# How to Rake with a rotary rake



## Daner

I seem to get In a snag on that outside row

Where do you start raking...I have tried raking right down the middle of the field and back up,to make a double row...then sometimes I rake the outside row In then rake the 2nd row out,to make a double row on the out side<<Is this the proper way?

Also how wide do you make your rows when cutting...I cut just so the rows are inside the tractor tires...I was wondering If I drop the flap on the discbine and open the deflectors...would this speed up my drying time? I rake everything I cut,so having the hay all over the field wouldn't matter much...I just need some tips from you pros

Daner


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## OhioHay

I make the double on the outside like you said. Rake the outside in, then the second one out. We mow with a self propelled and make as wide of swath as we can to help drying. On the day after mowing, we ted the hay to spread it out over the whole field. With the high humidity that we have in Ohio, it seems that this is the best way for us to get the hay dry. We really like using the rotary rake. I think it helps in drying too. We normally make the double windrow on the outside of the field the last thing that we bale in each field.


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## haybaler

I had a rotary rake but gave it up for a wheel rake. I really like the rotary but the lure of the speed with a wheel rake was just too strong. I agree with OhioHay on pretty much everything except windrow width. What I do depends on ground moisture. Wet ground, lay the windrow as tight as possible and ted at the last possible moment. Dry ground, lay the windrow wide as I can and ted that day or not at all. Have you played with all the adjustments on your rotary rake? Just to see what it can do. The curtain all the way in and out, real early-late release, lilted this way and that.


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## Daner

Thanks for those tips guys...I will start raking the 2 outside rows together,,,sometimes there not dry though...One last 4 acre field I goofed and raked the outside row out then the 2 row out to make a double...I had to scrap that round bale...Is was damp and picked up some fresh greens when i was raking...not good.

I'm still trying to get dry enough weather to finish the rest of my first cut...another 15 acres to go...and there's only 2 day breaks with sunshine


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## OhioHay

We sometimes have trouble with that outside windrow being damp too....especially next to fencerows and woods. In this case, we start baling on the second windrow and when the field is half done or so being baled, we will rake the double back in to flip up the bottom side and help it dry more. We don't always have time to get this accomplished, but it can help.

Haybaler, that is good advice on wet ground to use a narrow windrow to help the ground dry before tedding.


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## Daner

Yes ....great tips on the windrow width when the ground Is wet, It makes sense... and also going back to flip the double outside row...If you have time...and we all know how much we have to race as the day goes on...looking up at those clouds.

Looks like this Friday I will be cutting the remainder of my first cut...and If the ground Is dry enough....I'm dropping the flap and making that row wide.

Know when you cut Say on a Friday...would you rake the next day?? or wait till the day you bale...I find I really have to giver If I rake on the day I bale...Or maybe rake twice??...I find when the hays Is just sitting there not raked It takes along time for that bottom to even to get close to being dry...but when Its raked especially when there's a breeze,It drys better...who knows...Its a tuff crop to harvest racing against the weather..

thanks for your help guys


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## greenacres

daner borrow or rent a tedder it is better than raking


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## Daner

Believe It or not,I stll haven't got all my first cut done yet, the weather has been to rainy up here.

This Is my strategy from your help

I think I'm going to run around the outside and cut that down with the lawn mower (the black line) this we give me more room on that outside row.

1 more question; what adjustments can be made to the rotary rake,besides the leveling and the curtain?

Can It be used to spread the hay all over the field (wide),Then go back and rake In a row?.

I have some hay down now,cut It yesterday late afternoon ,hope to bale on Tuesday, when would you rake?

Thanks for the tips


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## OhioHay

Looks like a good raking strategy to me.

I know it is tough to still be making first at this time, but there is still some left in Ohio too.

As for the adjustments, you have covered most of it. There should be an adjustment for when the teeth release the hay. On the miller pro's, it is on the back side of the rotor and is a handle that you move left of right to determine when the teeth drop the hay.

There are some rake tedder combinations that will let you spread the hay out and then rake it up later. I believe New Holland made one. I think the number was a 254. The miller pro only rakes, so we own a separate tedder.

We typically mow one day. Ted the next morning. Then rake and bale on the third day. So to answer your question about when to rake, I would say tuesday. Hope you get your hay up. We have hay down for both monday and tuesday.


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## Daner

Rain showers just missed us...the radar looks good till tues then 60% chanch

Not sure if i have tine adjusters on this one...but Its a big rake,maybe too big

my Rake------------->http://www.kuhn-canada.com/internet...B37C12573C50055D8E6?OpenDocument&p=14.6.4.3.2


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## downtownjr

I like the Kuhn you chose...it is exactly what I hope to upgrade to myself. Right now I have a NH 256 bar rake...a wet year like this has been tough. Indiana is also humid...a rotary rake is probably the way I should be going...windrows will probably dry much better. My brother uses a combo rotary rake/tedder (Kuhn GR 25 N) that works well...the three point hitch instead of trail has its positives...but I think I will go for an individual rotary rake and seperate tedder...kuhn is the way I am leaning...but Krone sure has a nice setup as well...but a bit salty. Let me know how you like your rake. Tough hay year for sure...good luck.


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## Daner

That Rake has a hydraulic lift,and It seems to work real well.
Around 6pm a big ole cloud rolled In and rained on my 10acres of hay I have down, It was not raked, so I'm hoping It will be dry with the great weather out there today,and they say sunny for tomorrow.

I may be looking for a tedder and doing the routine the way you guys are doing It cutting,tedding Rake and bale.
I have some farm equipment that I dont use anymore, so I may be able to trade something In for a tedder. It sounds like the way to go,since we have the same problem working In between rain clouds and humidity

I'm not sure If I should rake this damp hay latter this after noon, or just wait to tomorrow

Daner


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## astropilot

Tedd the Hay out if you can, call and maybe demo a tedder for the afternoon.


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## hay wilson in TX

Some thoughts.
If you use a tedder normally, consider using it right behind the swather to spread the hay over 100% of the available ground.
Treason the stomas on the under side of the leaf stay open as long as there is direct sunlight on the hay. The more that is in direct sunlight the more hay that will get that first 30% drydown through the leaves. 
Do not be in a rush to rake the hay. Again the hay that is in direct sunlight the moisture in the stems will heat and the resulting vapor pressure will drive out the next 40% maybe 50% of the starting moisture. 
A good rule of thumb is 75% of the curing is done by the sun. The remainder is from low humidity, good winds, & dry soil. 
Now in the Desert SW they do not need or want the direct sunshine as their 10% humidity, and their 20 mph winds are enough to cure the hay with out any sunshine. 
As for a rotory rake, I like to rake in one round and out the other round. 
The key is to run the rotors with the PTO down about 350 rpms. I like to rake the hay the day before I expect to bale, early enough to have enough humidity to hold the leaves. 
The key to using a rotory rake is to have the gage wheels set just right, have the tilt just a little forward, and if on a 3 pt hitch be careful to have the top link set correctly. With the optimal ground speed and a low pto speed you do not need a curtain to restrain the hay. The windrow will be fluffy& with no wet slugs.


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## Eddy

Since tedding removes the raking guidelines, how do you go about raking after tedding?


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## NCSteveH

Eddy said:


> Since tedding removes the raking guidelines, how do you go about raking after tedding?


I rake any way I want, I like straight lines.


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## Robin Craig

Yes, the age old problem that you need an extra strip of field width if you want to turn everything over evenly.

We rake the outside headland inwards at both ends with the guard off the rotary rake to send it as far as we can inwards. Then go down each side and make a double that give us space to rake outwards.

Our finshed objective is when travelling up and down the field there are only rows running in that direction, ie along the long length of the field and contained within the cut area of the field.

What we do on the second raking is to turn it all back inwards in single rows and leave the double outside alone as we know it will be damper. Baling starts on the single rows at the outside, the first that was turned. Once that is baled the stack cruiser collects those bales and stops. The stack cruiser driver hops onto the tractor with the rake and now splits that double back out as two singles and leaves them to dry. These will be the last rows baled and are easily defined because they are separated by a gap at the edge of the field.

Once all the rest of the field is baled the baler comes back to those two outside rows and does them.

I do have to say that this is only our second year making hay but this works well for us for a number of reasons. We like to keep the rows of bales in one direction avoiding bales across the headland which is awkward for the stack cruiser to collect.

We always have a person with a handheld moisture meter probe the bales for the first six bales requiring 3 readings per bale of 13% moisture content or lower to allow the field to be baled, if not we stop.

my 2 cents worth

R


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## Dave5264

Daner said:


> Know when you cut Say on a Friday...would you rake the next day?? or wait till the day you bale...I find I really have to giver If I rake on the day I bale...Or maybe rake twice??...I find when the hays Is just sitting there not raked It takes along time for that bottom to even to get close to being dry...but when Its raked especially when there's a breeze,It drys better...who knows...Its a tuff crop to harvest racing against the weather..


Hi Daner, it was my first year haying too. similar challenges, lots of fun, a few mistakes etc , all part of learning i guess.

Typically I found that it was best to Cut day 1 after the dew was off, leave drying through day 2, rake day 3 after the dew is gone, bale in the early afternoon day 3. It also depends on if your cutting with a mower conditioner too (i think?)...may take longer if its not conditioned ?

I was cutting baling in 2-5 acre parcels. just so I wasnt rushing, and if it rained I wouldnt have a total loss. I cut about 25 acres and baled 1/2 of it (all I needed and I didnt bale anything of questionable quality)

I also found in 1 or 2 fields I had to rake on Day 2 and Day 3. If the hay was thick with lots of clover, it seemed to require more turning and fluffing up to get it dried out. when i did this, I raked on direction day 2 and the other direction day 3, 1) to keep the rows from moving over too far, and 2) with the side rake it tends to roll and twist the wind row, so if you do it twice in the same direction the twist gets tighter and may not dry as well (my observation)

I have an old NH side/bar rake. seemed to work ok.

generally, I too raked the outside windrow together with the second row.


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