and a riding mower 40" dethatcher. The dethatcher won't drag as heavy of stuff and will just roll over it, but does a better job at 'final smoothing'. I'm vaguely planning to buy the next ~40" riding mower dethatcher i see on FB/offerup etc and make one ~80" out of it since they take basically 0-2hp to pull. A full size tractor landscape rake is a lot better at moving heavy stuff and can pull up some rocks, etc. It's also a lot better for 'initial' smoothing/spreading, like dragging out and smoothing a pile of something that's been dumped somewhere.

I have not tried a 'pine straw rake' yet but part of why i haven't is i got the impression it wouldn't rake up any smaller/finer stuff than a landscape rake anyway, and was mostly different in that you could drag it across a lawn without ripping up the lawn. I have the impression that stuff too small to catch with the landscape rake will fall through the pine straw rake as well, but i may be way off.

 

[mikester]

I've been kicking around the idea of ordering a landscape rake. I have small gravel driveway at the cottage and a small area that needs a once over to clean it up a little.

Last year, I box bladed the drive, and for the life of me I could not get the "lines" where the box blade ends to smooth out. My neighbor came over and lent me a tool that looked like a chain link fence with 2 big bars running width wise and told me to go over it with that thing.

It worked pretty good and smoothed it out nicely, so my question is this.

Will a landscape rake smooth out those lines like that tool I borrowed, or will it also leave those annoying "edge lines"?

Paul

I welded steel plates to the sides of my blade and added gauge wheels to the back. It's like a semi-box blade now, no spill from the sides and I can keep my driveway nice and smooth.

I set up the gauge wheels and side plates on my smooth concrete floor so I can get perfect level when grading.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Runs With Scissors, since you can fabricate why not build your own?

I've build a couple these and they work excellent. I use the pickup teeth from a hay baler. Doesn't matter if it is big round or small square, they are 6' wide, have four rows of teeth mounted on steel angle or round stock. Remove the entire row of teeth (as a unit) leaving them mounted as they were on the baler. Get all four of the reels.

Build a frame for the row of teeth. Use what you have, I used 1 1/2" angle. Basically 6'x4' frame. Then need the steel to make the 3pt attachment. Make it from scratch, or remove the whole thing from another piece of equipment. Bolt the 6' rows of teeth 12" apart on the frame you made.

Need to fabricate with the idea of need to replace the pickup teeth when one brakes or lost. I mention this because some balers install the teeth (round hole in the spring part) over a round tubing. I would pass on this design because it requires removing all the teeth in the way of the one needing replaced. Other models attach the teeth with a curled washer and bolt. Much better design because each tooth is independent of the others.

This implement works real good for working up rock in the driveway that has been packed down by winter traffic. A few slow trips and it looks like you hauled in tons of rock. (I've have had neighbors see what I was doing and asked if I'd do there, how much?) It look that good!

Also use for dethatching grass, or once it's dethatched use it as a rake for anything needing raked. The four rows of teeth are staggered and so it does a good job of missing nothing.

I basically have nothing in it for material, just time and it out performs anything I've seen that is similar to it. Check local scrap dealer for old farm implements for the baler teeth.

I like it...Looks nice and looks like it works great.

The only problem I have is the finding the materails. My scrap guys do not get 'bailers" in very regualrly. (if ever).

But I might try making something similar.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I welded steel plates to the sides of my blade and added gauge wheels to the back. It's like a semi-box blade now, no spill from the sides and I can keep my driveway nice and smooth.

I set up the gauge wheels and side plates on my smooth concrete floor so I can get perfect level when grading.

Another good idea...Thanks for the input.

 

[D2Cat]

I like it...Looks nice and looks like it works great.

The only problem I have is the finding the materails. My scrap guys do not get 'bailers" in very regualrly. (if ever).

But I might try making something similar.

Thanks for the idea.

Might put an ad on FB Marketplace for parts baler. If you start from scratch you could use something like these. I replaced all my teeth a couple of years ago and I think there are 40, 10 on each bar. You need the spring large fender type washer, lock washer and nut. Be sure to stagger the spring location.

Tractor Supply, $4.09 each! Crazy prices.

 

[Vigo]

Tractor Supply, $4.09 each! Crazy prices.

True, but even if you buy 40 of them that's still only ~$160 + tax.. compare that to the 'pre-assembled' price of a CMP 3pt dethatcher at ~$450: https://www.lawncareattachments.com...ts/3-point-dethatchers?variant=31954999443537

Not saying that price is super high, but even paying $4/ea for those, DIY would still end up cheaper for most people building something like that.