New Holland 254 problems

Well my dad decided to help me out this week while I was at work and tedd some hay I had down. I bought this tender in the spring and it only needed tires and a few springs. Looked almost new and was well taken care of. I've used it maybe 3 times. He is about 3/4 done with the first field when he turns right into a tree. Takes out 3 tine arms, (180 each from NH), splits the drive line in the extension part of the tedder, (700 from NH) and bends the extension tube so bad that it won't slide back into the tedder for transport home. I had to take the whole basket off that side to get it home after work. I hate to junk a piece of equipment that I've used 3 times, but parts are going to be as much as I paid for it. In the spring he hooked a post with it and bent the handle that extends it and broke a tine off of it. He wound up about 50 ft of electric fence too. Guess he isn't used to the tedder sticking out beside him. He says he is done tedding and won't use it again. Dad is 75 and his neck doesn't turn too good to watch behind him. He sure is down on himself. Does anyone have any used parts for one of these 254 tedders? Looking for someone near NC.

Brandon
 
A sad day when Dad can't run the equipment anymore. We will all be there someday. I wish you and your Father well. gobble
 
Not to be a downer but here goes. The NH 254 rake/tedder. Really does neither very well. I fought one of those miserable things for 4 years with it being new when I bought it. Take the money it would take to repair what you have and buy a three point two basket tedder. They do not have to be heavy if you only doing smaller amounts of hay. I have a Sitrex that I bought new for $1650. Then buy a rake of your choice. You will be better off in the long run.

If your set on repairing your. Look for a complete used one. I see them sell in the $700-1000 pretty regular.
 
Thank yer old man for the favor he's done you. I'm serious! Go buy a haybob or just about anything other than a NH tedder/rake.... and call
it a day.
The 254 IS JUNK. If it didn't whack a tree it would have cost you a bundle before long anyway.

Rod
 
JD Seller, don't know where you are at, but out here a 254 will bring no less than $2500.00. Maybe I should come out to your area and buy a trailer load. They will sell in less than a week at this price. I have had a couple of the NH's and the Stoll which is the same identical rake. The hitch is heavier on the Stoll so that is the only difference.
 
I don't know if I'm more astounded by the notion that anyone would pay that much money for such a heap of scrap or the idea that you could sell a trailer load in a week.
I know I could sell a load in a week too.... but it would be at 3 cents a pound.

Rod
 
Rod, The only thing that we had problems with were the rollers and the hitch. They seem to work fine if your fields are real smooth. I had one for about 3 years that I ran myself. the main problem I found was with the hitch set-up. New Holland would break. I would get the hitch set-up for a Stoll and no more problems. Checked the rollers before every season and change out any suspects and you would be good to go.
 
How many acres each season? We ran one for close to 15 years. The first 3-4 years were pretty good. After that it was an unending battle. If you dumped about 3 grand into it to replace all the underside parts it would do a couple more years without too much fight, then right back to fix several times daily.
Once the arm hangers got some wear they would tear the cam followers off at will. I lost count of how many hundred rollers I changed on that thing.
We bought a Kuhn masterdrive rake about 12 years ago and all I've changed on that is one tire and one roll pin that holds an arm on. Not even a tine has broken on it. Replaced the tedder with a Frontier/Pequea 6 rotor. That is not as troublefree as the rake but it's still quite reliable. Between lost crop and sheer volume of parts bought we spent close to the purchase price of both just on parts for that 254. All that on running over 2-300 ac a season.
I sold the damn thing in a heap to some young guy a few years ago. I tried to talk him out of it but he was convinced he knew more than I did... so I took his money and loaded it on his trailer along with most of the spare parts I had. I'm sure the regrets are now his, not mine.

I can't imagine what problems you would have with the hitch or frame on it. That was actually one of the only things on this one that never broke aside from having to change the rubber dampener on pitch adjustment crank.

Rod
 
Rod, same as you. 2-3 hundred acres. If you noticed, I said that I only ran 1 for 3-4 years then sold it. I now own a BE. Made in Canada. Works well as a rake but not as a tedder. Have an older Kuhn pull type that we use to ted with. I personly would not own a NH.As support is not good around me. As you say, a lot of maintenance to keep one in the field. But that could be said about any piece of equipment that gets used hard for a couple of months. I think a rake is one of the most neglected pieces of equipment that I know of. Most guys just grab and go and don't think about checking them over good.
 
Brandon,
Where are you in NC? I am southwest of Winston-Salem. I have a 254 that I will sell cheap. I bought it to use as a tedder only. The raking mechanism does not work properly. As a tedder it does ok. Found a small pull type tedder and do not need the 254. It has been sitting for a few years. Has good tine arms etc.

Garry
gfoster at yadtel dot net
 

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