FAQ’s: Rip and Groom Rake
The Rip and Groom Rake (RGR) was developed from our very successful Fibre Rake, and uses many of the same components.
The first RGR was sold to a client wanting to prepare a dirt indoor riding arena surface, to a minimum of 75mm depth, for use in ‘Western’ horse training, particularly spins and sliding stops.
None of the Kiwi Arena Rakes Standard Rakes, or the Fibre Rake range, offered the required bite, these are much more in the line of ‘grooming’ tools.
Tynes; The front row of 9 tynes on the RGR are heavy ‘S’ Tynes, commonly found on ground cultivation equipment. They feature a hardened, reversible, replaceable, wear tip.
The second row are the same heavy (10mm thick) spring tynes, as used on the Kiwi Fibre Rake to provide a fluffing and levelling action.
The rear roller is a 200mm diameter, slatted roller, designed to provide a compaction, and levelling, function to the machine.
The RGR is 2m wide.
Uses and surfaces; The RGR can be set to use the front S tynes, with virtually no rear fluffing tynes, a combination of both, or predominantly the rear tynes only.
The video shows the RGR working on a gritty sand surface, which had only had a levelling bar type tool used on it previously. The tynes are set to work the surface down to about 50mm deep to break it up, then working to about 30mm for Dressage or Jumping use, and on- going maintenance.
The RGR works well on a full range of equestrian surfaces, including sand and sand/ crusher dust type mixes, surfaces with shredded rubber mixed in, Lime and Lime based surfaces, and as a heavy duty option, on Fibre type surfaces.
Base unit and options; The base RGR unit comes as a Tractor mount style, fitting to a tractor 3-point linkage.
Fitting the additional drawbar allows the unit to be towed by big Quad bikes, small tractors or Utes and ‘Side by side’ type vehicles.
The optional ‘travel wheels’ fitted at the rear of the machine, which wind up and down as required, allow the unit to be moved from the surface, without the need to alter any of the working settings.
A jockey wheel is provided on the front of the machine, for parking the unit.
Finish; The whole unit is sand blasted and professionally coated, as are all Kiwi Arena Rakes.