Hope This Works!

I go into town this morning and buy this hitch and the Heston "right hand" rake.

I'm pretty sure that I can hook my old existing left hand IH rake to this hitch in place of that New Holland and make 'er work to pull two windrows together.

Hope so anyway, 'cause I've never done this before.

Allan

My first guess was that the wheels are only on there so old idiots like me can get the hitch hooked up to the tractor easier? :>)

Oh I dunno, I suppose the wheels give the front of the rake stability as far as vertical height goes; especially if the rakes don't have a dolly wheel?

All I know fer sure is that I watch the big boys around here pull those things and they really seem to work slick. These fellas out here are some hay makin' monsters and I like to just watch and learn. :>)

Allan

I think you've probably got a better handle on this that I do, because I've never even looked at one of those hitches. However, the one thing that does occour to me is that the dolly is on the NH 56 just to place it behind the other rake for turning. I spose' just try your IH in place and see how it works. If it was tight on the turns, then make up a dolly, or just weld up a long hitch and mount that on the toolbar. I'd think that would work OK? There's not so much weight in the old rake that it wouldn't work..... I think. I'm sure you'll get er going somehow. Good luck.

Rod

The hitch is on the 3-point, so when ya turn one end (and one rake) is gonna come forward and one is gonna try to "back up" so they can't be hooked together, can they?

'Taint it? Unless ya make a larger arc? Darned if I know; guess I'll find out. Lots of guys use 'em around here, anyway.

Allan

I don't understand what it matters if they both throw together at the same time. Aren't they 'sposed to?

Allan

I think they need to be staggered so you can turn.

Other wise they may hit or maybe not as one will pull ahead of the other because of the bar wipping forward.

Heck I don't know.

I built a telescoping hitch across the back of my 258 NH that extended out the left then just hooked my brothers 256 to it and threw all one way.

If you want a picture I'll get one tomorrow.

You could then throw more than two windrows together.

Worked pretty good till the 258 was wore out.

Gary

You gotto be careful about that.

And that is another reason for me switching to a wheel rake.

But in grass hay it don't matter.

Also you can slow down since your taking two swathes and you still rake faster.

I found that speed causes more leaf loss than rolling it a couple more times.

Gary

The IH rake hitch is just about a mirror image of that Heston. The 3 point hitch does telescope tho so a guy can move the rakes closer together or further apart.

Don't know how I'm gonna "wiggle" it around to pull down the road either. That's probably why the one rake in the original setup has the dolly wheel?

The Heston has a hitch hook up in back and I think that New Hollad probably hooked behind to tow?

Dunno, I'm lost.

Allan

Are those right hand rakes at all common out there? I have looked for one around here, and they cannot be found. When i find those rh rakes on the inet equipment sites they are always rather spendy.

I will have a lot of hay a few years down the road, and a twin rake setup like that will be what i need. I already have a good NH 256 like the one in the pic.

There everywhere. Think I'm the last guy that didn't have one in this area and I really noticed how long it was taking me to get to the baler compared to everyone else.

The right hand throw rakes are exactly twice the price of a normal left handed one. Plus, the darned hitch, of course.

I didn't have to worry 'bout this on the irrigated ground because the baler could just follow the swather. Don't work too good out here on the dry, however. Unless it is really heavy hay, the windrows need to be thrown together to fill that darned baler up.

Allan

I"ll lay odds that what you have wil work.

The problem isn't with the boys in town, they're a pretty darned sharp crew in there. Problem lies with my shriveled up ol' pee brain and my not knowin' what I'm doin'. :>)

Allan

Thanks Allan