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Building a Revitalizer questions


Kenh

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I started a thread looking for Revitalizer tines with the intent of building one.

http://www.simpletractors.com/club2/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=143325&SearchTerms=revitlizer

I'm at the point of starting to gather parts and pieces to move forward but have some more questions as I've never been around a Revitalizer ...

1) There is a spring at the center of the Simplicity shaft holding tension on the blades. Is this spring a necessary thing to allow some movement of the tines or could the tines just be clamped solid from end to end?

2) I'm considering making the tines rotate in the reverse direction. Bad idea??? Forward rotation would let the unit skip over buried roots and such. Reverse rotation would grab and hold on to roots and such but would dig much better.

3) I'm "planning" on 3 inch center to center on the tines and making the unit a full 48 inches wide. Driving both ends would be easy and maybe better??? Or not really required?

4) Orange or cream? sm01

I think that's all for now. Thanks!!

Ken

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Ken,

1) I think the spring is more like a shock absorber to allow some give and play when you do catch a root or rock.

2) Reversing I think would defeat the purpose of slitting the ground and / or removing thatch. (A ez-rake or similar is much better at removing thatch, howwever a Revitalizer does a pretty good job while also preparing ofr overseeding)

3) I don't recallt he factory centers, but I would think the closer the better. driving both ends or from the center? I don't know. If you're building it, whatever is most efficient and sturdy. The factory engineers didn't...... just sayin'.

4) Preference. (mine is orange, cream would look awfully dirty awfully quick me thinks)

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Thanks for your insite Brett. Factory centers are 2 7/8" I believe. 3" just seems easy:D I would drive from both ends, as at a full four feet wide it would help to eliminate some of the twisting moment/vibration from the hex shaft. I think it would run smoother in the end??????

Getting the right hook on the times will help it dig better in standard rotation. Beings I'm having tines cut from scratch I can do what I want there:)

You are right about the cream. Orange it is!

Any other comments/suggestions are welcome. Lets make this revitalizer everything everything Simplicity wished it could be.

Ken

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I guess I suck with the search function...

Is the gear ratio of the BGB 1:1? I have a couple of 7100 series Simplicities.

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Thanks for the support! I haven't purchased anything yet but steel will be about $100, The hex shaft is a third of that!!!! I plan on three bearings to support the tines at $22 each and about another $80 to $100 in other bearings, sprockets, chain etc. Then the tines need to be bought. Still working on trying to get the price down a bit. I'm still planning on a 48 inch version. I know I could probably by something for less but in this area it seems a revitalizer never comes up for sale.

It looks like this will be built in stages. Should be a "fun" project.

Ken

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