Finally upgraded the rake and tedder

[Robert_in_NY]

Been wanting to upgrade the rake for years but the old new Holland 256 has been extremely reliable. Have had the wife and daughter helping with raking and tedding duties the last couple years. Well the tedder wheels are in rough shape. Been patching up the rims as best as I can but the one is beyond repair. A couple years ago when I inquired it was over $250 per wheel to replace from Vicon. The rims won't come off without a huge fight as I doubt they've ever been off. So time for a new tedder. Since I'm getting a new tedder wife says get the new rake as well

New rake is a Pequea MCR 10 with kicker wheel. Tedder is a Pequea 46x.

Daughter is very happy

 

[leeave96]

Looks good!

 

[kf4uda]

New equipment and good help, what else could a man ask for!

 

[5030]

Good deal. From a business perspective (it's a business with me), I turn over equipment about every 5 years. It's all a write off anyway. I'm on a 5 year depreciation cycle. Only reason I run older Kubota's is because I don't want the Tier 4 final headaches.

If they get Tier 4 hardware and software perfected before I die, I'll upgrade the tractors too. Until then, pre emissions tractors and new hay tools.

 

[LouNY]

Good luck with the new tedder and rake.
We tried a wheel rake on the farm a couple of years ago and found that just like 20-30 years ago,
they tended to put more stones in the windrows then the rolabar rakes do.
Those stones really don't do good in the chopper when doing haylage.

 

[5030]

Good luck with the new tedder and rake.
We tried a wheel rake on the farm a couple of years ago and found that just like 20-30 years ago,
they tended to put more stones in the windrows then the rolabar rakes do.
Those stones really don't do good in the chopper when doing haylage.

Never used a wheel rake. Guy down the lane has one. Seems to make a nice windrow. I started out with a side delivery NH but I found out in alfalfa / Timothy, the side delivery rakes tend to 'rope' the forage and that extends the dry down time. I switched to a Rotary (H&S which is Artsway now) about 10 years ago. The rotary fluffs the windrow and cut my dry down time by at least a day and ever since I got one, my tedder hasn't left the barn. Oldest piece of equipment I own and it's getting replaced this winter with a new Kubota rotary rake. Not sure if I'll get a single rotor or a twin rotor yet.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Good luck with the new tedder and rake.
We tried a wheel rake on the farm a couple of years ago and found that just like 20-30 years ago,
they tended to put more stones in the windrows then the rolabar rakes do.
Those stones really don't do good in the chopper when doing haylage.

Fortunately I don't have to deal with stones in my hay fields.

 

[5030]

Little update... Sold my H&S in one day on Craigslist, first guy that called bought it and drove 2 hours to get it. For now, I'm rakeless. Basically sold it for what I paid for it. I'm happy.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Little update... Sold my H&S in one day on Craigslist, first guy that called bought it and drove 2 hours to get it. For now, I'm rakeless. Basically sold it for what I paid for it. I'm happy.

Did you decide on a single or double rotary yet?

 

[5030]

Did you decide on a single or double rotary yet?

Still undecided. Kubota has them both ways. My issue with a twin rotor is turning. I have some extremely tight corners in a couple of my fields. Been also looking at a headstock rotary instead of a trailer. The headstock rotary would allow me to lift the entire rake on a tight corner and reduce the rake 'tail'. I really dislike 'chasing tails' in a hayfield. Wastes time, fuel and it's irritating plus I have to watch where the RB pickup is when in the tail curve.

Do know one thing, I need to chop a couple fields in the next week or so.

 

[Hay Dude]

Still undecided. Kubota has them both ways. My issue with a twin rotor is turning. I have some extremely tight corners in a couple of my fields. Been also looking at a headstock rotary instead of a trailer. The headstock rotary would allow me to lift the entire rake on a tight corner and reduce the rake 'tail'. I really dislike 'chasing tails' in a hayfield. Wastes time, fuel and it's irritating plus I have to watch where the RB pickup is when in the tail curve.

Do know one thing, I need to chop a couple fields in the next week or so.

I was in this dilema, too. I stuck with the single rake. It came down to cost. My son can rake ahead of me baling and blow my doors off. The only tough time is when he goes back to college right when 2nd starts, then I rake/bale myself. That's when I want a twin rake.
Still make over 1,500 850lb 4x5 rounds/year.
I run a Claas 450T Liner. The twin version was well over $20K new. Most used ones around here look like they lived a hard life.

 

[5030]

My H&S also looked the part (hard life) but rotaries are deceiving. The paint may have been faded and the unit weathered but with a rotary, everything important is enclosed and running in 90 weight or grease.

The guy that bought it was a bit hesitant until I hitched it to the drawbar and hooked it to the PTO and engaged it. Sat there like it always does, quiet as a mouse, spinning away. Nothing to really wear out on a rotary except breaking tines once in a while. Gave him the owners manual with it and told him to change the gearbox oil this year. I changed it yearly in the fall but this fall, it's not here.

Why I run 2 tractors. The rake stays hitched to one tractor all the time, the other runs the discbine and the round baler. Now, if I could just convince my wife to do the raking, I'd be in business.

Have to buy a new rake now as my H&S isn't here anymore.

Equipment cost is secondary for me. It is, after all a tax write off. What is important again is it has to be workable in tight corners without leaving any product unraked and I need to get rid of the tails.