opinions on hay rakes

DJL · Jun 5, 2012

Looking for opinions and pro"s and con"s on two different hay rakes. New Holland 56 rollabar side delivery rake and a New Idea 5 wheel rake. I"ve got some HEAVY grass hay down, and don"t have a tedder. Weather is good but not sure this stuff is ever going to dry. (I scalped a bit with my disk mower and it"s got some large wet chunks in it) I don"t know that the New Holland will even go through it without slippling the rear tires. What"s your general likes and dislikes of the two differnt styles of rakes? Where does one shine over the other? And what"s your thoughts on getting this hay to dry out?
Thanks
DJL

Texasmark1 · Jun 6, 2012

I have/use/have used both. My impression of the wheel is that it's for light duty. I don't have the large ones with the big frame and tires and all to help hold it on the ground but on heavy stuff they either hop over the hay or the blades bend back. Then, if it is dry, possibly stemmy, but windy, the wind usually glues the hay to the wheels and just makes a big mess rather than rake it into a windrow.

Parallel bars will roll anything and that's what they do. The more you rake the more of a roll you have and rolls don't dry. One pass on a windrow is ok, but after that if it's wet or long and stemmy, it rolls.

Tedding and getting the hay spread out is the best way to dry. But, if the soil under it is wet/damp, you won't get it dry. You have to rake the hay out of the way to allow the surface to dry, then spread out the hay to dry, then rake and bale.

Mark

mkirsch · Jun 6, 2012

Did you set the diverter in the mower so the hay would lay in a swath when you mowed it?

If the hay is in a swath, and the mower is wider than the rake, you don't have to rake the whole swath into a windrow. Both a 5-wheel and a 56 NH rake really only effectively cover about 7 feet. With a 9 foot or wider mower, you can split the windrows. Just roll up a rake's width. It won't be so heavy and it will dry better.

rrlund · Jun 6, 2012

If that New Idea is one of those with the tines bolted around the outside of the band on the wheel,they're as worthless as teats on a boar.
If it has the larger rods that run all the way to the center of the wheel,it's a decent rake that will rake most anything you put in front of it.
Just don't confuse the two. There's no comparison.

crotchity · Jun 6, 2012

If you have prefectly level ground and NO point rows,the wheel rake will be fine.Unlevel ground and points,conventional rake the best.

mkirsch · Jun 7, 2012

Hmm, we ran an old Farmhand 5-wheel for years. Our ground is as uneven as it gets and it worked fine.

For point rows, it worked great because it had a hydraulic lift. You could lift the rake at the end of the row and make your turn without disturbing the other windrows.

With the 5-bars, sometimes you have no choice but to leave a ball of hay in the middle of the field on point rows. The rake does not raise high enough to clear the windrows even if you got off and cranked it up. You make a mess or you make a mess... There's no in between.

Texasmark1 · Jun 7, 2012

Not necessarily as I stated.

Don't put out false information to confuse the guy asking for help.........I speak from experience. Where do you speak from and with what conditions and equipment are you using as your reference?

Mark

opinions on hay rakes

DJL

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Texasmark1

Well-known Member

mkirsch

Well-known Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

crotchity

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mkirsch

Well-known Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

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