Landscape rake project

[MushCreek]

I finally figured out I needed a landscape rake to groom my field after discing. I watched the local ads for about three years, and finally decided to just make one. I bought 37 rake tines ($200, free shipping), and used steel I had laying around for the rest of it. The main boom is 74" long, and is 4" channel iron. I welded a short piece of 6" channel to it, with holes drilled so I can pivot the rake up to 30 degrees. From there, I drilled a piece out of 2" square tubing, and it fits in the three point trailer hitch I already have. Throw a little rattle-can paint job on it, and I'm in business!

The fun part was milling 37 notches in the channel iron on a short, 36" B'Port mill. If you look closely to the lower right, you'll see a pin sticking up through one of the holes. This is how I indexed it to keep the spacing and not have to pick it up again each time I moved it in the vise.

A new rake is $600; used ones seem to run $400 or more if you can find one. I'm sure now that I've finished it up, CL will be full of them for $100. In a couple weeks, it gets a work-out when I prep the field for summer.

 

[C91x]

Looks good. I use mine all the time

 

[Pen & Wrench]

That looks sturdier than what I'd call the cheap ones. Nice job. I'd be interested in what you think of it after you have had a chance to use it. I am wanting to get something to use with my skid loader, less expensive than a Harley rake, that will level out land for a new lawn, and also for repairs to turf where heavy equipment has been used for snow removal. I haven't decided what to acquire just yet.

 

[BD1]

Nice build. I bought a used one years ago. I bought it to move all the branches that my two old willow trees drop every year. I used to pick up and rake by hand. The rake works great and saves so much time and effort.
It also does a good job on a gravel driveway too. I did use a rear blade before I got the rake. The rake is definitely better.

 

[Cardboard Man]

Really nice job! I too need one but don't like the prices. You may have inspired me to build one as well. P.s. I like that '67 Ford pickup in the background.

 

[MushCreek]

Really nice job! I too need one but don't like the prices. You may have inspired me to build one as well. P.s. I like that '67 Ford pickup in the background.

Actually, the truck is a '72... with a '68 grille. It's another project of mine. I like the old-school look of the white painted grille and bumper.

 

[Sumboodie]

I'd have torched the slots and called it plenty fine.

 

[MushCreek]

No torch. Or plasma. It took me nearly 3 hours to machine the boom, between the holes and slots. I'm retired, so I enjoy doing stuff like this. I have noticed that my tine spacing is much more even than the cheap rakes they sell at TSC.

I don't get the price of used ones. A recent auction had a new 6' rake, but someone had run over it. About half of the tines were destroyed, and the frame was badly bent and twisted. It brought $400- NOT including the 15% buyers fee and 6% sales tax. $487 out the door, and I don't know how you'd go about fixing the thing.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Only thing I found harder to buy used than a landscape rake is a box blade. They NEVER come up used up here and when they do its like new prices. Well, maybe pallet forks those are rare used and at a decent price.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

Only thing I found harder to buy used than a landscape rake is a box blade. They NEVER come up used up here and when they do its like used prices. Well, maybe pallet forks those are rare used and at a decent price.

I bought both new (landscape rake and a box blade). Got tired of looking at other peoples junk and were asking new price.

 

[metlmunchr]

Good looking job on that rake Mush. Just don't let word get out that you can do stuff like this else every sodbuster within 20 miles of TR will be calling to let you do 6 hours of work on their junk for a "fair price" of ten bucks.

 

[csp]

Nicely done!

I was almost at the same point and found one at an auction which didn't have a lot of bidders. I use my blade to do a grading job after winter, but the rake does it the rest of the summer.

One of these days I'm going to build one of those heavy, double bladed driveway graders. I've had the cutting edges for almost 15 years now.

 

[PCustoms]

Only thing I found harder to buy used than a landscape rake is a box blade. They NEVER come up used up here and when they do its like new prices. Well, maybe pallet forks those are rare used and at a decent price.

I just got back from St. Albans with a used box blade. Been looking for a year. Guy had 2 people lined up behind me to buy today.

Still looking for forks....