Homemade landscape and trail rake

[MikesTractor]

Jim

Maybe that one will be strong enough to handle all that horsepower.

Really nice job! Keep up the good work.

Mike

 

[jimgerken]

OK, here ya go, a VIDEO !!!

YouTube - navigating dog obstacle course with hydraulics

I laugh every time I see it, 'cause the dogs are like traffic.

 

[3RRL]

Wow,
What a beautiful project. You really impressed me with the quality of your work and your attention to details. Fit and finish are perfect! Not only that, it works great. BTW, I love that video with your pups scurrying around the rake like that.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[RonMar]

Jim
You are way too cool to be here... That thing looks great.

 

[Renze]

You went with the new tube ? You're certainly not lazy, when drilling all those holes AGAIN, when you could have went the easy way by just welding the angle iron to the box tube ??

This way it looks truely professional, i really like the parallel kinematics of the side shift cylinder ! If you dont mind, i'll use your ideas on my back blade.

When my backblade project happens, i have no idea because i first have a buggy to finish, and i have a flatbed and a manure spreader undercarriage behind the workshop, that need to be united to become a bale trailer, before the grass is tall.

 

[jimgerken]

You are too kind. Thanks for the feedback. Thanks for all the ideas too guys! And YES feel free to steal whatever you can from the concepts.
Renze, I just couldnt use that darn angle, it pissed me off too much looking at it. Drilling all the holes (twice as many as the first time including the top and rear access ports) took less than one evening after work, maybe two hours. It was worth it. In hindsight, I now realize I could have used just the single back-surface holes for access, and would not have needed the top holes. It was a little more challenging to get the bolts in the holes using the back surface ports, but holding them with an offset box wrench proved to be very workable. On the other hand, locating the top holes was easy 'cause I simply drilled right through both sidewalls of the tube, the bottom surface first, that being most important location-wise. And later I put the 1 inch bit in the mill and redrilled the 7/16 to the 1 inch for socket clearance. Deburring took five minutes for the outside of the holes, and another half-hour for the inside of all the holes.

Next Saturday is the big test (weather permitting). I will take the camera for before and after, and action shots. Maybe I need a tripod for an action video (ooooooh!) . Anyway, all fifteen miles of my neighbor's ATV trail will need some level of maintenance, some areas more than others. I know of one area that will be completely washed out and we'll need to start with imported rocks for the foundation again. And another area that needed a good rock-raking BEFORE the foot of rain in a day and a half hit. My neighbor now owns my "old" 4100 tractor and rake combo, the pretty well set up KingKutter rake I had added hydraulic swivel to (and TnT to the tractor). And I am ready with the new improved model rake on my new 2520. We plan to start at 8 am, take coolers with refreshments and lunch, and use the family radios to keep in touch (this is an area that people, even after riding there five or six times, still get lost in the woods trails.). I am so excited I can hardly sleep at night. Now that we are all set up with the equip., its almost too much fun to groom and improve the waterbreaks and mow and stuff. Is it Friday yet?

 

[TRUKFXR]

Great job! It has been interesting watching your progress. Now that it is finished, what's next?

 

[jimgerken]

We need a rock trailer. Dumpable, super-tough, rocking tandem, car-tire size wheels and tires, very compact and low to the ground, maybe 4 feet wide and four feet long box so it stays maneuverable. I envision a coal-cart like thing. Wish we lived near a mine so I stood a chance of finding one surplus and would then upgrade the running gear from rail-runners to tire. This is to haul and place rocks where we need them. Looking for ideas. Will build this in winter.

 

[MikesTractor]

First Class Job, as always!

I really like the way the blade holds it position when you shift it. I may have to make some modifications to my rake after seeing that.

Like everyone else, I can't wait to see you get it dirty...

Mike

 

[Renze]

Renze, I just couldnt use that darn angle, it pissed me off too much looking at it. Drilling all the holes (twice as many as the first time including the top and rear access ports) took less than one evening after work, maybe two hours. It was worth it.

jim, i know that feeling... when you've come so far and spent so much time, you cant stand the poor fix and know it will discomfort you every time you look at it, and decide to bite yourself through the sour apple, and after a couple of hours of hard work you get it RIGHT.

In hindsight, I now realize I could have used just the single back-surface holes for access, and would not have needed the top holes.

Over here, we say "in hindsight, you can see a cow's arse"

 

[HUCKthe1]

That is one NICE rake. I envy you for your attention to detail and just having it. I would be excited about getting out and using it myself. After watching the video It will be great to not to have to get off your tractor to make any adjustments. It will be real nice going down the trail and side shift to get around a tree. Great job.

I hope to build one someday and hope mine will turn out as great as your's. Where did you purchase your tines and cylinders/hydraulics?

Once again I'm impressed.

Peter

 

[mjncad]

Excellent work!

 

[SkunkWerX]

That is AWESOME!

Congratulations on such a great project!!

 

[bx23barry]

VERY KOOL!!!!!!!!!

 

[jimgerken]

Well, the rake survived 8 hours of trail usage over the weekend, with only two bent tines, no other damage. Spent four hours Saturday grooming. Then woke up Sunday and HAD to go back and get some more. This weekend the hoses were all the correct length to stay out of the way and not get chafed, and allow full-range of all movements. And of course no more bent tine bar troubles. Overall, the rake works fantastically! The offset capability helps in many situations, I could never go back to the old way already. I can hang it over a bank and not have to drive as close for safety. I can hang it way over, and pull it in to clear a tree, then put it right back out there. You know how, when you see you are too close to something with a rear implement, you try to steer away, but the implement takes a big swing TOWARD the obstacle before swinging away? Offset cures that too. And there is enough power in the offset axis to slide the rear of the tractor around if you wish to do that. Even transporting it through tight spots in the woods is easier once I offset it to one side and swivel it way over.
The heavy duty tines will uproot small (3") trees (although this is tough on those two outer ones). The HD tines are a good match for this rake frame design since is beefy. I am not sure what the "weak link" of the whole assembly is, but over time it may show up.
I have a few pics here, nothing special, was wishing I would have had a video "crew" (my wife) to take a couple certain situations, but no such luck.

 

[jimgerken]

Pics:
#92 shows the beginning of a brand new waterbreak in the trail. I offset it way over to the downhill side of the trail, tilted it way up, dropped it in and pulled it ahead a couple feet, repeat. This plus a couple buckets of new material from the uphill bank-side of the trail and a little shaping and pack it with the tires, done!
#93 is the same place, looking at it from uphill. It is pretty muddy in this one spot, there's water coming out of the side of the hill, so it looked like a great place for a water diversion feature.
#100 shows one new (last year) trail, its along a hillside, about 20 feet above the creekbed next to it. Wouldnt want to run the tractor tire too close to the edge.
#101 shows me working that edge, with the rake offset way over the edge. Still too close, but if you don't look down, you feel alright.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Ya just gotta love those action photos!
Looks like it is doing a wonderful job.

THANKS for taking the time to post the pics!

 

[jimgerken]

After months of waiting, my rake finally appeared in Farm Show News this month, page 4. Check it out, if you get this magazine. If not, here's the website.
Agriculture equipment, farm magazines, farm equipment, farm inventions, farm machinery, agriculture machinery

 

[tlbuser]

Congratulations on having your work published. That rake would be a great addition for anyone's arsenal.

 

[actionaj]

That's one heavy duty rake nice job. And congratulations getting it in a magazine.