JD 350 Rake Questions

Have the chance at a 3 point JD 350 rake. Any good, bad to say about them? How does a guy control how close to the ground they rake? It looks like adjusting the top link would do the trick. Are PTO rakes any better than ground drive?
AaronSEIA

I have one and it is an outstanding rake IMHO. Top link controls the height. Very compact (read close to the tractor), very nimble. Does a nice
job raking and cleaning the field. What I don't like is sometimes we struggle to get the 3 point lined up for attachment to the tractor. This rake is
not like a disc harrow where you can move the tractor or lift it a touch to get the three point connected to the pins. Move this rake before its
fully attached, even an inch and you've made the attachment harder. So if you are in a hurry, this rake can slow you down between raking and
getting a jump on baling.

PTO driven is nice and being able to lift the rake over windrows or out of them is nice too.

Having said the above, we bought a New Holland 56 rake with a dolly wheel. Hookup is a breeze - which was partially why we bought it. Still
have the JD350 though.

I'd definitely recommend the JD350 and they came in 7 or 9 ft lengths under the same model number as I think I recall. Some are also
configured as pull vs 3pt lift, but till PTO driven.

The pic is one of my boys raking with the MF50 diesel and the JD350 rake.

Good luck,
Bill

I bought one a few years back. Seems to be a good rake. as mentioned 3 point is handy as you can lift it up over windrows. I used a JD 850 series rake before that was ground drive and you just pick up the front. If you aren't careful you can create a big ball of hay on a turn. adjusting top link will get it to go lower, I think the guage wheels are also adjustable.

Just not a double rake. We are on our
second one. Use a quick coupler, can have
it on in a flash. But to use a quick
coupler you will have to make a bracket to
bring the top pin out a bit. And down. We
set depth with 3 point and have a small
pin in top link. For a little give.

He must have a durn good seat belt!!!

He's not going that fast, probably slow by other's standards. However the MF50 diesel could have carried the "Comfort King" tag as it is a most comfortable tractor to drive - note the elevated (almost motor cycle style) foot rests....

BTW the speed of the rake is PTO driven and independent of ground speed.

Have a NI 49 which is similar. A very good rake. Works very well for my operation, especially due to small plots and
unusual shaped fields. Turns wide on turns, making wide sweeping curves on windrows - easy to follow with baler and
trailing wagon. I cut with a DRUM MOWER. I can easily straddle a cut windrow, and combine it with adjoining windrow. Or it is easy to pick up, reverse direction, and combine two swaths in one windrow. I use it on a MF 180, but my favorite is old Farmall 200. We're rebuilding it now for this season. Plan on offsetting wheels to move tractor to the left, to improve ability to straddle swaths and combine windrows. Plan on dedicating Farmall to raking only. Has a 2 point hitch with slide in arms to adapt 3 point. Not difficult to hitch up. Line up arms, back up and latch. Hooking to a true 3 point is a bit more difficult, but if properly supported when you unhook, rehooking is not terribly difficult. Like every 3 point implement, you have to properly line up as you back into machine. Like PTO drive on reel, as I can tailor ground speed to raking by gear selection.