72" Harley Rake on compact tractor?

[HomerGuy]

Hello,

I have a freshly graded new construction yard. The excavation contractor did a nice job of finish grading with his bulldozer, and I'd like to run a harley rake/power rake over the whole area to give a nice seed bed for my grass seed.

Can my Kubota B2601 (24.3 engine hp, 19.5 PTO hp) run a 72" PTO harley rake? The specs online seem to recommend a 25-60 hp tractor for this size of harley rake, but I can't seem to find anything smaller available for rent in my area of southeast Michigan. I understand it may not be ideal, but if I take it easy and go slow, do you think I would have enough oomph to run this large of a power rake?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[deezler]

I think so, worth a shot anyway. Where are you renting from?

Ward's in hamburg has skid steers and attachments for them. Probably a bit more coin, though.

Reserve a Bobcat Hydraulic Skid Loader Soil Conditioner 72" at Ward's Rental Center

Best prices and service for equipment rental of Bobcat Hydraulic Skid Loader Soil Conditioner 72" at Ward's Rental Center in Hamburg, Michigan

www.wardsrental.com

I made the mistake of not doing this step. Just smoothed it out with my tractor and loader, raked by hand a bit, and seeded. My lawn is still bumpy 5 years later, OY!

 

[HomerGuy]

I was going to rent it from Sunbelt in Dewitt. Not exactly around the corner from me, but I can't find many places that have them.

Tool Time Rental in Highland also has one and is closer, to me but I find them to be expensive and not overly customer friendly.

I have rented from Ward's several times. They are nice and charge a very reasonable price for delivery & pickup. I'd have about $600 into a one day rental of a track loader with harley rake through them, and the 3pt harley rake is about 1/4 of that, provided that my tractor can handle it.

 

[K5lwq]

I would go with the track loader option. 3pt will be marginal at best with low HP and will take quite a bit longer. When all said and done it my not be much more for the track loader and no chance of over loading your tractor.

 

[deezler]

Yeah I love Ward's, but that makes sense. What about the sunbelt in Ypsilanti?

 

[MossyDell]

Would a track loader really smooth the ground for future mowing as well as a Harley Rake? If it's been competently finish graded with a dozer, I wonder about the need for a track loader vs. the rake. Maybe the OP can explain?

There are videos on YouTube of smaller tractors handling 72" power rakes. Here is one with an L2501, admittedly a bigger frame size but same hp:

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And Tractor Time with Tim has one of a JD1025R and a power rake.

 

[K5lwq]

The way I read his post was a tracked loader with Harley rake.

 

[oosik]

There isn't any type/form of powered rake within 100 miles of my place. I used my home made "drag" to smooth things out. That and my LPGS.
The "drag" is simple, cheap and it works.

I tow the drag with a rope bridal behind my ATV.

 

[TMGT]

Hello,

I have a freshly graded new construction yard. The excavation contractor did a nice job of finish grading with his bulldozer, and I'd like to run a harley rake/power rake over the whole area to give a nice seed bed for my grass seed.

Can my Kubota B2601 (24.3 engine hp, 19.5 PTO hp) run a 72" PTO harley rake? The specs online seem to recommend a 25-60 hp tractor for this size of harley rake, but I can't seem to find anything smaller available for rent in my area of southeast Michigan. I understand it may not be ideal, but if I take it easy and go slow, do you think I would have enough oomph to run this large of a power rake?

Thanks,
Eric

Whats the ground like? Wet/damp clay can really bog down a power rake.
I've run a 60" Harley brand rake on my B2620 (older version of your 2601) and I wouldn't want to run anything larger on that size tractor, at least in the mixed clay we have here, plus the weight will be a bit much with a 72".

That said, they are fantastic for seed prep and I would recommend using one even if you have to rent something to run it.

 

[Cataclysm]

I've ran a 72" power rake on a newer 24 hp LS tractor. It will smooth and level that pad with no issue as long as the soil is loose. You will also be able to rake out and windrow debris if there are any in/on the pad.

I raked out and windrowed a few fairly big rocks and a whole lot of cantaloupe sized ones with no problem.

I tried cutting Bermuda grass on hard clay. It would cut it but was beating up the tractor too much.

You will want to run a rake with gauge wheels.

 

[TmbrWlkr]

A roto tiller followed by a York rake may be a viable solution too - easier to get properly sized implements and may rent for comparable $$s.

 

[HomerGuy]

The soil is rather sandy, with gravel and larger rocks mixed in. No hard clay here.

Here is a photo of what it looks like after the bulldozer smoothed things out, and after I ran my tractor landscape rake over it (facing forwards and backwards). The tractor rake seemed to pull up a lot of rocks that were just lurking below the surface. The Hand Rake in the photo is included for scale. This photo was taken in an area with the highest density of rocks.

It would be awesome if I could use the Harley rake to windrow all the rocks off to the side. Think it will do that effectively?

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I've never used one behind a tractor, but when we used to use one on a skid steer, it would do a great job of letting us separate and gather up rocks.

 

[Cataclysm]

The soil is rather sandy, with gravel and larger rocks mixed in. No hard clay here.

Here is a photo of what it looks like after the bulldozer smoothed things out, and after I ran my tractor landscape rake over it (facing forwards and backwards). The tractor rake seemed to pull up a lot of rocks that were just lurking below the surface. The Hand Rake in the photo is included for scale. This photo was taken in an area with the highest density of rocks.

It would be awesome if I could use the Harley rake to windrow all the rocks off to the side. Think it will do that effectively?View attachment 710663

Absolutely. Set it light.

 

[dodge man]

I’ve never used one but have watched them used several times. If the soil is already loose which it looks like it is they dont look like they use a lot of HP. How much does it weigh, you just want to make sure your tractor will pick it up. Also make sure you have the right length driveshaft, it wouldn’t be good to get it all the way home and find out you can’t hook it up.

 

[crashz]

I had a 72" Landpride power rake with the bars on the roller vs nubs. Is also had scarifiers to loosen ground if needed. My L2501 would run it fine, but it was super heavy. Right at the limit of the 3pt hitch. I was always a little nervous about the weight on the hitch.

Fine adjustment were easy and it did a wonderful job. I may regret selling it, but I didn't use it. New owner has a bigger tractor too.

For piece of mind and to see your work, I'd rent the track loader with rake.