I'm trying to come up with a good plan for ice mitigation in my driveway/parking area. Maybe 25,000 sq ft. Gravel. Mostly when we get a winter thaw or spring it's a skating rink. And sloped so it's like being in a 5,000lb Bobsled. Looked into "scratchers". Wbm makes models, mostly for loaders. The skid steer one is about $11,000. Tried using my grapple/root rake last year but the tines aren't very sharp so it didn't do much. Mini excavator is a death wish, it's like skates on ice. Plus would take many hours with an 18" wide bucket Had a thought today, wonder if a harley rake would do it? I don't need the ice gone, just busted loose so it's not a death wish driving in my yard. Last year a 5k gallon fuel truck did almost a 180 and about took out some of my stuff. Yard is on a slope so that doesn't help. Spreading dirt sort if works, but it tends to just slide or blow away. Plus buying and storing it. And I've use tried Spreading with a walk behind fertilizer spreader. Sort of works, but time consuming. Then all that gets tracked inside too. Was trying with the idea of building a scratcher, probably could do it for under $1000. But don't really have time formore projects. The harley rake could be used in the summer too.... can find Chinese ones for $3k-4k area so not cheap but not crazy $$ either.
I have been using Harley rake for some time now, I have a sloped road going down to lake for ice fishing, exposed to the south so it shines the packed snow, Harley rake puts dimples in the ice and snow crust, works fantastic, would not make it up slope without chains otherwise.
How's it work on gravel like a driveway? Mine has pretty much anything from silt to 6" rocks. I've hand picked alot of the rovks... well that and either plowed them or sucked them through snowblower, but they still keep coming back! Almost always a 3-4" one right under my knee or back when I'm working in something too haha.
Anyone see a version like this?
Apparently that's a "rock hound". Uses fingers on a chain and flings the rocks into the bucket.
It works great for gravel driveway , but rocks will be kicked up and be a nuisance , I hand rake them up, and over the years I think I got them all. But still a few will pop up.
What about a couple old diamond harrows sharpened up and weighted down. They should scratch the surface up pretty well. And they’re cheap too.
I'm not hand raking 1/2 an acre.
Never seen one even. Not much farming here.
I know, my neighbors think I am crazy, my drive is 800 x 12+, no rocks thrown in grass for lawn mower to hit, but they sure like my harley raking theirs, I just don't like rocks!
Yeah I guess I never thought of that. They are in every farmyard bush collection here. They are great for yard maintenance.
"Rock hound"
Watched a few Harley rake videos. Those things shoot rocks all over The rake like I pictured a few posts before at least doesn't sling rocks plus picks them up.
There was an attachment made for graders to break up ice. It was basically a spiked star like drum that used down pressure. I think it was made by CWS IMac. There's some similar types if you Google ice breaker attachment for motor grader. There is an older thread on here on the subject.
I just happened across this Icehole.
Those things are really cool. Looks like they make one that functions almost exactly like a Harley rake.
Neat attachment but I'd guess it's not cheap. Would be nice if it was wider than the wheels on the skid steer.
Usually in March our (steep) driveway/parking area around house becomes a pure sheet of ice…last year I had the Deere 50 at home and used a 24” dig to scratch up the ice. As you say improves traction immensely (also speeds up melting) However; took a substantial amount of time and the rubber tracks on ice….useless. Due to extreme mud into November our skid steer couldn’t be retrieved from the bush. No heavy machinery at home so may put a set of Trygg 8mm triples on the 5 ton cabover and track the ice…previously I back “bladed” a tooth skid steer bucket to scratch up ice, not ideal but worked okay. No experience with Harley rake but sounds like a promising idea if price is okay.
That sounds like a good idea! And as you say inexpensive..
I'd be worried a Harley Rake could get damaged if it hit a hard section. They aren't cheap either.
I've never tried it, but I see a power rake making a mess. Several Scandi companies make icebreakers that are some variation of the roller menaces with spikes .
Not any worse than hitting a big rock I'd figure.
Hauled the rake home yesterday. Hoped having maybe 1000lbs on the bed over the axle would help in the ~5hr ride home, but it made no difference. They have a goofy valve for dump. Normally it's just a valve that when reversing the chain puts flow to the dump. This one needs 12v. And it's 2 way, but only uses 1 side.
I'm surprised they haven't tried those in Prudhoe. They use "scratchers" on loaders like the WBM version and it works ok, though can make ankle busting gouges in the ice and packed snow.
Harley rakes aren't generally working in frozen ground. I don't know if they have a slip clutch like rototillers to protect the gearbox but imagine they could be damaged by hitting a large rock. The ice breakers I saw for graders aren't powered and rely on down pressure. I think there might have been a skid steer model but doubt it would work as well. Another thing I noticed in the video's is that they are breaking up packed snow and not ice. A good cutting edge on a bucket will have packed snow come up in slabs on asphalt especially if the weather warms up a bit. When the snow comes up in slabs is the fastest way to clear it. I wonder if a vibrating blade would break up packed snow with ice?? It wouldn't be hard on the machine if it hit an especially hard spot. Kind of like a sod cutter that uses a fast reciprocating blade but the blade was vertical or tilted back slightly.
I’m in the market for a soil conditioner or Harley rake for my gravel driveway and have seen a few work. It would just scab and bounce over a big rock, so I think it would be fine on ice as that’s another reason I’m in the market for one. We have sections of gravel driveway, that because of certain pine trees, there are bad patches of ice on our driveway, every year. I‘m hoping the Harley rake will scratch through the ice, which will significantly help with traction and melting.
I'll try to pull it off the truck and test it tomorrow. Did 4 weeks of 7x12hr shifts (340hrs), and just got home Tuesday night. Wednesday was running around getting mail, cleaning part of a mess in the house (person I rent to didn't to ANY housework the whole month)).. lovely. Then Thursday was an 11hr drive to grab that rake. Several Dr appointments Friday plus other running around. Groceries, picking up some Christmas stuff, more chores. Been kind of farting around today, I'm starting to hit that wall... running on empty.