Frontier Arena Rake—Smooth Going for Horse Owners

'I Tell Them This Is the Only Arena Rake They Will Ever Need to Buy'

Use the right tool for the job. That bit of sound advice should lead many arena owners to the Frontier arena rakes. "Many horse owners use a chain drag or some kind of modified tillage tool to rake their arenas," says Larry Tegeler, salesman with AA Equipment, Escondido, California. "These implements don't properly firm and level an arena surface like the Frontier Riata Rake does."

"Worse yet," warns Tegeler, "with some tools, the surface can look level enough, but there are hidden pockets or soft spots that don't show up until a horse loses footing."

Steve Bybee

"Another good thing about the Frontier rake," adds Steve Bybee, salesman at AA Equipment's Montclair, California, location, "is that it's designed so it won't dig too deep. Some modified tillage tools can get sucked down where they pull up rocks or subsoil that's under the arena's sand, sawdust, or other surface material. With the Frontier Riata Rake, you set the right working depth for your arena, and it won't go deeper. Frontier customers really like how our rake levels and firms all in one pass."

Both Tegeler and Bybee have found success selling the Frontier arena rake to horse owners and owners of boarding stables. Horse shows are a good way to reach this market.

"The rake is a popular item at the Equine Affaire," notes Bybee. "That's a major horse event and trade show held here in Southern California. We always have an exhibit with Gators™, compact utility tractors, and attachments like the Frontier rake. We keep a DVD running that shows the arena rake in action. People like how level it leaves the arena and how sturdy the machine looks."

Larry Tegeler

"I was involved in making that video (available at YouTube.com) with the people from Riata Ranch, who developed the rake," recalls Tegeler. "We did the filming at a horse farm, and their arena surface had been really trashed. The owner was so impressed with how great her arena looked after a couple hours of us raking and filming, she ended up buying the rake.

"Whenever we demo a tractor at a horse farm," says Tegeler, "we try to take an arena rake along. It makes a very nice package— tractor, frontend loader, and the Frontier arena rake on the 3-point. The horse owner gets a better idea of what all a tractor can do for them. Plus, the whole package can be more affordable thanks to attachment discounts and John Deere financing. You can sell more when customers can get low-rate financing on the whole
tractor/attachment package."

"The Frontier rake may cost a bit more than some competitors," Bybee adds, "but the performance is great, and it is built much sturdier than other rakes on the market. Customers can see the difference. I tell them this is the only arena rake they will ever need to buy."

Collision Ends Scott's Race Team's Chances to Finish the TSCO Las Vegas to Reno Race.

On Friday August 19th Scott's Gator race team competed at the Best in the Desert TSCO Vegas to Reno desert race. On the start line for this 550 mile desert race were 14 race cars in the Pro UTV class representing 5 UTV manufacturers.

Scott shared, "unfortunately our Gator was hit by another car in our class eight miles into the race. The collision caused damage that led to a chain reaction of mechanical failures that we fought all day to overcome. In the end we simply ran out of time and were forced to retire at pit 5, 194 miles into the race". This resulted in a 11th place finish and keeps the team in 7th place in points for the season.

The good news is that the car is repairable and will be ready to rock for the BlueWater Desert Challenge, October 14^th-16^th in Parker Arizona.

Steve Bybee - Inside Sales Manager AA Equipment - 40 years

Ballasting TIPS

Why Ballast?

As you might expect, there are two sides to the ballasting story . . . The front and the back.

 

Both play critical roles. Having enough ballast (in other words, weight) at the rear helps counterbalance a load at the front. It also keeps the tractor's tires on the ground where they belong.

 

Less obviously, adding this rear weight also boosts the performance at the front.

 

Here's why: The most powerful part of the tractor is its rear drive system. Therefore, having enough weight to push down the rear tires lets you take full advantage of the entire tractor's power. (With four-wheel drive, the improvement in traction is even more noticeable!)

 

In other words, if you regularly do things like charge a pile of material to fill a bucket or use the loader to push dirt, you're simply not taking advantage of the full force of the tractor if you don't use proper ballast, your only getting about half the tractor's effort.)

 

Decreasing the chance the tractor will tip over and increasing its pushing ability are reasons enough to ballast. But there's one more benefit too. Proper ballasting greatly lengthens the service life of your tractor. By taking weight off the front axle and shifting it rearward, the entire frame and both axles bear the stress of a load, not the front axles alone. You see, without ballast to the rear, it's very easy to overload the front axle. At first, this doesn't appear to have an effect; but over time, it shows in damage to the transmission, engine and, of course, the axle itself. Buying a ballast box is a small price to pay compared to the repairs you'll have to do down the road without one.

 

How to Ballast.

Since it is hard to measure precisely how many pounds of a material are in your bucket (even dry sand in a 61-in. bucket can weigh 900lb.), the safest option is to use enough ballast weight to counterbalance the maximum load you expect to lift.

 

There are three places on the tractor where you can add weight:

• At the rear, with a ballast box or other properly weighted implement.
• On the wheels, with wheel weights.
• Inside the tire, with fluid.

 

There are pros and cons to each. Here are some brief points to keep in mind as you decide between these three methods:

 

A ballast box is the most flexible option. One is easy to attach and detach, and the weight can be adjusted simply by adding or removing material inside the box. (Also, keep in mind that the farther back the box is, the better leverage it has.)

 

If you are continually required to use ballast, then wheel weights may be a good way to supplement weight in a ballast box. They also are a good way to increase traction.

 

If a large amount of ballast is required, consider filling the tires with a fluid to make them heavier. (Calcium chloride is recommended because it will not freeze.) In  most areas of Southern California water will work fine because of the moderate temperatures. This is an excellent way to add ballast, but has the drawback of being a more or less permanent addition to your tractor.

 

But before you try any of these methods, please consult AA Equipment. We will be happy to assist you in making the right choice. . . . and making sure your tractor is as safe and productive as it can be.

 

During the month of September we will be offering all Ballast Boxes, and wheel weights at tremendous savings of 15% off!  This is a great time to take care of any ballasting issues you might have with your tractor. Contact your nearest AA Equipment store location for details.

 

Montclair   Indio   Escondido   El Cajon   Las Vegas

Sometimes a box of rocks
can be pretty smart.

 

Model C1000

Vantage 5 Passenger Cargo Van

The Vantage Premium VanGo C1000 is a compact automotive quality cargo van for non-highway use. Powered by a 55 hp 995 cc EFI engine, it can haul 2,500 lbs. at speeds up to 25 mph. 

• 3 speed fully automatic transmission.

• Left and right side sliding cargo doors and a rear hatchback door provide total access for easy loading and unloading.

• Widely used by all branches of the U.S. military as well as universities, resorts and Industrial sites.

Condition: Excellent Condition – Demo Unit / 120Miles

*all prices plus tax