Hay equipment

[skyhightree1]

yea side delivery are just time consuming but effective.

 

[machslammer]

Sky we use that same rake and really like ours. Moved one side in a little the first cutting since hay was thinner than last year, but it almost narrowed our rows too much and was having to move baler a bit. I like it when the rows are same width as picker upper on baler.

 

[skyhightree1]

Sky we use that same rake and really like ours. Moved one side in a little the first cutting since hay was thinner than last year, but it almost narrowed our rows too much and was having to move baler a bit. I like it when the rows are same width as picker upper on baler.

Yea I like it a lot too I don't move the tractor at all I just try to straddle in the middle consistently and bales come out pretty good shape. Yea if its thin and you don't do like 15 seconds this way and 15 seconds opposite way it will look pretty crazy

 

[pricefarm]

Well I guess there goes my plan. I was about to buy a vermeer from a man that looked like new for 1800$. He said he worked good! I guess I know why he is selling it now lol !! I have looked at the Kuhn rakes and like them but they are price high even for used ones. I haven't looked at any rhinos might need to look around for one of those.
Thanks for the good info everyone !

 

[James T]

PF, what rake should be based on how much hay your doing every year and what kind of grass. My 8 yr old Vermeer wr20 has never broken but I only run about 100 round bales per yr of bermuda grass. I can only recall maybe 3 times it has ever clogged up and that hay was real thick and tall. Sure, there are better rakes but I have yet to need one.

 

[skyhightree1]

my rhino averages 300 + acres a year of fescue clover and orchard grass

 

[Nesikep]

We have a JD EO567 side delivery 5 wheel rake.. piece of crap if you ask me!... I did find ways to improve it though... and some may apply to other types of wheel rakes.

First and foremost... run a piece of high tensile fencing wire through the spring loops of the tines... That will prevent the broken off tines from finding their way into $1000 tires, and you feed trough... Also, I've had pretty good success at welding them back on!.

I shortened the drawbar on it so it rides as close to the tractor as possible while still allowing for tight turns, I took 2 feet off mine and another 6" could have been done, follows MUCH better through the corners now.

Last but not least, with this rake (left side delivery), I found starting from the inside of the field and travelling backward through the field works far better, it doesn't bunch the corners up anymore, and doesn't force the tines to try and go backward, reducing tine breakage, and also you don't need to drive over your field to get out when you're done. We were sick of replacing the tines, so I took 1 wheel off and used the tines off it to replace the broken ones on the others... We have a 7 1/2 ft swather, and the way it's set up will turn 1 windrow nicely, or can put 2 together, but won't turn the second one...
I think we get heavier cuts per acre than a lot of you folks here, I have had several cuts of 5 ton/ac in the first cut, and I couldn't imagine putting 30 feet of windrow together and attempting to bale it, half that is plenty for the average baler, and too much for anything smaller

 

[pricefarm]

PF, what rake should be based on how much hay your doing every year and what kind of grass. My 8 yr old Vermeer wr20 has never broken but I only run about 100 round bales per yr of bermuda grass. I can only recall maybe 3 times it has ever clogged up and that hay was real thick and tall. Sure, there are better rakes but I have yet to need one.

Good point! I mow around 100 acres twice a year some of it gets done 3 times. So compared to a lot of people that's not much.

 

[etmountianman71]

The trick is to find out what works on your fields. I have a v-rake (agco) and still learning how to use it. Yes it does make a big diffeence with time, not as pretty as a side delivery but well worth it.
I would take a vermeer wr20 in a heartbeat, seen to many of them work well, but on the same note seen some cheap off brands do just as well. So the learning curve is always there. Made some adjustments to ours and it is now raking better, now just have to work on the driver.

 

[skyhightree1]

PF, what rake should be based on how much hay your doing every year .

That statement bothers me that you feel that way. If you are looking for something that will be a useful tool... You want a tool that will work regardless of how many times and how much you use it. When you buy a vehicle do you say well I only drive 10 miles a day so it just has to be able to make it 10 miles a day ? No you buy something that is good and reliable that will take you wherever you want to go. I would never base an equip purchase no matter how small on how much do I really use it. There are time my stihl saws sat for months when business was slow I would never say well sometimes were really busy sometimes we are slow so I guess I will buy a homelite... NEVER HAPPEN... when I am ready to work whether its 1 day a month or everyday for 6 months you need a tool that can handle whatever you throw at it. :2cents:

 

[Nesikep]

Well if business was booming you'd certainly have had to get a Husquavarna saw :hide:

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say James T meant in the size of the equipment.. you don't buy a 40 foot rake when you're just doing 5 acre fields (like most of mine), and you don't buy a 200 HP tractor for an acreage. However, the quality of the machine should be there regardless of it's size.

Around here it's very rare I even rake (only if I got rained on).. I probably rake under 20 acres a year.. I am far more concerned about the quality of my swather, baler and bale wagon, I really work them good

 

[denvermartinfarms]

More money and a little older, but alot better rake.

http://eastky.craigslist.org/grd/4546210921.html

 

[James T]

PF, what rake should be based on how much hay your doing every year .

That statement bothers me that you feel that way. If you are looking for something that will be a useful tool... You want a tool that will work regardless of how many times and how much you use it. When you buy a vehicle do you say well I only drive 10 miles a day so it just has to be able to make it 10 miles a day ? No you buy something that is good and reliable that will take you wherever you want to go. I would never base an equip purchase no matter how small on how much do I really use it. There are time my stihl saws sat for months when business was slow I would never say well sometimes were really busy sometimes we are slow so I guess I will buy a homelite... NEVER HAPPEN... when I am ready to work whether its 1 day a month or everyday for 6 months you need a tool that can handle whatever you throw at it. :2cents:

I understand your point! But why buy overkill when your application doesn't demand it? Your Stihl's equate to money in the bank due to reliability and less down time for your crew, right? So that's understandable. And if I were baling hay for a good portion of my income I would certainly buy the most reliable equipment possible. And there might be other critical reasons to buy the best. But, if your a hobby farmer and just want your own equipment, middle of the road equipment might just work out great. Looking at disc cutters not long ago and came to the conclusion that Krone makes the best disc cutter on the market due to it design and engineering. But, it would cost about $1000 more than a Kuhn of the same size and Kuhn make a very decent cutter. So, should I buy the Krone just to cut hay for 100 or less round bales per year? No, not in in mind because the Kuhn will do the same job, for a long time, for less money. Same goes for a rake. For my usage, type of grass, terrain, etc. should I by a Sitrex brand rake? Nope. But that Sitrex might be perfect for 20 acres of flat terrain, light grass, baled once a year. Hope this makes some sense!

 

[skyhightree1]

Well if business was booming you'd certainly have had to get a Husquavarna saw :hide:

Nesi I think you have fell and bumped your head :lol:

 

[skyhightree1]

PF, what rake should be based on how much hay your doing every year .

That statement bothers me that you feel that way. If you are looking for something that will be a useful tool... You want a tool that will work regardless of how many times and how much you use it. When you buy a vehicle do you say well I only drive 10 miles a day so it just has to be able to make it 10 miles a day ? No you buy something that is good and reliable that will take you wherever you want to go. I would never base an equip purchase no matter how small on how much do I really use it. There are time my stihl saws sat for months when business was slow I would never say well sometimes were really busy sometimes we are slow so I guess I will buy a homelite... NEVER HAPPEN... when I am ready to work whether its 1 day a month or everyday for 6 months you need a tool that can handle whatever you throw at it. :2cents:

I understand your point! But why buy overkill when your application doesn't demand it? Your Stihl's equate to money in the bank due to reliability and less down time for your crew, right? So that's understandable. And if I were baling hay for a good portion of my income I would certainly buy the most reliable equipment possible. And there might be other critical reasons to buy the best. But, if your a hobby farmer and just want your own equipment, middle of the road equipment might just work out great. Looking at disc cutters not long ago and came to the conclusion that Krone makes the best disc cutter on the market due to it design and engineering. But, it would cost about $1000 more than a Kuhn of the same size and Kuhn make a very decent cutter. So, should I buy the Krone just to cut hay for 100 or less round bales per year? No, not in in mind because the Kuhn will do the same job, for a long time, for less money. Same goes for a rake. For my usage, type of grass, terrain, etc. should I by a Sitrex brand rake? Nope. But that Sitrex might be perfect for 20 acres of flat terrain, light grass, baled once a year. Hope this makes some sense!

Gotcha, I am a hobby cattle farmer myself and I have old reliable equipment newest piece i have is the rake. I plan on buying new stuff or like new cutter and baler when the cattle pay for it. Me personally I just like having the best when it comes to equip and doing work not to brag but because down time cost you $$ and that $$ lost maybe could have been prevented if you spent a lil more to buy the top of the line. I do also see your point :tiphat:

 

[rjbovine]

Found a Durabuilt md 931A .on craigslist . Rake in very good shape for 2000.00 . Will be raking hay Friday the 4th. Never have operated a v rake Hope it works well .Thanks for all the replys . rj