Hay rake-what's best on low budget

Mtjohnso · Jun 15, 2015

I have an old David Bradley side delivery rake
That I got thrown in when I bought my old Oliver 520 baler. The David Brafley is a 4 wheel trail dragger type of rake with the drive wheels in the front.
This type of rake makes for bad corners in the field when raking since the tail end will make for a overly wide rounding corner. Now maybe I have never learned how to properly drive the tractor to rake properly. This leaves a lot of hay in the field.
So on looking on craigslist I see a little newer type of rake that has only two wheels, has the tine setup that is more horizontal and can be either ground driven or run off pto. This type of rake seems like it would make for cleaner corners and cleaner raking in bumpy fields.
What is your experience with these rakes?
Which mfg built the most reliable rake in this style.
My budget is less than a thousand. I am only bale 9 to acres per year.

Traditional Farmer · Jun 15, 2015

I'm sold on any New Holland 5 bar rake,I use a 256 and love it does a great job.Used a
John Deere for years would never got back to one now.

paul · Jun 15, 2015

The New Holland roll a bar rakes are the class act. The early models 55 and so had a straight axle, newer models have an angled axle so to follow the ground better.

JD is well liked, similar style rakes.

Several other manufatures, IHC, Case, Ford, etc made something similar. Can be harder to find teeth or parts, but work fine and can be cheaper.

Paul

showcrop · Jun 15, 2015

it is in very poor taste to use a roll-a-bar rake like the NH 256 or the JD 640 like I have, because since the rotaries came out fifteen or so years ago, which do a better job of keeping the hay fluffy, everyone condemns the roll-a-bar and calls them rope makers. I tried rotaries on two different occasions but went back to my JD 640. I also used a NH 256 for a few years. I have used the old tail dragger type and I feel you pain with that. You can get any roll-a-bar for way less than a rotary and still make excellent hay so long as you don't rake too early. I had a 3 point MF or I still do, in the fence row, that didn't work out do to it's tendency to loose the bearings at the bar ends. I would look for anything like the NH 256 which was the gold standard for many years. One with a dolly wheel is a little better.

Keith Molden · Jun 15, 2015

I built a 2' tongue extension for both of my side delivery rakes. This allows me to make a much tighter corner and I can turn around with the windrow being straight without stringing hay all over the place or having a big ball of hay at the end of the row. You do know that with a side delivery rake you only turn to the left, if you go to the right it will swing hay all over the place. I say this because the guy I have helping me this summer kept doing that & really couldn't understand why until I showed him a couple times. Keith

dhermesc · Jun 15, 2015

I grew up running a John Deere 640 rake and I currently own a New Holland 56 (very similar to the 256 rake). They do pretty good work - although I'd never use a 4 bar version of either.

Dick2 · Jun 15, 2015

Turning is something that you would have to learn. We had a 1946 DB rake that we used until brother sold the cattle and baler in 1980; he scrapped out the DB rake.

We had strict orders to stop and grease the bushings on the rake tubes, which may be why it lasted a long time. All in all, it was a pretty good rake for what was available at that time.

Jason S. · Jun 15, 2015

(quoted from post at 13:13:28 06/15/15)
it is in very poor taste to use a roll-a-bar rake like the NH 256 or the JD 640 like I have, because since the rotaries came out fifteen or so years ago, which do a better job of keeping the hay fluffy, everyone condemns the roll-a-bar and calls them rope makers. I tried rotaries on two different occasions but went back to my JD 640. I also used a NH 256 for a few years. I have used the old tail dragger type and I feel you pain with that. You can get any roll-a-bar for way less than a rotary and still make excellent hay so long as you don't rake too early. I had a 3 point MF or I still do, in the fence row, that didn't work out do to it's tendency to loose the bearings at the bar ends. I would look for anything like the NH 256 which was the gold standard for many years. One with a dolly wheel is a little better.

The problem with the MF 3pt pto rakes is they were designed for MF tractors and to be used with the ground power take off speed. If ran on live pto speed the rake operates too fast and the reel bearings do not last long. MF did offer different sheaves for using their rakes with other makes of tractors that had only live pto but it seems that no one ever changed them,they just ran them as is.

Leroy · Jun 15, 2015

Like you said you have never learned to properly use that type or any other type of rake. Back when I was still farming and making hay we had that DB rake as well as a New Idea 4 bar steel wheel rake and if you mowed corectly and raked corectly you had nice smooth clean corners. What I am doing now in retirement in spare time as I feel like it is rebuilding rakes of the design of that DB only steel wheel models of New Idea, McCormick, John Deere and Case. And they go on the dealers sales lotin up close to thousand dollar range. And they sell at that if condition is there. Have used the paraller bar type that you are thinking about and they to me do a very poor job of raking, too loose and wide a winrow, small breeze will destroy them before you get there with baler and possibly too wide for baler pickup.

DeltaRed · Jun 15, 2015

Iuse two IH rakes. A #15,and a #35. both do a great job and are fairly inexpencive.

Hayfarmer · Jun 15, 2015

My cousins had a DB rake when I was young and I raked with it helping them some. They used to "rake out" the corners, start in center and go out each corner. It does accent your turns, but then a full 3pt rake does also if you use the stabelizers on it. I have an old JD 856(I think) with the arch frame and is ground driven, does a pretty good job raking but can give you a big ball of hay on tight turns. advantage of full 3 pt rake pto driven is that you can go back and fix your problems easily

showcrop · Jun 15, 2015

(quoted from post at 05:29:32 06/15/15) I built a 2' tongue extension for both of my side delivery rakes. This allows me to make a much tighter corner and I can turn around with the windrow being straight without stringing hay all over the place or having a big ball of hay at the end of the row. You do know that with a side delivery rake you only turn to the left, if you go to the right it will swing hay all over the place. I say this because the guy I have helping me this summer kept doing that & really couldn't understand why until I showed him a couple times. Keith

How does that work? Does that mean that you start in the middle and work your way out?

Part Time Pete · Jun 15, 2015

I picked up an IH model 35 side rake for $400 - put another $200 into it to get it in good shape. It does a nice job
As others have said, the New Holland rakes are nice, but around me, you won't find them under $1000
Good luck
Pete

Don-Wi · Jun 15, 2015

We picked up a new idea rake last year for $200 works good, just needs a little grease once in a while.

Donovan from Wisconsin

bjr · Jun 15, 2015

You want cheap and I understand needing to make a dollar stretch. But, I had a front wheel drive IH No. 5, I think, similar to your DB. I sold it (got $500 for it) and bought a NEW Morra 3 Pt. RM 280/8 rotary rake from Agri-Supply, just this year. My problems with the old No. 5 was maneuverability and it did rope the windrow. I've a small field with solid set irrigation and was having a hard time getting the hay to windrow in between riser pipes (a very awkward machine). Now with the rotary machine, I really do get light and fluffy windrows and my crop actually dries in just a few days. If there was any chance on earth to get a rotary you wouldn't be sorry. bjr

Hay hay hay · Jun 16, 2015

Best bargain in bar rakes is the New Idea belt driven rake. You can buy a good one for $500 or less. Belts work great.
New belt costs $120, will last 20+ years. It is a rake like Donovan bought and likes see his reply.

I have 2 and use them almost exclusively.

Check out New Idea rakes in the archives.

Hay rake-what's best on low budget

Mtjohnso

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Traditional Farmer

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paul

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showcrop

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Keith Molden

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dhermesc

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Dick2

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Jason S.

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Leroy

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DeltaRed

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Hayfarmer

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showcrop

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Part Time Pete

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Don-Wi

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bjr

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Hay hay hay

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