Rake Help reinforcing a dark horse Landscape rake

[3gun]

I was at TSC checking out 6-foot landscape rakes, all the implements are KK but there was one gray dark horse rake.

Asked the manager about it, he informs me that the dark horse implements are junk, but I can have it for $69. The KK rakes are $449.

Compared to the KK, it is almost identical, the angle that the tines mount to is thicker (1/4 ver. 3/16) but the indexing plate is held on with two 3/8 bolts (welded, no bolts on the KK).

Does any one here have a DH rake? What are its weak points? What has broken? What tines will fit it?

I would like to reinforce it now before I bend, twist or break it.

Planning to replace the 3/8 bolts with some grade 8 bolts, I have laying around and maybe welding a 6 foot pice of angle too one flat of the main angle to keep it from twisting.

I under stand it is going to be a light duty rake at best, but I have the tools to improve it, just looking for ideas.


Thanks

 

[jenkinsph]

If you have already bought the Darkhorse just brace it up as best you can without spending much. It may get you by until you can get something better.


Steve

 

[Steve C]

I was at TSC checking out 6-foot landscape rakes, all the implements are KK but there was one gray dark horse rake.

Asked the manager about it, he informs me that the dark horse implements are junk, but I can have it for $69. The KK rakes are $449.

Compared to the KK, it is almost identical, the angle that the tines mount to is thicker (1/4 ver. 3/16) but the indexing plate is held on with two 3/8 bolts (welded, no bolts on the KK).

Does any one here have a DH rake? What are its weak points? What has broken? What tines will fit it?

I would like to reinforce it now before I bend, twist or break it.

Planning to replace the 3/8 bolts with some grade 8 bolts, I have laying around and maybe welding a 6 foot pice of angle too one flat of the main angle to keep it from twisting.

I under stand it is going to be a light duty rake at best, but I have the tools to improve it, just looking for ideas.


Thanks

the 3/8" bolts sould like the weak link, why don't you just weld the indexing plate like the one on the King Cutter. The Dark Horse implements do need a little tweaking but since you have the tools to make it better I don't know how you could go wrong for $69.

I have a 72" Dark Horse tiller
a Dark Horse 60" box blade
a Dark Horse Middle Buster plow
a Dark Horse sub soil chisle plow
and a Dark Horse 72" finish mower

I don't expect them to be trouble free but since I have more time than money at the moment I can afford to fix them if need be. So far I haven't needed to spend any money on them. The tiller had some loose bolts on it when I bought it and it broke off a mounting tab that one of the remaining bolts went through. I welded it back on and tightened down all the other bolts. It seems to work just fine now.