# hay rake and double outside rows. lots of questions



## steelskies

We are borrowing our local farmer's JD hay rake, which is very old and is wheel driven windrower. The other neighbor just cut our hay which is VERY tall and quite mature (our hay beine couldn't even get through it). We could not get our outside double row of hay dry. It seems the more we raked it, the more it just seemed to roll into a sort of tube. In general, I think the rake doesn't really turn over the hay very well. Maybe because the hay is so tall (it is mostly grass, some alfalfa and clover).

Is there a way to turn over this long thick hay? I don't think driving slower or faster helps turn over the row, but maybe we should try again. Also, maybe the placement of the tractor over or next to the row would have something to do with how it turns over (or not turns over).

Outside rows: is there another way to do this. My husband rakes the outside row in, then comes around and rakes the second row onto the outside row. I think this is the usual way, However, it just never seems to dry this way, also because its a double thick row. Thanks for any help.


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## Hayman1

Sounds like you need a tedder. I normally rake the same way-one round in, turn around and rake it out, then rake the rest out. Often I will leave that outside windrow till the end of baling the rest and then rake it out into the field several times or ted it out and split it. One year we had timothy so thick I could not rake it and free baled the tedded hay, then raked cleanup windrows. I use a NH1409 discbine, NH163 4 basket tedder and NH258 rollabar rake. Hope that helps.


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## mlappin

Rake em all out so you don't double up, either don't rake the outside row clear our or use the rake to bring it into the field for baling.

Using a bar rake or often known as a roper in this area takes some adjustments to get just right. Position driven on the row affects how far it rolls the hay over as well as your ground speed. If I recall correctly most of the time we ran around 5mph. If your speed and position over the row is just right it's possible to get almost all the wet hay on the bottom of the swath on top of the raked row.

Edit: Bring the outside row in after baling the rest.


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## endrow

mlappin said:


> Rake em all out so you don't double up, either don't rake the outside row clear our or use the rake to bring it into the field for baling.
> 
> Using a bar rake or often known as a roper in this area takes some adjustments to get just right. Position driven on the row affects how far it rolls the hay over as well as your ground speed. If I recall correctly most of the time we ran around 5mph. If your speed and position over the row is just right it's possible to get almost all the wet hay on the bottom of the swath on top of the raked row.
> 
> Edit: Bring the outside row in after baling threst.


yes that is the way I was taught to rake hay 50+ years ago


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## Randy Litton

endrow said:


> yes that is the way I was taught to rake hay 50+ years ago





mlappin said:


> Rake em all out so you don't double up, either don't rake the outside row clear our or use the rake to bring it into the field for baling.
> 
> Using a bar rake or often known as a roper in this area takes some adjustments to get just right. Position driven on the row affects how far it rolls the hay over as well as your ground speed. If I recall correctly most of the time we ran around 5mph. If your speed and position over the row is just right it's possible to get almost all the wet hay on the bottom of the swath on top of the raked row.
> 
> Edit: Bring the outside row in after baling the rest.


 I agree with this post.

If you are going to continue in hay, consider a tedder.

According to extension literature, a tedder will decrease drying time by roughly 50%.


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## Tx Jim

steelskies

If your hay-bine wouldn't cut your tall crop what was utilized to cut it? Ditto on acquiring a tedder.


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## Vol

This thread is almost 5 years old.

Regards, Mike


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## Tx Jim

Mike

Thanks for pointing out this thread is almost 5 yrs OLD as I didn't check date of origin.

Jim


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