Rake TR3 Rake Questions

[Slippy]

Anyone have or seen a TR3 Rake. It is made by Absolute innovations. It came up in my search for Harley Rakes. How good are they?

 

[LoneCowboy]

I saw one at the horse show earlier this year.
Was incredibly high pressure tactics, lots of "here's a DVD, here's more stuff"
and it was crazy expensive.
The one I saw didn't look very well built at all (esp. not for the money)
Never used one though.

 

[Rara Avis]

Anyone have or seen a TR3 Rake. It is made by Absolute innovations. It came up in my search for Harley Rakes. How good are they?

Yeah...I have one...I does everything their advertising cd claims and then some....

But they are EXPENSIVE initially, but not having to spend any time fixing them pays in the LONG RUN....plus I get to depreciate mine because of the farm...

What do you want to know?

 

[Slippy]

how do you think it would work in a hay field. I have some really rough areas, dips, small holes. I don't want to go too deep though becasuse this part of my fields was strip mined about 30 years ago. I know from digging that I get more than a few inchs down, I run the risk of digging up a bunch of rocks.
My sod is pretty thick. It will come out in big clumps when I use my box scrapper.
I also would use it to groom some motocross tracks. Mostly in the turns and pre-jump areas.
Have you used it in fields, or in what areas have you used it and how did it do? Their ad claims it will do better than the harely rake. From the cd it look like it will go a lot faster.

 

[Rara Avis]

how do you think it would work in a hay field. I have some really rough areas, dips, small holes. I don't want to go too deep though becasuse this part of my fields was strip mined about 30 years ago. I know from digging that I get more than a few inchs down, I run the risk of digging up a bunch of rocks.
My sod is pretty thick. It will come out in big clumps when I use my box scrapper.
I also would use it to groom some motocross tracks. Mostly in the turns and pre-jump areas.
Have you used it in fields, or in what areas have you used it and how did it do? Their ad claims it will do better than the harely rake. From the cd it look like it will go a lot faster.

Then you will LOVE the TR-3...it has a FLOATING drag bar and with the wheels and proper setup you can surface strip your hayfields for rejuvenation...

If your fields get rutty, then drop the scarifiers and break up the ground...

As for grooming motocross tracks, if all you want is a softening of the first couple of inches of soil while leveling....order the ROCK TEETH atachment...I use only the floating drag bar with the rock teeth attached for maintenance of dressage arenas(scarifiers are moved out of play)...firm footing for the horses with a 1 to 2 inch softened top layer...

Also, I maintain all my gravel roads as shown on the CD...the most important step is to break the ground up deeper than the pot holes...

The unit is a HEAVY!!!

The wide units require and FEL to get them off the truck...the smaller units are delivered by ROADWAY with a hydraulic loader on the back of the trailer...

 

[Slippy]

Which unit do you have and what do they cost?
And, how do you think this is diff from a harley rake?

 

[Rara Avis]

Which unit do you have and what do they cost?
And, how do you think this is diff from a harley rake?

I got a 5 footer with rail guard for arenas and the rock guard and mine was about $3800 delivered...(Indiana to Vermont)

A TR-3 function for function is better than the harley...in fact, I keep finding new things to do with it...Like today, I locked the dragbar and the scarifiers up and out of the way and then cranked the toplink to us the back teeth for a quick grooming of the gravel roads...

I'm also ordering the toothed spinners for Aerate Pastures...they fit in the scarifier slots...

I have sold my BB and my RR because of this machine and now I just use my drag harrow to breakup the horse manure in the paddocks...

 

[Mike120]

Slippy, I've got one and it's a VERY good arena drag. It will do everything they say it will do and as Paul pointed out...it's extremely well built. Having said that, I'm not sure about it's use in a pasture. Personnally I use a pasture roller to work out the ruts in my hay fields. It isn't perfect, but it works well enough and it doesn't kill the grass. I've tried using the TR3 to renovate paddocks and had trouble with grass clumping. My tiller does a better job. I expect it would work fine if I killed everything first, but that is more trouble than I think it's worth.

Paul, where did you see the "toothed spinners"?? I looked on their website and didn't see anything. I'd be very interested in them. I just sold my little aerater because it wasn't heavy enough. The big one I borrow for my hay fields is too big to drag around in my paddocks.

 

[Slippy]

Mike: I was the spinners on the dvd they sent me. What I can't tell from the video is whether they will pull plugs or if they just simply spike holes in the ground. Lots of stuff on one v the other. Most claim that plugging is much better.

 

[Rara Avis]

Slippy, I've got one and it's a VERY good arena drag. It will do everything they say it will do and as Paul pointed out...it's extremely well built. Having said that, I'm not sure about it's use in a pasture. Personnally I use a pasture roller to work out the ruts in my hay fields. It isn't perfect, but it works well enough and it doesn't kill the grass. I've tried using the TR3 to renovate paddocks and had trouble with grass clumping. My tiller does a better job. I expect it would work fine if I killed everything first, but that is more trouble than I think it's worth.

Paul, where did you see the "toothed spinners"?? I looked on their website and didn't see anything. I'd be very interested in them. I just sold my little aerater because it wasn't heavy enough. The big one I borrow for my hay fields is too big to drag around in my paddocks.

If you don't want to completely scrape the paddock...Lock the bar UP, set the scarifiers out of the picture and then crank the toplink so the back teeth are working the grass...

To make this even more efficient, order the hydraulic toplink...so you set the back teeth to drag...then lift the teeth by shorten the toplink...move over your grass pile...then extend the toplink to engage the rear teeth and then back up pushing the pile into BIGGER piles...which you then FEL into your dump truck...trailer...or pickup truck...

I use the rock teeth attached to the drag bar when stripping paddocks and hay fields, but only when I'm doing a complete reseeding...

As Slippy pointed out it's on their latest promotional CD...

Based on the TR-3's manufacture...I doubt they are pluggers...

 

[Mike120]

I've had my TR3 for about 3 years, so they don't send me any promotional material. If the spinners are pluggers I'd be interested in them, but I can always run my pasture renovator over the paddocks. It's not a big issue as I usually strip and reseed a paddock every three years or so.

I've got a Cat II hydraulic toplink on the tractor I drag the TR3 around with, but I'm also interested in the rock teeth for the drag bar. What advantage do they bring? I'm going to try using it on some grassy ruts. I usually just use it in the arenas

Typically I try to not deal with a lot of grass with the TR3. I started a new arena this weekend by spraying generic roundup in the area. Next weekend I'll burn the dead grass to get rid of it and use my tiller to break it up....Then I can dig it out with the FEL. I guess I could use the TR3 but the tiller gives me a cleaner bottom where the TR3 teeth give a grooved bottom unless you make multiple passes. I like it to be smooth and compacted before I bring the base material in.

 

[Rara Avis]

I've had my TR3 for about 3 years, so they don't send me any promotional material. If the spinners are pluggers I'd be interested in them, but I can always run my pasture renovator over the paddocks. It's not a big issue as I usually strip and reseed a paddock every three years or so.

I've got a Cat II hydraulic toplink on the tractor I drag the TR3 around with, but I'm also interested in the rock teeth for the drag bar. What advantage do they bring? I'm going to try using it on some grassy ruts. I usually just use it in the arenas

Typically I try to not deal with a lot of grass with the TR3. I started a new arena this weekend by spraying generic roundup in the area. Next weekend I'll burn the dead grass to get rid of it and use my tiller to break it up....Then I can dig it out with the FEL. I guess I could use the TR3 but the tiller gives me a cleaner bottom where the TR3 teeth give a grooved bottom unless you make multiple passes. I like it to be smooth and compacted before I bring the base material in.

I don't think they are pluggers, but I'm waiting to hear back from them...

The rock teeth I use in the arena to just soften the top 1 or 2 inches of the arena, no scarifiers...

I also use them when I topstrip, a paddock or hayfield that I am reseeding...that's because in Vermont...we grow ROCKS...

Multiple passes are cheaper to me than a rototiller...

 

[Mike120]

Thanks Paul, let me know what you hear on the spinners.

I'm interested in the rock teeth, only because I'm getting ready to build a sand arena (something I said I'd never do again), and I'm concerned about getting the scarifiers into the base material. I got rid of my rotary harrow when we left the old place. I suspect that I can work the sand with just the drag bar and back comb but I'm not sure how deep I can get with it. What is your arena material?

I've already got a tiller so that's not an issue. I don't like to use it on ruts though because it kills the grass and I'm left with a soft spot.

I'm sympathetic with your NE rocks. I lived in NW NJ for a while and harvested my rock crop every spring. Down here I'm on pure sandy loam without a single rock - it's great until it rains a lot.

 

[Rara Avis]

Thanks Paul, let me know what you hear on the spinners.

I'm interested in the rock teeth, only because I'm getting ready to build a sand arena (something I said I'd never do again), and I'm concerned about getting the scarifiers into the base material. I got rid of my rotary harrow when we left the old place. I suspect that I can work the sand with just the drag bar and back comb but I'm not sure how deep I can get with it. What is your arena material?

I've already got a tiller so that's not an issue. I don't like to use it on ruts though because it kills the grass and I'm left with a soft spot.

I'm sympathetic with your NE rocks. I lived in NW NJ for a while and harvested my rock crop every spring. Down here I'm on pure sandy loam without a single rock - it's great until it rains a lot.

My dressage arenas are sand...That is why NO scarifiers are used in them...you will find that the rock teeth will loosen at the 1-2 inches on the top and leave the base alone...

If you are involved in western horse activities...you should take a gander at the Kiser modified products...They are something else...but be sure you are sitting down when you get a quote...
Introducing the KISER DragMaster: Turning Your Arena into Paydirt!

The TR-3 boys have added a new feature...a double scarifier rig...I couldn't find it on the website, but it was in their latest CD...so your pass count drops by 2

I have found thru second hand experience... ...it is cheaper to replace a scarifier than having to rebuild a tiller...

 

[Mike120]

I guess I'll have to order their latest video to see what they're selling now days. I've looked at the Kiser stuff and considering the price, they are certainly proud of them.

A friend has a Groundhog Ground Hog having used it, I don't see that much advantage over the TR3. I do like the roller though.

I'm putting in the arena for dressage. Normally we only do hunter/jumpers but we got some dressage folks and they object to all of the jumps in the big arena. I need another smaller arena for flatwork and training young horses anyway. I'll probably get the rock teeth 'cause I sure don't need another implement around here. Thanks Paul.