Tonutti hay rakes?

[Hiawatha22]

Anyone have any experience with these? There is a 10 wheel traler type coming up at an auction and was just wondering the advantages/disadvantages of them compared to your standard v rake, side delivery or rotary. Any help, experience or advice is appreciated. Not looking to rake big acres probably 80 acres per year. Hay may be in windrows or spread out depending on weather. Thanks.

[mlauk]

They work good for putting 2 windrows together or picking up hay spread out, but it doesn't turn the hay over in the middle when the hay is spread out. Center kicker wheels are available to move the hay in the middle. It doesn't do very well on corners because the inside 5 wheels don't turn much and drag the hay till you straighten out again. The nice thing about them is they make a windrow with more hay on the outsides so if you set up the width correctly, you can just drive straight down the windrow with your baler and it makes a nice bale.

[cowski]

some tonutti rakes are the same as vermeer.

[Hiawatha22]

What about turning an existing swath? Without the center wheel a person could turn an existing windrow just catch it with either the left or right wing and just move the swath over? My only concern is would this not be hard on the machine or do people not do it this way? Its a 10 wheel thats about 15 years old so if its in decent shape and goes for a song I think I might snap it up.

[Hiawatha22]

Anyone know who deals tonutti in canada? Wouldn't mind pricing out that center wheel kit.

[mlauk]

What about turning an existing swath? Without the center wheel a person could turn an existing windrow just catch it with either the left or right wing and just move the swath over? My only concern is would this not be hard on the machine or do people not do it this way? Its a 10 wheel thats about 15 years old so if its in decent shape and goes for a song I think I might snap it up.

Yes, with an existing windrow, you don't need the center kicker wheel. I used a 10 wheel hay rake for several years raking up two windrows into one and it worked fine. I bought a disc cutter a couple of years ago and so I rake up the spread out hay now. There are probably some videos on youtube you can watch to get an idea of how well it works.

[cowski]

a vermeer center wheel kit is about 600$.