Since I had great pleasure when building my little 'Junk' back blade for the little Yanmar, I figured to push the limits and build a rake. I wanted an-all-in one kind that served as a gentle debris and rock rake as well as an aggressive dethatcher.
Success- and a 5' footer for under $75. I was simply amazed at how uncomplicated it was. And I encourage anyone with the minimum tools and welder to save yourself the $329. and make one. My time and the tines from TSC were the only expense as I had the necessary steel on the rack. The tines were $1.96 ea. X 34 but well made spring steel rods attached by a vulcanized rubber base to the U shaped mount.
....The Rake head or base is medium wall round tube with 34 ea. 1/4" holes drilled through (both sides). I also re-drilled one side slightly over sized (5/16") to allow the attached tines to be adjustable...or tune them for pitch and stagger.
The rest is bits of 3/16" and 1/4" angle along with 1/4" plate for the attachment pins (I used the existing eccentric outrigger arms from the homemade back blade:fing32: ).
I must say that during my test run in the grassy areas, I hit a small patch of my gravel drive, and this brought a smile to my face as the tines shoot rocks at the back of the tractor...Never again with out adjusting the top link for a much less aggressive bite :ROF
Quote mark777 --- I wanted an-all-in one kind that served as a gentle debris and rock rake as well as an aggressive dethatcher.
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I have some areas you could test that on but we may need to modify the termonology a little. Like agressive debris removal.:ROF I'd even do a touch up on the paint when finished. maybar
Maybar...that would be comparable to the better sections of my 'lawn'!
And the paint is only there for it's maiden voyage . After a lifetime of obsessive appearance maintenance...I'm over it. Maybe a dab here and there to prevent seasonal rust LOL.
Yeah Mickey...I only made two 50' passes and came up with a decent 2' pile of nasty thatch, and looking back there are many new exposed patches of earth (where grass should be).. I quit soon after. As fun as it was, it's also 93° out.
Start to finish I would say about six hours...after I purchased the tines. It was kind of cool Milwaukee, just enjoying the day building something I can use around the place.
You will find out that not all the rock will bounce off the tractor...
Put on your seat belt... This way you wont fall under the tractor wheel when one bounces off you head...
great job especially using what was on hand. have one question...where the top link meets the rake,the lowest part of the triangle,what's the tube do? it's centered in the rake pointing down.
.... have one question...where the top link meets the rake,the lowest part of the triangle,what's the tube do? it's centered in the rake pointing down.
G.H. It's actually two tubes. The inside tube is 2" heavy wall the full length or 26" long. The outer tube is 2 1/4" heavy wall that slides over from the bottom and then is capped where the two 1/2 bolts are (top and bottom). The top bolt and cap are visible in the first picture and fasten via welded nuts on the inside tube ..the bottom one is there too, just not visible in any of the pictures. I did this so my back blade would operate straight and also at a 20° angle. And now, so will the rake.
You just pull the center pin and two connecting arms, raise the 3PH and slide off the back blade...and slide on the rake. Pretty simple really, but both implements work as well as any I've purchase 'store bought'...better in some respects as everything is adjustable including the degree or pitch of the blade or rake.
Rock on, Mark!!! Ohhh man, I have thought about making one of those for a long time, but I didn't know how well it would work as a rake, what with the spacing of the tines. I thought they would need to be closer together to work well. A dethatcher is about $75 for my sweeper. I too stared at the tines at TSC and Atwoods thinking the same thing.
That thing looks sweet. How long did it take you to drill all those holes?
About 45 minutes. Setup on the drill press and drilling 32 holes, and counter drilling the backs from 1/4" to 5/16" took about a half hour...positioning the tines, marking and centering for the holes took a good 15 minutes before it ever got to the drill press.
Just so happens I work at TSC, and have thought the same thing. If I were to make one it would have to be tow behind as I dont have a tractor with a 3pt.
I was at TSC today and Saw some other style all steel rake tines, the were single tine spring type, Does anyone know if these would work or how there attached??
Bunky! That kind of tines are for a hayrake, or baler, and I'm afraid they wouldn't work for rocks!--Might be O.K. in grass, if your careful with them!
I did have lots of questions (e-mail & PM) on how it actually works...and I agree it looks a little complicated when fully assembled to either implement. So, I took some pic's of the whole thing disassembled, including the "A" (3PH) frame.
As you can see it's made from simple and readily available steel stock and tube. And basic set-up and welding procedures.
First Pic, all the pieces (the 3PH A frame with the pin through the middle) mounts to top link and lower lift arms.
Second Pic, the back blade slides over the tube, gets pinned and arms attached....fully assembled and ready to go. It takes a little more than 5 minutes to un-pin, raise the 3PH, slide of and change from blade to rake...
I looked at those carefully, and the green and yellow ones ... they were cheaper too. But as Sonny said they're for hay, and just too stiff with little or no lateral play.
I think the inside diameter of the spring (I.D.) slips over a tube and the 'hook' on top catches a vertical plate. I came very close to buying those but decided there just wasn't enough 'give'.
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