10 Wheel rake - pull behind a truck?

ddivinia · Jun 6, 2008

Does anybody run their wheel rake behind a truck. I figured i could get m y wife to rake for me if she was in the AC with the 2 kids. Dodge 4wd diesel - should be high enough not ot set anything on fire, etc.

I might just hook it to the 4720 (open station) and drive it myself. We have 100 acres to cut rake and bale. The 5525 cab will be used for the cutting and baling. Of course, I could just do it all with the 5525 - might be the easiest.

Comments?

D.

deereguy · Jun 6, 2008

Sounds like a plan- wife is watching kids, she's in A/C, and the field gets raked. I would be concerned about fire but a tractor occasionally throws sparks we dont see it in the daytime.

mlauk · Jun 6, 2008

I would be worried if it has a catalytic converter, since it can get very hot and cause grass fires. The view isn't as good as in a tractor and no hydraulics. Also driving through a windrow will sometimes catch on the driveline and wad up quickly.

ddivinia · Jun 6, 2008

mlauk said:
I would be worried if it has a catalytic converter, since it can get very hot and cause grass fires. The view isn't as good as in a tractor and no hydraulics. Also driving through a windrow will sometimes catch on the driveline and wad up quickly.

my 05 Dodget does have a cat on it. It sits rather high. I suspect I will just get a buddy to come over and run my smaller tractor. The hydraulics aren't that big a deal, but might as well put the ole 4720 to work.

I suspect we will be getting another cab tractor at some point so we can both be working and have a kid with each of us in the training seat.

It is going to have to wait for now, but a JD 5603 sure looks like a good one.

D.

Birdhunter1 · Jun 6, 2008

A farmer south of me pullls a rake that folds in the middle with a Polaris Ranger or uses his 4 wheeler. He says it uses little fuel, isn't a lot of pull on the atv, rides smooth enough and he says it is easier to get on and off than a tractor or truck. He has a little hydraulic pump powered by a 10 horse briggs that he uses on his seed wagons behind hi struck, he just puts it on the back of whatever he uses for the rake and away he goes.

ddivinia · Jun 6, 2008

Yeah, I bet my Ranger Crew would pull it without an issue. Pulling multiple rows together could be an issue.

D.

RobJ · Jun 6, 2008

it's probably going to be a rough ride!

ddivinia · Jun 6, 2008

RobJ said:
it's probably going to be a rough ride!

What will be - pulling with the Ranger Crew? Man, that long wheelbase - it rides way better than my Gator HPX.

I figure I will end up raking with my 4720.

D.

Birdhunter1 · Jun 6, 2008

The guy up the road likes using the Ranger because it is heavy enough with his hydraulic unit to ride smooth plus he has room for his grandson and a cooler in the back.

zzvyb6 · Jun 6, 2008

I'll admit to doing this, but be careful, I got some hay wrapped up in the prop shaft at the rear axle and it wound up in the pinion seal, which then went bad.

If you have a 2" hitch receiver, it makes sense to run it offset so you only drive on raked ground. A bit of square tube, some reinforcement plate is all you would need. That should remove fire and tangle fears. Actually, vehicles are tested now adays for fire contact temps and have shields intended to reduce this hazard.

I've also used my 4 wheeler to pull a NH-56 rake with a hitch dolly. Need cruise control for this mode. Thumb gets awful sore...

Egon · Jun 6, 2008

Can't hurt giving it a try. Might be a little shy for pulling power though!!

chh · Jun 6, 2008

Wheel rakes work best in straight lines. We rake around the field twice and then do the rest on rows. To make the turn the rake needs to be lifted partially. A pickup would have trouble making that turn even if you had some sort of hydraulics rigged up. I'd recommend that you go with the tractor if you can.

ddivinia · Jun 10, 2008

chh said:
Wheel rakes work best in straight lines. We rake around the field twice and then do the rest on rows. To make the turn the rake needs to be lifted partially. A pickup would have trouble making that turn even if you had some sort of hydraulics rigged up. I'd recommend that you go with the tractor if you can.

Yeah - the turns are hard on it.

I think I will be buying another cab tractor once I get this one paid for...

D.

Farmwithjunk · Jun 10, 2008

On a couple occasions when I was doing more hay ground than I do these days, I've had all the tractors tied up baling, mowing, pulling wagons in from the field, or a dozen other chores. I HAD to rake with the truck. There was a couple issues. Ground clearance and the tendency to "let 'er rip". The truck would ride so good compared to a tractor that my operators (wife, son or daughters) would be raking at road speed if I didn't watch them close.

My dad had an old Jeep with a rear PTO and 3-point hitch. He actually BALED hay with it a couple times. Dad in the drivers seat and his favorite ol' dog Dutch in the passengers seat.

mjarrels · Jun 10, 2008

I would worry about fire from the cat converter... they get red hot!

mark

slowzuki · Jun 12, 2008

A hot shot city guy bought up a bunch of farm land here and wouldn't listen to anyone for haying advice. One day he came out to check on his farmhard and pulled into the field in his brand new H2 hummer and parked it on a windrow.

Burned to the ground and set the field on fire too.

ddivinia · Jun 12, 2008

slowzuki said:
A hot shot city guy bought up a bunch of farm land here and wouldn't listen to anyone for haying advice. One day he came out to check on his farmhard and pulled into the field in his brand new H2 hummer and parked it on a windrow.

Burned to the ground and set the field on fire too.

I hate it when that happens!

D.

born2ride · Jun 15, 2008

i raked 4 aces with my bronco . then the neighbors kid and my help were driving it a couples days later and the fire department had to be called . lol
they came and put it out.sure did smelled bad for months...