Need a debris fork for pine needles

[willyC93]

I made a rake to remove pine needles from my road before grading and preparing for snow plowing. I have used a manure fork for years but now need a front loader debris/manure fork to pick up and load them. Any ideas and photos would be greatly appreciated.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Just use a grapple.

 

[Vlach7]

Love my Debris Forks for brush and firewood, just couldn't spend $4000+ for Grapples and 3rd function, compared to $400 for Debris Forks from Titan. Never used Grapples, bet it would be fun like my BH.

 

[Lil Foot]

After raking into piles by hand, I use these forks to scoop & load pine needles in the dump trailer.

Groundworks welding and fabrication - Manure Forks, Debris Rake, Rake | Groundworks welding and fabrication

Clamp on Bucket forks and attachments

gwgroundworks.com

 

[Vlach7]

I use a 7' 3pt rake to get big jobs done, one of my favorite accessories, along with my debris forks.

 

[Trimley]

A 3pt Straw Rake sounds like a must. They're basically a big Grass DeThatcher.

Hand raking as little as possible.

 

[willyC93]

I built a pine needle rake which does a good job but I am loading the front loader and shelf by hand. I am thinking about building manure forks for the front loader with 1"X1" bar stock 16" to 20" long tines but am concerned about tine spacing.
My road is 1/2 mile from the far end to the burn pile and I want to make the trips with the tractor and not the trailer.
Lil Foot do you drop many needles with your tine spacing?
Thanks, Bill

 

[Lil Foot]

Lil Foot do you drop many needles with your tine spacing?
Thanks, Bill

No, the needles really lock together.
I found we can scoop the piles with just the forks, but an assistant with a rake or manure fork can stuff/pack a lot more needles in/on the forks & bucket.

 

[Mikeymotorbikey]

I built this years ago after I built the loader for the Case 446. Needed something to clean waste hay out of the winter goat pen.
3/4" bar stock with the ends cut at a bevel, welded to a piece of strap to keep them spaced properly. Back end is 1/2" by 1" bar stock with angle brackets bolted to holes in the sides of the bucket. A couple pieces of angle bent over the front edge of the bucket to keep it in place.
Works awesome for cleaning up waste hay, downed branches in a pile. Would think it would work for pine needles.
Sorry about the dirt clods stuck to the ends of the spears.

Mike

 

[willyC93]

Found jbolt001's DIY Straw Bucket and think that the use of concrete form stakes is the way for me to go. I'll use 1 1/2" square tubing for the frame and 3/4"X36" form stakes on 4" centers for tines and will attach it to the bucket. jbolt thanks for the idea. I feel guilty for the theft but will soon recover.