GENERAL OPERATION
Operation - 18
Driveway Finish
Lower the power rake to the ground and place
the power unit’s primary S.D.L.A. control lever in
the float position by pushing it to the right until the
detent engages. The lever will stay in this position
until manually removed. Set the rake drum depth so
the carbide teeth are approximately 1/2 inch (1.25
cm) into the gravel. Make one pass down the center
of the driveway with the rake straight (perpendicular
to the power unit). Angle the rake drum to the left so
the motor is close to the left tire on the power unit
and make a pass down both sides of the driveway
with the edge of the grass on the right. This will
provide the smoothest appearance and will put a
crown back in the middle of the driveway. Repeat as
necessary, until there are no ridges in the driveway.
TIP: You do not want to push dirt while finishing the
driveway. If you are pushing dirt, raise the rake drum
depth slightly until the teeth are only touching gravel.
Travelling too fast will create a bumpy driveway. A
good speed is about 75% stroke on the S.D.L.A.
lever with the power unit in low range.
Gravel Paths & Walkways
The power rake does an excellent job of maintaining
gravel paths and walkways by loosening compacted
gravel and removing weeds.
Lower the side wings to help contain the gravel on
the walkway. With the rake straight (perpendicular
to the power unit), drive slowly along the walkway,
while working the gravel to a depth of 1-2 inches
(2.5-5 cm). This will level the gravel surface and
turn under the weeds, leaving you with a smooth,
weed free surface without the use of harsh chemi-
cal sprays.
Chemical Free Weeding
The power rake can be used to remove weeds from
both gravel and dirt surfaces without the use of
weed killing chemicals.
Set the rake drum to a depth of 1-2 inches (2.5-5
cm) and work the gravel or soil to remove the
weeds. Loose weeds can then be raked to the edge
of the work area (debris removal) and collected.
Operating Procedure
Before operation, perform daily inspection, set
the power unit’s weight transfer to maximum (if
equipped), and set the rake drum to the desired
depth. Place the side wings in the appropriate posi-
tion for the conditions and type of work.
Move the machine into position and lower the power
rake to the ground. Place the power unit’s primary
SDLA control lever in the float position by pushing it
to the right until the detent engages. The lever will
stay in this position until manually removed.
Moving the secondary SDLA lever left or right will
cause the rake drum to angle to allow for windrow-
ing of debris to either side. Make sure to raise the
side containment flaps if the rake is angled, to allow
the debris to flow off the end of the rake drum.
WARNING
When the rake drum is angled to the left or right,
pinch points are created. Make sure there are no
people or objects present between the rake drum,
rake frame, and power unit.
With the power unit’s engine running between 2,000
and 2,500 RPM, engage the PTO switch to start
the drum rotation and set the drum to rotate in the
proper direction.
The valve control rod that controls the direction of
the drum rotation can be reached by the opera-
tor from the power unit seat. Push the control rod
forward (away from the operator) when traveling
forward and pull the control rod back toward the
operator when traveling in reverse.
Adjust the power unit throttle and drive forward
slowly. Run the power rake at full throttle for most
applications. In extremely hard packed conditions or
if there is a lot of large debris present in the soil, it
may be beneficial to reduce the engine RPM so the
rake drum turns slower.
If debris becomes wrapped around the rake drum,
it will reduce the performance of the power rake.
Clean the rake drum as needed.
While the power rake will work in either travel direc-
tion, it is recommended that the majority of the work
be done in the forward direction for operator comfort.
If the power unit tire tracks are undesirable in the
finished surface, the final pass can be done in the
reverse direction to remove them.
