Ratchet Rake - ever seen/used one?

[fordmantpw]

I also appreciate the fact that the bright yellow contrasts so nicely with the bright orange color of my tractor. It probably looks fine with ugly-green I suppose --- but I wouldn't know. Everything I own is Orange.

It happens to match the John Deer Yellow very well and goes along with JD green perfectly thank you!

 

[DKCDKC]

The RR is great at brush and honeysuckle, and is good for clearing trash off garden soil, etc. I use it a lot on the driveway for grading and it sometimes hits a buried boulder or something and brings me to a stop. One of the RR teeth is actually badly bent from a rock. Anybody know if it's worth it to straighten it? I guess it doesn't hurt much the way it is.

But a very fine tool overall. And my straps and cable have taken tremendous punishment and show it, but hold just fine.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I posted a minute ago and then realized it was JOHNTHOMAS from the referenced append. I think he's had one for a few years now. That post was from 2009.

It is amazing what can change in 4 years. I did buy one for a L3240 and used it some or enough to know I have to have one of these. I sold the L3240 and got a B3200 so I bought a new RR for the B3200 and the Company sent me a buyer for my original purchase. Great people.
I've changed tractors several times since then and still have my second bought RR. It came with straps all the way around. The Company sent me the 2 new partial metal cables for attaching, they just arrived one day in the mail. Great Company. The straps that are on it now are several years old and look faded but still holding strong. I took the RR off one fall and left it out side for a winter so that's why the straps look like they do.
The RR is one of my most used implement. I use it for finishing off the yard after I've dug it up for what ever reason. It will level the yard to grass seeding condition in short order. I've used it some for briars and scrub trees and weeds but that's not my primary use. I've never bent a tooth and I've hit rocks that have stopped my tractor many times. The RR is not a digger, it's for clearing scrub stuff (big front teeth) and for leveling out roughed up ground (the smaller lower teeth). I bought some teeth for my bucket early on and sold them early on, they were a bother to me and not any real help. The RR can also attach and/or remove by one person in under a minute, it takes longer getting on and off the tractor than attaching/removing it with no holes drilled.
Yes, after using a RR for years I'm a fan! :cool2:

 

[FTG-05]

9 pages of almost unanimous positive ratings. And I got my first bush hog job this week! Of course, it's now late Friday night, so I have to wait until Monday to order my RR!

 

[IslandTractor]

9 pages of almost unanimous positive ratings. And I got my first bush hog job this week! Of course, it's now late Friday night, so I have to wait until Monday to order my RR!

Yes, almost all positive. Certainly well built and great bang for the buck. Don't forget though that any tool as limitations. I like mine but I find the fact that it ties up the bucket so I cannot load or move the stuff I have ratchet raked is annoying. Easy work around is to just pile stuff and come back for it later but it does mean at least a two step process.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Yes, almost all positive. Certainly well built and great bang for the buck. Don't forget though that any tool as limitations. I like mine but I find the fact that it ties up the bucket so I cannot load or move the stuff I have ratchet raked is annoying. Easy work around is to just pile stuff and come back for it later but it does mean at least a two step process.

Yeah, I hate that 2 step process stuff to. So aggravating.:thumbdown:
It makes me think how bad it is to have a back hoe to dig, 1st step of process, then have to turn the tractor all of the way around to scoop up the dirt or rock or stump or whatever, second step of the process and that's not even considering lowering and raising the feet and rearranging the BH arm/bucket. It's almost better to not have anything but one attachment on a tractor rather than have to do the different steps of the processes.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[IslandTractor]

Yeah, I hate that 2 step process stuff to. So aggravating.:thumbdown:
It makes me think how bad it is to have a back hoe to dig, 1st step of process, then have to turn the tractor all of the way around to scoop up the dirt or rock or stump or whatever, second step of the process and that's not even considering lowering and raising the feet and rearranging the BH arm/bucket. It's almost better to not have anything but one attachment on a tractor rather than have to do the different steps of the processes.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

Yeah. I'm just doing some reality checking. I still have one and it ain't for sale!

 

[jeff9366]

Previously I had a Kubota B3300SU tractor/loader package which used 52" Ratchet Rake. Worked well.

Now I have heavier Kubota L3560 with optional (L2296) 397 pound, Heavy Duty, Round-Back Bucket and 88 pound, 68" Ratchet Rake; heavier, works better.

I had issues with cable attachment shackle pins unscrewing, despite application of Loc-Tite, on two occasions. I found nutted and pinned clevis shackles on eBay @ $2.99, which resolved the problem. RR, LLC should make some type of secure shackle standard. Downtime is the field is expensive.

I lost the black Cordura strap pads pretty quickly. I use old leather work gloves under the straps, which are better padding than the Cordura and stay put. (Also, for some reason, I do not lose the gloves. Perhaps subconscious is programmed to remember glove location.)

Great tool. Effective tearing out tenacious Palmettos.


NUTTED/PINNED 3/8" SHACKLE LINK:

3 8" Shackle Clevis Safety Pin Peerless 1 Ton WWL | eBay

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Previously I had a Kubota B3300SU tractor/loader package which used 52" Ratchet Rake. Worked well.

Now I have heavier Kubota L3560 with optional (L2296) 397 pound, Heavy Duty, Round-Back Bucket and 88 pound, 68" Ratchet Rake; heavier, works better.

I had issues with cable attachment shackle pins unscrewing, despite application of Loc-Tite, on two occasions. I found nutted and pinned clevis shackles on eBay @ $2.99, which resolved the problem. RR, LLC should make some type of secure shackle standard. Downtime is the field is expensive.

I lost the black Cordura strap pads pretty quickly. I use old leather work gloves under the straps, which are better padding than the Cordura and stay put. (Also, for some reason, I do not lose the gloves. Perhaps subconscious is programmed to remember glove location.)

Great tool. Effective tearing out tenacious Palmettos.


NUTTED/PINNED 3/8" SHACKLE LINK:

3 8" Shackle Clevis Safety Pin Peerless 1 Ton WWL | eBay

Pads are gone, if I ever had them. Don't need or use anything.
I've had the bigger RR for L3240 and the smaller one now for Bs and BXs and never had an issue with losing or unhooking of attach points. Will look and see if they may be loosening up after all these years of frequent use.

 

[ArmyPair2]

:confused3:You guy's make is sound so easy because I might have the rake on and doing a job but will see something that also needs to be done and have to run and change the setup like move those logs and put the forks on. Or see after moving the logs I need to take the forks off and just use the FEL I am so confused that I can not do one thing at a time and stuck with on and off multi tasking.