Bush Hog (Rake) - don't buy, IMHO

[Jay4200]

I got a Bush Hog 6' landscape rake with gauge wheels a few months back. It developed two cracks in the frame. I first noticed a crack on the left side (where it gets skinny next to the boxed center section) after the first day of use, after I raked out some rough-spread loam. I didn't remember doing anything rough or hitting anything that would strain the rake. The next time I used the rake, however, I was doing some fine-tuning in a few loamed areas that already been raked once before. It was just finish raking, with the gauge wheels set for ~1" max of tine penetration -- what I would consider extremely light use. After I was finished, I noticed another weld had cracked, in the same location as the other crack, but this time on the right side of the rake.

Interestingly, when the rake was new, the gauge wheels did not seem to be level with the rake tines - one sat slightly lower than the other relative to the bottom of the tines when adjusted similarly. I had to set one with an additional 1/2" spacer to get them flat. Now, since the welds cracked, the wheels appear level with the tines and I have them set the same. Odd.

Anyway, two cracks in a few hours of use. I contacted the dealer, who in turn contacted the Bush Hog rep. I wanted a new rake, Bush Hog (after two months) told the dealer that they should weld the rake.

Right. How's that for factory support? No thanks. I'm going to weld my own rake, and while I'm at it, re-engineer the frame so it doesn't crack again. I've also bought my last Bush Hog anything.

JayC

 

[jlsmith]

I dont blame ya JayC. Thats pretty crappy on Bush Hogs part.

 

[pitt_md]

Sorry to hear about your problems. Bush hog didn't do them selfs any favors with this mess. I have to wonder if it is just a fluke. Fluke or not they should have stepped up and replaced the unit.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

BH should have stood behind it. Since you are going to be welding on it I would box the rest of the rake like it is in the center. I did this on my KK and it made it a lot better. Make sure the bolts for the tines are facing down and tac weld the heads before you box it in.
Bill

 

[Johndeere3720]

That sucks. Really crappy on Bush hog's part. You pay that much for something like that and it breaking that soon is just ridiculous, especially with the light-duty tasks that you were doing with it. I can completely understand your feelings there.

 

[jake98]

That has to be some kind of fluke, but BH's reputation is sinking fast for their response.

 

[nickel plate]

Jay,
Quite a few things wrong here but what irks me the most is the two month decision making process put forth by Bush Hog. Totally unacceptable! I will carry that large ill piece of Bush Hog customer relation with me if I am in the market for any product they manufacture or simply badge attach.
My 8' York RI rake has a box beam inside of a welded 3-sided channel, both of which acts as the carrier for the rake beam. If you need any other photos to help you repair the rake, let me know. I see you have a level conc floor to jig it up.
I firmly believe that you should take your built out-of-square, slightly used and now broken rake all the way up the Bush Hog ladder of authority. This is not right.

 

[JoeinTX]

Not dog-piling, but this isn't at all the first poor incidence I've heard recounted regarding Bush-Hog. BH seems to have developed a love-or-hate reputation amongst the tractoring community as a result of a number of hit and miss experiences.

I marked BH off of my considerations list man years ago after hearing too much that sounded like they were living off of their rep' as opposed to the quality of their product line. Me and my bunch have gone everything from Dale Phillips to Rhino to Howse instead of considering BH as a result. No complaints at all from it either.


We bought a tractor-killing Dale Phillips several years ago that only gets used to pound mesquite and rocks into submission..........barely worn the paint off. Inherited a Rhino and it's overbuilt for typical pasture cutting. Bought a Howse several years ago on the cheap to do the "Mikey" jobs and can't tear the sucker up as much as we unintentionally try.


Oh well, just sayin'......

 

[Jay4200]

Jay,
Quite a few things wrong here but what irks me the most is the two month decision making process put forth by Bush Hog. Totally unacceptable! I will carry that large ill piece of Bush Hog customer relation with me if I am in the market for any product they manufacture or simply badge attach.
My 8' York RI rake has a box beam inside of a welded 3-sided channel, both of which acts as the carrier for the rake beam. If you need any other photos to help you repair the rake, let me know. I see you have a level conc floor to jig it up.
I firmly believe that you should take your built out-of-square, slightly used and now broken rake all the way up the Bush Hog ladder of authority. This is not right.

I saw these pics before, during a discussion on $7 HF moving dollies . I have a couple of real moving dollies (liberated by a mover friend of mine) to roll around my blade and snowblower. I use the gauge wheels to roll around my rake. Either that or just fold it up at the broken welds and stick it into my pocket. Harrumph.

Thanks for the help offer!

JayC

 

[Jay4200]

BH should have stood behind it. Since you are going to be welding on it I would box the rest of the rake like it is in the center. I did this on my KK and it made it a lot better. Make sure the bolts for the tines are facing down and tac weld the heads before you box it in.

Good suggestions. A full box would be the best, but I don't know if I want to make the bolts completely inaccessible - perhaps increasing the depth of the effective U-channel. I will, at the very least, weld in some triangular gussets over the broken areas. What a PITA.

JayC

 

[jake98]

I can't see the cracks, can you do a close-up of them?
Anyway, it's winter, why not make them fix it?

 

[Jay4200]

Anyway, it's winter, why not make them fix it?

Because it is winter. I'll have to load the rake up onto my truck, drive all the way over there and dump it off. Maybe leave it, although they'll probably just zap it up while I wait, then drive all the way back and have to unload it. Of course, they will just re-do the cracked welds, so I'll still have to re-build it anyway if I want it stronger. No advantage there, just a waste of time and more PITA.

JayC

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I have a Mid West rake, don't know if their even in business anymore. Anyway, bad design, I rebuilt so that I would not have anymore problems with the rake. Used a 4x7x3/8 tube, pretty much took care of my rake problems.

 

[jake98]

That does look like a cheap-***** design. Mine's from TS, where I would expect to get the minimum but it at least has a c-channel there. Still, the weld should be stronger than the surrounding metal. I'd make them fix it, and warrantee the fix.

 

[nickel plate]

I have a Mid West rake, don't know if their even in business anymore. Anyway, bad design, I rebuilt so that I would not have anymore problems with the rake. Used a 4x7x3/8 tube, pretty much took care of my rake problems.

Very good looking structural re-build MVR, but why do we have to structurally redesign the product to overcome the inept attempts of the manufacturer? Glad it worked out for you. Nice paint!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Very good looking structural re-build MVR, but why do we have to structurally redesign the product to overcome the inept attempts of the manufacturer? Glad it worked out for you. Nice paint!

Thanks, I had it powder coated. The re engineering that so many of us have to do may very well be because we use the implement as it was never intended to be used. I think that landscape rakes are supposed to be used to rake up loose materials such as leaves, sticks, small rocks etc. Many of us use them for grading. Now I'm sure that moving around a little bit of loose dirt is no big thing, but I know that I twisted mine up like a rope by grading my dry stream beds and at many times had more than a full rake of dirt. I doubt that the manufacturer ever intended for the implement to be use as harshly as I was using it. But what I was doing could only be accomplished with something that was flexible, otherwise I would have had to have a different look when I was done.

There are huge differences in the quality of implements out there and if you have much weight, you are better off with a higher quality implement.
Just my :2cents:

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Very good looking structural re-build MVR, but why do we have to structurally redesign the product to overcome the inept attempts of the manufacturer? Glad it worked out for you. Nice paint!

Because like so many other things, the people that design this stuff have NEVER even been on a tractor let alone use any of the products that they design.

 

[djradz]

Because like so many other things, the people that design this stuff have NEVER even been on a tractor let alone use any of the products that they design.

Yes, it is amazing to see how poorly some implements are designed. Rakes and rear blades seem to be at the top of the list. Over the last couple of years we've seen plenty of documented photos here at TBN of both of these implements failing due to some very basic flaws, undersized or poorly chosen (such as C-channel vs Box) members or lack of adequate bracing. Seems as if the designers are exactly as you say, and/or have no common sense or mechanical aptitude.