Have to ask this question

[Laminarman]

I have to ask it, as I can't find the answer and the searched threads are very, very, very long.

SITUATION: I need to be able to rake grass and debris, pick up or rake some flat shale stones and break up clods for planting food plots after the ground is plowed

ON HAND: 6' chain harrow from Loyal Roth

PREDICAMENT: Using that harrow, and picking it up and cleaning it of dead grass every 100 feet is too tiring and time consuming (weighs 200+ pounds).

QUESTION: Do I spend another 300 bucks on the harrow lift kit so I can just lift it, or do I spend that much on a landscape rake?

Will a landscape rake gather rocks and stones for me to scoop up? The harrow will not do this.

Is the landscape rake better at raking grass up. The harrow does a great job at this.

I want to spend on one more item this year and don't know whether to improve the harrow, or get a rake and fight with the harrow (which is a pain to use without a lift!).

Thanks.

 

[beenthere]

Do you think you could hook the chain harrow to the FEL bucket with chains, such that it will stay ahead of the front tires, and when filled with grass you could just lift it with the FEL to 'empty' it? May have to have a boom to get it forward enough. Hope this makes sense.

 

[Laminarman]

I actually pulled the harrow backwards from the bucket and it worked like a charm. Lifted the bucket, cleaned the grass...no problem except I look like an idiot, get a sore back from looking backwards and trying to keep straight, and it's counterproductive. I'll be "raking, dethatching, grooming" over 6 acres between what is to be lawn, food plots and general maintenance. Thanks.

 

[greg_g]

What is the length and width of your harrow?

//greg//

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I actually pulled the harrow backwards from the bucket and it worked like a charm. )</font>
Put an inexpensive boom pole on your 3pt and run a chain down to the rear of the harrow to lift it. Boom poles don't usually cost very much and this will help. A landscape rake will gather stones pretty well, and will also help in leveling, pulling out grasses and weeds. I use mine all the time. John

 

[chim]

That's the way I drag the home made levelling thingie I made..................chim

 

[Laminarman]

Greg

Harrow is 6', so I assume 6 by 6? Made by Loyal Roth.

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Harrow is 6', so I assume 6 by 6? )</font>
Mine is 8'x9' so I first needed a boom pole extension. Yours being a 6x6 will make it easier to lift with a standard boom pole. Before devising a steel lift frame for mine, I made a wood template to work from. Two by fours proved not strong enough till I doubled them up. But eventually I was able to lift and actually use it in the field with the wood frame, while the steel one was being fabricated.

Shouldn't be as difficult with the lighter 6x6, if you lift your two by fours narrow side up. Use 4" eyebolts as your pickup points. Lift with a boom pole and chain. Nice to be able to raise the harrow and back into corners, not to mention transporting it over a surface you don't want "scratched".

//greg//

 

[Laminarman]

Greg

Do you have a photo of your rig?

 

[greg_g]

Nope. But I'm anticipating UPS to drop off my new digital camera Tuesday. Gotta drop the rotary cutter and mount the harrow to make any photos worthwhile. Hopefully I can come up with something for you before the weekend

//greg//

 

[To20Chris]

john, thanks for the boom pole suggestion - this thread is timely as I am just starting to look into drag harrows.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( john, thanks for the boom pole suggestion - this thread is timely as I am just starting to look into drag harrows. )</font>
You're welcome Chris. I've found the boom pole to be a VERY handy tool to have around. I bought one that has a hook at the end and in the middle. I think most only have the hook at the end. If you have one like mine, you can tie at two different locations with less trouble than tying only to the end. Adjust the length of each hook up to make it lift evenly. John

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( anticipating UPS to drop off my new digital camera Tuesday. )</font>
Camera showed up Wednesday, but haven't been able to make the USB connection work yet. Looks like this is going to take longer than I thought.

//greg//

 

[Ozarker]

Not sure what type of memory card your camera uses but mine uses a flash card. I spent $20 on a USB card reader for my computer. I can use it on my main computer or my laptop. I use the laptop when I am away from home and I can download all my pictures to the laptop to clear the flash card for more pictures. Of course I also dumped the 8K flash card that came with the camera and bought a 128k card.

 

[greg_g]

This model sits in a proprietary cradle that is both a charger, and a USB interface. Casio drivers have some obvious issues with VIA chipsets, but I finally got them to start talking to each other with a driver from a different Casio series. I'll get a memory stick in time, but this problem was one of getting my computer to see the 10MB Casio onboard memory.

Next I have to get the firmware update installed, then figure out how many of the bloody Japanese bells and whistles and gimmicks I can ignore.

//greg//

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Greg
Do you have a photo of your rig?
)</font>
Sorry so long to get back, had to climb the learning curve so I was at least half as smart as the **** camera. Attached photo is in the tow/drag position

//greg//

 

[greg_g]

This one is the lift/reverse position. Note the first chain must pull the lift frame AWAY from the rear wheels. If it lifted straight up with too much slack, gravity would pull the frame into the rear wheels.

//greg//

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( This one is the lift/reverse position. Note the first chain must pull the lift frame AWAY from the rear wheels. If it lifted straight up with too much slack, gravity would pull the frame into the rear wheels.)</font>
Now that's a great setup. Did you make that extra long boom pole? I've not see one that size before. John

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Did you make that extra long boom pole? I've not see one that size before.)</font>
Yup. If you look real close, you might see a joint where the OE boom pole would normally end. Welded a inch 1-3/4" tube inside, then slipped a five foot section of 2" over it. Drilled through both, and hold it in place with a PTO pin. When I need to use it as a conventional boom pole, I just pull the pin and remove the extension.

//greg//

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Welded a inch 1-3/4" tube inside, then slipped a five foot section of 2" over it. )</font>
Nice job. I can think of many times I could have used one like that. John