A Few Harley Rake Questions...

**Dougster** · 04-20-2008, 09:59 AM

For those who have used them:

1) Is a Harley rake solely for preparing soil for a brand new lawn? Or does it have any use for improving/rejuvenating an existing lawn/field/pasture?

2) Most use I've seen is on raw, unimproved construction site soil (various grades of back-fill mostly). What happens if you use a Harley Rake where there is undisturbed soil, vegetation, brush, surface roots, wood chips and shallow ground stumps?

3) What works better: A hydraulic skidsteer-mounted Harley rake or a 3-point hitch version? Any particular brand(s) that work better or are to be avoided?

Dougster

**Ducati996** · 04-20-2008, 10:30 AM

I have used them a few time last year on my machine - very impressive attachment, and can handle everything you mentioned above. I like having it on a 3pt instead of a skid steer, but thats just my preference.

You have the ability to windrow the debris you speak of, and it is the best tool to just make old lawns look like new again. It works better, than a box blade, a tiller, and a yard rake. Imagine having them all at once, thats what a Harley rake can do, in one pass....must have the carbide teeth option to make it worth while.

If you cant get your hand on one, you can get really get good results with a tiller and a york rake....poor mans substitute but not a bad substitute overall. Im not calling you poor, so dont worry

Harley rakes are expensive as heck 6k-7k easily, something that will need to be justified with work for me to buy one. Not there yet, and I can get by with what I have already, if need be.

**emerichsales** · 04-20-2008, 10:58 AM

I recomend the Harley & the Land Pride Brands. I never used one but have sold a pile of the Harley and Just took on the Land pride brand and sold 3 already. Both look like excellent made machines.
Kevin

**Dougster** · 04-20-2008, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Ducati996

I have used them a few time last year on my machine - very impressive attachment, and can handle everything you mentioned above. I like having it on a 3pt instead of a skid steer, but thats just my preference.

You have the ability to windrow the debris you speak of, and it is the best tool to just make old lawns look like new again. It works better, than a box blade, a tiller, and a yard rake. Imagine having them all at once, thats what a Harley rake can do, in one pass....must have the carbide teeth option to make it worth while.

If you cant get your hand on one, you can get really get good results with a tiller and a york rake....poor mans substitute but not a bad substitute overall. Im not calling you poor, so dont worry

Harley rakes are expensive as heck 6k-7k easily, something that will need to be justified with work for me to buy one. Not there yet, and I can get by with what I have already, if need be.

Poor would be a major step up for me Duc!

Always remember: I am DIRT poor.

And buying a brand new one isn't something I could do in a million years without winning that Powerball Lottery first.

But renting may be economically possible (even though I haven't yet found someone who would rent me a 3-pt version) and buying used... very used... may eventually become a necessary evil if I can't rent.

Renting the skidsteer version means renting the skidsteer too (a very expensive proposition).

But it struck me again yesterday while giving out another quote that the gosh-darned skidsteer boys with their hydraulic Harley rakes (and similar) can blow me and my tractor/boxblade/rake/tiller combo approach away on certain jobs even worse than I previously suspected. I continue to give my impassioned speech about the advantages of the slower, costlier, multi-implement approach... but in this economy I think it is falling on deaf ears.

Dougster

**emerichsales** · 04-20-2008, 11:12 AM

A Couple of links for Land pride and Harley

Harley

Land Pride Powered Rakes

**Dougster** · 04-20-2008, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by emerichsales

I recomend the Harley & the Land Pride Brands. I never used one but have sold a pile of the Harley and Just took on the Land pride brand and sold 3 already. Both look like excellent made machines.
Kevin

I just requested a price on a new T6 (TR6) from one of the local tractor dealers, but I know it ain't gonna happen unless he makes a BIG mistake with his calculator.

Funny thing is that if I had thought about it more before buying my tiller last year, I might have swallowed hard, closed my eyes, handed them my credit card and made the whopping investment.

Dougster

**Kennyd** · 04-20-2008, 11:22 AM

My only experience is with a RockHound on my new lawn. I rented it with a SSL after I built my house. The advantage over the Harley was that it put all the debris into the bucket so you could just dump all the spoils in a pile instead of windrowing them. The only negative was driving the SSL backwards for about 16-18 hours!

**Dougster** · 04-20-2008, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by emerichsales

A Couple of links for Land pride and Harley

Harley

Land Pride Powered Rakes

There is some nice stuff out there!

Sure wish the pricetags were a little lower.

I thought I recalled seeing a York-brand 3-pt Harley rake at one of the recent trade shows... at a slightly less than gold-plated "show price" too... but I can't find it on-line. I must have been dreamin'

Originally Posted by Kennyd

My only experience is with a RockHound on my new lawn. I rented it with a SSL after I built my house. The advantage over the Harley was that it put all the debris into the bucket so you could just dump all the spoils in a pile instead of windrowing them. The only negative was driving the SSL backwards for about 16-18 hours!

I understand that some of the newer skidsteer variations are bi-directional. But no matter. Unless I end up buying a skidsteer (or my tree guy buys a skidsteer), I'll continue trying to find a 3-pt version that I can rent.

This is one tool where renting seems to make the most sense. I just have to find someone who will rent one that's not 2 hours away!

Dougster

**Ducati996** · 04-20-2008, 11:52 AM

Dougester -

You can get fantastic results with what you have already - sell and focus on the job, and not the speed. The customer isn't going to care if they aren't under super tight deadlines, as long as the job is done right. Don't look at not having the equipment as a barrier to sales. That thought process will cripple you, and you will never gain the confidence you need, and project this to the customer. Customers pick up on uncertainty, and lack of confidence.
Remember greater things were done with less equipment and todays technology. If you are good with the tiller, rake and box blade you can get the same results, and be not that much slower....remember most of those guys are floating huge payments for that type of setup. And they cant get out of the deals they are in without taking a big loss. The market isnt supporting what they owe, so they cant break even or get the price they need to. I just went through it when considering a skid steer and attachments. I walked away because I know I could get a better deal used from the dealer. The guy is stuck with what he has with no buyers, and is affraid to use it for business, and he has a $1,500-1,700k payment each month - DOH!

In my mind the Harley rake isnt the smart investment at this time - you got what you need to kick butt....now go do it

**Dougster** · 04-20-2008, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Ducati996

You can get fantastic results with what you have already - sell and focus on the job, and not the speed. The customer isn't going to care if they aren't under super tight deadlines, as long as the job is done right. Don't look at not having the equipment as a barrier to sales. That thought process will cripple you, and you will never gain the confidence you need, and project this to the customer. Customers pick up on uncertainty, and lack of confidence.

I never show lack of confidence to a potential client. But here is another matter... and just between us, I am concerned about the effect of shallow ground stumps, surface roots and good size rocks on the tiller. Does me no good to make a few bucks but then end up damaging my equipment.

Originally Posted by Ducati996

Remember greater things were done with less equipment and todays technology. If you are good with the tiller, rake and box blade you can get the same results, and be not that much slower....remember most of those guys are floating huge payments for that type of setup. And they cant get out of the deals they are in without taking a big loss. The market isnt supporting what they owe, so they cant break even or get the price they need to.

This gets back to the whole "how to compete in a bad economy" discussion again... and the question about what these high overhead boys are really doing? Are they giving up, laying people off and taking a long vacation... or are they operating at a loss just to keep their guys employed and operation going for as long as possible?

Originally Posted by Ducati996

I just went through it when considering a skid steer and attachments. I walked away because I know I could get a better deal used from the dealer. The guy is stuck with what he has with no buyers, and is affraid to use it for business, and he has a $1,500-1,700k payment each month - DOH!

Those kinds of numbers just blow me away... and those are far from the highest numbers I've been told.

Originally Posted by Ducati996

In my mind the Harley rake isnt the smart investment at this time - you got what you need to kick butt....now go do it

No buying Duc... I promise. Certainly not brand new. But if rental is not possible, I may have no choice but to look further into used.

Dougster

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