# 4220 vs 4221 Kuhn rotary rake



## NorthernHay (Apr 15, 2011)

Currently debating whether to buy the GA 4220TH or the 4221 version with removable tine arms. Concerned that the advantage of compactness for storage may end up being a disadvantage in terms of wear if they don't fit in there tight enough. Does anyone have experience with removable arms rattling about?


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## lfc (Jun 23, 2010)

I bought a 4220 last year, and figured then the removable arms weren't worth the extra $600 or so. I have to take off my side curtain to get it under cover, but I replaced the roll pins on the mounting arms with lynch pins so i can take it off quickly - probably quicker than removing the arms.

Only issues with the 4220 are the height adjusting crank likes to back out (I need to add a lock nut) and the straight grease fittings on the arm pivots are tough to get a grease gun on. I think when they added the extra arm on the 4220/4221 the loss of space caused the issue. I replaced the straight fittings with 90's and it is much easier now.


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## brentcu (Apr 13, 2011)

In France (Kuhn is French, at least for most of its history) the removable arm feature is so you can tow the rake on the roads.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

brentcu said:


> In France (Kuhn is French, at least for most of its history) the removable arm feature is so you can tow the rake on the roads.


Yah, I had a two basket NH tedder made in France, one arm would fold forward and the other would fold back for road transport. Never did it here, but that's what the manual said to do. I finally placed regular bolts in those two arms and threw the knobs away as I could never tighten them enough and they were starting to wear the holes out. Granted this is a tedder, maybe that won't be a problem with a rake.

We used to take our 8 row planter down the road when it had a non-folding 20' ridge cleaner mounted on the front, did the same with a 20' no-till drill as well.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

We have raked a LOT of hay with Kuhn rakes with a removable raking arm, and they have NEVER been too loose. The problem that we had is that would be too tight! They need a good dose of grease when you slide the arms in (not just gobbed on, actual making your fingers greasy) otherwise they will stick so hard that they will never come out. If a guy uses grease, keeps the rake dry (like you should) and takes the arms apart every so often (and applies more grease) then the arms will operate real nice. On ours the arm fits inside the tube, and there is an o-ring to keep moisture out, and the whole deal is held in place with a snap pin. Everything fits tight. I did not know that removable part had become an option now.....

Rodney


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## NEHerdsman (Sep 23, 2009)

Got a 4220, and did exactly the same thing as lfc so the curtain can be removed. It's wide. A lot of my hay fields are on small roads, when I move that rake I OWN the road, lol. I would have gotten the the 4221 for sure if it was only a $600 difference, but I got a real good deal on a 4220 from my dealer that would have made the 4221 substantially more.


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## NorthernHay (Apr 15, 2011)

Thank you all for the info, especially Rodney regarding tightness of fit (a sales guy had mentioned the same thing about greasing the arms, but he has a vested interest ...). I've got exactly 126" width to get it under roof, which is the specified rotor width vs. transport width of 10'11", so I'm not sure that the trick of removing the curtain will buy me any additional precious inches. Plus I found a good deal on a 4221 for only $375 more than the 4220. So looks like that might be worth the greater ease of storage, but with the added effort of removing at least some of the arms. Do they all have to be removed in order to flip the guards up???


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

I have no experience with a 4221. However, you can take out as many arms as you need to, and leave in what you want to. On our 3pt version the 2 under the hitch stay in (they don't have holders for them). On our folding one, I have to take 3 arms off each rotor to store it over winter.... no problem. On ours the guards are over top of the arms, so everything is independant of each other.

Rodney


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