# Hay rake size? Can it be too big?



## greenhorn (May 9, 2010)

Well I was going to hold off purchasing a rake until next year but figured I'll keep my eyes open for a decent deal if I can find one...

My question is... Is there such a thing as having too big of a rake? Alot of guys in my area have 10 wheels but I have seen some 12 wheel ones for sale that have a decent price on 'em. Is there any cons of having a larger 12 wheel rake? I just figured it'd be more beneficial but as they say, bigger isn't always better. I'll probably use this to roll them over too just to dry it because I won't be using a tedder...


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Use a 12 wheel myself, only problem you really run into is if it starts to get late on the first cutting. This isn't really a major problem. If I'm raking tedded hay I simply don't extend it out to the full 25', if your raking untedded hay, your going to have the same size rows regardless if your using a ten or twelve wheel.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Yes. I have two rakes-a 8 wheel Hesston V rake and an AG Maxx 12+3 Y rake. The Hesston works great in heavy first cutting where the Ag Maxx makes windrows way too big for a decent flake size when square baling. The Ag Maxx has a 27' reach and works great in later cuttings when it's thinner, especially for big rounds. Also, the Ag Maxx is great for long, straight fields, but is a bear to handle in smaller, odd shaped fields.

The Hesston works great in those fields with triangles, tight curves, etc. Many times, I'll use both rakes on the same field--I have one person doing the straight shots and somebody else doing the tight parts.

For small squares, I'll run the Ag Maxx in the 12+3 Y configuration and for big rounds in a 12 wheel V configuration.

Also, if you're using a moco and making tighter swaths, it helps to match your rake width to the mowers width so that you aren't picking up only part of a swath.

A good windrow is essential for a good bale, big or small.

Ralph


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

Last season we increased daily output from our 575 NH by 15% purely by increasing the size of the rake.
All of our first cut is tedded and almost dry by the time we rake. By raking 27' into one windrow instead of 2 x 15' we have reduced headland turns almost by half and have reduced the wear and tear on the equipment by travelling at 3 mph as opposed to 5-6mph. Added benefit of being less tiring for the operator.
Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

MikeRF said:


> Last season we increased daily output from our 575 NH by 15% purely by increasing the size of the rake.
> All of our first cut is tedded and almost dry by the time we rake. By raking 27' into one windrow instead of 2 x 15' we have reduced headland turns almost by half and have reduced the wear and tear on the equipment by travelling at 3 mph as opposed to 5-6mph. Added benefit of being less tiring for the operator.
> Mike


No doubt, I'd rather drive slow with a big row than drive faster with smaller rows.

On later cuttings I do a lot of raking while it's tougher than it should be, let er sit a bit then lock one side of the rake up, and rake one towards the other, then drop the locked up side and come back and finish raking so I have four rows in one.


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

mlappin said:


> No doubt, I'd rather drive slow with a big row than drive faster with smaller rows.
> 
> On later cuttings I do a lot of raking while it's tougher than it should be, let er sit a bit then lock one side of the rake up, and rake one towards the other, then drop the locked up side and come back and finish raking so I have four rows in one.


Thats a wheel rake or rotary??


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

I use 2 -16 wheel Sitrex rakes and a 12 wheel NH (made by Sitrex). I have no problems with any rakes in any fields big or small. You either move them in or out depending on the size windrows and amount of hay you want to rake. I rake all the straight rows first and then come back and rake the headlands last, picking up the rake at the end of each windrow. I'm sure there are others here that do it different ways. Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

MikeRF said:


> Thats a wheel rake or rotary??


Wheel rake, still not sold on a rotary for numerous reasons.


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## greenhorn (May 9, 2010)

Do you guys have preference for the hydraulic lift or the bi-fold? Is there anything that makes one superior over the other?

EDIT: Also do any of you guys just roll your rows over with the rake instead of tedding? Or do you all ted?


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## astropilot (Jun 3, 2008)

Hey Mlappin, Can you explain your numerous reasons why Rotary is not as good as a wheel rake? I absolutely love my Krone rotary and I have used a Sistrex V-rake for the last 15 yrs. The rotary is better in most hay except light hay, and the consistence of the small squares are better with the rotary. It just my 2 cents. Mark


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Depends on the conditions. Earlier in the year when the humidity was sky high and the ground was saturated, even tedding didn't help a lot, everytime you moved the hay what was on bottom ended up wet again. Once the weather straightened up and the ground dried out, I didn't ted again the rest of the year. I'm also running aftermarket rollers as well. I'm using this rake, Hay-and-Forage-Equipment New Holland Trailing-Wheel-Rakes - Models, technical data and characteristics


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

astropilot said:


> Hey Mlappin, Can you explain your numerous reasons why Rotary is not as good as a wheel rake? I absolutely love my Krone rotary and I have used a Sistrex V-rake for the last 15 yrs. The rotary is better in most hay except light hay, and the consistence of the small squares are better with the rotary. It just my 2 cents. Mark


Never said they weren't as good, just not sold on one.

I have ground that even with each wheel independently mounted and spring loaded on my v-wheel rake I still leave some hay in places. In those places I either come back and hit it in the opposite direction or come back with the baler and pick it up dead last.

I'm making a wee bit over 200 acres by myself now, can't stand to lose any ground speed while raking.

I have the center kicker wheels on my rake and every center delivery rotary rake I've seen will not move the hay in the center if it's tedded.

It doesn't happen often as I do almost all the raking, but if required "the help" can run a wheel rake and is almost idiot proof while I can't even imagine the damage "the help" could inflict on a rotary rake.

I round bale all my hay and the few demo's I've seen with a rotary rake they leave a tall narrow windrow while my wheel rake I can leave em over 4 foot wide to make the perfect round bale every time. I have the 7 foot pickup on the new baler and have baled rows that wide as well if the wind has been wreaking havoc on the rows.

One thing that usually stops a salesman in his tracks is after they give the "makes a bigger fluffier row" line is asking them how I'm ever supposed to get it all baled as the wheel rake makes a much fluffier row than the bar rakes did and I can remember having to rerake a few fields after the wind blew it everywhere when it was raked with the old rolabar rakes. I have had to call home before and have somebody bring the wheel rake back to the field to rerake after a few good gusts, if I was using a rotary might as well as plan on leaving it in the field until its baled. Not sure why, but I suspect that a few of these fields are so rolling the wind does strange things like follow the dips and gets amplified by the fence rows or something.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Mlappin, I use the same rakes as you. A NH154 and Sitrex. I like them because I can get over a lot of acreage in a short period of time. I also use kicker wheels and windguards on each wheel. I think the Krone rotary rakes are the best made and have their place. They do put up a tall and narrow windrow and that would be fine for smaller fields that are somewhat protected by trees or do not have windy conditions. I like baling a wider windrow and being able to put a lot of hay thru the baler as I go. It just makes good sense for me to use the bigger wheel rakes. I'm not sure what model of rotary rake it would take to match up with putting 2- 16' windrows together like I can with my wheel rakes, but I'm sure it would be very expensive. I run 2 Krone tedders and think their equipment is top quality. Mike


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