Stick Rake

[Kevin in OK]

We've got a pecan grove that I just hate picking the sticks up from. I know that a couple of places sell actual "stick rakes", Savage mainly, but they require remote hydraulics.

I was wondering, do you think a simple landscape rake would work for just getting a hold on the sticks and getting them near a burn pile? Or would they be so tangled up and in a mess by the time I got to the pile that it would be easier to keep picking them up by hand?

<a href="http://www.savageequipment.com/products.asp?pk_CatID=1&pk_SubCatID=5">Savage rakes</a>

<a href="http://www.howseimplement.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3625_3639_3677">Regular Landscape/Rock Rake</a>

(BTW, the regular landscape rake wouldn't necessarily be the one I linked to)

Thanks

Kevin

 

[Anonymous-0]

i bought a 8' landscape rake to use on land after i dozed brush off for roots,etc...wound up taking every other tooth off because it was loading up with dirt and grass clods...i looked at those Savage rakes...dont see alot of difference between them and landscape rakes except the wheels and hyd's...and price.

 

[Sid_GA]

I have a small pecan orchard and I also priced the limb rakes and cannot justify that amount for just 5 acres. So far I have been picking them up by hand but I plan to build me one using landscape rake tines and building a 3 pt hitch frame to hold them. I think spacing them about every 3-4 inches would allow dirt to go thru and still hold the majority of limbs. Agri Supply has the tines for about $3 each and I plan to make it 8' wide.

 

[Daniel H.]

Here is one other type:

http://www.leinbachs.com/leinbachline/master-detail.cfm?Row=67

 

[Kevin in OK]

Alright, here's another thought. I read another topic on the Tractor By Net forums regarding this same type of issue, and they brought up some good points.

<a href="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/83999-creating-simplified-landscape-rake.html">Tractor By Net Rake Discussion</a>

The rakes pick up sticks better the further back from the tractor they are.

They also pick up sticks better if the rake travels in a straight direction, however if it is a solid boom coming off the 3 point, it will have some lateral movement as you take a turn. The answer to this is to have it a drawbar mount implement that you simply cart around like a trailer.

Everything is then simplified if the rake can be lifted up clear of the sticks, leaving them near a burn pile to be stacked however neatly you wish from there. I suppose that I'd be alright with stacking the limbs if they are already where they need to be.

Here is where there are conflictions. If you get the drawbar mount, you lose the ability to lift the implement, at least not very easily or without difficulty. With the 3pt mount you can lift the rake, but it will swing out behind the tractor with some lateral motion dropping sticks during a turn.

What if you were able to combine the two different types? Do some jury-rigging to keep the 3pt mount, but have the rake attach at two pivot pins mounted vertically on the 3pt mount?

That way when it came time to turn, the rake could pivot on the pins to follow behind similar to the drawbar rakes. But when it came time to lift it would have two points rather than the single drawbar mount so it could raise up.

Or am I just fooling myself? If you were to raise something up in the air and it had a pivot point, wouldn't it just rotate toward the ground and bury itself in the ground (probably busting a tine) or worse, into a rear tire?

Kevin

 

[JoshuaGA]

Alright, what about this. Take the normal rake, and behind the A frame where the beam goes back to the rake, cut it in half and put a heavy duty pipe hinge. Then, cut you a semicircle of steel plate and weld above and below the beam and drill you some holes in both plate so you can adjust the swing of the beam, kinda similar to a tractor drawbar, move the bolts to have more or less swing. Then you can have the advantages of a pull rake with the manuverability of 3PH.

JoshuaGA

 

[Kevin in OK]

Actually, that's exactly what I was thinking. I just spent a few minutes doodling this up on MS paint and uploaded it to the implements (it's a rather crude image) to try to give you all (and myself) some sort of idea of what I'm thinking.

Kevin

 

[JoshuaGA]

Well ith should work then. Just make sure you put some way to lock down tha beam so whe you take it somewhere it doesn't swing all over. Also (probably anticipating your thought) make sure that beam is long enough, probably at least half the width of the tractor, that the sucker can swing around and not hit the tires. Hopefully, you can get this to work. I can agree pecan limbs get heavy in a hurry.

JoshuaGA