Building a Root Rake for Land Clearing and Dozing

[MikePhua]

What Is a Root Rake?
A root rake is an attachment for dozers or tractors—especially beneficial in land-clearing jobs. It features spaced metal tines designed to rake up roots, debris, and brush while allowing soil and small rocks to fall through. This helps preserve topsoil and avoids unnecessary excavation. It essentially performs a pick-and-sift function: lifting roots but leaving dirt behind.

Design Foundations and Terminology

• Main beam: Base structure of the rake, often made from thick pipe or tubing.
  
• Tines (teeth): Vertical metal prongs that engage the soil and roots.
  
• Tooth spacing: Distance between tines—affects soil separation efficiency.
  
• Weld beads: Layers of weld used to secure tines to the beam.
  
• Three-point hitch brackets: Mounting system allowing attachment to a tractor; Cat-1 hitch refers to a standard size.
  
• Inclined tine angle: Slight forward slope of tines increases ground penetration force.
  

Step-by-Step Build Journey
Materials Scavenged:

• A segment of 8-inch high-pressure pipe served as the sturdy main beam.
  
• Repurposed vintage spanner wrenches (from odd inverted nuts) were reshaped into tines.
  
• Approximate rake width: 5 feet—compatible with a medium-sized dozer (e.g. TD6-62).
  
• 12-inch spacing between teeth optimized for pulling root matting without clogging.
  

Welding Process:

• Teeth were tack-welded initially to adjust position.
  
• Full welds used 7018 rod:
  • First pass: 5/32 electrode at 180 amps.
    
  • Finish pass: 3/16 electrode at 215 amps.
    
• Reinforcing gusset plates (¾-inch steel) were later welded to the tooth bases for added strength, especially to resist side thrust when the rake encounters stumps or uneven forces.
  

Mounting System:

• Initially planned for direct blade mounting on the dozer.
  
• Later modified with Cat-1 three-point hitch brackets, enabling quick attachment to a tractor for multipurpose use—like reshaping road surfaces.
  
• Future design consideration: use L-shaped brackets that allow the tractor to back under the rake and insert mounting pins easily.
  

Real-World Motivation and Application
A landowner in Pennsylvania inherited a parcel last cleared over a hundred years ago. It had regrown into dense pine, oak, and maple—many trunks measuring over a meter in diameter. His process:

• Mowed what was possible, then burned brush piles.
  
• Used a homemade backhoe ripping claw and winch to topple larger trees, burning the tops for firewood.
  
• To preserve topsoil and prepare for future farming, he needed a tool to break up root mats and pull them away without excessive digging.
  
• The root rake was designed to:
  • Engage ground roots using angled tines.
    
  • Apply downward force (via inclined plane effect) to lift roots cleanly.
    
  • Pull root mats into windrows for subsequent burning or composting.
    
• After raking, he planned to disc the land and plant a cover crop (e.g. clover) to enrich the soil before plowing.
  

Media and Broader Context
The root-rake concept is widely supported in land-clearing and attachment literature:

• John Deere’s power rake series and root rakes specialize in clearing debris and leveling ground, leaving soil intact.
  
• Root rake grapples combine raking tines with hydraulic grasping arms—allowing raking and gripping in one tool for increased productivity.
  
• Expert distinctions: root rake versus root grapple—rakes sift material, whereas grapples grab and hold wholeg loads.
  

Build Summary List

• Main beam: 8-inch pipe, robust and well-scavenged.
  
• Tine width: 5 ft span, accommodating modest dozer size.
  
• Tooth spacing: 12 in centers—balances soil inversion and airflow.
  
• Weld details:
  • Tack weld,
    
  • First pass: 5/32 rod at 180 A,
    
  • Second pass: 3/16 rod at 215 A.
    
• Reinforcements: ¾-in gusset plates for tine robustness.
  
• Mounting method: Cat-1 3-point hitch bracket, enabling multi-machine use.
  
• Installation adaptation: Aim for L-bracket design for easier engagement with the tractor.
  

Build Tips and Safety Considerations

• Use tooth spacing that suits your soil conditions—tight for finer debris, wider for larger brush.
  
• Over-welding can add weight unnecessarily—balance weld strength with machine capacity.
  
• Reinforce tines to resist side loading, especially if turning or hitting stumps.
  
• Incorporate angled tines to maximize ground penetration and root lift capability.
  
• Ensure mounting brackets are robustly welded to both beam and machine—it will face heavy shocks.
  
• After build, test on softer ground first to assess pressure and root extraction. Adjust angle and add ballast if needed.
  

Case Extensions and Tips

• Ancient innovation connection: The cleared land was originally farmed by the Dinsmoor family; Charles Dinsmoor held a tracked-machine patent later sold to Holt Caterpillar—this land’s history links generations of machinery evolution.
  
• Neighboring applications: Root rakes can work well behind plows, clearing stony fields as part of preparation—many operators combine implements for efficiency.
  
• Alternate attachments: In gentler clearing scenarios, root rake grapples offer hydraulic versatility—but for non-powered builds, simple anchored rakes remain cost-effective.
  

Concluding Thoughts
Building your own root rake can be a rewarding, functional project—melding craftsmanship, practicality, and land stewardship. By using scrap materials, welding solid joints, reinforcing at critical stress points, and designing for multi-attachment use, you create a versatile tool that respects both heritage and hard-earned soil. This simple yet effective implement pulls roots, preserves topsoil, and sets the stage for future growth—literally and figuratively.