Rake PTO power rake

[joes_427_vette]

I'm in the market ( to build or buy ) a pto power rake similar to a Harley rake. I have rented one and they seem to do an amazing job. At 150 a day for all the use I have I would like to park one in my garage.
I recently looked at a Nortec Piranha. It has 2" x 1 3/4" x 1/2" sabre tooth hardened teeth that turn in a counter clockwise motion. If you lift the gage wheels up you can use it in a tilling mode. Heavy duty construction throughout and of course priced higher than I would like to invest.
The harley rake has 1" very small diameter carbide tips that do the soil prep. I also noted Woods has an identical model to the Harley. I wouldn't be surprised if Harley built them for Woods. From what I have seen in pictures John Deere has a similar build also.
I believe the Nortec brand has been out for approximately ten years with little change in design. They will also build one with the round carbite teeth if desired.
The Nortec is build less that 50 miles from my home so service would be excellent. The seven foot model is truely a work of art, catagory 2 all the way.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Don't know exactly where you are in the midwest, but there is a Finn on e-bay. in McHenery IL.The add # is 110303787898. It's to big for my tractor or I would be bidding on it.
Bill

 

[RickB]

The Woods unit is built by Harley. I haven't seen a Deere, but it's a safe bet theirs is outsourced from somewhere. Landpride builds a Harley clone that works well.

 

[deereguy]

The Woods unit is built by Harley...... and oddly enough, the Woods was $200 less than the Harley.

 

[joes_427_vette]

Looked, shoped, compared, thought, smelled, touched, read, and came to the conclusion I will pick up a Nortec Pirahna monday. It is more of a machine than I need but the stock market sure isn't the greatest investment either.
The owner of the company is a super guy that took the time to answer any question I came up with. I also spoke with a landscaper with two machines he described as flawless. I like the fact the company is 40 miles away so parts or repairs are not a problem.

 

[EV59]

Just looked at the Nortec website.....looks like a nice machine....How much is the unit?

ev59

 

[joes_427_vette]

The Woods unit is built by Harley...... and oddly enough, the Woods was $200 less than the Harley.

In my area the Harley was 5900 and the woods was 7200. Woods is always more expensive in this area. The Nortec base is about 6000 and there are add ons of course.

 

[john_bud]

Dang, you must do a lot of yard work to make that investment pay off!

Poor guy, all that seat time on the tractor.

 

[joes_427_vette]

The rentals are $200. a day with tax and the insurance they add on. My stock loss has bought me at least three already this year but somehow they didn't arrive. That new TC 55 needs more attachments ( good deal for someone at the estate sale ) and this one will get enough use around my 55 acres. Besides, who would do the friends, relatives, and neighbors projects for nothing. They think machinery runs for nothing and of course I've got free time. So it is a good thing all around !
I'll even post a picture of it with shiny paint in my free time of course.

 

[john_bud]

You're lucky if that's all the loss you have had.

(sob)

jb

 

[johnk]

I'll 6X that......

 

[joes_427_vette]

Trust me, it's what I want to believe.

 

[bruceki]

I just purchased a harley TM-7 flex off ebay for $5700. Don't know what price the nortec unit was, but harleys do come up on ebay from time to time, and this particular unit was brand new and has the hydraulics so you can change grading characteristics from your tractor seat.

it was item #330280559453

 

[joes_427_vette]

Bruceki : Is this a 6' or 7' unit ? While speaking with one landscaper that had harleys and switched to a nortec stated he likes the 2" steel spikes over the short carbides. He can get up to 4" in the soil and the grass seems to respond better with a good root system. Also lift the guide wheels and the unit becomes a rototiller. Replacement carbides are 15 each while the steel spikes are 5. I know they break because the last harley I rented had 2 or 3 missing. They didn't seem to have any intention of replacing them and after 3-4 years of rental will be sold as is.
The individual rams for adjustment ( on the guide tires ) seems like a good idea. I don't know as one would use it that much. It will require 3 remotes to operate. The nortec I'm looking at has a series of spacers to change the angle or depth.
If you live in Michigan you will make out as shipping and packaging isn't exactly cheap. They wouldn't give me a quote.
When one buys out of state who exactly covers this warranty they speak of ? Certainly not the local dealer that didn't get the sale. This place must be some type of clearing house as they have sold everthing from used welders to motorcycles. Good luck and I hope there are no surprises.

 

[bruceki]

It's the 7' model; it's listed by various other dealers at $9300-9800. Shipping was $380.

Bruceki : Is this a 6' or 7' unit ? While speaking with one landscaper that had harleys and switched to a nortec stated he likes the 2" steel spikes over the short carbides. He can get up to 4" in the soil and the grass seems to respond better with a good root system. Also lift the guide wheels and the unit becomes a rototiller. Replacement carbides are 15 each while the steel spikes are 5. I know they break because the last harley I rented had 2 or 3 missing. They didn't seem to have any intention of replacing them and after 3-4 years of rental will be sold as is.
The individual rams for adjustment ( on the guide tires ) seems like a good idea. I don't know as one would use it that much. It will require 3 remotes to operate. The nortec I'm looking at has a series of spacers to change the angle or depth.
If you live in Michigan you will make out as shipping and packaging isn't exactly cheap. They wouldn't give me a quote.
When one buys out of state who exactly covers this warranty they speak of ? Certainly not the local dealer that didn't get the sale. This place must be some type of clearing house as they have sold everthing from used welders to motorcycles. Good luck and I hope there are no surprises.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

What size drum is on the Nortec? LOOKS like a 6" in the pics, but cant tell for sure...

 

[joes_427_vette]

Drove over to pickup the rake and came back with an empty trailer. Initially I looked at two or three power rakes on a trailer headed for a display. They were the heavy duty series complete with hydraulic angle. When we priced out the machines for comparison to other makes he was talking about their lighter version made for 35 hp tractors. I was still in the heavy duty series mode. The following week he mentioned a demo return with a lower price. That was the unit I intended to get. When I looked at it is was pretty discourging as it was on its second set of roller teeth, one tire was replaced with a different thread pattern, no hydraulic turn ram, and a light weight frame as in standard duty. Another demo machine had one frame side rewelded over the paint. No explanation how this happened.
I had measured my TC 55 and noted the rear tire width to be 6'. With the rake at an angle it wouldn't cover the machines tracks. I'm thinking My better choice would be a 7' model. Now your talking 8k+ with tax and that is with a discount from msrp.
I priced just a roller with the teeth welded on which is $2500. He said I could never build a roller as it would be a disaster. He is talking about the expense to balance the assembly. It only turns 120 rpm so I can't imagine how far out of balance it could get if the teeth were laid out properly. I never did find out how they balance it or if it is even a consideration. The more I look at it the less I see in value and parts prices. I know I should just look on the computer for a used machine but the statement " you could never build one " just aggrivates my thought process. It's a long winter and the bell hasn't rang for the first round.

 

[Reg]

Too bad that seller doesn't carry the PTO Harleys.
I don't have a skid steer.

 

[bruceki]

It's always fun to build an implement. I've built 3 point livestock haulers so I could pick up pigs in the pasture and drive them to trucks or whatever, but I've never built one that spins.

Maybe a wrecked one that you can use as a template and beef up the parts you don't like.

Drove over to pickup the rake and came back with an empty trailer. Initially I looked at two or three power rakes on a trailer headed for a display. They were the heavy duty series complete with hydraulic angle. When we priced out the machines for comparison to other makes he was talking about their lighter version made for 35 hp tractors. I was still in the heavy duty series mode. The following week he mentioned a demo return with a lower price. That was the unit I intended to get. When I looked at it is was pretty discourging as it was on its second set of roller teeth, one tire was replaced with a different thread pattern, no hydraulic turn ram, and a light weight frame as in standard duty. Another demo machine had one frame side rewelded over the paint. No explanation how this happened.
I had measured my TC 55 and noted the rear tire width to be 6'. With the rake at an angle it wouldn't cover the machines tracks. I'm thinking My better choice would be a 7' model. Now your talking 8k+ with tax and that is with a discount from msrp.
I priced just a roller with the teeth welded on which is $2500. He said I could never build a roller as it would be a disaster. He is talking about the expense to balance the assembly. It only turns 120 rpm so I can't imagine how far out of balance it could get if the teeth were laid out properly. I never did find out how they balance it or if it is even a consideration. The more I look at it the less I see in value and parts prices. I know I should just look on the computer for a used machine but the statement " you could never build one " just aggrivates my thought process. It's a long winter and the bell hasn't rang for the first round.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I priced just a roller with the teeth welded on which is $2500. He said I could never build a roller as it would be a disaster. He is talking about the expense to balance the assembly. It only turns 120 rpm so I can't imagine how far out of balance it could get if the teeth were laid out properly.

Hmmm that suprises me....The reason I asked how big the roller was in a previous post was I am planning on building one as we speak...I think it CAN be built..heck so much that I've started the materials acquisition phase...

RPM....I was figuring the rpm to be 270 rpm, both JD & Woods list the gearbox as a 2:1 gearbox, and the chain drive is a 1:1 setup..I dont see anywhere else in the "drivetrain" they can cut the RPM anymore...

My brother is a mechanical engineer by trade, so i'm going to shoot him an e-mail about the drum balance aspect....