Hay Equipment full set

[chh]

Well it may make it more capable of breaking, but I haven't seen it yet. I can see where it could happen though.

Equipment theft is not a huge problem, but it does happen. Most auction companies around here have quit accepting consignments the morning of the sale because if it. In an hour from my house, you could have a piece of equipment across a state line(Arkansas) and in far less time than that you could have it far enough back in the sticks that it could be used for years and never found.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Impellers are much harder on the leaves. They are great for grasses. You can get the Kuhns and probably other makes with rollers or impellers.
Greg

I know, I was trying to be sarcastic hence the and

 

[Slippy]

Well, back to the rake question if you don't mind...spoke with four dealers today, Vermeer, New Holland, Case IH, and JD. They all seems to have somewhat of different opinions on rake size. Some say 8 wheel, some say 10 wheel, and some say 12 wheel. I have rolling hills that get a little steep on the sides. Story I get is that on the first cut probably will only use lenght of about 18 to 20 feet to cover two windrows of cutting. 10 and 12 wheel rakes will give me more options and possibly quicker raking depending on conditons, but of course jumping up to 10 or 12 wheel rake will increase cost. Thoughts.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

A 12 wheel rake will give you a lot more options but seems excessive for your baler. A 10 wheel rake would be a good size as it will give you options still.

What type of prices are they telling you and for what models?

 

[chh]

I used an 8 wheel for years in front of 4' and 5 balers and it did ok. It was better for the 4' than the 5's though. Are you going to use a discbine? If so will the 8 wheel cover 2 full swaths behind it? If it will it should work fine. Don't get caught up too much on brand names. I personally don't believe there is a tremendous amount of difference in them. In fact many are rebadged as another brand. The MF is really an HS brand. Vermeer were(still are??) made by Tonutti. Not sure right off about the others but you get the picture. Locally the 8 wheel V rakes are $3600, 10 wheel $3850, 12 wheel, $4100 for the MF branded when I went in to get a filter the other day. I have seen them advertised for some above that, but not a lot above. Other brands may be of course differently priced if they are heavier or have a center kicker wheel or other hydraulics on them. I also believe that may be last years prices on left over rakes. New stock will probably be higher.

 

[Slippy]

Here are some prices on wheel rakes:
-Sitrex 10 wheel $7550
-Vermeer 12 wheel $9250
-HS 12 wheel $7500 (new but fadded paint)
-Vermeer WR20 8 wheel $3200
-Sitrex MK Magnuim 12 wheel $10,750

Yes, looking at discbine that cuts 10'6", been told by one dealer the 8 wheel will do fine. Another has told be I should go 10 or even 12 wheel.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Why is the Vermeer WR20 so much cheaper then all the others? At some of those prices I would rather buy a big rotary rake

 

[Slippy]

Yea I know. The WR20 is an 8 wheel rake. All the rest are 10 or 12.

 

[chh]

I'm a cheapskate at heart. I'd go with the Vermeer WR-20 for that kind of difference. From those prices without looking up the models numbers, some are probably not the caddy style V rake like the WR-20. The ads and hype all say they have advantages, but I really don't know how much. If you get the Vermeer 504 baler, I would say that they would be a pretty good match. Thats what I ran when I had the 504-I. When we first got that rake it was for a 605 F and the a Otowanna(spelling??)soft core baler that was a 6x5. It actually did a pretty good job most of the time. Bigger would have been better for the 2 bigger balers, but we had it and it worked so we didn't trade up. When I sold out of all my hay equipment 1 guy bought all my equipment, except the rake. He said it was just too worn out. It was 14-15 years old, had hardly no paint left on it and I bet we didn't put a $100 worth of teeth in it. I needed a few , but did a fair job the last time I used it. It brought $450 at auction, we only gave $1850 for it new so it was a very low cost piece of equipment.

 

[Slippy]

Yeap, I was looking to only spend a couple of k on a rake. Here is link to web site for Vermeer if you want to check them out. The WR rakes only have two running wheels. The WRX have four. It looks to be a lot better built. WR-Series Rakes - Vermeer Corporation

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Yea I know. The WR20 is an 8 wheel rake. All the rest are 10 or 12.

For the price difference you could buy two of the WR20's and an old MF 135 and have a friend helping

 

[Slippy]

Very good point, except I don't have any friends. I would put one of those smiley faces in here but I don't know how to do it. So lol.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Very good point, except I don't have any friends. I would put one of those smiley faces in here but I don't know how to do it. So lol.

Well, since these are ground driven rakes you could skip the Massey and have a double hitch fabbed up so you can pull both rakes with one tractor since you are lacking in the friend category

 

[HayDR]

Slippy,
Most of the advice works that these guys are telling you but remember you are the one that has to sign the check.

 

[chh]

Yeap, I was looking to only spend a couple of k on a rake. Here is link to web site for Vermeer if you want to check them out. The WR rakes only have two running wheels. The WRX have four. It looks to be a lot better built. WR-Series Rakes - Vermeer Corporation

The WR-22 10 wheel version is what we have been using on the partnership thing with a neighbor. The HS V-10 I just bought is similar. The WR-20 for what you will doing at $3200 will be hard to beat on a new rake. On a nice sunny spring day it would bring near that around here lightly used at auction.

 

[chh]

Slippy,
Most of the advice works that these guys are telling you but remember you are the one that has to sign the check.[/QUOTE

What he said!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Slippy,
Most of the advice works that these guys are telling you but remember you are the one that has to sign the check.

I hope so. If I am signing the check the equipment is staying here He can come look at it though

 

[Slippy]

Oh yea, no question about that. But what I think they are telling me is save my money on the rake. The WR20 will work just fine, as has been suggested by many, except of course the guy who is trying to sell me the equipment. And by the way, sure, if I do this, you guys are always welcome to come look and show me the tricks of the trade. I have read so much on this board in other posts now about raking, cutting, tedding, my head is swimming.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I bet you can't wait for the grass to grow now.

I will warn you about one thing. No matter how bad you want your hay fields to grow for second cutting, your yard is going to grow faster and denser with out one single drop of water and your fields are going to sit there and laugh at you

I dispised my yard last summer

 

[deereguy]

Slippy- what area of Ohio are you located in?