Help with fixing a landscape rake?

[bumperm]

I have a newer Country Line (TSC) landscape rake. While picking up some rock with FEL, I managed to back into a tree with the rake, twisting one side of the tine bar so the tines are forward and lower on that side (the main C channel is still about level but torqued maybe 20 degrees of rotation) tines not damaged. I tried hooking the now lower tines on the bent side to the edge of a concrete driveway and driving forward - that helped some, but not a lot.

Problem is the C channel tine carrier is welded to its center pivot and that is welded to the top plate that has the angle adjusting holes - nothing comes apart without cutting steel, so it is not at all convenient to put parts in my hydraulic press to straiten things. Also, the rake is too heavy to manhandle easily. I have a plasma cutter, so could lop off the bent part and either buy a piece to weld back on or straighten out the bent bit (either hot or cold), but I guess if I were trying to heat it to cherry to bend it back, then there might not be a lot of sense to cutting if off first.

I also have a port-a-power, but can't conjure up a way to hook things up to use that to straighten it.

Any thoughts or ideas appreciated - hopefully I'm overlooking something . . .

 

[bcp]

This style? Bottom channel bent?

Bruce

 

[bumperm]

It's that style, bottom channel is painted black and easily removable, - - unfortunately, it's the top channel that's twisted.

I've thought about a way to perhaps straighten it:

1) Remove all tines.

2) Position rake frame on concrete driveway with wood block under twisted end.

3) Place jack under front (3 point hitch end).

4) Place stabilizer pad on backhoe on top of twisted end.

5) Jack up 3 point end. It may be necessary to hold down, but not clamp down, opposite end of tine channel to keep it from lifting, so all the jacking force goes into rotating the twisted half (I hope).

Does that sound like a workable solution? Everything else I've thought of either has flaws or is more work intensive (cutting, welding etc).

 

[bcp]

That may work.

Since I don't have a backhoe to hold it down, I would bolt-clamp a long bar onto the channel and try twisting manually.



Bryce

 

[bumperm]

Bryce,

Good idea, I will admit to having considered that, along with simply bolting a bar to the outer most hole in the channel (holes used to secure lower "tine clamp" channel).

Since I have a backhoe, that alternative might be easier. Absent the backhoe, one might also put a stout plank on top of the bent channel, and then drive a vehicle wheel up and centered on it to hold if from twisting. If using another vehicle to do this hold down function, then the tractor 3 point hitch could be used to lift the 3 point end of the rake - - hmmm.

This is going to have to wait a few days, as I just got a chunk of cancer (not the melanoma kind) removed from the back of my knee. No bicycle riding for a few days - - hate sitting on my butt (I would not be a model welfare recipient).

 

[Sodo]

Pics will generate better advice.

It's always useful when you know exactly how it bent, and if you can do the opposite, its often a good way. You backed into a tree. Put a chain around the channel, in the same place as the tree contacted it, and wrap it around a tree. Then drive the tractor forward until the chain snaps tight. Start really slowly, and bounce the tractor against the chain tension, increasing the power of the "hit" a little each time, paying close attention to how the rake flexes. This method requires skillful driving.

If there's is buckling, put tension on it with the tractor (lock the brakes), and hit the buckling with a sledge hammer. If it goes down you are winning.

Stop if it doesn't seem to be working --- it's time for plan "B".

 

[bumperm]

Pics will generate better advice.

It's always useful when you know exactly how it bent, and if you can do the opposite, its often a good way. You backed into a tree. Put a chain around the channel, in the same place as the tree contacted it, and wrap it around a tree. Then drive the tractor forward until the chain snaps tight. Start really slowly, and bounce the tractor against the chain tension, increasing the power of the "hit" a little each time, paying close attention to how the rake flexes. This method requires skillful driving.

If there's is buckling, put tension on it with the tractor (lock the brakes), and hit the buckling with a sledge hammer. If it goes down you are winning.

Stop if it doesn't seem to be working --- it's time for plan "B".

If it were only so . . . the twisted steel channel didn't contact the tree, only about 3 of the tines did that, contacting the tree below the level of the channel and thus acting to twist (torque) the channel forward. I already did the next best thing and that was to hook those tines on fixed concrete and drive forward. Ain't happening, the tines slip off the concrete, though that did straighten it some. Chaining the tines, as you suggest, may work, but would require a bar or something behind the tines to carry the load into the tines - a chain alone would damage things by tending to pull or squeeze the tines together.

I'm thinking my plan B, removing all the tines and holding the channel in place while lifting the front, is what to try first. I'll be able to get to it in a week or so.

 

[PhysAssist]

Pics will generate better advice.

It's always useful when you know exactly how it bent, and if you can do the opposite, its often a good way. You backed into a tree. Put a chain around the channel, in the same place as the tree contacted it, and wrap it around a tree. Then drive the tractor forward until the chain snaps tight. Start really slowly, and bounce the tractor against the chain tension, increasing the power of the "hit" a little each time, paying close attention to how the rake flexes. This method requires skillful driving.

If there's is buckling, put tension on it with the tractor (lock the brakes), and hit the buckling with a sledge hammer. If it goes down you are winning.

Stop if it doesn't seem to be working --- it's time for plan "B".

My plan is much like the one Mr. Sodo suggested- except that I was going to say to use a tow strap because of the flexibility of it, and wrap it around the C-channel, from the center outwards to the end (opposite the way it has been twisted) and then when you hook the unattached outer end of the tow strap to an "immoveable object", whether it be a big tree, post set deeply into concrete, or whatever, the pull will torque it around as well bending it backwards.

Alternatively, you could use its attachment to the three point hitch as a stationary point and use a come-along to apply the force in a more measured way.

I was able to "un-torque" the bed of my pickup truck similarly after bending it trying to lift a too-large boulder with my truck crane (before I got its mounting brackets welded to the truck frame.

Good luck!
Thomas

 

[bumperm]

Thanks for all the help and inspiration . . . sometimes you just have to air the laundry to figure out the best way to clean it.

Sure wish one of you would'a been there to yell at me to stop before I bonked that tree.

At least it didn't bend anything on the tractor - 3 points being stronger for pulling rather than pushing, so I was going in the "weak" direction. Though Kubota's tend to be fairly stout at the rear hitch. My neighbor has a John Deere and cracked off the tractor pin for one of the lift arms. The pin was mounted on the axle housing on a boss that was made of cast aluminum. He was kicking the arm to get it to go on the pin of an implement when it let go. One of those things that has you scratching your head wondering what the heck were they thinking (which is what I was doing as I surveyed the damage to my rake :c(

 

[Shield Arc]

If I'm understanding the damage correctly, I would heat the twisted C-channel with a rose bud, and use a 36-inch pipe wrench to twist the C-channel back into place.

 

[bumperm]

Shield Arc,

I though about doing it similarly, but bolting a lever to the outermost bolt hole as I don't have a 36" pipe wrench. Only issue with that approach is that the twist in the heavy top channel looks to be evenly distributed along it's length. Using a rose bud would tend to put the "correction" at one location unless the whole length were heated and bent sequentially. Doable, but I think I'll try the "cold iron blacksmith" approach first :c).

My attempts to straighten it out by hooking the tines on concrete and pulling, did spread the "legs" of the C channel some, dishing the top, so I'll be beating the snot out of it with a drilling hammer and anvil too. If none of the above doesn't works, I'll break out the rose bud.

 

[Clay45]

I'd see if Tarter Gate built it and if so give them a call. Might can purchase the part or atleast find out the best way to address your situation.

 

[Xfaxman]

For straightening big bent stuff, I use jacks and chains.

 

[bumperm]

Yeah! Good hydraulics (or explosives) can fix or solve most any problem (grin).

Unfortunately, they welded the channel in question to the main pivot, the outer part of which is welded to the rake frame and 3 point. The pivot has a top plate welded to it with angle adjust holes. Without cutting steel there is no replacing parts frame or pivot parts, other than tines and lower tine clamp channel that are bolted on. Really a dumb design in that regard - but I suppose expedient to build.

I have the requisite cutting stuff, plasma etc, and welding stuff . . . I'd just rather not cut it up to fix it. I have the hydraulic stuff too, but if I can't bend it back straight, then cutting off the one side of the main tine channel near the pivot and welding on a new straight piece would be an option - maybe not the most attractive option, but doable, and better than letting it sit and rust cause it ain't straight.

There is a certain satisfaction in using shear force to straighten things, less so when it ruins things . . .

bumper

 

[Sodo]

Maybe you can weld on a lever arm to approximate the tines contact location with the tree. Then all you have to do is cut off your lever arm. And you haven't burt off ALL the paint, (just in the weld area).

Or, since it's square-ish shape maybe you can just weld up a box-wrench type engagement. Fill the channel with hardwood shims and clamp with U-Bolts. Kind of like what Bru/yce proposed. Then you can employ brute force, even go back to the same tree for payback. :licking:

There are plenty of ways to do it, you just need to wait for a workable idea to surface (and some scrap steel will help too). I have a feeling xfaxman don't take NO guff from a peice of steel.

 

[Xfaxman]

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There are plenty of ways to do it, you just need to wait for a workable idea to surface (and some scrap steel will help too). I have a feeling xfaxman don't take NO guff from a peice of steel.

Yep, if the little press won't straighten it, I use the big press.

 

[Shield Arc]

Xfaxman you are working way to hard! You need to get an oxygen & acetylene torch, and this book. Learn how to heat shrink material.

 

[bumperm]

Got 'er fixed. Removed all the tines and used the "motorhome 3-point hitch" method. Worked like a charm and with semi-minimal effort. It does help having top and tilt on the tractor, as it was necessary to go back and forth between raising the 3 point and lengthening the top link to keep the tine channel flat on the ground so the straightening torque was only applied in the right direction.



Thanks again for all the suggestions!

bumper

 

[Sodo]

Bravo. :thumbsup:

When you think about it, you OFTEN already have the right equipment (just have to look at it a little different).

 

[bumperm]

Xfaxman,

That is a cool looking bell you have sitting on the floor in the lower right of the first picture. Is it steel? Looks like it might have come off a locomotive or??

BTW, about half your straightening "rigs", viewed in two dimensions, look like if a fly came and landed on one there would be a horrendous noise and flying chunks of steel!!

Sodo,

That is so true . . . the hard part, sometimes, is getting the old brain to reset and think about things from a different perspective. This list, and the input from all you guys, is a huge help.

bumper