Pond Rake

[armyret]

Has anyone ever constructed a pond rake that will work off of the three point hitch and boom (pig) pole.
I have need for such a item and all comments will be appreciated.

 

[JRP]

I need one too. Consider this: I welded a receiver tube to th end on my boom pole. Also made a 5' long 2x2 tubing extension that slips in the receiver. Also made a 1.5 x 1.5 square thing with a chain hook on it. With this rig I can lift about 1/2 the boom capacity twice as high or twice as far out.

My pond is bigger than 2 x the pole length. It would be nice to have a rake I can pick up with the boom, back into position, and lower into the pond. Then drive forward. The boom extension idea could be made longer.

Let me know whatideas you have.

 

[armyret]

My idea is use angle iron and weld or attached conventional rake to it several in fact depending on length probable at least four over a six foot section with a swivel in the center and two chains from each end attached to the upright section of the boom pole with turn buckles so the rake would not flip up. Just lift it up back down to waters edge lower the boom pole in the water and then drive forward, I use a long handle rake aprox 10 foot long and it was amazing of the amount of weeds and sludge that came out. I was just not strong enough to pull it. One could pull forward with the tractor what ever distance from the pond he desired.lift the boom pole and would probable have to dismount or have some one else clean the weeds and grass off of the rake and start over again. It may not work but the expense to find out would be mininal.

 

[SPIKER]

We have one that was made about 10 yrs back, it is just as you described big rake for grass/weeds for the pond.

here is how we made it.

1" sq tube 2 lenghts, 24 feet each. cut off 4' of each one and cut those up into 6" lenghts and then welded the two hunks together using the 6" pieces to form a LADDER type affair. on the END was welded up a small 3 pt triangle for raising/lowering out of some 2x2" sq tube hunks we had as dropps. the RAKE was made using same type of thing welded on to form a T at the boom end. using 1/2" round bar as tines. which attached the bottom hunk of 1" square rake. the tines are about 6" long and there is only 1 hunk of 1" square tube as more cathces and HOLDS too much moss to get it to fall off easly.

weld up the triangle part so that when the 3pt is raise UP the boom is just slightly over LEVEL so it can drop DEEP into the pond. the hole thing wasn't even painted figuring it would RUST anyway. cost was probably 30 or so bucks total for material which we had in stock... any longer than 20' and it is so unmanuverable it is useless... eventually he cut off the 3'pt stuff and attached it so it would bolt up to the FEL which worked better... if you have FEL make it so it attaches to FEL and that way it is always in front of you...

also one thing else make it so it can SWIVEL at the mounting point a bit. not RIDGID, which it was first and while it woudl FLEX some the ridgid connection is what eventually broke on ours from over stress because of trees had to be manuvered around... the FEL only pivioded about 5 degrees inside a small captured point but it is a wonder how much that helped.


we also pulled out tons of small fish this way so if you like the fish to stay in the pond you have to go back and toss em back in..

MarkM /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[beenthere]

Seems something that would float (between two boats?) and on a pole to push it out (or on rope to pull it across the pond) and a chain to pull it ashore (or get it close to shore) would be a way to go. Likely doesn't take much to hook the weeds, but could get pretty heavy to lift it (them) out of the water.

Not sure what your pond is like, or what the 'beach' is like.

Maybe a pole (rake on the end) on the three point, and a cable winch at the top of the ROPS to lift it while getting it out into the lake would work.

 

[SPIKER]

Oh I forgot to say that back in the past the boss made a commercial paddel wheel type contraption which power raked the weeds out of a gated community lake which is some 120 acres. it used a 20'+ pontoon boat frame as under side. then paddel wheel like on a river boat would scoop up the weeds from the bottom 4' down or so. the weeds would float up and be caught in a chain link conveyor which was 6'+ wide they would then be dragged up onto the back half of the boat for hauling to shore and removal to a compost pit. they then used the compost around for landscaping needs. they did manage to SINK it one or two times by putting too much WET weeds onto it... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif As far as I know it is still in operation on the lakke every now and again... (it is called Cinnaman Lake near West Salem) sorry spelling? anyhow we had some photos of itin work back in the day I was going to post them on the company web site but things change and there is not much call for such a contraption! . /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


Mark M

 

[KennyV]

I have made several pond/lake mechanical cleaning devices in past years…

After welding all kinds of things together… the simplest solution was a large gate or stock panel. With long skids attached to the bottom legs. At the ends attach chain or cable much like you would hook up a spike harrow. Just drag it from one end to the other. Move it over clean it off and drag it back. As you take it in one direction let it drag the tow cable behind it. This way all you need to do is disconnect… drive to the opposite side and drag it back. Keep this up until you have covered all the area you want cleared. This design is very strong and you can cover it with chain link fence. It will stand upright as you drag it, just hitch your tow chain to the ends of the skids.

Just curious… what are you trying to rake out? Depending what your’ trying to remove there may be better ways to do it… For some weeds mechanical removal will not work, It can actually make it much worse. Also how deep/Wide is your water? What is the bottom? Rock, Mud, Sand?

Good luck… Water is fun to work around. KennyV.

 

[armyret]

Kenny V.
This may not make sense and may not work, My pond is 1 1/2 acre with a mud bottom. The edges have sort of caved in and has become shallow exceptaround the dam. I have a lot of floating/submerdge type weeds that I call pond moss however they cover the shallow part of the pond. I have rough built a frame six feet long and attached 4 chisel plow points to it and will attached to boom pole and lower and drag it out. May not be able too. If not will attach chain link fence to it and try that. Your idea is great but I would have to have 600 feet of cable or chain 3 hundred each end and on one end would have to use a snatch block due to woodland.

 

[KennyV]

Hi armyret…
I was having a terrible time with Hydrilla… /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif That is a particularly nasty aquatic vine weed that you CAN NOT control using chemical… The cabled system removed tons of the stuff… I was using around 1400 yards of cable, actually ¾” wire rope. I had another use for the cable… I also had to use snatch blocks on one side.
After one season of harvesting this weed, high protein by the way… I found out that mechanical removal was tried in Florida… Then they discovered, as I did, that at each point you brake/cut the stuff, it will sprout two new sprigs… thus doubling your problem… I did ultimately find a solution but for this weed, mechanical is not it…


If you have moss. mechanical will work sort of… but moss is so easy to control using a very mild chemical application. DuPont makes a herbicide called Karmex. It is used to keep irrigation ditches free of most aquatic weeds. Karmex is available as a wetable powder or granular. I used the powder… You will never have moss if you use this in late spring… I mixed 3 pound with 10 gallons water and applied this with a hand sprayer on the surface using a small boat, applying about 1 pound per surface acre, My water averaged around 14 foot deep over 10 acres. Youl' use around 1 pound total. Do Not Treat More Than 1/4 of your pond at a time. Treating each remaining quarter at least 1 week apart. Decaying vegetation will deplete oxygen and kill/harm any fish in your water. Follow the directions on the package, you can greatly reduce the recommended application rate, and you will have no moss. KennyV.

 

[Glenn9643]

I've not seen any reference to a FEL, so apparently you don't have one. If so, that will be your safest approach. If you get too close to the edge of the pond and the tractor wheels start to slip in brakes do absolutely no good. Been there and done that! I'm changing my setup to attach a landscape rake to the FEL so I can better see where I am and what I'm doing. Be careful around the pond.