Help!

My old broken down V-rake has really put me in a bind this year and think maybe I gotta do something before next season. Just can't trust the thing anymore. Groan!

Anyway, has anyone ever used a hydraulic drive rake? Do they have their own pump or do they run off the tractor's hydraulic system?

Guess they just don't make a simple ground-drive rake anymore? :>(

Some of my neighbors use wheel rakes, but they all tell me that there are times when they just don't clean. Work okay if conditions are perfect?

So, I'm leanin' towards the basket type?

Allan

thats a new one to hear,wheel rake thats does not clean,are simply set incorrectly.From my setup experience with all this machinery something is wrong or they have the old style ones. Wheel rake will outclean any basket rake out there if fact most time the complaint by someo fthe pickest is they put to much dust and debri in the hay. the butterfly fold style will leave some and thats simply because thay do not have the kicker wheel option installed and setup correctly. In fact hte rakes you have been using is what used to have and I would never go back to that style now simply to much hassle troubles and poor clean up in 3rd and 4th cut fine short stuff. Nine wheel in line units are still very popular here. Have new one aand used one on hand as of last week again. The units in the picture you show is basically same design as the bifold wheel units that I really like except you don't have all the hyds bearings etc that the unit you show will have. Send me your email address and can send you the units that really work slick. Does the unit you showing have adjustment at the rear for width. Those are really pricey. Just don't see that style mauc h at around hear because of the price. Few Vermeer units about it. Wheel rakes simply taken over around here especiall the nine wheel inline

We have 2 of the wheel rakes. If the dew gets off and the hay is too dry it will some times tend to catch on the last 2 wheels and make a rake knot. The big thing is to keep the teeth in those wheels if they break and not replaced it will be worse about rake knots. We took a 3PT wheel Vrake and modified it to rake 2 single windrows at once so every trip makes 2 windrows like with a regular rake a swath apart. Dad rakes in 2nd high with a 1466. So speed is not an issue. If your just raking grass hay and not real tall like 3ft tall they work great. Second cutting alfalfa is where they really shine.We rake singles then double or triple them up even put 4 together sometimes or in third cutting for round bales.

Yeah,

For sure, the wheel rakes are a third of the cost of the basket types and are not the "mechanical mumbo-jumbo".

Neighbors say the wheels work fine "most of the time". Just not in very light hay or when the stuff is real heavy.

Ground is fairly smooth, straight and level.

Mostly concerned about pulling two windrows together. However, when this wind came up the other night and I had to pull 35 acres all back together 8' at a time using that old IH #15, it took me most of the day.

Email is open.

Allan

Never used a wheel rake before. I do notice that they really cover the real estate in a hurry.

Allan

Allan
Have you looked into Rowse rakes? They make quite a few different styles and sizes. Besides that they're made right here in Nebraska.

Those wheel rakes have taken the country by storm around here. Seems to be mostly M&Ws that I see, but there are a few of the other brands. All of them appear to do an excellent job and do it quickly. Improper adjustments and operater error seems to be the only problems.

Keep your old IH rake for those thin short times and go with a wheel rake.

A wheel rake will not shatter the hay like those spinning tines will.

Went to a 9 wheel from 258 NH and it is great.

Gary

I have a 10 wheel v rake. No problems with it not cleaning. You can pull the rake as fast as you want to, covering 22 feet at a time.

As the other posters said, you may want an inline wheel rake. You can combine windrows with them. The v rake makes one windrow, combining 2 takes 2 passes. In those big flat fields, you might rake carefully and combine 2 at one pass. The problem is if you try to run too much hay into a windrow with a v rake it will pile up and lodge along the back of the row of wheels.

For the additional speed, I'll deal with the problems.

Don't think it will be too big a problem to fix the old rake, but I've never worked on a IH rake,

KEH

I know you like those basket rakes... but is there a reason you wouldn't look at a PTO driven rotary rake? They're big, heavy and expensive... but they do rake a field clean and rake it fast. They probably still have a propensity to put some dirt in the row, but the cows sort that out. Just wondering...
Kuhn is what I use but there are others.

Rod

Never have had a problem with our wheel rake, except when it's been too wet or set too wide.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MSblXB8n9kw

That there`s a big bunch a hay rake !!!

Yessir. Spent several hours today with a Vermeer model following me around.

Well, wheel rakes are cheap compared to a real rake. And, in a pinch, you could probably get double duty out of one as a rotary hoe! LOL! Stay with a real rake, you'll be glad you did. There's a reason wheel rakes are cheap.

Allan,
here what you need,
Hay Rake

I use a R23A Vermeer rake & prefer it over a wheel rake.You can adjust the basket to fluff the windrow or keep it alittle lower on those windy days.It follows the ground,even in old pastures & doesn,t drag everything on the ground into the windrow.There are quite a few used around that are less money then the NH.I will be using it Sat. if you would like some pictures.

I've run wheel rakes since I was in high school and would not go back to a beater bar rake. If you set them right they will pick up every stem of hay and not damage the ground in any way. There are a few draw backs. They will leave hay if you turn a sharp corner because the wheels are being drug side ways across the windrow as you turn. Another drawback is light hay in a strong cross wind. It will blow up againist the wheels as the wind goes thru the wheels but the hay don't. But they far exel in rakeing dry hay as they gentlly fold the windrows together. I have raked in 5th TA with my 686 on a smooth field to try to beat rain, did a good job to. With mine I have never had trouble with it missing light hay. I have a 10 wheel New Holland with my 11 foot discbine. With your 14' swatter I would go with a 12 or 14 wheel. They are simple, just drop in the drawpin hook 3 hoses, spreader out, drop the wheels and drive how ever fast you want. With the rake in your picture just look at that rats nest of hoses to break and the hydraulic motors to go bad. Keep it simple, go wheel you won't regret it.

My rake.

<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e280/Scott1066/?action=view&current=HPIM0220.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

The only hay I've ever missed with the wheel rake is some that the baler doesn't pick up because my v-rake doesn't quite hit everything even with the center kicker wheel where I mow with a sickle mower. This happens only in light third cutting, and should never happen with windrowed hay. I don't know of anybody around here that uses a basket rake anymore. I've had my vermeer close to ten years raking for me and two neighbors and just now starting to replace a few teeth, and it also gets used for cornstalks which is kind of hard on them. In heavy hay thats too dry sometimes it will bunch at the backend, but if rake when the hay is a little damp that usually isn't a problem. Not bad for only costing $2300. Lee

I wonder how much hydraulic fluid is left in the tank of a tractor by the time you unflod it and turn the thing on to start working .but I bet that thing works a lot better than most ground drives I have run .

pulling two together is not issue period. Inline or bifold are nice units. don't like the butterfky styke thou,they will break more teeth etc cause no independent spring control.. I have been doing it for severeal seasons two togehter then later 3 4 0r 5 deponds on years etc. you want me to e-mail you pic of the cadillacs here one in driveway right now just demo. Its nice. Do you ever have to just turn your again if so then you definitely want the single side open option also. If you never do more than two windrows you don't need the kicker wheels,but if you straddle on and pull two more then yes you need the kickers. thse types you have to match you mower width. In other words 5 6 7 8 9 or large to a side fold out. I like the 6 and 7 to side units. The simple nine wheel inline is good unit and is versatile in use. Bifold style have to rake little differnet or basically like you have been with your left and right bar unit. If you want to combine more need to so it with single side open them come back open him up and lay all thre or more beside eah other
As far as light hay to me they will out clean any bar rake out their. real heavy hay the inline once in while will sway the bifold style no heavy heay is no issue. from what i remeber of the old bar rake we use to have any heavy h ay and they just slide the wheels really wasn't heavy damp would to. real small area yes you little bar unit is ncie otherwise wheel rake period. But don't get that butterfly fold unit. Ask your dealer for New holland HT 154 nice out fit New Idea/heston etc are nice also just some differnt features on them to. ps you are used to windrows being beside each other the way you been doing it right, if so the frontfold style will do that but the inline you will move both all one direction and into one and you wil being doing it in lands versus just back and firth klike you have been doing. In the respect you will like the frontfold alot better cause it will do yust like you been doing

We borrow a 10 wheel H&S V rake once in a while form a neighbor and it works great. We used it to pull 3 9' swaths together from our old New idea haybine, and now we use it to pull together 2 14' swaths from our Hesston hydro-swing. Drive down the middle and get the hay on both sides. with the 14's swaths, we could use an 8 wheel and still be fine. Works good in light hay and heavy hay for us.

Used it one year to pull together 3 9' swaths of our heavy 1st crop one year when we were baling. BIG mistake. The tractor couldn't go slow enough while baling and it worked us to death. By the time you had the bale stacked on the wagon, one was already being shoved onto the wagon with another one right behind it...

The rake worked fine though.

Donovan from Wisconsin