# What size of wheel rake do i need



## jasonk150 (Sep 24, 2011)

I'm looking at buying an 18ft windrower. Will an M&W 16wheel work? If I remember correctly it spreads to 30ft??? Even if I'm making 6ft windrower on paper it looks like it will work. Anybody else run an 18ft


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

If you want to rake two swaths on one the basic math would be to take your mower width (18 ft) + swath width (6 ft) + some wiggle room ( 2-3 ft) = about 27 ft, so 30 should work.

We run a 14 ft mower, drop a 7 ft swath, and rake with a 23 ft rake.


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

I have a double six S&H rake. When we were cutting with a 14 ft windrower it worked great and we were happy with it. I then traded windrowers and went to a 15'3" discbine. If we lay a wide windrow it will skip over heavy hay. It does okay in a narrower windrow but being open so wide it causes the wheels to run at a sharper angle now and we are constantly replacing teeth. Lightening up the wheels again allows it to miss some hay. The larger swather should have come with a double seven rake. Mel


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I know you asked about a rake but depending on how thick the hay you are cutting is I would think twice before buying that big of a windrower. Especially since you are planning to put two windrows together? That would be a huge windrow. What kind of baler do you use? Could it handle that much hay easily? I had some first cutting grass hay this year cut with our 15'3" that when I put the 2 windrows together it barely went under the tractor and I had to go only about 2mph with our 3x3 baler or I'm sure it would have plugged up.


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## jasonk150 (Sep 24, 2011)

As long as the hay is dry my baler can swallow it.


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