More on wheel rakes , Allan

Allan,

Another point about wheel rakes is transport width. The 10 wheel Vermeer I have is fairly wide in transport position. I noticed a new Hesston V rake which folded the whels into a much tighter position. However it has a narrow wheel spacing which I think would make it more likely to turn over when making turns on a hillside with the wheels raised or when transporting it on the road. Of course, you don't have hills there.

On a V rake you have to adjust the width of the windrow for different amounts of hay. One theory also is that the hay in the middle of the windrow is not disturbed and the baler will not pick it up because it has flattened down on the ground. Some rakes have an extra wheel in the front center to turn that hay. Haven't noticed that being a problem.

The inline rakes have the tongue swing over into transport position which makes for a narrow, but long transport width. Each wheel floats individually, neat for rough ground. As I said on my earlier post, combining 2 or more windrows is no problem. Gary said he had a 9 wheel and he could describe better an inline rake's operation.

In looking at used wheel rakes the first thing to check is the condition of the rake teeth. Compare the used teeth with a new one.

KEH

the leaving the middle is my question. i just got a panoroma v rake and it dont touch the middle, unless i spread it out so far it almost drags the hay in. i have adjusted about everything i can think of. is that just the way it is ( untouched hay in the middle) and i have to live with it???????
thanks
bob

They make an attachment that has 2 smaller wheels that are in front of the main v.

Those wheels kick the center to one side before the V brings it all back to the center.

Don't know if it is available for your rake or not.

Gary

Raked alfalfa with a hydraulic powered rake.
The power came off the remotes. Seemed to work ok. We would roll 2 windroes together and baler dude would go about 6.5-7 mph when baling.

steveormary

I have a gehl 9 wheel v rake that has an extra wheel in the middle.. In hay that is thinner, the center wheel makes the hay clean up better.. On the good thick hay I don't have a problem with clean up with out the extra wheel..

If the hay is teddered or run through a crimper, it usually cleans the field with out the extra wheel...

Of course the only way to get most all the hay off the field is to use a single side delivery bar rake, so the hay gets "roped" better...

I have rolled 2500+ 5x5 rolls this year. If you went behind me and cleaned the fields completely, you wouldn't get more than 3-4 more rolls off all the fields...

I have more trouble with cleaning up dry hay than anything else. If it's to dry, the hay tends to fluff up and catch between the wheels at the v..

no thats not correct. most all othe brands have kicker wheel options that you can install. New Idea (Hesston)unit uses two small wheel to do it and throw all one way then the large units combine it. New Holland unit they have same use same size wheels and kickhalf each way then the side unit combine them. Never seen that brand in my area. No you do not have to live with it that way . got picture of that unit does it fold up like butterfly wings

I have a 14 wheel H&S Hi-capacity V rake without kicker wheels. In thinner hay I rake 30 ft at a time. I rake and bale counter-clockwise and don't have a problem of baler not picking up all the hay.

It is as TxJim said, go the opposite direction if hay is cut with a disc mower




MAY GOD BLESS THE USA

I know that they are expensive, but if you can ever find a rotary rake and set it up properly, they are a dream to bale behind. All the hay is laid crosswise t the pickup, and it misses very little, just are strange to run at first.

JoshuaGA