Landscape Rake?

[SteveBX23]

Hi all

So not to bring up a well aged debate, but I’m trying to figure out where I will get the most value, a landscape rake or box grader, for my current needs.

For my needs, I have a good sized gravel driveway, that is well compacted and very hard when dry. But it does soften a bit after rains. I will also be looking to strip moss covered areas for renovations, prepping spots for food plots, and grading out top soil.

My plan for areas to be renovated would be to rent a tiller, till it, then in theory run a landscape rake to clean it and grade it, something that perhaps the box grader would not do so well at in regards to cleaning and prepping soils. It seems my main concern would be the application of the landscape rake to my gravel driveway.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank you

 

[RCW]

I wouldn't till a gravel drive that is hard when dry. Don't think I'd till one that's soft when wet, either.

You want a box blade or land plane.

Skip the landscape rake.

My box blade is my favorite implement.

 

[SteveBX23]

I wouldn't till a gravel drive that is hard when dry.

You want a box blade or land plane.

Skip the landscape rake.

My box blade is my favorite implement.

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Let me clarify, I would not be tilling the driveway.

I mentioned tilling other areas, and following with landscape rake. My concern is the landscape rake being able to bust up the gravel

How does the box grader do for stripping ground to soil?

Trying to make the right $700 decision

 

[MDCobraMan]

I agree with the box blade or grader box. You can level out the stone driveway and drop the rippers down to bust sod and soften the ground to prep for a garden.
Wayne

 

[SteveBX23]

Appreciate the help guys!

 

[NHSleddog]

I have both and use the rake a lot more than the box.

 

[B737]

2nd needing both. Box blade to prep and general grade. Then spread and final level using LR w gauge wheels.

 

[SteveBX23]

I was kind of figuring both would be best, but I am also trying to determine my best bang for the buck, essentially. Local dealer recommended LR, but I just don’t see it being very efficient on a hard packed gravel driveway that definitely needs grooming.

I am leaning towards box blade, and then hopefully finding a decent used LR on marketplace or Craigslist for a cheaper cost than new.

I was afraid of “both” being the answer here

 

[Bmyers]

Like many implements, you have to figure out the cost and value to you. For driveway maintenance, the Land Plane comes out on top. Yet for moving material the box blade comes out on top. Yet for the finishing touch, the land rake comes out on top.

Realizing you can accomplish some of each task with each individual tool. What is the most versatile tool in the group, my opinion, is the box blade. Yet, it isn't the best. If I had to pick just one, it would be the box blade and start saving my pennies to get the additional ones.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

 

[SteveBX23]

Like many implements, you have to figure out the cost and value to you. For driveway maintenance, the Land Plane comes out on top. Yet for moving material the box blade comes out on top. Yet for the finishing touch, the land rake comes out on top.

Realizing you can accomplish some of each task with each individual tool. What is the most versatile tool in the group, my opinion, is the box blade. Yet, it isn't the best. If I had to pick just one, it would be the box blade and start saving my pennies to get the additional ones.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Well put! Thank you!

That solidified my answer, most likely getting a box blade first. Then a landscape rake in the nearer future

 

[B737]

I think thats a great plan Steve. The box blade will get everything done you need. Then when you are ready LS rake.... wait until you see the finish job the landscape rake will put down with gauge wheels, it will blow you away. It is really effective with most materials, rocks, soil, fill....

 

[SteveBX23]

I think thats a great plan Steve. The box blade will get everything done you need. Then when you are ready LS rake.... wait until you see the finish job the landscape rake will put down with gauge wheels, it will blow you away. It is really effective with most materials, rocks, soil, fill....

Thank you!

Any recommendations on sizing? I have heard the BX23S (mine) can handle a LR up to 6’? But a box blade should be kept to 4’ for traction reasons. Is this accurate?

 

[RCW]

Steve - - my bad.

I focused on driveway, and missed top soiling, food plots, etc.

I think your plan is just fine for your tasks at hand.

 

[Old_Paint]

Well put! Thank you!

That solidified my answer, most likely getting a box blade first. Then a landscape rake in the nearer future

Having seen the work that some of these guys do with a rake on gravel and landscaping, it looks by far the best implement to handle what I call finer levelling and grading work. Get one that's capable of handling at least small roots if you find one. In either case, box blade or rake, make sure it's wider than your back tire tracks. I'll speak from personal experience that a 4 foot box blade behind a tractor with a 56" track width is all but useless for anything but grading a crown out of a road or maybe pushing a little dirt around to fill up stump holes. When I dug my pad for my shed, I had a lot of problems that could have been avoided with a 60 or 72 inch blade. The rear tires will ride up on the edge of the cut, making it all but impossible to level something out without making a very serious over dig. Measure your tractor's rear axle track (across the outside of the sidewalls of the rear tires) and get a blade that's at least 3 inches wider than that measurement. Pretty sure they all come in 12 inch increments.

Same principle applies to all wider implements with the possible exception of a rotary cutter. Some like them wider than the tractor, I do not. Nothing quite like that violent stop when you hook the corner of your cutter behind a tree.

 

[SteveBX23]

Steve - - my bad.

I focused on driveway, and missed top soiling, food plots, etc.

I think your plan is just fine for your tasks at hand.

What size box blade are you using on your BX23?

 

[SteveBX23]

Having seen the work that some of these guys do with a rake on gravel and landscaping, it looks by far the best implement to handle what I call finer levelling and grading work. Get one that's capable of handling at least small roots if you find one. In either case, box blade or rake, make sure it's wider than your back tire tracks. I'll speak from personal experience that a 4 foot box blade behind a tractor with a 56" track width is all but useless for anything but grading a crown out of a road or maybe pushing a little dirt around to fill up stump holes. When I dug my pad for my shed, I had a lot of problems that could have been avoided with a 60 or 72 inch blade. The rear tires will ride up on the edge of the cut, making it all but impossible to level something out without making a very serious over dig. Measure your tractor's rear axle track (across the outside of the sidewalls of the rear tires) and get a blade that's at least 3 inches wider than that measurement. Pretty sure they all come in 12 inch increments.

Same principle applies to all wider implements with the possible exception of a rotary cutter. Some like them wider than the tractor, I do not. Nothing quite like that violent stop when you hook the corner of your cutter behind a tree.

I believe the width of rear wheels on the BX23S is 48”

 

[Old_Paint]

I believe the width of rear wheels on the BX23S is 48”

You MIGHT get by with a 48” blade, but I’m pretty sure that BX23S will pull a 60” BB. Get as big a blade as you can pull.

 

[UpNorthMI]

You can buy box blades with widths in between 48” and 60”, some brands are 54” or 55”, be careful how big you go.

I do a lot of surface smoothing with a chain harrow, you can buy a 6’ wide one for $299 at TSC, this would work well for your finishing task. The chain harrow will also work well for some of the other tasks you listed.

Good luck with your tasks.

 

[SteveBX23]

You can buy box blades with widths in between 48” and 60”, some brands are 54” or 55”, be careful how big you go.

I do a lot of surface smoothing with a chain harrow, you can buy a 6’ wide one for $299 at TSC, this would work well for your finishing task.

Good luck with your tasks.

Thank you. I am currently trying to figure out how big of a BB a BX23S can handle. Im confident I have read somewhere that once you go “too big” the tractor cannot pull it due to the wheels spinning. I always had in mind that a 4’ box blade would be the correct fit

 

[Old_Paint]

The chain harrow will work very nicely on pulverized soil. But it ain't gonna move much around nor is it going to pulverize anything. The BB will have rippers on it to help break up any clay crust. That's good for moving the soil around, but if you're trying to condition the soil, then the tiller is the way to go. Plan B might be a disk harrow. I grew up in very sandy soil down in LA (Lower Alabama) so a disk harrow followed up with a drag made from 20' of rail iron worked beautifully for prepping our winter rye fields. I put a few miles on an old 8N doing exactly those tasks. And I did a few fence repairs too after I got too close with the rail.