greavesytractor
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I'm doing my own hay now and need a rake what's a good brand I'm thinking a V rake?
Good hay rakes
- Thread starter greavesytractor
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Bigfoot62
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I have a Sitrex V-10. No brand loyalty, it was a package deal with my baler.
From my experience, the Vermeer V wheel rakes are good also. And, IIRC, the John Deere V rakes are just green Vermeers.
From my experience, the Vermeer V wheel rakes are good also. And, IIRC, the John Deere V rakes are just green Vermeers.
sweettractors
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Any Italian made rake is fine. Ken Sweet
dan28040
Bronze Member
I have wheel rake, I've been very interested on a rotary rake. Do they work good?
Rotary rakes are very good. I've used single and twin rotor wheel rakes. They do a good, tidy job. You can't run too fast relative to rotor speed, but that goes for pretty much any haymaking equipment- take it steady and it'll work well.
The only downside is that you have to be very careful working near field edges, especially turning at the field corners. You can be two feet off the fence, then a moment of inattention, (like looking where the front of the tractor is) and you hear clackclackclackclack and before you can stop the pto you've ripped out a length of fence wire and bent four of the arms... Keep the drawbar as short as possible. A massey with a 18" drawbar on a 16' wide twin rotor rake has some very peculiar steering/trailing characteristics.The same rake on a small tractor with the shortest possible drawbar and it worked like a charm.
Ross
The only downside is that you have to be very careful working near field edges, especially turning at the field corners. You can be two feet off the fence, then a moment of inattention, (like looking where the front of the tractor is) and you hear clackclackclackclack and before you can stop the pto you've ripped out a length of fence wire and bent four of the arms... Keep the drawbar as short as possible. A massey with a 18" drawbar on a 16' wide twin rotor rake has some very peculiar steering/trailing characteristics.The same rake on a small tractor with the shortest possible drawbar and it worked like a charm.
Ross
BeeferMan
Gold Member
I actually think that the corners are one place where the rotary rakes are the best - regardless of how tight or which direction you turn a rotary rake will always rake exactly the same width swath.
As far as running into things, well I've run into things with all sorts of rakes, lol. It was operator error every time!
As far as running into things, well I've run into things with all sorts of rakes, lol. It was operator error every time!
TED20MAN
Banned
Does it have to be a V-rake?
sixdogs
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New Holland rakes are the standard by which others are judged. They barely leave a crumb in the field and rake fluffy or tight with ease. If you want a V rake, hitch a right and left together with a hitch. You just need a LOT of room to turn around.
V rakes can present drying problems, however and a better way might be two rakes going the same way but hooked together with a New Holland hitch.
V rakes can present drying problems, however and a better way might be two rakes going the same way but hooked together with a New Holland hitch.
Turbys_1700
Elite Member
Around here the New Holland roller bar's are very popular...
That is all I knew for years...
We have a lot of smaller fields and the roller bar works well in those applications plus they are very reliable...
That is all I knew for years...
We have a lot of smaller fields and the roller bar works well in those applications plus they are very reliable...
I never said it wasn't operator error, cos it was. No question.:ashamed: But when experienced and inexperienced operators make the same error, in the same way, I start to think maybe the equipment or set up was a factor.
Bigfoot62
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If money is no object, and you want the best rake, here it is:
Vermeer Twin Rake
But, I hope you have deep pockets. New, they cost over $20,000. If you can find a good used one for $10-12k, grab it.
John Deere used to have one as well. IIRC, it was just a green Vermeer.
Vermeer Twin Rake
But, I hope you have deep pockets. New, they cost over $20,000. If you can find a good used one for $10-12k, grab it.
John Deere used to have one as well. IIRC, it was just a green Vermeer.
My experience has been the a rotary works better than wheel or roll bar. I've used both, and a good friend of mine still has his NH roll bar rake yet never uses it anymore. The rotary makes better drying rows than a wheel or roll bar. The same friend has tried them all side by side and the rotary won every time.
IMO Kuhn and Miller Pro have the best rakes and Miller pro the best tandem hitch. You can hook any combination of raked together and use it to rake 2 at a time or 2 into one. I would recommend a hydraulic drive with the 4 wheel bottom.
My friend tried the miller pro but just couldn't swing the money yet.
Of course different conditions and likes your results may not be the same.
IMO Kuhn and Miller Pro have the best rakes and Miller pro the best tandem hitch. You can hook any combination of raked together and use it to rake 2 at a time or 2 into one. I would recommend a hydraulic drive with the 4 wheel bottom.
My friend tried the miller pro but just couldn't swing the money yet.
Of course different conditions and likes your results may not be the same.
Timm250
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I have used MF, New Holland & New Idea bars rakes & all are good. I have a New Idea hydraulic drive bar rake & a Kuhn Speed Rake. The bar rake rakes clean but it is slow.
The Kuhn does a good job but does leave some little clumps on the field. The little bit that is left is worth the speed that you gain while raking. It takes 1/3 of the time to rake with it as it does with the bar rake.
The Kuhn does a good job but does leave some little clumps on the field. The little bit that is left is worth the speed that you gain while raking. It takes 1/3 of the time to rake with it as it does with the bar rake.
