More on raking hay

Another article in Farm Show mag about saving time raking hay. Vol. 32, No. 4 2008, p 27.

The guy had 2 right delivery basket rakes. He made a hitch assembly at the back of his Hesston 540 baler to attach the 2 rakes in line so they will rake 2 widths into one windrow. For first windrow he dosen't runthe baler, next pass he runs baler as the rakes turn anothe windrow. For thin hay he runs the baler every other time and puts 2 windrows together. I guess he can weave with this setup. He tried the rake in front deal and had trouble transporting and keeping away from posts, etc.

For transporting he swings the rakes in line behind the baler. I wouldn't want to pull that long rig down the road here with the narrow roads and traffic.

On another note, I and others commented about the inability to weave with the front mounted v rake set up. I recall that some years ago Vermeer sold a baler with a hitch that could be set to automatically make the baler weave but it didn't seem to sell to well. Maybe Hay Dr could fill us in on the history of that set up.

Allan, tough about the computer crash. Hope you get it going quick. 8k will take a big bite out of the tractor fund, but at least it's a deductible expense.

KEH

Some of those ideas in farm show are pretty off the wall ideas.

I bet there are a very few that are still in use a year later.

Another one in there this month is the guy that has 5 or 6 push type lawn mowers hooked together to mow his lawn. I did not even read that one cause who in there right mind wants to keep 6 motors running to mow lawn. 6 tanks to fill, 6 motors to start, and 6 motors to service. NOT ME

Then there is the guy who bolted a metal plate on the back of a broom(for a scraper) and thinks he has a new invention. I have been buying brooms like that for 30 years.

Some of these guys need to get out more.

Gary

Yeah, I always thought some of the projects were the result of cabin fever, and I didn't read the lawn mower article either.

On the rake behind the baler deal, I would think along the lines of using an inline wheel rake behind it. The set up wouldn't work for me because of small, odd shaped fields. In the flat country it would be different.

A large wheel rake is so fast that the rake time is short anyway.

KEH

As I mentioned yesterday in another post, I usually need to rake 2 to 4 hours ahead of the rake to dry the bottom side.

If it is dry enough to bale right behind the rake, it is to dry to rake.

Gary

I see your point and have had that situation here. Would like to have it again, but no rain in site to produce much hay.

KEH

If you leave alfalfa to rake when it is dry enough to bale you get to leave the leaves on the ground and bale the stems.

That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. 6 22" mowers is over ten feet. How much would you pay for a 15ft finish deck that you can tow behind a tractor...

I'm sure I can weld something up for 1/3 that cost. I'm gonna have to make one of those, already have it pictured in my head. lol