Testing THE CLAW Landscape Rake for Mini Skid Steer

[@sunnyw4148]

Great to see you working IN your barn. Nice harrow

[@metaspencer]

Thanks! Only the second or third welding project so still getting the kinks out

[@johnsommerfeld6889]

Pretty cool, nice job! Will come in handy cleaning up branches.

[@metaspencer]

Thanks buddy that’s my hope

[@timberhitchllc]

Check out Branch Manager BMG rake. It's made specifically for arborists running mini skids and loaders. Also; Does your machine not have a float function on the boom control?

[@metaspencer]

No float control -- at least not that I've figured out :) That BMG rake looks pretty cool and gentle on those lawns

[@cullenmiller8170]

My neighbor has a rake like that, but it came with piece that bolted across the tines and you can make the tines act more like a scraper the closer you adjust it to the ground. If you take a lot of the flex out of the tines it works great for dressing up gravel driveways.

[@metaspencer]

that's a cool mod and sounds pretty helpful in eliminating the TWANG effect

[@Cholton222]

Great mind think alike. 😂. I just told the wife all the broken rakes I have . I'm going to make something for the front of the dingo. ❤

[@metaspencer]

I broke a wooden rake handle last week! Funny coincidence…. I was like “I need something tougher!”

[@williamrehberg2546]

Yeah those landscape rakes can be fussy. I much prefer one with gauge wheels...I think it really helps with the "digging in". Im sure Melissa will be so proud of you playing in the yard...😂

[@metaspencer]

Haven’t seen a gauge wheel version but sounds like a definite upgrade :) thanks man

[@ShadowMoonFarms]

Thanks for sharing.

[@debbieretzlaff2912]

Melissa’s out of town 😂😂😂

[@sunnyw4148]

And you know she watches these

[@debbieretzlaff2912]

Yep, I’m sure! 😂

[@metaspencer]

Yeaaaahhhhh she saw the vid already haha ... over the phone I just heard 'THE BACK YARD?!?" haha

[@lorenmeyer5290]

I think it's a great idea Spencer! Does that mini have a float position on the boom lever?

[@metaspencer]

I was clueless about how to engage the float mode until posting this video -- when about 10 different people walked me through it. So I should be floating as of tomorrow morning hahaa :)

[@lorenmeyer5290]

@@metaspencer Great!

[@rickstafford5316]

Nice tool for the box.

[@tractorworkandmore411]

Pretty cool. I made something similar but with a quick attach plate and 3 point quick hitch plate from harbor freight, I use that plate when I need to use my rake, box blade, or any 3 point attachment.

[@metaspencer]

sounds like a good way to do it -- I've seen those plates at Harbor Freight. May have to pick one up

[@WoodCutr1]

whens the review on the yellow lifty thingy? or did I miss something? also, you running that rake in float or just setting it down and pulling? id think floating it would do pretty good, maybe spin it around so the tines are dragging more than plowing, and curl down, free fix for the angle of the dangle being too aggressive id think

[@metaspencer]

I don't think my yellow mini has a float mode but I could be wrong -- sounds like it would be nice! I'll try the backwards tines method tomorrow and see how it goes. thanks for the tip! (no review yet but I'll work one up before too long)

[@WoodCutr1]

@metaspencer take the loader control and push it past the lower position till it detents, that'll float it I totally didn't read the instructions lol

[@metaspencer]

@@WoodCutr1 LOL my first time reading the manual was just now ... awesome. gonna float that baby ASAP. thanks for the tip buddy. much appreciated

[@DixieNormous1]

I did this about a month ago ,I bought a brand new 7 foot king cutter rake from Rural King for $649 on sale… and a neat attachments, three-point hitch adapter on Amazon for my ASV RT 50. Worked really well. My ASV has a float and I went backwards. I tried going forward with the rake turned around, but you can dig into the ground.

[@metaspencer]

Sounds excellent! I just discovered float on my machine and it’s pretty sweet. I miss rural king! Used to have one nearby

[@eight433]

I think you just discovered all of the reasons they are intended to be used on a 3 point hitch instead of a loader. However, a set of gage wheels and using float mode should mitigate most of those issues. Either way you earned a sub today!

[@metaspencer]

You said it ... but now that I've discovered float mode (took me a while!) things have gotten much better :)

[@49Man]

Does your mini skid have a bucket float function? I think some do and some don’t have that. That would help with the hilly experience where it digs deep and shallow when trying to have a softer drag like when back dragging and leveling. It locks the angle of the tilt but lets the weight of the implement and arms move with the landscape

[@49Man]

Just saw your response to some other comments. That float function will be great for that type of work

[@metaspencer]

Yeah it's pretty good on float -- now that I have that figured out! but still rough on really nice lawns, but that's to be expected

[@ItreboR63I]

Looks useful.

[@synago_scribe]

44% is a strong metric! I definitely AWLAYS rotate my workpiece to the best angle whenever possible 👍

[@metaspencer]

haha ... yeah, always nice not to have the sparks falling on ya

[@rodgerneeb301]

Ummm you do realize they make an adapter from SSQA to 3-point so you don't have to weld a single use implement right? They also make the inverse, a 3-point to SSQA adapter, two adapters and you can use either tools on the other end of your machine, and switch back by pulling pins and levers. ...

[@metaspencer]

Doh my bad! Oh well next time. Livin and learning haha

[@RichardDunbar]

Can’t beat the price of just welding a plate on though. Especially if you never use the 3 point part of it anyway.

[@rodgerneeb301]

@metaspencer Oh, quick follow up, I am subscribed to many tractor channels, and can't remember all the makes and models each channel has, so those adapters are the best choice for series 3 and larger, if using a series 1 or 2 the adapters may overload the weight or leverage capacity of smaller machines before the implement even touches dirt. Here is where I would normally bag on people who buy series 1 tractors, but as I said, I can't remember what you have, but really, who buys a series 1 and thinks that it's a tractor?

[@firstname6208]

I did the exact same thing using a straight 48" blade. I want a landscape rake too, we'll see.

[@metaspencer]

@@firstname6208 that straight blade sounds cool -- I was thinking of doing it with a snow plow, too

[@gregbrown9271]

It will have it place the one I'm building is 1/4 " round tines hoping be easy on yards

[@metaspencer]

Sounds like a good design

[@facelesspsycho8252]

Did you try pushing with it and does your machine have a float function try that if so

[@metaspencer]

Yeah I did some pushing too ... cool to be able to do both. Yeah it'll float but I was clueless about how to engage it until posting this vid haha

[@carlobernardi1387]

Very Nice 😊😊.. who's is the manufacturer.. And You said it wasn't super expensive... I guess the yellow small bus is a distant memory😮😮.. the one from China...

[@metaspencer]

I've still got both minis but the little one hasn't been getting much use lately. I figure I'll need it when I dump this one in a lake or something like that :) As for the manufacturer Farm Something Or Other -- came from the local farm store

[@benjamindees]

CountyLine

[@blockadeboyz]

Nice… if you cut and weld in a heavy hinge, it would float and maybe do what you need it to do on “nice” grass.

[@metaspencer]

hmmmm ... cool idea to hinge it. thanks for that!

[@jasonjordan88]

When did you get that mini skid?

[@metaspencer]

This one came onboard this past fall of 2023 -- it's been pretty good on the bigger jobs. I should do a full video on it

[@6ftS]

you could of course make a slip-over box blade that attaches to the rake...then it would actually be a little grader with a bit of flex for good measure... nice mod though. gotta love when the welder comes out to play. 😀

[@metaspencer]

I like that idea! I hope you're well, buddy

[@6ftS]

@@metaspencer all good thanks Spence. Just working hard... keep safe out there and keep the good times rolling 😀

[@aaronburford5701]

Viewed, Liked, Shared, Subscribed!

[@metaspencer]

big thanks buddy

[@joeantolak4629]

Drive ways have a crown to drain water , you get less potholes and soft spots

[@metaspencer]

Dude, I've been trying to flatten them out for years now. Doh! good to know :)

[@nhmountains5683]

Where’s the white stuff out there Spencer? I hope we don’t get hammered with snow in late March or April.

[@metaspencer]

Tell me about it! Temps were in the 40s today which reminds me: time to order some trees :)

[@jasonlaswell8982]

Landscape rakes like the light down force of a three point hitch on small tractors. Tractor allows the rake to ride up and over uneven surfaces. I built a hydraulic rotating broom attachment for my small skid steer exclusively for when a dead ash hits the ground. Keep up the good work, friend.

[@metaspencer]

that broom attachment sounds pretty cool! I've seen a few and they look ideal for cleanup. thanks for the ideas man

[@joeshmo5399]

I have no use for that but I want one anyway.

[@metaspencer]

Oddly satisfying for sure

[@sporranheid]

👍

[@Jimmy-co3rk]

Nice..

[@metaspencer]

Jimmy!

[@Jimmy-co3rk]

Hey brother. Srry been slow here. picking up now..

[@sandypratt8951]

❤️👍👍👍

[@firstname6208]

You must have gone to the same school as jace from duck dynasty. Rakey, gravely, destructive tendencies! Common words in the southern bayou. But not "hard work", those words are never used down there! Does that wacker have a float position for the boom?

[@metaspencer]

I finally discovered the float control- a real game changer. Gettin it done ya know

[@jonathanmckee4667]

What happened the Chinese skid steer

[@metaspencer]

Oh it's still humming along -- I got this bigger machine for different kinds of jobs ... I should probably post some kind of comparison video between the two

[@radovanflexvidacic9410]

Like Like Like :)

[@sammytrees6970]

For that money bro? Satisfied with the skiddy ?

[@metaspencer]

Yep very satisfied. Awesome machine for what I do and how I work ... serious money maker and time saver

[@SNiz-du6me]

Guess the cheap chinese mini skid didn't work out.

[@metaspencer]

nah I've still got it -- just got a bigger machine for heavier lifting, pulling, etc

[@havespurswillclimb]

Enjoyed the video. My honest opinion? Cacca-Poo-Poo. Not worth the money nor the effort. JMHO Sorry.

[@metaspencer]

Caca poopoo! Haha got me laughing… yeah you could be right. Not only money but time putting it on and off :)

[@harrislandscapingpa]

Maybe try miunting the adapter at an angle that reduces attack angle of the rake tines. Also possibly you can cut the tube shorter so the rake is closer to machine, allowing you to match ground more closely.

[@metaspencer]

both good ideas! @@harrislandscapingpa