John Deere 705 twin rollbar rake

Hay Dude · Jan 16, 2023

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listing/for-sale/219029619/john-deere-705-hay-rakes-hay-and-forage-equipment

I like this rake. Gives me some pause on the wheel rake I was thinking about buying.
It transports low and narrow down the road. Its being sold Wednesday at an auction site near me.

I had a JD single hydraulic rollbar rake about 15 years ago. Only thing I disliked was the “roping” effect.

Any opinions on this?

Tx Jim · Jan 17, 2023

JD 705 rake built by Vermeer for JD is the same as a Vermeer R23A. At least it has the ""later style reel pipe brgs"" & larger castor wheels. In '92 I purchased a New Vermeer R23 same as JD model 700 rake. After several yrs of use it became a task to regularly replace older style reel pipe brgs. I also got tired of manually moving rake that had smaller caster tires from transport to field(raking) position every time I needed to change fields. I changed my R23 to operate baskets from a pto hyd pump so I could operate on a smaller lower hyd output tractor. Hyd's plugged into tractor hyd system causes hyd oil to get very HOT.

Hay Dude · Jan 17, 2023

Tx Jim said:
JD 705 rake built by Vermeer for JD is the same as a Vermeer R23A. At least it has the ""later style reel pipe brgs"" & larger castor wheels. In '92 I purchased a New Vermeer R23 same as JD model 700 rake. After several yrs of use it became a task to regularly replace older style reel pipe brgs. I also got tired of manually moving rake that had smaller caster tires from transport to field(raking) position every time I needed to change fields. I changed my R23 to operate baskets from a pto hyd pump so I could operate on a smaller lower hyd output tractor. Hyd's plugged into tractor hyd system causes hyd oil to get very HOT.

Jim,
First- thanks for that bit of actual experience.
I had a single JD hydraulic rake way back. Seemed like a very nicely built rake. Had dolly wheels on front and the hydraulic oil got very hot in it after long use, too.

So when the 705 is folded, the operator walks the wings open & closed? I say this because we are often in road transport mode between fields. I may pass on this idea and lean towards the wheel rake for the sole reason that we can rake with only one wing in tight area. I do not believe we can rake with only one wing of the JD 705, but I am still digging up info. Not a big fan of the hot hydraulic fluid, either.

Tx Jim · Jan 17, 2023

You can rake with only one side of JD 705 extended out but both baskets will operate when hyd pressure is applied. Later Model Vermeer R2300 & R2800 have capability to move baskets(wings) in/out hydraulically. I would not trade my H&S Hi-cap rake for a R23 or R23A & probably wouldn't trade for newer oil heating rakes either.

Hay Dude · Jan 18, 2023

I need to get a twin rake of some sort during the off season here.
Twin rotary rakes are out. New and used, they are financially out of reach. A clean used twin with a transport cart is now $25,000! New are $35,000! That’s insane.

I will probably go with a wheel rake, but that JD 705 gave me pause to think.

The Vermeer 2300/2800 rakes you mentioned…..can one arm be turned off hydraulically so you just rake with one arm? I don’t like the oil heating aspect.