# Raking patterns



## Aussiemac (Nov 16, 2018)

Firstly, apologies. The topic has been brought up thousands of times on hundreds of forums. Raking patterns used. Usually there isn’t a problem for me as it’s doubled windrow. Single rotary rake and small square baler. However a man has asked me to cut his grass hay. It is well over 4ft high and so thick I won’t be able to double windrow as my baler would choke. This also wouldn’t be a problem if I had a tedder, however I lack that equipment so I always rake twice to dry any hay I do. It’s normally rake the next afternoon then rake the day after that normally before I bale. Seems to work for my grass hay and dry quite evenly. (I haven’t quite mastered the whole flipping windrows with a rake yet but it seems to tear it apart and restack it. Think I’ve read something about driving to the left on the windrow vs the right does different things). If I go round and round I don’t think I’ll have the room to rake it back the other way. Also single rowing it will be close to get the baler in between windrows. Look forward to any tips on patterns for a small square baler for a relatively new hayer.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I think there would be not much difference in distance between windrows no matter if one was raking back & forth of round & round. Myself I chose to rake/bale round & round because to me there's too much time wasted making the swooping turns on the ends when going back & forth. I understand there are circumstances where type of equipment dictates going back & forth BUT I happen not to have any of that type of equipment. Flipping an existing windrow correctly with a side delivery rake takes practice IE it's a learning curve.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

You can go round and round for the first raking. Double up the outside windrow and then rake it to the very edge of the field to get it out of your way, Then rake round and round in single passes. On the second raking go to the center double up the first windrow then round and round going the opposite direction you did on the first time. I have had to do that with a NH bar rake multiple times. Much easier with a rotary since you have hydraulic lift so you don't make as much of a mess. After you bale all of your single pass windrows, then take the rotary and nose into the doubles and cut them apart. With a rotary, it is very easy to make two decent windrows from one messy big one. HTH


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Being it sounds like you rake twice, here is my thoughts:

Start out going which ever way that moves the windrow towards the outside. I would not rake the first swath in, just rake the first windrow on top of the outside swaths. Continue on raking around and around until you get to the middle of the field and are done raking. The next day start in the middle and go the opposite way raking (opposite of first time), continue going around and around, until you get to last round. Then double up the outside round. My thinking here is you will give the first windrow a day to cure, and it will be mostly wrapped inside the outside swath.

I would probably start baling on windrow number two and bale the outside windrow last, allowing it the most time to dry/cure. If need you could also turn that windrow over (towards the inside of the field), if necessary to help drying if needed.

HTH

Larry


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

You could open up the outside rounds a couple days in advance then get them done out of your way.


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

First off, a rotary rake is superior to a bar rake in creating fluffy windrows but it can not flip one consistently. As you noted, it takes windrow apart and rebuilds.

You have been given fine advice already but the methods described fare poorly where I live as many fields are surrounded by trees assuring poor drying conditions at edge. Double up there or let a swath untouched and the outside round won't be fit.

Hopefully you don't have tree issues or don't live in humid mountain conditions because what I'm going to describe is harder to do.

When I was young dad didn't have a Tedder so double raking was standard procedure.

Find the middle of the field by counting swaths and rake "in" creating a double row in the center. It has a better shot at drying there and the linear length will be shortest. I would often "run empty" on the ends if field shape dictated. Continue until finished, if you counted properly your set. If not your running around empty which sucks.

2nd trip you just throw it out,easypeasy. If you have a left side discharge rake of either style rakeing "out" won't ball the heavy crop tall windrows that rakeing "in" will on your second pass.

On wide fields that required too many empty runs on the end I would have multiple centers always leaving 5 or so outside swaths too rake last.


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## Aussiemac (Nov 16, 2018)

Lots of good info here thanks! I don’t have a problem with trees or shade anywhere I will be baling so that’s one saviour. Boundary fences will stop me raking too close to the edges though. I have thought about ending with the double windrow in the centre and that would work, however as it is away from home where I will be baling I usually cut, take the mower home, come back with the rake and rake, take the rake home, come back with the baler, etc. saves trips to pick up implements when it’s all done. If I can get away with any double windrowing on this crop it would be a bonus, however if need be I can leave the rake there and “attempt” to split any double windrows after majority of the hay has been baled. The only other worry I have is with single windrows, whether I will have enough room between windrows to get my baler up and down without running over already made bales. Baler=nh275-about 2.5m wide plus an extra about half metre of tractor, rake=Kuhn ga300gm 3.2m wide. Might be close....


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Aussiemac said:


> Lots of good info here thanks! I don't have a problem with trees or shade anywhere I will be baling so that's one saviour. Boundary fences will stop me raking too close to the edges though. I have thought about ending with the double windrow in the centre and that would work, however as it is away from home where I will be baling I usually cut, take the mower home, come back with the rake and rake, take the rake home, come back with the baler, etc. saves trips to pick up implements when it's all done. If I can get away with any double windrowing on this crop it would be a bonus, however if need be I can leave the rake there and "attempt" to split any double windrows after majority of the hay has been baled. The only other worry I have is with single windrows, whether I will have enough room between windrows to get my baler up and down without running over already made bales. Baler=nh275-about 2.5m wide plus an extra about half metre of tractor, rake=Kuhn ga300gm 3.2m wide. Might be close....


I have used similar balers with single windrows and only had an issue on the first windrow if I switched directions baling on the second windrow. If I had the feed side on the inside of the field, the bales always were out of the way with rare exception and that was using a NH 56 rake (not the broadest clean sweep)


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

It's not a close fit because the baler spits them out to the left of where it picks up the windrow. There is plenty of room. I used to bale single windrows made with a NH 57 rolabar rake (which rakes a narrower swath than your Kuhn) using an IH 440 baler (which has similar dimensions to your 275).

I tried to rake only once. I used to make a double windrow on the outside by starting in a swath and a bit (6 foot swaths) from the edge and raking outwards (clockwise) then raking inwards (anticlockwise) from the edge to leave the double windrow away from the edge of the field. Then rake the rest of the field outwards. The two outer windrows were close together but separate, and I found I had room to bale the two outside windrows without moving any bales. I might have had to move a couple in the corners, but not entire rows of bales. I did have to move rows of bales when I was carting them in though, but at that time there were other people to help me.

I rarely make small square bales nowadays, and when I do I usually use a small double rotor centre delivery rake (Lely Lotus 300 if I want a 3m windrow or Fransgard TI6000 if I want a 5m windrow). I haven't used the 57 for about 15 years but it is still in the back of the shed.

Roger


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

For those of us that have cattle, it makes some things easier. I will just bale up the two outside rounds and throw them in the feeder. Then I can rake and dry the rest of the field properly.


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## Aussiemac (Nov 16, 2018)

Lots leaning towards the double windrow outside. I will give all tips on here a try as there are a few fields to do, going to do one at a time. All ready to start tomorrow after I finish work and we’ve had over 2 inches of rain. May be waiting a few days to have a go at it....


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## Hay diddle diddle (Nov 17, 2017)

So what is it if its 4 foot high, tropical Rhodes grass?? And how thick is it?? If its thick I think you will struggle full stop unless it's super super dry.


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## Aussiemac (Nov 16, 2018)

Pangola grass mate. Yeah it’s thick, not sure how well it’s going to dry. Not sure I know anyone with a tedder in the area either.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

carcajou said:


> You could open up the outside rounds a couple days in advance then get them done out of your way.


Way back when, dirt was reasonably new yet and you could just mow and mow as it didn't rain half the week regularly, we'd always mow the outside rounds ahead of time to get em out of the way first.


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## Hay diddle diddle (Nov 17, 2017)

Aussiemac said:


> Pangola grass mate. Yeah it's thick, not sure how well it's going to dry. Not sure I know anyone with a tedder in the area either.


Never had anything to do with it being a southerner.......But good luck, I think your going to need it...


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