Landscape rake for removing rocks?

[dragoneggs]

I just bought a BX25D and Land Pride LR15 series landscape rake. Dealer said rake will do the job of removing the rocks but after getting it home and reading a bit I am not too sure. Anyone have experience with this method? Do I need the optional wheels? I have almost an acre to do of freshly cleared sloped terrain and alot of baseball and softball sized rocks that i would like to gather up and remove. Wondering also if LR15 is too heavy for BX25D? All comments welcome... newbie here.

 

[Carl_NH]

When I read your post title removing rocks - yes they do that too, but they really excel at raking surface rocks together into a pile. Yes on the wheels - they keep you from digging in too much and are really nice but pricey.

It will take a bit more practice and good hand on the 3PT lift to use it without wheels.

You can put an angle on it too and windrow 3-4 passes together then put your FEL down and scoop into piles and remove.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks Carl, yes I am really trying just to get the baseball/softball rocks out of the top 4 to 6 inches or so before I plant grass. I am not expecting a manicured lawn and don't want to bring in a bunch of top soil. I am on a slope and nervous about the whole ordeal of prepping the site for grass and eventual mowing and have some terracing to do in the steeper areas so hence the purchase of my new BX. I need the grass for erosion control and before the October rains hit the Pacific NW. As you can see by my join date and number of posts, I am just getting into this tractor stuff... been a 40 year old dream since my sandbox days!!!

Had someone come out with an excavator to clear quite a few maple trees, pull some large evergreen stumps and clear brush... maybe 3/4 acre. Now I have a skinned slope and a huge pile of debris. What have I done???

 

[jeff9366]

Here is the recommendation of York (brand) Rakes on gauge/caster wheels:

Do I Need Caster Wheels on my York Rake?​

As with any three-point hitch implement it is virtually impossible for it follow the grade relying solely on the three-point hitch of the tractor. Trying to follow the grade by constantly adjusting the three-point hitch can be tedious, if not impossible. They are just not designed to do this. Using this method also results in the implement doing the exact opposite of the tractors front wheels. As the wheels go in a hole, the implement comes off the ground and as they ride over a high spot, the implement digs in.

You have to be pretty quick on the three-point hitch lever to avoid this. Using an implement with caster wheels allows it to f��loat independently behind the tractor while following the contour of the ground. This is particularly important when you get to the raking stage of your site work. The best raking results will be achieved with the rake angled and the caster wheels properly adjusted.

When raking you want to adjust the caster wheels in the following manner. With the rake angled, you want the caster wheel closest to the tractor higher (off the ground); this allows it to penetrate a little more. The caster wheel farthest from the tractor should raise the rake so it is barely touching the ground. The difference in wheel height only needs to be about an inch, more if the soil is really soft and you want to screen more material. This adjustment allows the end of the rake closest to the tractor to dig a little harder than the end further from the tractor. This increases the vibrating action of the rake teeth improving the rakes screening action as the material moves across the front of the rake.

Rocks and debris will move into a windrow and the pulverized soil will pass between the rake teeth. Remember too, the faster you can go the better the vibrating action will be. The resulting screening action from a properly adjusted pair of caster wheels produces an ideal finished surface, ready for seeding or sod.

 

[Wolfy]

That was an excellent post from Jeff. I would add, if the area is uneven, I like to drive the tractor and rake in random figure 8s. That will get the ground level. Then you can windrow the rocks to one edge of the lawn, and remove them. Usually multiple passes will be needed, but it will come out nice.

 

[super55]

With my york when I had to clean rocks out of my food plots I went and removed every other tine off the rake and utilized it that way. It allowed me to dig deeper and only get the larger rocks that my tiller didn't like. Widening the spacing allowed me dig deeper without having the dirt buildup on the rake. Im not sure if you can do this with all rakes but mine was just removing a couple of bolts.

 

[gwdixon]

With my york when I had to clean rocks out of my food plots I went and removed every other tine off the rake and utilized it that way. It allowed me to dig deeper and only get the larger rocks that my tiller didn't like. Widening the spacing allowed me dig deeper without having the dirt buildup on the rake. Im not sure if you can do this with all rakes but mine was just removing a couple of bolts.

The method of removing every other tine is an excellent idea for screening the rocks for size.

Another idea is to shorten the top link all the way. That will allow the tines to scrape across the ground rather than dig in. To go to the extreme, use a short piece of chain for the top link - but that brings up other issues.

The extreme tilt method may allow for not using wheels. The 3PH should be all the way lowered to get a "float" effect and follow the contours of the area.

The problem with a rake is that it tends to gather soil along with the rocks - especially if there is any grass or hay debris involved.

 

[dragoneggs]

Okay I am sold on this forum already. Thanks jeff, wolf, super, and gw! So, it seems that the rake is the ticket, I need wheels, remove every other tine to start, and adjust the relative wheel height for imbalance. I was thinking of returning the rake because I looked at the spacing and figured this would be only good for finishing. Gonna keep it and get busy in a week when I finally get home from a business trip.

I am hearing York for brand but what about Land Pride? I have already purchased it and it appears to be very good quality. Is there any feature difference that might be important? Again I purchased the LR1560 which I now see as discontinued replaced by the LR1660.

 

[/pine]

I have a 60" Landpride rake and I get fantastic results just using my tilt cylinder to keep the rake parallel to the contour...does anyone use gauge wheel as well as (side) tilt adjustments?
one thing I did do was add box ends (1/4" diamond plate) that has eliminated the spoil trails...that eliminated making extra passes to clean up the trails...

 

[jeff9366]

Okay I am sold on this forum already.
Again I purchased the LR1560 which I now see as discontinued replaced by the LR1660.

When you post reasonably clear questions on this site you will get some good answers and some chaff. Not too hard to sort. Your questions are clear.

Don't be concerned about implement model changes. Implement "improvements" occur occasionally; usually, but not always, in a positive direction. Your dirt remains the same and is indifferent to the LATEST & GREATEST.

Early on in Marketing you are taught: Never try to sell anything unless it is marked NEW & IMPROVED or 25 CENTS OFF.

I think your dealer advised you well, the LR1560 is the right width and likely the optimum weight for your BX25D.