Need help with landscape rake

I am a little over my head in trying to put in a new front lawn of 1/3 acre. The soil lab has said put 1 ton of lime on over the next several years-ok. I have rototilled with a Troy bronco and have most of the weeds and dead sod loose and dry. Tried to go the landscape rake route with the Agri Fab (Sears) rake which requires a sleeve hitch. Ole Red (10 year old DYT 48 ) can not take a sleeve hitch so I put training wheels on the rake so it takes either 1" or 3" bite. Maiden trip yesterday resulted in loading up the teeth real bad. I realize a sleeve hitch would allow raising the rake to drop the load of dry weeds/sod. My bad, but I really do not want to buy a "Garden Tractor."

FYI I tried to hire this task out, but 4-5 companies either never returned my calls or were booked. So If any of you pro's would give me a ball park fig for such a lawn installation I would appreciate it so I could then trade off that cost against a Garden Tractor. (I would really like to move up to water cooled, but looks like used JD or Cub Cadet would start at at least $5K ??)

My brother just had this done last year on 3/4 acre. $5500.00

Blaze, thanks for the number. I suspected that range. I have given up on the agri-fab rake. I tried a new config of training wheels. The rake still loads up the dead sod and since I cannot raise it ( no sleeve or 3 point) I am forced to get off and lift the rake. Still worth the $350 gamble since I did not have other choices. They say that during the downswing workers fled to available jobs and this seems to have happened here. Everyone is booked. I am buying the prill form of lime and will spread 1 ton with my Brinley spreader. Small time operator here.:laughing:

When I built houses for a living we had a 3point rake with lift. It got loaded all the time. I sold it and got a box blade. Lots mor dammage can be done with one of those.

Blaze, I know I'm not outfitted properly with my lightweight lawn tractor, but the tractor still performs its lawn duty. Funny thing is agri-fab calls it a rock rake which it ignores and skips over. Course I have removed every other tine trying to make it work.

It is all good. We use what we have. Its that simple.