Strongway Inline Acreage Rake - 55" Wide & 6 Tine Reels

The rake worked great, but the hitch pin came out and we had to find one to fit. Otherwise would recommend

The rake came with a part that was not threaded. It is essential that it be threaded and the company, after 2 weeks of emails and phone calls told me it would be 6-8 weeks before I could get another part. I finally took it to a local machine shop to have it threaded. I was then able to use it and it is so light duty that short lawn grass bent the frame. Certainly a worst buy and I will be trying to get my money back.

Don't expect it to do things it is not designed for. Even my 20' wheel hay rake will ball up if you try to eat too much. Every tool has limitations and requires a little know-how to operate. If I had waited a few days I could have saved $10 bucks. I gave it a good workout on an acre of pine needles and assorted thatch before this report. THE GOOD Pine needles, does fine and windrows them but don't expect to eat a windrow higher than the wheels without rotation stopping. It even handled small pine cones and the dreaded chestnut husks. Grass dethatching, works very well and a heck of a lot easier than a mere rake. Also pulls up pine needles that the blower won't even touch. I expect the lawn will thank me this summer. I think it will work well for raking in over seeding. Works well on grass and that acre that I have been reluctantly raking when it grows too fast in the summer will get raked now. Be certain to set the wheels just at ground level or slightly above. It needs just enough resistance to keep turning. Does not pull hard at all. Wheel hubs a little flaky but I can weld them if necessary. Happy to see the tongue reinforcement but don't like the bend that is necessary to center the tongue. A straight tongue pulls to the side though according to the BIL so this is better if it is strong enough. This one tracks straight. If you make a hard left turn a lot of clogs will unclog. COULD BE BETTER Sticks, forget about it. You must pick them up or they will stick in the tines and jam things up. Even small sticks. Oak Leaves, not so much. Just doesn't do well in them. for me. Perhaps if I set the tines higher? On the negative, the height mechanism seems flimsy but time will tell. I am thinking of putting an electric linear actuator on instead for height control. It also does not raise high enough for transport without dragging a tine wheel or two. Operating with weights is a must and it needs a tongue weight. Instructions are a bit sketchy but you'll figure it out. One tine wheel in the cover picture is on backwards. IN SUMMARY More than one pass will be needed, I hope a light one for the mass of needles that I have to pick up followed by a deeper one to pull them out of the grass. I am hopeful it will make life easier as I am not getting younger and more able. Now, if I could just find a better way to pick up and haul the mountain of pine straw and leaves.