Gardeners often argue about the actual 3 point landscape rake uses.
Some claim it’s an all-powerful tool that you can use to carry out plenty of tasks in and around the yard while others dismiss it as being nothing special.
This article highlights the most common 3 point landscape rake uses, to help you make an informed decision when undertaking various jobs in your back yard.
The guide will also be tremendously helpful, if you’re pondering whether to order the attachment for your tractor.
Let’s dive right in.
What is a 3 point landscape rake?
A 3 point landscape rake is simply a heavy-duty rake attachment that comes configured to connect to a 3-point hitch, hence its name.
This solid rake tool will have strong metal tines of varying lengths and has a handy lever for quick lowering/lifting of the equipment.
In most cases, the setup allows you to smoothly adjust the height up and down to your desired position.
The design of the 3 point landscape rake makes it ideal for a wide variety of applications as long as the tractor has enough power to pull the rake.
So, what is a 3 point landscape rake used for exactly?
As mentioned above, this rake is robust enough to be used for a couple of tasks (some require that you modify it a bit).
Below is a summary of the recommended 3 point landscape rake uses.
1. Removing trash (rocks and other debris)
Perhaps one of the most known functions of this type of rake is cleaning trash.
You see, because of the design of the curved ‘teeth’, the implement delightfully captures and gathers: rocks, dead-fall from your pine rows, and other unwanted debris lying on the lawn.
The rugged construction of 3-point landscape rakes, means it works well even when deployed on tough clean-up jobs such as: clearing bigger, storm-damaged branches.
The best landscape rakes will allow you to adjust the raking angle to manage the flow of dirt to the center, right, or left and make the job a cinch.
Some models feature a spring-like action to help keep the tines strongly grounded without necessarily tearing up the field or digging deeper into the ground.
I should add that I have seen a friend use his to clear snow from the driveway with impressive results.
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2. Soil preparation
You can also a 3 point landscape rake to prepare seedbeds, level, as well as smooth the soil.
The attachment is also brilliant in breaking up clumps of sod- you don’t want this to interfere with your seeding and planting operation in your new lawn or when renovating an existing lawn.
Because of the 360 degrees rotation, you can angle it or reverse as needed to help you get finer soil surfaces when needed.
Moreover, you can use the tool to spread topsoil materials quickly and evenly to improve drainage if puddles of water have formed in your garden.
3. Grading jobs
Grading is another popular 3 point landscape rake use and so it could be a handy tool for your gravel driveway and private roads maintenance.
As a matter of fact, the equipment works amazingly in sprucing up the drive especially if you add any of the following optional attachments:
- Adjustable caster wheels – these bring precise control of the working depth for your rake’s teeth.
- Scarifiers– a wide scarifier helps rip up hard-packed earth. The spacing and shape of the teeth allow the attachment to pulverize and loosen stubborn and clayey soil and can make all the difference.
- Grader blade – a rugged flip-down blade allows your rake to move or level larger amounts of materials.
Not that both the grader blade and scarifier flip up and lock tightly in a carrying position (when not in use) to allow you to grade more aggressively on uneven ground or repair ruts.
Read more on how to use a box blade to level ground
4. Dethatching tasks
This equipment can make your dethatching job much easier and even more fun.
When set to the correct angle, it will probably cut through mats of decaying roots and stems found beneath the soil and old grass clippings lying around the grass stem.
Here you have to tread carefully as the heavier ones dig into the grass and mess up everything.
Otherwise, it might work just fine if you spin the unit 180 degrees such that the teeth will be pointing backward, particularly when tackling light thatch.
Another option would be to adjust the top link’s length to make it real short (or longer) depending on the aggression you wish to have when dethatching.
What to use a power rake vs dethatcher?
There go the standard 3 point landscape rake uses and as you can see, the versatility and fine features of this device make it a useful addition to your collection of garden care accessories.
In fact, you can squeeze out extra soil-working and landscaping functionalities from the tool with slight customization and the inclusion of proper attachments.
Having said that, it is important to be careful when undertaking such modifications because it can trigger issues that impede the original abilities if done haphazardly.
And most manufacturers won’t take responsibility if things go wrong when attempting to put it to uses it wasn’t designed for.
all It’s best to refer to your tractor’s operator’s manual or seek the help of a dealer if you need adjustments to the 3-point lift system to be able to mount the equipment to your tractor.
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