Do I Need A Box Blade and Landscape Rake For My Use

[jeff9366]

I have an ETA Landscape Rake. I have a Ratchet Rake. Do YOU have a Ratchet Rake?

It is an unfortunate circumstance that people comment on equipment in forums, either POSITIVE or NEGATIVE, without experience with the equipment.

Without experience, better to withhold comment than muddy the water for newbies.

The Ratchet Rake is on my bucket at least five times the hours the hours the Landscape Rake is on my Three Point Hitch. Nothing wrong with a Landscape Rake, I have one. But the Ratchet Rake is the more versatile, more maneuverable, less expensive, less delicate tool.

Here is a photo of how a Ratchet Rake grades, though I was just scratching in a game food plot along woodland edge.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have both landscape rake and box blade and after some initial use pulling down a hill and levelling it to build my shop, I haven't used either. The box blade for me is just for dragging a lot of dirt from a high spot to a lower one and it works good for that. I really cant see buying one for your small amount of dirt work. You should be able to use the FEL to move what little dirt that you need moved. Back dragging the area will smooth it out without any need for equipment. I got the box blade with my first tractor because I had a major hill to pull down (I ended up just hiring a dozer to level the hill for my house site). I got the landscape rake with my LS. I use the landscape rake to spread the gravel on my golf cart trail for a while but found that I could do just as well by back dragging with my FEL and no wasted time hooking and unhooking the rake. I tried using the landscape rake to level some grassy areas that I had disked up but the sod just stopped up the rake so I ended up using the FEL to smooth the humps.
SO, my thoughts are that in your case, I would invest in a land plane. IT moves a bit of dirt and drops the excess in the low spots. I think what you have to do, it would really work well and you could use it to grade your driveway (if you have dirt or gravel that is).

 

[SandburRanch]

It looks to me all you need is a drag to knock high spots down, smooth and at the same time fill low areas .

To move, level and smooth dirt, the box scraper will beat a box blade 7 days / week 24hrs. / day. It's a shame not too many are available for smaller tractors.

I suggest getting a fast growing something planted as soon as possible or you will have serious soil erosion.

 

[Creamer]

It looks to me all you need is a drag to knock high spots down, smooth and at the same time fill low areas .

To move, level and smooth dirt, the box scraper will beat a box blade 7 days / week 24hrs. / day. It's a shame not too many are available for smaller tractors.

I suggest getting a fast growing something planted as soon as possible or you will have serious soil erosion.

What is the difference between a box blade and a box scraper? I looked at Landpride's website and what they call a box scraper looks just like a box blade.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I was in similar situation after building my house. I ended up renting a landscape rake to pull out the rocks, then pulling an old pallet as a drag to smooth out the yard even more. Worked well.

later bought a box blade at tsc, but when I got it home I noticed broken welds, so returned it. Never felt the need to get one since.
Just got a ratchet rake, and am getting pretty good with it. I like it, been using it to clear multiflora rose and grape vines from my woods.

 

[blb078]

I was in similar situation after building my house. I ended up renting a landscape rake to pull out the rocks, then pulling an old pallet as a drag to smooth out the yard even more. Worked well.

later bought a box blade at tsc, but when I got it home I noticed broken welds, so returned it. Never felt the need to get one since.
Just got a ratchet rake, and am getting pretty good with it. I like it, been using it to clear multiflora rose and grape vines from my woods.

View attachment 500048

How did the pallet work out? I have a few of those laying around, did you put weight on them? I don't have any rocks to worry about that has been taken care of when we did the initial clearing and grading, wasn't a lot to begin with. Really all if have are small twigs and stuff. I put in an order for a ratchet rake so hopefully I get it this week. I can see it being useful in some weedy areas too.

 

[blb078]

I have both landscape rake and box blade and after some initial use pulling down a hill and levelling it to build my shop, I haven't used either. The box blade for me is just for dragging a lot of dirt from a high spot to a lower one and it works good for that. I really cant see buying one for your small amount of dirt work. You should be able to use the FEL to move what little dirt that you need moved. Back dragging the area will smooth it out without any need for equipment. I got the box blade with my first tractor because I had a major hill to pull down (I ended up just hiring a dozer to level the hill for my house site). I got the landscape rake with my LS. I use the landscape rake to spread the gravel on my golf cart trail for a while but found that I could do just as well by back dragging with my FEL and no wasted time hooking and unhooking the rake. I tried using the landscape rake to level some grassy areas that I had disked up but the sod just stopped up the rake so I ended up using the FEL to smooth the humps.
SO, my thoughts are that in your case, I would invest in a land plane. IT moves a bit of dirt and drops the excess in the low spots. I think what you have to do, it would really work well and you could use it to grade your driveway (if you have dirt or gravel that is).

Thanks for the info. This is kind of what I was worried about buying a few things and then not really putting them to use afterwards. My driveway will be concrete so no rocks and stuff to worry about. Gonna see how the rachet rake and a chain fence or pallet work out. Getting close to seeding time so I need to get it taken care of within the next couple weeks.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My excavation company spread the topsoil, so was still pretty rough and Rocky. Then used landscape rake to remove rocks, that left it almost ready for seed. Then drug a pallet, maybe used one concrete block on it. Don't want it to dig much, but rather smooth out the soil. I pulled it with my riding mower. Then seed and straw. Couldn't find any pictures, that was 20 yrs ago.
I've been adding dirt over my geothermal pipes where it settled. Been just backblading with the bucket. Now I can use my ratchet rake.
For pulling multiflora roses it's better to go over them about a foot high, then drop it down and pull back to pull the roots out. Same with very small trees.

 

[Code54]

I currently have a landscape rake, ratchet rake, straight blade and I bought a new box blade today. Each has its uses and what they excel at. My ratchet rake gets used the least but I don't have any plans on getting rid of it. Now and then it is the perfect tool. I use my landscape rake a LOT - mainly keeping up about 3/4 miles of gravel driveway. Just depends on what you want to invest. I always look at this stuff as a long term thing. Pay 1000 now, keep it for 10 years and use it a bunch then sell it for say 750-800. Didn't really cost me much over the years at that rate. (remember as your depreciates the cost of new mostly goes up so if you keep it nice you don't really do all that bad in the long run)

 

[blb078]

I currently have a landscape rake, ratchet rake, straight blade and I bought a new box blade today. Each has its uses and what they excel at. My ratchet rake gets used the least but I don't have any plans on getting rid of it. Now and then it is the perfect tool. I use my landscape rake a LOT - mainly keeping up about 3/4 miles of gravel driveway. Just depends on what you want to invest. I always look at this stuff as a long term thing. Pay 1000 now, keep it for 10 years and use it a bunch then sell it for say 750-800. Didn't really cost me much over the years at that rate. (remember as your depreciates the cost of new mostly goes up so if you keep it nice you don't really do all that bad in the long run)

That's the thing. I don't have a use for a box blade, landscape rake, etc except this one time. A ratchet rake I can see using a bit more as I have some overgrown areas I can use it on. But since my ground is 80% or so graded I'm just looking for something for one time use that I can use later on and I think a ratchet rake might fit the bill and either a chain fence gate or as someone mentioned a pallet.