# Belt Rake or Rotary Rake?



## bjr (Jan 24, 2013)

I'm lookin' at maybe getting a belt rake, but it appears as I'd be the only one on the face of the planet that wanted one. Anyone out there had any experience with a belt rake? I've goggled for them and didn't come up with any used ones or people willin' to talk about their experience with them. I'd like to know especially about the belts that hold the tines if they are generically available or can you drill or punch holes in a standard belt to mount the tines on? I need the maneuverability of something short like that. Any input about the belt rakes will be appreciated. Maybe I'll have try and find a very small rotary rake instead. I hay small areas. 1/4 - 1 acre. bjr


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

There is an outfit in Southern Ohio (I think) that sells them. I think they ar european but never seen one close up. I'd just get a rotary.

I'm probably gonna sell my old Ghiel single rotor 9' swath. Hasn't been made for years but JD's Pioneer line interchanges so parts are a non issue not that it uses any......


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I didn't know what a belt rake was so I searched for it. It appears Sitrex makes one. But are you thinking more of a belt merger? Because the Sitrex belt rake looks to me almost like a windrow merger.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

bjr said:


> I'm lookin' at maybe getting a belt rake, but it appears as I'd be the only one on the face of the planet that wanted one. Anyone out there had any experience with a belt rake? I've goggled for them and didn't come up with any used ones or people willin' to talk about their experience with them. I'd like to know especially about the belts that hold the tines if they are generically available or can you drill or punch holes in a standard belt to mount the tines on? I need the maneuverability of something short like that. Any input about the belt rakes will be appreciated. Maybe I'll have try and find a very small rotary rake instead. I hay small areas. 1/4 - 1 acre. bjr


What's the point of a belt rake....., thnk I would shy away unless it was free....


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

It's for small acrerage.

Looks like a conveyor belt with tines sticking perpendicular to the belt and the belt moves at right angles to the crop being raked.

The raking action is similar to a rotary so just get a rotary and be good with that.

I think Lely (or some name like that) makes one as well. It's very European.

It's for backyard bailing. None of us do that....lol


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

somedevildawg said:


> What's the point of a belt rake....., thnk I would shy away unless it was free....


Nothing is free, not even the air we breathe........


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Now I remember, the company is in South Bend, Indiana and all they sell is mini bailers, belt rakes and stuff for small acerage haying.

Can't remember the name though. Give me a day or 2 and it will come to me. I'm 64 and getting feeble.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

My guess the belt rake is more for a windrowed crop like wheat that was cut on windrow to put threw a combine with pickup head ?


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## bjr (Jan 24, 2013)

Yes, Backyard baling it is then. Mowing around randomly spaced sprinkler riser pipes, valve boxes or protruding pipes & don't forget Aunt Alma's rusted out '65 Cadillac up on cement blocks (Don't Hit This). Almost any kind of obsticle you can name. Then rake the valuable grass & the come back and try to figure out how to bale it. Uh, Maybe I need to find another way to help these people OR move to another state under an assumed name. Cynicle, I know, but, I am gonna have to draw a line 'bout helping people where I live. Any body else out there a Over-Achiever Helpful Neighbor. bjr


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I have a belt rake as my backup, a Heublitz. Neighbour had a yellow danish brand one. They rake like a rotary with a cam action lifting the tines. They rake cleaner than any rake I've ever seen. Only 7 or 8 ft wide though, very slow.

The variable pulley lets you speed up the belt if you want to idle along at less pto rpm and save fuel. You can rake in forward or reverse which helps cleaning up the centre of odd shaped fields.

The thing is rugged and light weight. Has taken a lot of abuse. If they made a double hitch to centre deliver with two hooked up I'd still use it.

Here a video link to one but its missing the arm and curtain/fingers to stand the windrow up. With the arm off its meant for flipping windrows not raking.


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## TractorToolsDirect (Feb 27, 2014)

Only people who haven't ever seen a belt rake work are skeptical of them. Once you have seen one in action, or better yet used one, you will be convinced. Everything Slowzuki says is right on target, with one exception - they are not necessarily slow. They are available in multiple widths up to 11 feet, and the bigger ones can be run at pretty high speeds.

The brand that is available in the US is Molon. Just Google or youtube them and you can find info.

I used to use a 4 wheel rake, then I switched to a rotary, which was a huge improvement. But when I tried the Molon rake, I got all the benefits of the rotary in less than half the physical size, and also got a tedder to boot. I would never go back to either of the others.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Looks very slow but useable....not sure how you can get a tedder action accomplished but it looks like a decent rake, albeit expensive from what the OP stated....


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

If I had to use one as a tedder I'd give up haying here. Maybe in a dryer climate. It needs bare ground to shoot hay onto for tedding so you have to double pile the middle and throw out that hay or fire the outside row into the woods.

Flip a tight wet windrow into a wider windrow yes. Tedding no.

Only picture I can find of my belt rake. There are a lot of this model around this area, most are getting old now. I gave 200 or 300$ in 2004 or so for this one. Regularly sell for that but often the 100 or so little plastic bushings that generate the cam action are worn out and have been run metal on metal. Cheap to rebuild if caught before that point.

The one we had before was a wider 9 ft model, it was about 25 years old in 2004 and broke a weld while running which damaged some stuff. Had led a hard life as our fields are rough.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

TractorToolsDirect said:


> Only people who haven't ever seen a belt rake work are skeptical of them. Once you have seen one in action, or better yet used one, you will be convinced. Everything Slowzuki says is right on target, with one exception - they are not necessarily slow. They are available in multiple widths up to 11 feet, and the bigger ones can be run at pretty high speeds.
> 
> The brand that is available in the US is Molon. Just Google or youtube them and you can find info.
> 
> I used to use a 4 wheel rake, then I switched to a rotary, which was a huge improvement. But when I tried the Molon rake, I got all the benefits of the rotary in less than half the physical size, and also got a tedder to boot. I would never go back to either of the others.


BINGO...now I remember, it's you. Been on your website and looked at the rakes there....

Looks to be an interesting concept and I got a charge out of your mini round bailer too.

I'm old and forgetful......


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