[Padraigcr]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone has experience of using the Harley rakes. Under what conditions are they good and how good are they at grading & levelling. When I say conditions I mean moisture levels as I am in Ireland and where we have higher rainfall and conditions I think would not be as good as parts of the US. Anybody any ideas where an ex demo or good secondhand one could be got. They are not readily available in Ireland especially secondhand.

[site]

Harley rakes do work in wet soil. They work better in dry soil, but sometimes you don't have that choice. They will do the job as long as the machine they are attached to has traction. As far as grading and leveling they are very good at it, but you might need to be more specific in your question. Can't help with where to find one in Ireland, sorry.

[Stonehenge]

If it's soupy-wet, there isn't much that will pulverize and spread soil evenly. What kind of soil do you have in your area?

As for availability - there are a few other manufacturers that make similar machines (the name of one is Piranha, I believe), but you may have a hard time finding someone willing to arrange for shipping of a used one overseas. I scanned eBay and all listed were "Ship to US" only.

You might try the manufacturer itself (Glenmac - glenmac.com) to see if they have any distributors in Europe.

Good luck!

[NCSULandscaper]

also look into Rotadarion(sp?), i believe those are made in europe, but i could be wrong

[cutntrim]

Isn't JCB out of the U.K.? Maybe their website or local Irish rep could hook you up.

I don't know about Harley Rakes, but I asked on here about soil conditioners and will be renting the Bobcat 48" one for the third time tomorrow for sod prep work. I think it works great, but I haven't used it in swampy conditions...

[Padraigcr]

Thanks for the info, I will look more into it.. JCB are a Uk company but dont do that type of equipment. Soil conditions can vary from sandy soil to heavy peaty soils... I am really talking about soil that is close to dry but has not fully dried out. I find especially with my Blec stone buriers that unless soil is very dry it wont screen adequately...

Are Piranha a good Brand and will they do the same job as a Harley. If I found a good used machine in the US I would import it . I am off to look on ebay!! Thanks for the info....

Padraig