# Kuhn speed wheel rakes



## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

I am going to demo a Kuhn 8 wheel speed rake could any of you give me your opinion likes dislikes and how fast can you rake with them compared to a roll bar or rotary rake. I am looking at this 8 wheel speed rake or a 4221 rotary rake.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Wheel rakes perform better at higher MPH. You can rake a 8 MPH if ground is smooth enough.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Yep, faster the better unless the windrow starts to get too messy.

Dads cousin was just here though, looking at my NH NT154 as he feels his new Kuhns digs in too much. Not sure if he has a 8 or 10 wheel model.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Beav said:


> I am going to demo a Kuhn 8 wheel speed rake could any of you give me your opinion likes dislikes and how fast can you rake with them compared to a roll bar or rotary rake. I am looking at this 8 wheel speed rake or a 4221 rotary rake.


The rotary will do a better job in almost all situations, however if speed is of the essence a double rotary will give you excellent speed, more versatility and no ash in the hay, plus your baler will thank you


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Kuhn has way too much ground pressure...Get something that will allow for more control of the ground pressure. I have a 3 year old 10 wheel kuhn and will not buy another.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I have a Kuhn 10 wheel. I bought it used in good condition a few years ago. I replaced the coil springs over the winter. The original springs had lost some tension and allowed excessive ground pressure.

I can adjust it now to where the tines barely touch the ground.

I like the rake. It does a good job.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Trillium Farm said:


> The rotary will do a better job in almost all situations, however if speed is of the essence a double rotary will give you excellent speed, more versatility and no ash in the hay, plus your baler will thank you


Looked at double rotaries, problem is there if your raking tedded hay the stuff in the middle never gets moved, that would be on a center delivery though, maybe one that the second rake trails the first might move all of it, but I also like to make a 5 foot wide row for round baling, weaving is the pits.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Tim/South said:


> I have a Kuhn 10 wheel. I bought it used in good condition a few years ago. I replaced the coil springs over the winter. The original springs had lost some tension and allowed excessive ground pressure.
> 
> I can adjust it now to where the tines barely touch the ground.
> 
> I like the rake. It does a good job.


Tim

Does your have the double springs? They offer a inner spring to go inside of the outer spring but I have never ordered some for mine. Mine came with just a single spring and it is like dragging a freaking anchor.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

I have a Kuhn GT3200 10' rotary that we use most of the time and an 11' miller pro rotary that is a back up and for round baling. The dealer showed us a 4221 rotary and then showed us the wheel rakes. I don't have a rock problem and he showed us the down pressure springs so do the wheel rakes pick up dirt? The dealer also showed us the the hydraulic cylinders have slots at the wing connections so they can float. How fast can run on a smooth field 7 MPH or more?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Trillium Farm said:


> however if speed is of the essence a double rotary will give you excellent speed, more versatility and no ash in the hay, plus your baler will thank you


But your wallet will not... .

Regards, Mike


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

rajela said:


> Tim
> 
> Does your have the double springs? They offer a inner spring to go inside of the outer spring but I have never ordered some for mine. Mine came with just a single spring and it is like dragging a freaking anchor.


No, I just have the one large coil spring. That is the one I replaced. If I had know there was an inner spring available I would have gone that route.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I think it is important to have multiple rakes if you can.....I have both a wheel rake and a rotary rake and regret selling my NH256 because there are times when I would just like to roll a windrow over for a bit more drying and the 256 could do that very nicely. Like in all things haying....there are different situations that call for different actions.

Regards, Mike


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Tim/South said:


> No, I just have the one large coil spring. That is the one I replaced. If I had know there was an inner spring available I would have gone that route.


If you don't mind me asking what did the large spring cost ya?


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

I have had or used every kind of rake there is except a wheel rake a double rotary is out of the question too big for most of our fields and too pricey. I went to the dealer today to buy a bigger rotary the 4221 looked like it and he could have not offered to demo or show us the wheel rakes and had a sale for more money but he felt the wheel rake will work for our operation, most salesmen take the money and run, Dejong has been great to work with.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

Finally got to demo the wheel rake and after a few adjustments in field works fast and makes a decent windrow that drys well. The rotary rake make more uniform windrows and we will use it for first cutting, after using the wheel rake I have to agree with VOL it will be nice to have an extra tool in the box Thanks Mike


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

rajela said:


> If you don't mind me asking what did the large spring cost ya?


$93.96 for the pair.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Vol said:


> I think it is important to have multiple rakes if you can.....I have both a wheel rake and a rotary rake and regret selling my NH256 because there are times when I would just like to roll a windrow over for a bit more drying and the 256 could do that very nicely. Like in all things haying....there are different situations that call for different actions.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I agree about having multiple rakes. Not only for the differences between each, but for a backup. I had been sorta thinking about selling my Kuhn speed rake. I hadn't used it for a couple years. Then my Krone rotary rake got a flat tire which also bent the wheel so it couldn't be used. It was an awful rough field I was on and in many ways the Kuhn Rake is better for a rough field just for the fact that there isn't as much to break on the bumps. Glad I had the Kuhn or I would have had to wait 4 days for the wheel to arrive or pay huge price for overnight shipping.


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

Teslan said:


> I agree about having multiple rakes. Not only for the differences between each, but for a backup. I had been sorta thinking about selling my Kuhn speed rake. I hadn't used it for a couple years. Then my Krone rotary rake got a flat tire which also bent the wheel so it couldn't be used. It was an awful rough field I was on and in many ways the Kuhn Rake is better for a rough field just for the fact that there isn't as much to break on the bumps. Glad I had the Kuhn or I would have had to wait 4 days for the wheel to arrive or pay huge price for overnight shipping.


Or even better: have neighbors with other kinds of rakes who don't mind sharing or bartering for a 12-pack ????

My old man always said "the only thing better than owning something is knowing where to borrow it"


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

One thing that always needs mentioned with the Kuhn speed rakes, you need a float position on the valve running it or you will have areas of high ground pressure where the rake wheels carry the frame weight.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

new ones have floats built into the cylinder pins so you don't have to have the tractor hydraulics in float


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## Snow Farmer (Aug 30, 2011)

I bought a new Kuhn 8 wheel speed rake this year, just finished the season with it.

We tedded (sort of) with the Fella TS350 rotary as soon as a couple of laps were cut, turned (raked with Fella) a day later to dry it, then used the Speed rake to make lovely straight windrows that were easy to bale.

I like the Speedrake for it's wide vee, adjustable windrow width, and ease of adjustment and handling.

Don't like the Speedrake because even at the "lightest" setting, it is still too heavy on the ground, flips up dirt and moss clods, mixing them into the hay.

This unit uses a 'flat' leaf type spring with simple adjustments to regulate wheel pressure on the ground, I think I will add a leaf to try and get some pressure off the wheels.

It does a decent job of raking, fairly clean. The rotary rakes better but is too narrow (11') and produces a narrow windrow, so lots of weaving when round baling.

Snow Farmer

I am going to add some steel to the


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## balerguy1975 (May 6, 2012)

Bought a new Kuhn SR115 12 wheel rake. Not a rake fan but it does come in handy. We drug a couple 15 ft swaths together the other day that was heavy. Grass hay, that was doing 3.5-4 tons an acre. Good machine that we can man handle the hitch to hook up


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