# Rotary Rakes



## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

What's the good, bad, and ugly on rotary rakes.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Nothing bad....ugly might be the price....alot of good as far as helping hay to the final dry down and making great windrows for baling.

Regards, Mike


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Just save your self the anguish. Go with Krone in the manner that you can justify for your operation. I have a 38T and love it. Just can't understand why it took me so long.


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Vol if I remember correctly you have a Pequa rotary rake and are pleased with it. Hayman I have read on other threads that a lot of people seem to prefer the Krone, any special reason. Some seem to like the Kuhn. I do not know of a Pequa dealer anywhere near me and I think the nearest Krone dealer is 100 miles away, but I know 3 people that have bought a Vemeer baler and one a Krone disc mower from him and really give him high marks on customer service after the sale. Going to search web for a Pequa dealer and will look at Hesston also as I am very satisfied with local dealers. May check out New Holland but closest dealer is pretty weak (more of a lawn and garden type dealer). Currently using a NH 256 and a NH 260 rakes what would you say are the biggest advantage of the rotary ( no roping, faster drying time etc.) Never seen one work up close just in passing but man I have done some cattle trading with bought a Kuhn 2 years ago and is well pleased. Told me to come over this spring if time permits and rake some when he is baling. Pretty sure I will do this if time permits. But probably a year away at best not enough green stamps right now but 260 rake would fetch a pretty good price and I could keep the 256 as a back up. I would be looking at a single rotor. twin would definitely be out of my price range and maybe not suited to our fields. Thanks


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

The biggest benefit I saw from going from a 256 rolabar to a rotary was the consistent fluffy windrow.....no roping, bunching, or knotting up of the hay. If the hay was slightly damp from being on wet ground the fluffy windrow let it finish curing out very quickly. The square baler loves the windrows made my the rotary rake.....was making extremely consistent bales even when pushing the baler and making much larger flakes than ideal the bales turned out very nice looking and consistent. There seems to be a fine line between raking too low and hitting the ground and raking too high and leaving a bit of hay.....this only was a problem on some real uneven ground I have....since the rolabar was not pto driven I let It run just about on the ground on these fields too get all the hay but didn't want to do that with the pto driven rotary.

My rotary rake is a Krone and I have been very pleased with it. My main reason for getting a Krone was I had earlier in the year bought a Krone tedder and was thrilled with the quality it was and I looked at their rotary rakes and they seemed to be just as heavy and well built. Kuhn also seems to build a very good rake. I know nothing about pequea and I'm not sure who builds Hesstons rake but I don't think they do for some reason. New Hollands rotary rake is built by Vicon and while it is probably a good rake the one I saw was not as heavy built as the Krone or Kuhn.

I know James River Equipment locations sell Krone rakes and I'm thinking the Vermeer dealer you said also sells Krone is Renegar Equipment, I'm not sure who else in NC sells Krone.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

A rotary is also much faster to use than a rolabar....I do like my Pequea...heavy built in the USA. 2010 models(?) and earlier had gear box issues(imported) and post 2010 they have built their own gearbox. Nothing wrong with Krone other than the price of parts....make JD look like walmart....but I would not hesitate to buy Krone if that is what I wanted.

Regards, Mike


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## NCHayMaker (Apr 9, 2010)

I'll throw my 2 cents in for rotary rakes&#8230;grew up with a 256, dad upgraded to a 57 (3pt roll bar version), and now have gone big time with a Kuhn twin rotor. Also picked up an older single rotor 3pt for smaller fields. I will agree with the other guys that it does fluff up a nice baling windrow and does give you a good final dry down of the hay. The roll bars have been sold and I've been converted.

If you are looking at Krone from East TN check out Cain Equipment in NW Georgia. Have bought from them before and was very happy with the prices they had.


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## covenanthay (Oct 2, 2009)

All the benefits mentioned are very true and I

only want to add that the Miller Pro rake is also very good.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

cornshucker said:


> Vol if I remember correctly you have a Pequa rotary rake and are pleased with it. Hayman I have read on other threads that a lot of people seem to prefer the Krone, any special reason. Some seem to like the Kuhn. I do not know of a Pequa dealer anywhere near me and I think the nearest Krone dealer is 100 miles away, but I know 3 people that have bought a Vemeer baler and one a Krone disc mower from him and really give him high marks on customer service after the sale. Going to search web for a Pequa dealer and will look at Hesston also as I am very satisfied with local dealers. May check out New Holland but closest dealer is pretty weak (more of a lawn and garden type dealer). Currently using a NH 256 and a NH 260 rakes what would you say are the biggest advantage of the rotary ( no roping, faster drying time etc.) Never seen one work up close just in passing but man I have done some cattle trading with bought a Kuhn 2 years ago and is well pleased. Told me to come over this spring if time permits and rake some when he is baling. Pretty sure I will do this if time permits. But probably a year away at best not enough green stamps right now but 260 rake would fetch a pretty good price and I could keep the 256 as a back up. I would be looking at a single rotor. twin would definitely be out of my price range and maybe not suited to our fields. Thanks


Cornshucker-Cline is spot on with comments. I ended up with Krone because I had already decided to get the 17' tedder-just so well built. When I started looking at rakes, I looked at the NH, Kuhn, and Krone. Again, decided that the Krone was the best and heaviest built one. I previously had a NH56, then a NH258. Was going to keep the 258 as backup, but didn't and never looked back. You go slower, at lower rpms, but rake faster with a rotary. I ended up with the 38T because I have a lot of small fields and the urbanites on the road are crazy and I did not want my rake taken out by some idiot flying over the hill. One thing not mentioned yet, is if you have a ball with a rollabar rake, each time you touch it, it gets worse. Each time you touch a wad with a rotary, it gets better-you just have to learn where to contact it and at what pto speed.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Have New Holland rotary rake and really like it. Think its a Kvernland. 
I have little to complain about except the the operator who runs it. He doesn't seem to understand how to use all its features and managed to ruin the PTO coupler shield in the first couple days he owned it. 
Night/day difference in windrow fluffiness and speed at which you can rake. It's really cool how you can step over your windrows without blasting them apart. I also like the way you can tow it from field to field down the road, even behind my truck, it tows fast like a small trailer.

I had a Niemeyer rotary rake before this one. It was on its last legs and could still work circles around a rolabar rake and make a better windrow.


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

, Friend of mine called Cain Equipment in Georgia about a bush hog their prices on bush hog are better than anyone, Forgot about Renager Equipment in Harmony, NC who are very good people. The one I was talking about was Leon Williams near Henderson, NC whom I have heard nothing but great things about. Probably will not even check with James River Equipment they done got too big like dealing with robots. Want to look at the Pequa, I like the made in USA. but I know Krone and Kuhn makes some top quality equipment. Someone mentioned Miller Pro so maybe need to look at them. Like said will definitely look at Hesston, Krone, Kuhn and Pequa. Will go to friends place and rake some with his Kuhn if I have time this spring. Biggest thing looking at going to more square bales and looking for quicker and more consistent dry down. Will a rotary help a lot with this.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> , Biggest thing looking at going to more square bales and looking for quicker and more consistent dry down. Will a rotary help a lot with this.


No personal experience but that seems to be the outcome of every rotary rake thread on this site. Hard to beat for making idiot bricks.


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## longmeadow farm (Jun 26, 2009)

I bought a H & S, 5 or 6 years ago. I wanted a Miller Pro, which at the time I thought was the best rotary rake available. The H&S looked exactly like the Miller pro and my JD Dealer gave me a good deal. The only trouble I ever had was the initial set up. I generally use the same tractor for raking so I don't have to adjust the rake for different drawbar heights. Maybe the newer rakes are easier to adjust. iI think it best to adjust on a flat concrete pad. I agree with the comments regarding drying time advantage and the "baler" perfect windrows. Get a unit with a 4 wheel floating axle..you won't be sorry.


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## NCHayMaker (Apr 9, 2010)

Ralph Renegar is a good guy&#8230;I bought a disc mower from him several years ago. I've been impressed with the dry down from a rotary windrow. Used to be the hay needed to be ready to bale dry before we would rake. Now we can get on it a little sooner because the hay is still fluffed up in a windrow and air can move through it for that final dry down to baling moisture.



cornshucker said:


> , Friend of mine called Cain Equipment in Georgia about a bush hog their prices on bush hog are better than anyone, Forgot about Renager Equipment in Harmony, NC who are very good people. The one I was talking about was Leon Williams near Henderson, NC whom I have heard nothing but great things about. Probably will not even check with James River Equipment they done got too big like dealing with robots. Want to look at the Pequa, I like the made in USA. but I know Krone and Kuhn makes some top quality equipment. Someone mentioned Miller Pro so maybe need to look at them. Like said will definitely look at Hesston, Krone, Kuhn and Pequa. Will go to friends place and rake some with his Kuhn if I have time this spring. Biggest thing looking at going to more square bales and looking for quicker and more consistent dry down. Will a rotary help a lot with this.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Cain equipment definitely has the cheapest prices that I know of in this area....and carry a surprising variety of brands....including Krone.

Regards,Mike


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Still in the looking phase, talked to friend today about his Kuhn, he says greatest thing since sliced bread. Pretty convinced I want one now just a matter of selling one of our other rakes. The points that i have got to decide is Pequa is made in USA always a strong point with me, Kuhn and Krone very good quality, and Hesston real good dealer close to home. I have a good friend who lives in Gainesville, Ga. about 15 minutes from Cain will probably get him to check them out, he drives by there about once a week on way to his hunting cabin and told me they have an unreal amount of inventory.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Never even seen a Hesston that's interesting....always like their products...


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Dawg look on the Massey Ferguson website RK series of rakes they look pretty impressive.


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## TractorToolsDirect (Feb 27, 2014)

cornshucker said:


> Still in the looking phase, talked to friend today about his Kuhn, he says greatest thing since sliced bread. Pretty convinced I want one now just a matter of selling one of our other rakes. The points that i have got to decide is Pequa is made in USA always a strong point with me, Kuhn and Krone very good quality, and Hesston real good dealer close to home. I have a good friend who lives in Gainesville, Ga. about 15 minutes from Cain will probably get him to check them out, he drives by there about once a week on way to his hunting cabin and told me they have an unreal amount of inventory.


There are no rotary hay rakes made in the US that I am aware of. The best rakes are either made in Italy or Germany for the most part, with a few Scandinavian companies thrown in. Bush Hog, New Holland, and others are just Italian or german machines painted and stickered with their colors.

Another option you might consider is a belt rake. they have all the advantages of a rotary rake, with the fluffier windrow, cleaner sweeping of the hay, and no dirt/debris in the windrow. They also have the advantages of being more compact and doubling as a tedder when needed. Cost is about the same. Molon makes the best one.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Pequea is made in USA factory is 25 miles from me.


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Great point JD, one of the reasons that I am going to consider Pequa is the made in USA this means a lot to me.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Any feedback on the older Pequeas? I've been looking at the HR10s, I like the price and the removeable arms, since I have some small bar ways to fit through. I'm on a budget this year.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Dill said:


> Any feedback on the older Pequeas? I've been looking at the HR10s, I like the price and the removeable arms, since I have some small bar ways to fit through. I'm on a budget this year.


The older Pequeas were using off shore gearboxes. Starting this year, they are building their own gearboxes here in the US.

New, I believe their tedders and rakes run considerably less expensive than the quality name euro rakes, so you might find them budget friendly. 
24/0% financing right now.

I'm 98% sure Im buying a Pequea 6 rotor Tedder. I saved about 3-4k compared to Krone and 5k compared to NH.
I'll concede the Krone is better, but its too much savings for me to ignore. I also like my dealer and he only sells NH or Pequea.


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## TractorToolsDirect (Feb 27, 2014)

They look like good machines. I will check them out.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Rarely do I buy anything new. Just diesel vehicles and round balers. Everything else is sourced used or at auction.

What are the offshore gearboxes? The same as the Enrossi?


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

TractorToolsDirect said:


> They look like good machines. I will check them out.


I just committed to buying Pequea TT 6100. .
Pequea also just announced 5 YR 2.8% financing, so I opted for that instead of straight up purchase. They also still have 24/0%.


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