Hay merger

[WhyNot]

I was killing some time and ran across this http://www.millerprofarm.com/milleravalanche_triple.html it is a hay merger and the idea sound's good. Seem's as though only custom harvester's are using them since they don't pick up rock's. I know no one around here is using one but was wondering if any one has seen one and if they would be good for making windrow's for baling not just for chopping

 

[Lindblom Lawn Care]

The idea of combining two windrows to make on bigger windrow in not a new idea.

Most forage producers use a double rake. two wheel rakes or two side dilevery rakes.

 

[WhyNot]

Lindblom thank's for the reply but, I know more about hay rakes than I want to know. I have been working on dairy farm's since I was 15 and still do part time. The merger was just something I had never seen before and wanted to know how well they worked.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I was able to watch the tripple merger work at EFD a couple years ago. They are nice machines if you are using them in alfalfa where you have to worry about leaf loss more so then grass hay. But I do not know of anyone who owns or operates one around here. Most of the big dairy farms went to Kuhn or Claas rotary rakes.

 

[Bob_Young]

I spent an afternoon operating a merger on a neighbor's farm a few years ago. I believe it was a Miller, but the unit in your pictures doesn't look familiar. They had leased the unit from the local NH dealer and were using it for baled hay. They have their hay put up in large square bales by a custom baler.

As I recall I was running my butt off to stay ahead of the baler. It was the first merger I'd ever seen and I was a bit intimidated. It was cool the way it folded itself up to get up and down the narrow farm lanes....but it needed help to complete the fold job.

They were pulling it with a big old John Deere of around 100HP with a zillion hours on it. May have been a 4220, but I could be wrong. Had some kind of goofy power shift (??) transmission with a well worn linkage. Never quite knew what to expect from that tractor; but it did the job OK when I found the right gear.

I had reported for work expecting to be put on the Super C with the NH rake. That merger was quite a surprise.
Bob

 

[Bob_Young]

Looked at the MillerPro site again. The unit I operated was one of their double pickup models. It was alfalfa hay for dairy cows.

Besides having to get off the tractor and give it a strategically placed shove or two to get it to finish folding, I remember an issue with the PTO shaft coming off the tractor sometimes in a turn.

All that high-tech mechanical and the doggone PTO coupler couldn't be relied upon. About the time I thought I was gaining ground on the baler, the coupler would slide off and I'd be dead in the water. Once I got it hooked back up it recovered gracefully, however....didn't clog or create a big mess.
Bob

 

[Lindblom Lawn Care]

Lindblom thank's for the reply but, I know more about hay rakes than I want to know. I have been working on dairy farm's since I was 15 and still do part time. The merger was just something I had never seen before and wanted to know how well they worked.

Thanks for reminding me that this site is turning into a waste of my time. Good luck.

 

[Egon]

In the area in which I grew up most people use a swather with a crimper or condintioner for cutting hay. It will end up leaving the one swath of hay. This is a procedudure that may not work in moister climates than central Alberta.

 

[WhyNot]

Thanks for reminding me that this site is turning into a waste of my time. Good luck.

LIndblom, UMMMMMMMMMMMMM You welcome? How was I supposed to reply by sending you a dozen roses with a thank you note for your time with my life history attached?

To all the other responses thank's I didn't think there would be many out there with a rake "of any type" being cheaper in all aspect's.

 

[slowzuki]

You can skip the attitude thanks but there are also windrow inverters and shifters. All they do is smoothly flip the windrow or transfer it to a dryer spot of ground.

Both are non-existant in the east of Canada as it is too wet for any of that. A windrow will not dry if left that way here. Tedding is the norm then you rake whatever width gives you the right amount for your baler. Late cut it is hard to get a 9 ft raking stuffed into the baler sometimes.

LIndblom, UMMMMMMMMMMMMM You welcome? How was I supposed to reply by sending you a dozen roses with a thank you note for your time with my life history attached?

To all the other responses thank's I didn't think there would be many out there with a rake "of any type" being cheaper in all aspect's.