Opinions of Vermeer R23 V rake hydraulic drive

I came across a good deal on a Vermeer R23 rake. I've been running and really like the new holland 256 rolabars for doing silage. How do these compare to those with picking up all the hay and not too many stones? Is hydraulic drive as good as the ground drive?

I havn't run one, but I watched a guy raking hay with back in the summer. He had a big case hooked to it, and was going about the speed for a wheel rake. But the bars were turning pretty fast, and I don't think you could have raked the hay any cleaner if you'd use a garden rake. Heard new ones cost around $20,000.

I"ve got a John Deere 700 hydraulic driven rake. It was actually made by Vermeer and was very similar to the R23. Hydraulic drive is really nice. On a hot day with several acres to do, the hydraulic hoses will get hot! Be careful when you go to unhook the hoses. Mine does a great job raking wet hay....never saw anything it would not rake. It does not put rocks into the windrow, but then again, that depends upon how close you run it to the ground. Mine is not hydraulic fold, it's manual fold. That's a pain. But the pain of the hydraulic fold "cost" would be greater.

(quoted from post at 11:39:21 09/30/13) the hydraulic hoses will get hot! Be careful when you go to unhook the hoses. Mine is not hydraulic fold, it's manual fold. That's a pain. But the pain of the hydraulic fold "cost" would be greater.

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What you're stating is exactly why I own a H&S hi-cap wheel rake. Having to push a Vermeer R23 rake in/out to change fields is no fun for an old codger. I can't imagine the damage done on a tractor's hyd system from the HOT oil.

(quoted from post at 11:39:21 09/30/13) the hydraulic hoses will get hot! Be careful when you go to unhook the hoses. Mine is not hydraulic fold, it's manual fold. That's a pain. But the pain of the hydraulic fold "cost" would be greater.

Click to expand...

What you're stating is exactly why I own a H&S hi-cap wheel rake. Having to push a Vermeer R23 rake in/out to change fields is no fun for an old codger. I can't imagine the damage done on a tractor's hyd system from the HOT oil.

You're right TxJim...it's not fun. But, I adapted mine so as not to have to use the hydraulic lift cylinder. I welded a bracket on the tongue and use "tow bars" (welded to the fronts of each side bar rake) to move mine from field to field. You simply push the sides in to hook up the two tow bars and go. It transports with the two rakes riding on the same dolly wheels on the front of the rake. You can't drive 40 miles an hour with it, but it works. My wife can even move them in and out now. I bought this thing cheap because the previous owner was an old fart (just like me) and he had trouble moving it in and out manually. I thought "well I can remedy that". I'm naturally lazy so I have to rely upon "creativity" to help me out. I also converted my double bar rake into a "push" style. I hook it to the front end loader on the tractor and can now rake and bale all in the same pass. It works.....but in all honesty, not well. If I had large rectangular fields it would be a dream. Small irregular shaped fields (that require lots of turning) put a lot of strain on the loader. When I've got the rake on the front, inline baler behind the tractor and the accumulator behind the baler, it looks like a freight train going down the field. It's a sight to see.

No here's a TRAIN

No here's a TRAIN

That's really nice. "Money" solves lots of problems. Truthfully, the times I am actually able to rake and bale all at the same time are few and far between. It takes 100 degree days for this to happen here in Missouri.

When I built the conversion on my rake, I made sure to be able to pull it normally as well. I raise mainly alfalfa, so raking and baling all at the same time doesn't happen very often. I think the challenge of building the "push" option into my rake was the most fun. 'Kinda one of those "braggin' rights" things now. At least it gave the neighbors something to talk about for a while!