Raking hay for mulch ?

Does hay from a rye/timothy/clover field make
good vegetable garden mulch, or would it cause
weed problems?

Could an old spring-tooth harrow with the tines
in one row rake it?

You could also get it baled.

If you found a dump rake out in some field or fenceline for sale, know that there was very little on them to go bad, so it's still probably usable. It'll work better than a cultivator.

When you decide to mulch with hay, you're committing yourself to doing it basically forever. ANY hay will be full of weed seeds, and if you mulch one year, and decide not to the next, you'll be up to your eyeballs in weeds. Keeping it mulched will keep the weeds (both from the hay and other weeds) down, keeps the moisture in, and is very beneficial for earthworms, and develops excellent soil as it rots. But ya gotta keep at it.

If you're not ABSOLUTELY sure you want to mulch, I'd buy some straw and try it with that for starters. That way, if you change your mind, you've got some options.

I've been mulching with leaves for a few
years, and they work great. However,
there hasn't been enough time this fall
to collect 3 tons of bagged leaves from
where I live in the city, and haul them
out to my garden in the country.