I need a new Hay Rake

[ALauer]

Hello All,

For the last year and a half, I have owned a Durabuilt DuraRake. I bought it new from a local dealer. I will never buy another one of these again.

This rake is anything but durable. In only a season of usage it is already very broken. The whole back end of the rake needs to be re welded and likely reinforced. The warranty is up and so is my time of ownership. I will fix the piece of junk and then sell it back to the dealer at a loss. It is actually less time consuming for me to use my old 6 wheel rake, than use the new 8 wheel rake. ****, I could use a leaf rake and be faster than the DuraRake.


I need a new rake. I want an 8-wheel Rake that is durable and good at raking. Please give me some opinions on rakes. Thanks!

 

[10ecfarmer]

Kuhn SR 108 GII, nuff said...

 

[Phillip w]

I don't know how much hating you are doing, I have been satisfied with both.a massey ferguson and John Deere side delivery rake. That may not be suitable for your operation. New Holland is some what king around here with swathers and rakes. I believe if you got the finances to work with, I would what new Holland had to offer.

 

[Phillip w]

I don't know how much hating you are doing, I have been satisfied with both.a massey ferguson and John Deere side delivery rake. That may not be suitable for your operation. New Holland is some what king around here with swathers and rakes. I believe if you got the finances to work with, I would what new Holland had to offer.

BIG TYPO: the first sentence should read " I don't know how much hating your doing" the typo turned the word in to hating which could offend some one. Please accrept my apologies.

 

[Phillip w]

BIG TYPO: the first sentence should read " I don't know how much hating your doing" the typo turned the word in to hating which could offend some one. Please accrept my apologies.

Dang it the word is supposed to be "haying"

I don't know how much hating you are doing, I have been satisfied with both.a massey ferguson and John Deere side delivery rake. That may not be suitable for your operation. New Holland is some what king around here with swathers and rakes. I believe if you got the finances to work with, I would what new Holland had to offer.

 

[cat fever]

I use a befco V-rake and like it very much. I realize a v-rake is not for everyone.

 

[kthompson]

Dang it the word is supposed to be "haying"

I feel your pain there. LOL I learned I DO NOT WANT AUTO CORRECT on. Like to have got me in trouble.


cat fever, what a great view you have there...

 

[farmer2009]

New Holland Procart 819.

Each wheel is independent where a lot of others have 2 wheels per pivot arm. Rakes clean but hates long stemy grasses like mature Johnson Grass.

I have the 1022.

 

[cat fever]

I feel your pain there. LOL I learned I DO NOT WANT AUTO CORRECT on. Like to have got me in trouble.


cat fever, what a great view you have there...

Thanks, I do enjoy the view especially in the winter.

 

[joeu235]

I've owned a JD 702 for at least 10 years. Zero issues. It's really a green painted Tonutti RSC10

 

[F3506]

New Holland Procart 819.

Each wheel is independent where a lot of others have 2 wheels per pivot arm. Rakes clean but hates long stemy grasses like mature Johnson Grass.

I have the 1022.

What do you mean hates it? Passes it over, or bunches it up and clogs things?

 

[farmer2009]

What do you mean hates it? Passes it over, or bunches it up and clogs things?

Unless you rake it at the perfect (direction of cut raking into the heads or the angle of the rake arms) it will either ball it up and plug up the throat or stand it straight up and form a ball that clogs under the arms or wrap a wheel. Don't even try it at 90* to direction of cut. If raking from the cut end it won't start moving it till about halfway up the stalk. Then it gets between fingers and will wrap or fall out behind.
Disclaimer.
It rakes fine grasses like orchard or fescue and clovers as pretty and even as any rake. Johnson grass under say under 3 feet it does fine with also. It also doesn't mind spotty Johnson grass. It's when you have large patches (we have some fields with over an acre of solid Johnson grass) 6-10 feet tall that it hates.

 

[F3506]

Unless you rake it at the perfect (direction of cut raking into the heads or the angle of the rake arms) it will either ball it up and plug up the throat or stand it straight up and form a ball that clogs under the arms or wrap a wheel. Don't even try it at 90* to direction of cut. If raking from the cut end it won't start moving it till about halfway up the stalk. Then it gets between fingers and will wrap or fall out behind.
Disclaimer.
It rakes fine grasses like orchard or fescue and clovers as pretty and even as any rake. Johnson grass under say under 3 feet it does fine with also. It also doesn't mind spotty Johnson grass. It's when you have large patches (we have some fields with over an acre of solid Johnson grass) 6-10 feet tall that it hates.

Thanks for the info. I've got a bit of Johnsongrass, but don't let it get anywhere near 6-10' tall. I would have thought the ground driven wheels would have done better, but perhaps the pressure isn't as much as I was thinking. I'm still using my old roll a bar rakes and have no experience with the wheel rakes, but I'm on the fence about getting one as I currently just have a dual left hand delivery set up and the V rake sure does make things sound simple.

 

[Tx Jim]

My H&S Hi-cap 14 wheel rake will leave a few stalks of Johnson grass if I have rake spread out to rake 28' but it leaves a lot less JG stalks when I pull it in to only rake 19' because when pulled in to 19' the angle of rake wheels is a lot less.

 

[Texasmark]

Dang it the word is supposed to be "haying"

Hey Phil. I'm glad you got that straightened out. Grin.

I'd say either word would work depending on how deep Mr. Lauer's feelings were; and sounds like he is rightfully disgruntled...assuming it's the equipment and not something else.

I have a 3 pt 4 basket (finger) rake I've had since 2012 and figured I had just "mis"-spent $700 on the thing. Tried 2 or 3 times to use it and just parked it and it sat all these years. I'm having some problems in a hay patch just now and about to give up on my JD 660 side delivery, parallel bar, 5 star or whatever they are called where you live due to the crop (lack of) and field conditions.

So in desperation I tune in to You Tube on the subject and lo and behold there's my dealer with several tutorials on how to use it.....Now why am I just now doing that? Daaaaaa. Dunno! Put it on my 2000 and went to the field and wala....works like a champ and solves the current problem. So there is my story...not the equipment, me!

 

[Texasmark]

Unless you rake it at the perfect (direction of cut raking into the heads or the angle of the rake arms) it will either ball it up and plug up the throat or stand it straight up and form a ball that clogs under the arms or wrap a wheel. Don't even try it at 90* to direction of cut. If raking from the cut end it won't start moving it till about halfway up the stalk. Then it gets between fingers and will wrap or fall out behind.
Disclaimer.
It rakes fine grasses like orchard or fescue and clovers as pretty and even as any rake. Johnson grass under say under 3 feet it does fine with also. It also doesn't mind spotty Johnson grass. It's when you have large patches (we have some fields with over an acre of solid Johnson grass) 6-10 feet tall that it hates.

Looks like we are talking about the same type of critter. My thoughts are that my basket rake is made for light grasses which is where the JD parallel bar is most efficient.

However. After Tx. Jim's comments, pictures, and background deserves, the sharp angles he mentions is the secret to it handling heavy loads which means if you are going to do more than move over one WW, the width of 1 WW you need lots of baskets and run them at a sharp angle.

So, now that I have educated myself, I have 2 functioning rakes and each has it's application....There are some good video's of folks raking and some illustrations of how not to use your equipment.....point of reference here is a MF TE20 and a 7' disc harrow.....geez mfgrs. and dealers and service guys and gals have to cater to such as this......no wonder they pull their hair out some times......no reflection on this post, just something I ran across while looking for haying videos and having had a TO-20 and still having a 7' DH I thought I'd view it. My. My.