Profitable Soil Preparation

First you angle the deck left or right to work the stones into windrows for easy collection. Whilst doing this, the rake is already starting to produce a fine tilth and grade the site. Next, pivot the head straight and work it across the area in two or three directions in order to complete the job. You now have a level, rough-raked site ready to accept turf. If you are seeding, you just need to touch in the wheel marks with a hand rake. It tills only the top layer (3 to 25mm), and the soil is immediately ready for use. You don't have to re-consolidate the ground, as you would if you used a rotavator. Consequently, it will not slump when the first serious fall of rain comes along. To replace an existing lawn without lifting the turf, kill off the grass with a suitable chemical. The Rake will quickly rip out the dead grass, working up a tilth as it does so, and the site is ready, leaving only a few bags of dead grass to dispose of. This feature can also be used for heavy scarification, such as preparation for a wild flower meadow or breaking up and levelling self-binding gravel paths, golf buggy paths and similar surfaces. A rugged, bullet-proof, American product driven by TurfTeq's GXV390, Honda-engined tractor. Landscape gardener Will Cole recently wrote the following review: "I recently had the chance to use one of these machines for a lawn renovation job and although it's an expensive piece of kit to either buy or hire, the considerable savings in time far outweigh the costs. The lawn in question was beyond help!! It was cut down to the lowest setting possible with the lawn mower and cuttings removed. We then got the preparation rake into action, setting up the machine at an angle. After several passes up and down, the bumps and troughs had been taken out of the lawn and the thatch, roots and stones were lined up ready for easy collection. This done, we then reset the machine into the straight position and passed over the ground once more producing a fine tilth. With a little straightening out with a landscape rake, it was ready for seeding. I would definitely use this machine again. It does a better job than a rotavator, and as it only disturbs the top half inch or so of the soil, you do not have the worry of sinkeage to a new lawn".

For more information on Profitable Soil Preparation talk to GroundsCare Products