New to me hay tedder

[Hay Dude]

I have finally located a replacement tedder for my Pequea TT6100 @ 26’-6”.
Its actually an older tedder, but it’s 2’ wider, which just barely meets my width requirements and has a more sturdy road transport cart than the Pequea. The Pequea tedder was fine in the field, and in it’s 8 years of use, only broke 1 cross shaft. The problem was it was a few feet too narrow to pick up 3 full passes and I did not trust the road transport cart. It was very squirrely over 15 MPH.

The used tedder I am in the process of buying is a Claas Volto 870T. Its 28’-7” wide. Really wanted a Volto 900, but couldn’t afford any of the used ones I saw around here lately. Nothing under $20,000. I was able to get this clean, low wear unit with new digi-drives just installed for considerably less.

Really didn’t want to buy another tedder, but with the wider, faster mowing set up recently changed to, a larger unit was needed. Also, was concerned about road safety with the Pequea.

 

[CH4Ohio]

What's your "range" for making hay? How far do you go?

I have a small 4-basket tedder and they're sure not meant to pull down the road, as you know. They're not stable and tires aren't made for pavement wear. That CLAAS unit looks like it would track great at any speed.

A friend of mine was involved in an accident where a motorcycle decided to pass 4 cars and then his tractor pulling a full hay wagon down the road. It's getting downright scary to pull equpment down the road anymore unless you can stay on township roads or similar. Drivers just don't seem to have any sense or patience around farm equipment.

 

[Hay Dude]

What's your "range" for making hay? How far do you go?

Up to 10 miles.

I have a small 4-basket tedder and they're sure not meant to pull down the road, as you know. They're not stable and tires aren't made for pavement wear.

Yes the small tires are not good for higher speeds on pavement.

That CLAAS unit looks like it would track great at any speed.

We will see, but the Claas tedders have fairly large cart wheels/tires.

A friend of mine was involved in an accident where a motorcycle decided to pass 4 cars and then his tractor pulling a full hay wagon down the road. It's getting downright scary to pull equpment down the road anymore unless you can stay on township roads or similar. Drivers just don't seem to have any sense or patience around farm equipment.

No doubt. 10% of the drivers out their are mentally unstable in some way and I have witnessed and been involved in a dozen or so road rage incidents.
The crazies are getting crazier.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I live a little further out. My friend is making hay and he'll go about 6 miles from home -- but he's much closer to the city and people are just nuts. Everytime that I've gone over to help him in the last couple years I've had close calls because drivers will pass in blind spots, etc. I used to think that the PTO drivelines and equipment were the most dangerous thing about making hay. Now I worry mainly about everyone surviving the trips to and from the fields.

 

[Sportsman762]

Looks like a good tedder at a good price. Looking at the photos in the ad it appears some of the teeth have been replaced, and others are bent. Do you replace teeth as they break or on a preventative schedule?

Here is a link to the brochure.

https://www.bequip.ca/images/BrochureDownloads/ClaVolto.pdf

 

[Hay Dude]

Here’s a pic of the tedder in the field. I am very pleased. It is used, but shows pretty low wear. The dealer tossed new digi-drives in it, so those are something I don’t think I’ll have to deal with for years.

I was apprehensive about the 2-point hitch. Now I like it.
The raise/lower/hold button in my tractor cab allows me to set the “angle of attack” just where I want it. One touch of the button, and it lifts the leading edge of the rotors out of the crop.

When hooking/unhooking, Claas has these nifty cast iron, swiveling attachment points to make hooking it up real easy.

It’s a 8 star tedder @ 28’-7”. My previous Pequea was a 6 star @ 26’-6”. Now I can pick up 3 of my discbine rows easily, without having to worry about leaving wasted hay.
My wheel rake, on its’ widest setting, rakes the full width of the tedder, collapsed down to it’s smallest width, it picks up 3 “rows” of the tedder if I want smaller windrows.

Over the road it tracks perfectly.