Need to build Root Rake for dozer

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After pricing a root rake for my for my JD 450G dozer my CFO (wife) strongly suggested I use" that shop full of pertty welding/cutting stuff you just had to have". Do any you guy'/gal's got a design, material and teeth I would need for a 8' wide unit ? Cant find one around here to copy. Any suggestons would be greatly appreicated. Thanks
Reply:THINK: DozerbladeTHINK: CutteredgeTHINK: Teeth on cutteredge.   NOW:  If it ain't directly above the tooth,it don't need to be there!
Reply:I built one some years ago for a guy that had an old Sherman tank chassis on his South Texas ranch.  He had a cherry picker where the turret had been and installed a rear hitch from a big CAT or something similar.  As I recall, we used something like 2"x10" hot rolled bar for the shank and built a box frame out of pipe.  The tooth was a piece of flat bar welded to the shank so it formed a big chisel.  The whole front of the piece that ran in the dirt was cross hatched with hard surfacing rod with the beads running about 1" apart.  This left spaces shaped like diamonds where the dirt would pack and help protect the tool.  We tried a piece of plow steel first for the tooth but it broke off so we went to the mild steel and the buildup rod.  Sorry I don't have a picture but maybe the description is enough.  I'd also recommend continuing to look for an equipment yard and take dimensions from any root plows they have.
Reply:Originally posted by widetrackman After pricing a root rake for my for my JD 450G dozer my CFO (wife) strongly suggested I use" that shop full of pertty welding/cutting stuff you just had to have". Do any you guy'/gal's got a design, material and teeth I would need for a 8' wide unit ? Cant find one around here to copy. Any suggestons would be greatly appreicated. Thanks
Reply:Here is a rough drawing to help you out you will notice i forgot to tell you to gusset the uprights front and back sides.                        Double D Attached ImagesTURN -N- BURN
Reply:Double D , Thanks a bunch for the info & sketch (just saw it) and might need to ask you a question or two later if you dont mind. I couldnt justify buying one for the farm for once a year use, and a old fabricator buddy said  I could have as much as I wanted of anything in the yard (light or heavy rust). So I thing I'll give a try.
Reply:Originally posted by widetrackman Double D , Thanks a bunch for the info & sketch (just saw it) and might need to ask you a question or two later if you dont mind. I couldnt justify buying one for the farm for once a year use, and a old fabricator buddy said  I could have as much as I wanted of anything in the yard (light or heavy rust). So I thing I'll give a try.
Reply:If your short on time you might try Adams Equipment in Rockford Illinois, they also have a place in Florida. They sell just about anything you can think of in the heavy equipment line. Nothing new, all used, most of it reconditioned. I get their flyer all the time and they usually have root rakes. Could probably dig you up a phone number is you need it. Good luck.Just puddlin along!
Reply:adams equipment:http://www.adamsequipment.com/index002.htm
Reply:So Widetrack man does your web name mean you are running track tractors on the farm? We are still in the old fashioned world of wheels but have looked at a couple of cat chanllengers.
Reply:Originally posted by oregonaaron So Widetrack man does your web name mean you are running track tractors on the farm? We are still in the old fashioned world of wheels but have looked at a couple of cat chanllengers.
Reply:Originally posted by oregonaaron So Widetrack man does your web name mean you are running track tractors on the farm? We are still in the old fashioned world of wheels but have looked at a couple of cat chanllengers.
Reply:Originally posted by puddles If your short on time you might try Adams Equipment in Rockford Illinois, they also have a place in Florida. They sell just about anything you can think of in the heavy equipment line. Nothing new, all used, most of it reconditioned. I get their flyer all the time and they usually have root rakes. Could probably dig you up a phone number is you need it. Good luck.
Reply:Originally posted by Double D This is what I do for a living, but I will help you out. Your rakes main body should be 5x5x1/2 square tubing cut for your blades width. The teeth should be made from 1.250 material depending on your use and how long you want it to last will tell you what grade of metal I use AR400 plate, space your teeth about 10"-12" apart. they should be about the same in length from the bottom of the tubing the depth of the teeth should just exceed your tubing by 2". example here is 1.250x10-12"lengthx7"depth. you will need to add in some gussets to support your teeth they should be about 4" in length. Measure the height of your blade and deduct your teeth and tubing. That measurement is the height of your uprights. Now depending on how you are going to mount it and with what material, you will need to add that dimension to the height of your uprights. I use 1' material cut at 5" wide and about 10" in length x4 pcs burn a 2" hole in the plates and your uprights and use a 1 15/16 pin to lock them in place you will have to add a piece of 3x2 pipe about 2" in width for a lock collar for the pin drill 1/2 or 9/16" holes in both collars and pins to hold them in place.  I'll draw you a pic. and post it for you.                   Double D
Reply:Originally posted by widetrackman Thanks Double D, a few questions, (1) If I wanted a little rake at the bottom of the tooth what angle would you suggest and would 8 or 9 in wide x 1 1/4" be enought material to cut it out? or could I cant the tooth at the tube conn. and then cope the back bottom corner (this seems a much easier way )  (2) I have a MM251 running 84/16 ar/co2 and spraying 5-6" welds @ 285 amp without any machine problems and I am in no rush. Do you think this will work w/ multi pass ? I've got a couple other questions but need to measure my blade first. Thanks again.
Reply:I am considering a dozer to use to clean some woods up on our farm so I can use it for pasture.  Does the JD 450 prove to be strong enough to push trees down and stumps up or is it too light?  This is fairly old growth and I'd also like to use it to clean a fenceline up that is a property line, as well.  Any help would be appreciated.
Reply:Originally Posted by widetrackmanoregon, still just cleaning up timber damage  from the '93 ice storm. There are quite a few in use 30 mi west of me in the Delta, I'm in the hills, running a JD 450G otherwise I'm in the world of wheels.
Reply:Originally Posted by bmaigeI am considering a dozer to use to clean some woods up on our farm so I can use it for pasture.  Does the JD 450 prove to be strong enough to push trees down and stumps up or is it too light?  This is fairly old growth and I'd also like to use it to clean a fenceline up that is a property line, as well.  Any help would be appreciated.
Reply:Never bought a dozer, but then I'd never bought a welder until the one I recently bought.  Did a lot of research on the internet and talked to a lot of folks familiar with welding for that acquisition.  There is a lot of difference in the price of a welder and that of a dozer, so a mistake would be much more costly.  I'd appreciate any advice you might offer on  buying a good dozer and picking the right size for the job.  I'm completely cold on that subject and want to compare the price of buying one versus hiring the areas cleared I am interested in.  I've noticed a wide range of prices for the same size dozers, hence the need to know about the right size as well as how to pick a good one.  We have some pasture with stumps--fat lighter stumps, if you are familiar with that term--that should prove to be a real challenge to a dozer.  They've certainly dented some mowers over the years and need to come up.I would appreciate any help.