Tips and Tricks

Jem4417 said:
I consider myself an expert raker,
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That's awesome. Before I employed people I didn't find it absurd that rakes came without instruction manuals. Now I believe that there should be You-Tube channels, encyclopedias, and learned treatises devoted to the raking science. I'd happily pay my taxes if government funding were directed towards unlocking human excellence in the mastery of the rake.
 
We almost need a groundskeeper/rake thread:) me personally I love the groundskeeper. It is more aggressive so you have to learn to use it with a lighter touch. I constantly go through handles on normal leaf rakes, so much so that my last one I replaced the handle with a shovel handle. I've had the groundskeeper for over a year and have not had to replace the handle or any tines, as well as it moves material better for me.
 
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LOL....maybe I need a Youtube video instructional on the groundskeeper rake!

I've broken quite a few handles myself. I've given up on metal handles. Looking more closely at the wood handle rakes to make sure there aren't obvious defects. I also have been happy with AM Leonard's poly rake with a composite handle. Initially I didn't like it because the poly handle is not as rigid as wood...but it has held up for at least a couple of years and I leave it in the back of the the truck all the time so it faces all the elements.
 
Jem4417 said:
I’ve been hesitant on getting the groundskeeper because of some of the reviews. I consider myself an expert raker, is this the next level?
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I’ve used one alongside the traditional wood shaft / metal variety. They have their place. They’re pretty hardcore when it comes to cleaning up long grass, as well as moving larger / longer debris.

Nish said:
That's awesome. Before I employed people I didn't find it absurd that rakes came without instruction manuals. Now I believe that there should be You-Tube channels, encyclopedias, and learned treatises devoted to the raking science. I'd happily pay my taxes if government funding were directed towards unlocking human excellence in the mastery of the rake.
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One of the guys on my crew earned the nickname MasterRaker
 
Nish said:
That's awesome. Before I employed people I didn't find it absurd that rakes came without instruction manuals. Now I believe that there should be You-Tube channels, encyclopedias, and learned treatises devoted to the raking science. I'd happily pay my taxes if government funding were directed towards unlocking human excellence in the mastery of the rake.
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The YouTube videos are out there, sadly enough
 
When I got my first groundskeeper, I thought the handle would break within a week. It feels so light and flimsy, but boy was I wrong. I use it for everything except raking leaves in my yard. One pass is like three passes with a regular rake. I don't want to build up unrealistic expectations, but just try one. If you don't like it, it's just 30 bucks, so not a huge investment compared to other things in the tree business. It has replaceable tines( I've never had to replace any on two rakes in six months), it really does the work for you, and one pass flipped over usually clears debris.
 
ATH said:
LOL....maybe I need a Youtube video instructional on the groundskeeper rake!

I've broken quite a few handles myself. I've given up on metal handles. Looking more closely at the wood handle rakes to make sure there aren't obvious defects. I also have been happy with AM Leonard's poly rake with a composite handle. Initially I didn't like it because the poly handle is not as rigid as wood...but it has held up for at least a couple of years and I leave it in the back of the the truck all the time so it faces all the elements.
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Oh you picked the poly rake?
I just grabbed they're Extended Handle Scoop Shovel & I'm pretty happy so far. Same deal here.. got tied of replacing wooden handled shovels as well as the scoops breaking & have never been a fan of Aluminum scoops on pavement..

Just a side note.. Remco makes a whole bunch of different styles of these one peice shovels, their pricey retail, but you can deff find half price deals sometimes on Amazon... Regardless, the typical one peice Poly Scoop Shovel is wicked short, i ended up sending my Remco back & then ordering the AM Leonard Extended "D" Handle version & it was much more comfortable to use as well as stiffer. They have a Long straight version too..

So.. are the Poly Rakes designed in this fashion too? Like one peice? I swear i saw different versions when i was in their site... Like.. Regular, HD, Super Duper HD.. was kinda of confusing.

Edit- I just read whole thread.. what's messed up is, there's a ton of good ideas in here & when i was new at this i tried most of them only to be mocked & laughed at. "Wtf do we need a the tarp for, No, put that away, that's stupid".. "Square cans are pointless"..
"A bigger can with wheels is too heavy, just use these"..
"What's the the dolly for, just cut smaller"
Blah, Blah, Blah... Talk about going along to get along.. I guess Old dogs & new tricks = Confusion..
 
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Poly rake is handle inserted into rake just like wooden handle leaf rakes...

Yeah...old dog new tricks. Unless it is just stupid, I'll let new guys try "their" way - never hurts to see of a second set of eyes sees something different. I'll tell them how we do it. If their way is no slower I'll roll with it. Sometimes they find a better way. I didn't used to use tarps a whole bunch, but one guy uses it all the time and I think it has sped things up...
 
I like to use two webbing slings and a non-locking carabiner for most of my light duty rigging. Great for stuff that is big enough to handle, but you don't want to rip your shoulder out of socket. Also, if you cut something too big to handle, you can usually just cut it up into manageable pieces while it's dangling there. I use this all the time because I work alone, but it could be useful for crews too when you do don't want to set up a rope for one limb.
 
On trees that are too dead to climb or rig off of, but have to be dismantled due to houses, garage, fence... park a dump trailer under the tree and cut and chuck all the pieces straight into the trailer. By the time you get to bigger wood you'll have a nice cushion of brush in the trailer and the wood will compact the load. Makes for almost no cleanup on a tree that would normally explode across the yard. Obviously the trunk itself gets dropped in the yard and then loaded to keep from destroying the trailer suspension.
 
theatertech87 said:
If you need to make a flush cut right next to a chain link fence, a webbing strap with carabineers clipped to the fences allows someone to pull the fence away from the stump while keeping hands clear of the cutting zone
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I like to wedge a piece of wood between the stump and the fence. It can usually help get it an inch or two back from where I'm cutting.
 
CaPowell said:
Groundskeeper rake is a must for me. Spring loaded replacable tines. Very aggressive- you could probably move chunks of firewood with it. Excellent for stump cleanup too. I've used the same one for the past 6 months and it's still going strong.
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We have had so many clients ask where they can get them I started keeping a new one on the trucks and we sell them one.
I buy them by the case, and slip a dowel rod in the handle when we put them together to make the handles stiffer and keep them from getting crushed.
 
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