Dual rake hitch,how do you like yours?

we use a kelderman. it looks alot like the frame of a center pivot hay conditioner. We ran a NH 56 on the back, and a 256 w/ dolly wheels on the front for a number of years and got along well. with our vermeer baler, it'll take a sizable windrow, so only in the thickest of hay did we need to do something different. lately we've gotten a 260(?) right hand rake to pull. it makes working around the field a bit easier. we like the kelderman b/c you can transport both rakes at the same time w/o unhooking anything. it is also controlled by a cylinder to adjust the position of the rakes if you need to narrow them up in a field w/ curves to avoid leaving hay.

I use the same technique you do. Rake around the outside twice and then back and forth. I use a NH 56 with a hitch on it (home made, I am attempting to attach a link to it from the impliment photos). A NH 256 is behind. The way its set up I can off set as little as 4' or as much as 8' (effective raking of 12' to 16' each way). When I come back lets me get as much as 32' per windrow in a single down and back pass. More if I want to make 2 or 3 trips each way.

http://www.tractorshed.com/cgi-bin/gallery/iphoto_pic.cgi?pic=http;//www.tractorshed.com/gallery/iphotos/i1688.jpg&firstrec=1697&lastrec=1712&Parameter=&mode=All&what=iphotos

Even bad boys are just as good as they can be

One thing I've learned is that no two people seem to put up hay the same way. :>)

The most "perfect" combination I've ever found was to follow a 16 foot swather and don't even hook up a rake; just bale right behind the darned crimper rolls.

'Course, you have to bear in mind that I live in Nebraska where it is relatively dry and "rained on hay" isn't the problem that it is back east.

I threw togther this combination this past summer because the hay was so darned light due to the lack of rainfall here. In heavy hay conditions, however, I won't even use it. If I have to turn the hay, I'll just kick one off and use one single rake to flip a heavy windrow.

Now on the other hand, if you're going to be following a mower, I think this would be just the ticket. It really covers some real estate and you "can't get it wrong", as it self corrects on the turns and makes a perfect windrow all the time.

Like I say tho, everybody does it different,

Allan

There are several configurations that you can use with the hitch,left/right hand rakes such as the 258-260 combination and rake into one windrow and you can control how much you rake by how much you let the rakes overlap. The other combination of 2 left hand rakes will let you either rake into one windrow or if you swing the back rake to the other side then rake 2 windrows. I will try to draw a picture here in text that will explain....

----\ -----\ ----- \
---/ --/ -/ 2 opposing rakes making a single windrow

-----/
----/
---/
---/ --/
-/ 2 left hand rakes doubling the windrow

---/
--/
-/
----- /
-----/
----/ 2 Left hand rakes raking 2 windrows

Sorry had to put the dashes in to keep the service from stripping spaces. Just look at the slashes

With these combinations you can handle almost any condition but get ready. It takes a few acres to learn how to drive this beast.....