Hello I am new to operating heavy equipment, we have an old Case 450 dozer that runs very well after we rebuilt the track tenshioners, It has ok chains and good sprockets. We are using this dozer to reclaim some over grown pastures and to push stumps around that had been pulled with an excavator, and general use around a large hobby farm. I am wanting to build a root root rake for an old Case 450. I am thinking of getting a 6X6 with 3/8 wall box steel and welding 1 inch thick plate to it for teeth about 10 inches long at a slight forward angle,and space them about 10 to 12 inches apart, install gussets high on the tooth. Then I was going to use 2X2 box to go up to the top of the blade to pin it on. On each end of the main beam i was planning on welding a piece of box tube to stop the rake form moving sideways, and weld it all together with 7018 or 6011 (I have a bunch of it). So my question is does this sound like it will be heavy enough, or am I welding me self into a pile of headaches. Any input would be greatly appreciated and if any body has built one pictures would also be helpful. Thanks :notworthy
I recommend using a good steel, such as T1 (aka, AR400 or a variety of other trade names.) You should be good with a small dozer, but you might as well build it right the first time. Make sure that the large tubing lays centered and square on the blade cutting edge so that you avoid have a problem with twisting. Below are a few pics with some measurements for you. Good luck.
T1 and AR400 are different grades of steel. Using 1" plate in either grade will require preheating the HAZ. AR400 is roughly 40% stronger than T1/Gr100 steel in terms of tensile strength.
I stand corrected and informed, thanks lumberjack. Mainly what I was trying to say was, don't build it with mild steel.
No problem, and you're quite right, don't build the ground engaging portion from mild as it will wear very quickly.
Thanks for the pictures and measurement, I never thought about mild steel wearing on the fingers. That is quite the heavy looking rake, what kind of dozer is that run on?
I built one for my komatsu d31p lgp and it works really good. Well after I repaired it from the first go around. I started with a 6" I beam and I cut up a bunch of old pallet forks from industrial forklifts. I used mostly the upper portion of the fork because it was not tapered. Anyway I notched the top portion where it would stick up inside half of the h beam. I spread them like 10" apart maybe a little closer. And welded a piece of 3/8 plate between each tooth. Then I put a plate across the top side of the I beam. So it's essentially now a 6x6 box tube with teeth in between. I figured that would be stronger than butting them against the tubing and welding them on. The first time I tried it I eventually broke some teeth off, but it was open on the bottom between the teeth. I took it back and added the plate and welded the sh..t out of it with lots of 7014. I've used it now for over s year of and on and no more broken teeth! I've had it where I had one tooth against a gum tree or stump and actually had the dozer walk around trying to push it up and haven't broken any more. Yous can buy a really nice pin on rake fairly cheap. But the freight gets expensive, plus I didnt want to wait and all the ones I've seen have the teeth spaced out pretty far. I'm dealing a lot with smaller bush,trees and 10" pine tree stumps so I wanted mine closer together. Don't think I have any pictures but I'll get some next time I'm in Georgia. Plus I really enjoy building and using my own stuff, any body can buy one! Let me know if I can help
Pretty much anything D6 size and smaller. Another thing to note, do not let the edges of the rake extend beyond your blade face as you will twist the frame and teeth pretty quickly.
Does a 450 have enuff power to bend or wear out a stacker tooth??? Build it out of steel and dont listen to the ar plate guys, have u priced ar plate lately?? Not needed, just go to a salvage yard and find the something to make it out of used and cheap, u not a professional land clearer and have a small tractor with little power, just make something extra hd with cheep steel and forget the new steel.
I have bought a few pieces of new steel, and the prices hurt. I was buying mild steel I can't imagine what ar400 or something like that would run. My thought now is to look for forklift forks and a piece of well casing. I am thinking of cutting holes in the casing sliding the fork piece in and welding top and bottom. I think that will give me a 12 inch tine. I think that that will be all that little dozer can handle, the previous owner replaced the chains and pads with one off a loaded so we are running triple grouser bar pads that are prone to slipping. So we will need to go easy. Time will tell as I am new to running dozer, but around our farm we have done lots with farm tractor mounted loaders, but it was time for something that was ment to move dirt. Thanks for the input, do you guys have any pointers for using a rake.
One trick u can do is go by a independent track shop and get some d8 or d7 something sinmilar track pins and weld them to the bottom of your slanted rake tooth to take the wear, make sure u dont leave too much sticking out in front to hang trash on, you need to also make sure your rake is slanted enuff to roll the brush so dirt willl fall out of it before stacking so it will burn better, look at some of the holt or fleco made rakes from somebody who like his, there are all kinds of rakes out there some not worth a darn at making a job easy and nice. We used to run 24 and 30 foot wide stackers down here with dedicated push arms after anchor chaing to the ground the tall treess.
What angle should the tines be to the blade, i was thinking about 30 degrees, so the brush will lift and roll. Also what is anchor chaining?
Rake Check with some of the local fork lift companies they scrap the forks after a certain amount of wear on the bottom of them. Don't know but I would think anchor chaining would be to anchor a chain and drive around in a circle to have it knock down the dead trees while keeping yourself out of harms way
rake heres a picture of my homebuilt rake, doesnt show a lot. This picture is when it had a broken tooth, as said ive since fixed it and in the last 2 years have had zero problems. i'll get some more pictures soon. Oh and i wouldnt weld the brackets on the blade untill you have welded the two braces in place on the blade that holds the blade on. i built mine and had it all tack welded and fitted, but when i welded it all up it warped with all the heat, and i had a hell of a time getting it to fit right.
Does anyone know whether the company that made the Mann brush rake is still in business and if they are, where they are located?
ACS owns Mann now...here is a link to their web site. http://www.acs-coupler.com/
Thanks