Rake Front Thatch Rake for BX2200 Needed

[webhund]

Does anyone know of a front mounted "thatch rake" that will fit a Kubota BX2200 with minimal adjustment/customization?

By "thatch rake" I'm referring to those spring-loaded, steel-tined rakes, not the heavy rear-3PT mounted landscape rakes.

 

[MadReferee]

Never seen one designed specifically for the front. However, the one I just built can easily be fitted to a front bucket with just the addition of a section of 2" square tubing. If you are able to drill, cut and weld steel you could do this in a weekend.

dethatcher construction

 

[pcmem]

webhund,

Try JRCO look under Front Mount Dethatcher.

Have fun,
Michael

 

[theboman]

Curious. Why must it be a front mounted?

 

[webhund]

Front-mounting would save an extra trip over the lawn as I could dethatch and mow at the same time -- although that does run counter to the No. 1 TractorByNet rule of "the more tractor time, the better."

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[webhund]

Michael,

I've looked at the JRCO front-mounted model before, but their website doesn't list any Kubota BX-series on the compatible list. If you've used it on a BX, please let me know as it looks like a pretty well made product. I've emailed the company, but haven't heard back yet.

 

[Inspector507]

Their equipment is for a lawn/garden tractor. The BX is just a bit larger.

 

[surfran]

My concern with de-thatching and mowing at the same time would be rocks. I just de-thatched my yard and pulled up several small rocks which would have went flying if I was mowing behind it.

Granted that this year I added cynder blocks to make it a little more aggressive, but if you have soil like mine with small rocks you may want to reconsider.

 

[bigpete]

I use a 54" front-mount de-thatcher that has graduated upward with my tractors since I owned a JD 445. I de-thatch and mow my thatch with the mulching deck on my tractors. Never had a problem with rocks as the guide wheels can be set to keep the tines at various depths. Turf specialists advise to de-thatch with your tines at least 1/4-1/2" above the soil. That way you do not harm the crowns of the grass plants. The tines can be dropped (wheels raised) to become agressive for seed bed prep or incorporating grass seed after overseeding. The original unit used a manual lift with helper springs and could be locked in a transport position. I've had a low priority project to have a welder create a bracket that will interface with my front hydraulics for my snow blade.

If you can find a front-mount from JRCO or and old JD model that you can adapt to the front frame or other front brackets, that would be your best bet. It's not a durability issue like using other light-weight L&G attachments on a CUT. 54" is plent wide for occasional dethatching of 4-10 acres of turf. You really aren't supposed to be de-thatching more than 2-4 times each year. And both the JD and JRCO unit are plenty heavy to be pushed around your yard a few times. Perhaps JRCO might build a proto-type for your for a reasonable cost. There are a lot of BXs and other CUTS out there that might present a good market.

Remember, your lawn need some thatch to stay healthy, keep weeds from germinating, and hold moisture in the soil during drought.

 

[bigpete]

This isn't much help, but here's a link to the JD model It can be had in a 54' width. Front De-thatcher