hay rake

[sanbornbob]

A simple question but drawing a blank on this issue. With everyone around me retiring from the hay business, I am making the plunge for some equipment. 4 wheel v rake [covers about 12'], will this work with a 12' header on the swather? Have used side delivery rake in the past and a sickle bar mower. Trying to upgrade and cover more ground. Most of my hay is grass only and in the past I have not combined my cut rows.
Probably not enough info but maybe someone out there can at least point me in the correct direction. Otherwise, hunt for another side delivery rake......mine died.
Thanks.

 

[Tx Jim]

A rake that only rakes a 12' swath can't successfully combine two windrows cut by a 12' cutter in one pass of the rake.

 

[AKfish]

A simple question but drawing a blank on this issue. With everyone around me retiring from the hay business, I am making the plunge for some equipment. 4 wheel v rake [covers about 12'], will this work with a 12' header on the swather? Have used side delivery rake in the past and a sickle bar mower. Trying to upgrade and cover more ground. Most of my hay is grass only and in the past I have not combined my cut rows.
Probably not enough info but maybe someone out there can at least point me in the correct direction. Otherwise, hunt for another side delivery rake......mine died.
Thanks.

Does your swather adjust the width of the windrow? If not, IMO, you won't always get everything cleaned up in one pass from one cut. 12' doesn't mean it'll catch all the hay from a 12' swath unless the field is like a pool table.

My rotary rake won't cover 2 swaths from the MOCO. But, it does a sweet job of combining 2-3 swaths. No roping or twisting and it fluffs the clumps almost like a tedder.

Highly recommended if you're gonna be lookin' for a rake.

AKfish

 

[Creamer]

Agree with Texas Jim. A 12' rake will work for an 8' or maybe 9' mower but not for combining 12' swaths. You have to figure the width of the hay on the ground. In your area you may be able to keep the hay fairly narrow but you still have to figure from outside of one row of hay to the outside of the next. Not knowing how wide you make the hay row I cannot tell you how wide the rake needs to be.