# Opinions



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

NH 256 rake. Go.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

As a rule NH 256 rakes are very good.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Found one on Craigslist for $1,200 it's in decent shape at least visually. Do I have any shot getting it for $800?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Found one on Craigslist for $1,200 it's in decent shape at least visually. Do I have any shot getting it for $800?


Great parts availability. Good rake.

All you can do is try offering $800 and see what happens.


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

It is definitely a superior rake to that $800 John Deere. Better design (offset axles, better bearings, modern NH gearbox design with no oil seal problems), easier to get parts, more common. It's the sort of rake you would keep forever as a backup even if you upgraded to something really fancy much later. Or if you stay in haying in a small way you might still be using it in 40 or 50 years time. I have had my NH57 rake for more than 30 years. If that JD is worth $800 a NH256 has to be worth $1200. Even $1000 would be a good deal.

Now's the time to buy it with that raking job to do. You'll love using it, and would will make much better, more saeleable hay than if you did not rake it, and would save heaps of time and frustration (and temptation to not do a proper job) compared with hand-raking it.

Roger


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

It's about 1 hr away. How would it travel down the road?


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

should travel fine, they have been hauled on roads since they started making them. Check the bearings in the bars. have some on hand. and rake teeth with some bolts. I had a 55 that two people wore out before I got it and I wore it out again. finally sold it for 200 more than I bought it for and bought a new 258. I would not recommend one of those, too wide, the 256 is a far better rake.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> It's about 1 hr away. How would it travel down the road?


Grease the wheels and ideally also disconnect the telescoping driveshaft just in case. You can tow it though you won't want to go crazy with speed. Depends on tire condition too.


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

An hour away at what speed? I'd suggest no faster than 25 mph, but that depends on how good the wheel bearings are. It will have better bearings than an older rake, so ought to travel well. I have towed a 56 (which is a much older version of that rake) at 20 mph no problem. You could disconnect the drive from the axle to the gearbox in case something goes wrong and the rake drive clutch suddenly engages at speed. You don't want that! Take a grease gun with you and if the wheel bearings are greasable, grease them before you head for home.

Roger


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Guy just called me back and said he'd take $800 for it... I definitely did not expect him to go for that... Not sure I can pass it up at $800


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Immensely better rake than either of those JD 8?? series you were looking at for $800 and $500.

The crown jewels of the parallel bar rake design are the NH 256 and NH 56 (56 is same basic rake with lighter duty bearings). with the JD 6?? series coming in a distant 3rd (basically a NH copy of the 56).

You will never lose at an $800 purchase price and that price is a bargain for one if in decent shape at all. That all said the rake is a 1 trick pony rope making hay rake, but that is 1 more trick you have up your sleeve compared to what you have now. (start shopping for a 2 rotor tedder next).


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I'll post some pictures of it later tonight. So I can get some visual opinions on it.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

What will happen if I try to rake this heavy hay?


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Worst that will happen is the drive tires will skid. From the pics you posted of the windrows, THAT is not heavy hay. 256 will work great, just check the u-joints on the shaft going to the gearbox. Not a major deal, just aggravating when the yoke busts.

$800 is a steal for a 256, don't diddle too long or the guy may change his mind!


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Great rake for 800. They aren't dropping in price any that's for sure. Even better if you can add a dolly wheel.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

This one? Needs a heavy dose of teeth but the steel ones aren't too pricey. Traction tires and dolly wheel would both be preferable but you can upgrade those later if you desire. You aren't going wrong at $800.

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/grd/5633918699.html


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Hopefully getting it tomorrow. I'm pretty excited.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

8350HiTech said:


> This one?
> http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/grd/5633918699.html


Maybe..... Yes that one.


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

Nothing a few tines won't fix. Coat of paint and some traction tires over the winter for next year.

It will work fine without a dolly wheel.

Now all you need is a 7 foot haybine and a two rotor tedder rake. And once you have those we will think of something else you need!

Roger


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

By Traction tires you mean a set of new tires? Are tines expensive? Are they easy to replace?

To me it looks like it has 5 bars. I know the JD had 4 and you were saying 5 was much better.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Looks good even at $1200, drop some money in actual traction tires for it and you'll be golden for awhile.

WE had two NH258's forever and never had a dolly hitch for either one, if you can find one cheap enough then sure, but I wouldn't worry about it.

If possible keep it inside if it has the rubber mounted teeth, sunlight seems to break the rubber down faster on the teeth that regular tires.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

bool said:


> Nothing a few tines won't fix. Coat of paint and some traction tires over the winter for next year.
> 
> It will work fine without a dolly wheel.
> 
> ...


It'll work fine without paint too 

The only reason I really like the dolly wheel, and it might apply in this case, is that it negates any issues with using a tractor(s) with odd drawbar heights. Otherwise it's just another pair of tires to go flat. I can rake a field with no tails without a dolly though I don't usually have to anymore unless something happens to my rotary rake.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Traction tires are lugged tires, like rear tractor tires.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/TWO-5-00-15-BKT-HAY-RAKE-COMPACT-TRACTOR-TIRE-LUG-500-15-R1-/252249958502?nav=SEARCH


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

What kind of horse power do I need to run a 7 ft haybine?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> By Traction tires you mean a set of new tires? Are tines expensive? Are they easy to replace?
> 
> To me it looks like it has 5 bars. I know the JD had 4 and you were saying 5 was much better.


Don't remember the cost of tines, as long as you aren't digging them into the ground all the time they last long enough.

Yes, a new set of tires, car tires will slip too easy if your in heavy hay.

These are what our rakes had on em and you could still slip a tire if the guy mowing left a slug somewhere.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Would a farmall 200 pull this rake?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> What kind of horse power do I need to run a 7 ft haybine?


A 7 foot haybine doesn't take much, we used to run a NH495 which is a twelve foot cut with an Oliver Supper 88 diesel. Which is about 45-50 hp at the PTO.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Would a farmall 200 pull this rake?


Easily.

Looks like the steel tines like you'll need are listed at $2.54 each.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

From the picture, the frame may be bent a little between the 1st and 2nd stripper on the left side and it appears that the tines have been rubbing on the curved pipe/stripper bar on the left side (there are also a couple of tines missing on that end indicating that they my have been taken off to allow for the lack of clearance from the bent frame?) You should be able roll the rake without too much hitting of the rake teeth to the stripper bars etc...; it should rotate fairly easily with no binding. Also bring your calibrated eyeball and make sure the bars (to which the teeth are mounted) are straight.

As far as the 200 pulling it...I would rather pull that rake with the simplicity than the baler. That lil Farmall B could play with it with plenty of power to spare. Heck, that B could pull 2 or 3 of them at once.

73, Mark


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Shoot you can use regular radial car tires, don't worry about tires. It's easy to fix anything on it. Just take hitch without a ball and pin to fit. Take a few pins because you never know what modifications have been done to the hitch.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Anyone know how many hp the farmall 200 has at the pto. Just trying to figure out if it's enough to run a haybine. My father in law is balking at the idea of me pulling even a hay rake let alone a haybine. Please simplify answers as I am still learning.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Anyone know how many hp the farmall 200 has at the pto. Just trying to figure out if it's enough to run a haybine. My father in law is balking at the idea of me pulling even a hay rake let alone a haybine. Please simplify answers as I am still learning.


Tractor data lists the test data for the 200 at approximately 21 hp at the drawbar and 24 at the belt. http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/3/1/311-farmall-200.html Other sites suggest (unsurprisingly) that the pto hp is nearly identical to the belt hp.

Either of your farm tractors will pull a ground drive rake. It will require nearly the same power to move the rake through the field as it does to drive the tractor alone.

I think you're short on power for a haybine. Popular opinion is 30 hp. Read this. http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/country-living-forums/shop-talk/138802-hp-7ft-haybine.html A quick Google search is often your friend.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I trust the hay experts on this site far more than Google


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

If the 200 can drive that brush hog it can drive a 7 foot haybine. A haybine probably weighs as much as the NH66 baler but has more tongue weight because the wheels are further back, so the 200 would need a good strong drawbar. The other issue is hydraulics. Does the 200 have remote hydraulics? Almost all haybines need a hydraulic ram to lift the header front. You can use a screw fitting but it's time-consuming.

The 256 takes almost no power to pull. The BN would be just fine. Good job for it. The Simplicity would be fine. Even your daughter's pony could pull it if it had a dolly.

Eventually you will want a fancier tractor with a bit more power and features. My father started with a Farmall A and went from there.

Roger


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

We are picking up the baler tomorrow morning. It is field ready. We are waiting until about 10:00 to rake and then bale about 12:00. We have rain coming on Wednesday so we have that to deal with. Nothing like having your back up against a wall. Wish us luck.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Sometimes "field ready" means it was in the field last yr,nothing more.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I talked to the owner on the phone this morning. And he said it was ready to use same day. Also said something about metal tines and springs. Said it was more desirable than rubber or something.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> I talked to the owner on the phone this morning. And he said it was ready to use same day. Also said something about metal tines and springs. Said it was more desirable than rubber or something.


From the picture, it's missing plenty of those tines. You might want to go buy 20 before you take his word for it being absolutely ready. It might work the way it is but it will surely leave hay behind on the right side.

The rake you're looking at has metal tines and they are much cheaper to replace than rubber. Both work well.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I'd have to find a place to get them tomorrow. Since nothing is open today. I'll have to look into it.


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

I have the factory manual for Hesston 1110(7ft) and 1120(9ft) mower conditioner (commonly called by the NH trademarked name haybine by many). Book specifies 30 PTO hp as the absolute bare minimum to run either model.

I have run my Hesston 1120 mower conditioner with my bone stock gas piston model Farmall h which is maybe 27 PTO hp on a good day. It does okay with it but I would not want any less hp either. Most people prefer 40 to 60 hp on a sickle based mower conditioner. My Farmall m at 37 PTO hp handles it much better (M also has lots of torque).

Your 200 is 24 hp PTO at its absolute pulling it guts out max but more like 22 hp PTO at a comfortable rated level (when it was new 60 years ago). While your 200 is not significantly less than in hp than my ole h it also has less motor torque too and an ole Farmall h is nothing to brag about motor torque wise. Torque is important. If you do not believe that then put the same PTO load behind the Farmall 200, Farmall b, and that Simplicity. They all around 20 hp but the Farmalls will play with the load where the simplicity well...its the torque not the hp

Not saying your 200 would not handle a 7' mower conditioner (haybine) but it would not necessarily be easy on it by any means.

A quality 7' sickle mower would ideally be the best fit for the Farmalls. (When you operate with 70 year old tractors and hay it is always nice to have a back up so you could use either tractor if you pick a sickle that will hook up to either tractor)

Either Farmall will pull the NH 256 rake easily. (Simplicity would handle the rake too in a pinch but beat you to death in rough ride. I have even pulled my hay rake with a piece of crap Murray GT series rider although the tractor drive belt did wanna slip on it so I did not do it very long).

I would only pull the baler with the Farmall 200 or the Farmall b. Really there is no sense subjecting those itty bitty gears in the Simplicity drivetrain to the gyro rocking motion of the baler. The Farmalls have the metal to handle this.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> I talked to the owner on the phone this morning. And he said it was ready to use same day. Also said something about metal tines and springs. Said it was more desirable than rubber or something.


i'm not saying the rake isn't field ready.

I'm saying when people are selling eq and describing it their version of field ready can be different then mine.

I've found that people and dealers describe eq better then it actually is more often then not.Ive been awfully pissed off after driving a couple hundred miles and find a piece of eq not as good as described.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Yes I agree. I appreciate your concern. I will try to get some tynes on it before we use it tomorrow. I'm dealing with today that is a holiday and rain coming on Wednesday. Need to jam a lot of work in tomorrow. My daughter has her first horse show tomorrow night and I can't miss that.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Make sure you pull the right pin to disconnect the drive shaft on the NH you can pull the one that retains the wheel on that side as well. That btw is not good. As long as you can turn it by hand you should be able to run it as is than fix as you go. I've had car tires and traction tires on rakes. Traction tires are actually quite expensive. And I'll echo what everyone else said. There is no reason your Farmall wouldn't pull that rake. You can do it with a Cub.


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Hope you make your daughters horse show, but haying is usually not condusive to family life functions at all. It is always a 4 to 5 day committment where everything else gets put on hold to do whatever needs done to get the hay in the barn.

While you hope to start baling tomorrow at a given time, you may not be able to begin if it is still too wet. No way to get wet hay dry once its inside a bale so the crop tells you when you will begin not when you want to begin. Always fighting equipment breakdowns/malfunctions. Been out there many a night picking up bales in the dark before they get dewed on and soak up moisture like a sponge or rushing to get the trailer inside the barn as the rain is coming across the field to just barely beat the rain. Oh the fun when it all works out (weird way of fun) and yet the misery too.

Never ever has haying been condusive to family life which is the reason I suspect many their buy hay as the sacrfices are not always easy ones to make.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Yes I understand. The hay is not as important and my family. Since this is not a custom job I will say screw it and we will be happy with the bales we get.


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Assuming you quit befor your done: You still have to get the mess off the field later or there is always the risk that there will be no custom jobs coming your way. Word of mouth travels fast in small rural areas. Plus if you plan to hay this same field yourself again later this year you will want the mess gone for your benefit alone on the next crop you personally hay there.

In square bales: Properly cured hay that has not been rained on is the most valuable monetarily.

Rained on hay: Is still salvageable and it still has some monetary value but you now have to do even more work to save it (extra raking or tedding) and it is now worth less money too.

Repeatedly rained on hay: It eventually becomes totally valueless mulch hay, but you still gotta do all the work to get it off the field regardless so you can hay that field again in the future or alternatively to save your reputation of not leaving a mess. So you did all that work and incur expenses only to clean up a mess for nothing monetarily is never fun.

Hay that was baled too wet to start with: Totally valueless unless you can feed it yourself immediately like silage. It will mold or burn someone barns down if stored. Either not good.

Rarely is haying ever "the heck with this my family comes first" as the choice is not always as cut and dry as it sounds. You leaving early tomorrow could end up meaning lots of extra work for you which means even more time away from the family (not to mention the lost money side of it, but more importantly your reputation which is paramount in the hay world and since you have plans to sell you reputation is critical in every way).

I truly hope it works out that you make your daughter's show. (Unfortunately past experience tells me what my fate would likely be)


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

The lawn owner cares naught about haying. His only goal of having someone hay the field was to have it cut down. He does not care what is left on the field. This is a custom MOWING job technically. This will not ruin my reputation as a custom haying operator. This situation is unique in that manner. Whatever hay we get off the field my dad will probably keep. Anything that is left on the field is what it is... not ideal by any means. It is only a 2.5 acre practice field. The stakes are low and the benefit is decent if we can yield any hay. Of course I have expenses but learning is expensive sometimes. I post on here to learn as much as I can to minimize the pain of the learning curve.

If this was my field or a larger more valuable field I'd definitely have to make the sacrifice of missing the horse show. However, this situation does not warrant making that sacrifice in my opinion


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I am at the new holland website. I have selected my location as the Coopersville, MI dealer Burnips Equipment Company. I can only find rubber tines. I would prefer to keep them all metal. Is it ok to have a mix match on the tines? or does anyone have the part number handy? I'll keep looking but thought I'd throw it out there. Thanks.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> I am at the new holland website. I have selected my location as the Coopersville, MI dealer Burnips Equipment Company. I can only find rubber tines. I would prefer to keep them all metal. Is it ok to have a mix match on the tines? or does anyone have the part number handy? I'll keep looking but thought I'd throw it out there. Thanks.


If you're on the 256 parts page, there should be three tines listed on the page labeled "009-reel". Items 19-21. The steel tine you need *should* be #20 or 64562. TSC would typically carry replacement tines as well.

Keep them all metal. The rubber are theoretically better but more expensive and will degrade and then fall off if left outdoors, though the oem tines don't degrade nearly as fast as aftermarket rubber tines.


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

It is okay to have a mix and match for tines although a pessimist could argue the balance issue is less than ideal but I do not think it would hurt anything. I would go metal if at all possible as they will last.

Rubber is hit and miss as to quality and expensive.

Any brand of dealer that is set up can also buy aftermarket tines from A&I (here is cut and paste catalog from AI)

http://www.powellequipmentparts.com/baler_teeth-rake_teeth-tedder_teeth.pdf


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Well all I can say is do not necessarily view it as a mowing job only. While the owner may not be too picky you just never know who all else is watching. You pull in there with 70 year old equipment and leave a mess in the eyes of neigboring farmers and some will take every opportunity they can to spread the word about how you operate and make you a laughing stock.

On the other hand, you pull in there with 70 year old equipment, do a fine job mowing the grass, make some fine looking bales, a clean up all your mess and that will be respected in anyones eyes and it can lead to opportunities you did not even know esisted (whether you pursue them is another matter)

Being a good steward of the land goes a long way. After all this same field is gonna need mowed again in 30 to 45 days. Might as well be you again if you choose to do it again. If not then it is ready for the next person.

The hay field cutting video looked of decent quality to me (not overly weedy) so I would say you should potentially get some fine looking hay outta there.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I agree with everything you said


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Those tines say 259 are they compatible with the 256?


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Tines are one of the few things I'd buy at tractor supply.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Those tines say 259 are they compatible with the 256?


Like I said, that's what comes up when searching the NH parts book.


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## jr in va (Apr 15, 2015)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> What kind of horse power do I need to run a 7 ft haybine?


35 honest pto hp will be enough.Many pulled with an 8n or H Farmall.Both had less hp.


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## tom-ky (May 30, 2011)

As Dill said( quote would not work for me):

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rake-teeth-262-wire-for-new-holland-rake-models

Might need some of these also:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rake-tooth-holder-for-new-holland-5-pack?cm_vc=IOPDP1


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Rural King is another excellent place to check besides TSC if you have any of those nearby.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Thanks all. We have several TSC's I'll check there. We have it in tow. It's a beaut!! Guy was awesome. Older man who buys and restores and sells them at auction. I couldn't be happier.


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Congrats. Also check that gearbox for fluid. NH originally called for gear oil but that would not really stay in there even when new and leaked badly. NH later started recommending cornhead grease in there technical bulletins to fill the gearbox instead of oil. (Cornhead grease is a 00 based grease that somewhat flows more like oil when warm but thickens up when cool so as to not leak. If you put regular #2 grease by itself in a gearbox it just gets flung out to the sides sticks and never flows to where lube is needed)

If you pull the plugged and it has a funky nasty looking green stuff in there then it is more than likely John Deere brand cornhead grease so do not pannick.

If it is still oil (and leaking) you can thicken that up by adding some plain ole #2 grease and make your own gummy grease/oil combo if desired.

NOTE: Polyurea based JD corn head grease (green stuff) is not compatible with gear oil or the most common run of the mill lithium based #2 greases so do not mix them. If green stuff only use the green stuff. Flush and clean oil remnants out if adding JD cornhead grease for first time. I am not sure what the base lubricant is in other brands of 00 spec grease/oil so overall compatibility may vary as could color depending upon brandname.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> It's about 1 hr away. How would it travel down the road


Fine... I've seen a lot of guys pull them behind the pickup down the road. I wouldn't do much over about 30-35 though myself, just to be sure nothing gets messed up.

Usually guys will take the gearbox driveshaft off the axle shaft by the LH wheel... then install a bolt in the axle hole that the driveshaft yoke is retained by. Wire the shaft up to the rear frame of the basket. If it's a short haul and you don't go very fast, you don't have to remove the driveshaft though. It's not hard to do though and cheap insurance. Just be sure you put a bolt through the hole on the end of the axle...

Agree if it's in good shape mechanically $1200 is quite fair, and $1000 is a GREAT deal. $800 is REALLY cheap-- I wouldn't expect to get this model rake in "field ready" condition for that kind of money.

Later and good luck! OL J R 

Later! OL J R


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

Nice work! You could ask the seller about lubricating the gearbox. Or a NH dealer. Your truck would pull it in the field if necessary.

Maybe the seller could find you a mower or haybine.

Roger


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Would a farmall 200 pull this rake?


A Farmall 200 would pull TWO of those rakes EASY...

Now you just need a bridge hitch and a second rake and you can be super-haying! LOL

Seriously, these rakes are easy to pull... Farmall B, John Deere B, 2N or 8N Ford, you name it. Doesn't take much tractor to pull a rake (unless it's one of these 25 footers a lot of the big guys have LOL)

Looks like you got a steal! Congrats! Now you just want to make sure you operate it correctly... DO NOT run it with the tines digging into the ground. When a rolabar rake is set properly, the tines should JUST BARELY clear the ground, maybe an inch off the ground, depending on your stubble height. They CAN *barely* touch the ground now and then as the surface of the ground undulates with high and low spots; that's perfectly acceptable. BUT, when set properly, the rake tines should only touch the ground "here and there" on high spots, NOT ALL TINES CONTINUOUSLY SCRATCHING THE GROUND. In very short, light hay, you have to run them a little lower, and sometimes get a little more contact, just DO NOT TRY TO "PLOW" with the thing like a lot of guys around here do... that will tear things up faster, break and bend tines, bust U-joints, knock out bar bearings, tear up the wheel ratchet clutches, etc.

To adjust the operating height, pull into the field, turn the basket so one bar is at the lowest point (star wheel pointing down) and then crank the right hand end down til the tines JUST TOUCH the ground, then give it 1-2 turns of the RH crank back up. Do the same with the LH end, til the tines JUST BARELY TOUCH the ground, then 1-2 turns back up. This should be a good "starting setting". Shift the rake in gear (lever/cable BACK) and give the basket a spin by hand... you should hear both ratchet clutches clicking as the ratchet dogs rotate inside the hubs. Jump on the tractor and rake about 20 yards. Rake at whatever speed you feel comfortable, I usually rake at 6 mph because that's what my Fords are geared at in 6th gear/1800 rpms. If you rake TOO fast (above 135 rpm on the rake basket) you'll start hearing the bars banging on the frame from centrifugal force. Usually I idle down to about 1400 RPM on the return pass so I get a nicer windrow, as raking at full speed tends to "flop" the hay over as it comes off the left end of the basket-- slowing down a bit means it stays in a nicer windrow. After you rake 20-30 yards, hit the clutch and brake on your tractor right quick-- the rake basket should continue to freewheel turn for about 1-2 revolutions or so (tines not hitting the dirt or BARELY touching the dirt). If it doesn't, if the rake basket quits turning after a partial revolution, or "springs back" when the lowest tine bar's tines hit the ground (since they're spring loaded, rubber or steel) the tines are too low (or you stopped on a particular high spot or wheels in a low spot). Try again and see what it does. If you can see deep scratch marks in the dirt behind the rake over large areas or in continuous stripes, crank up that side (or both sides) of the rake a turn or two on the cranks. As long as it's raking "clean" you're golden. In "normal" height hay (boot high to knee-high grass) it'll rake very clean... in short hay (like 6 inch or less high fine grass) the rake will miss more-- you can go a LITTLE lower to get more of it, but you'll never get it ALL, even if you "plow" with the rake. Just accept that in that sort of crop you're going to have more losses, which is equally true baling as well in fine, short grass. Once you get the height set, you're golden-- just rake to your heart's content.

There is one other setting that's critical to how the rake performs-- the BASKET TILT adjustment. Sadly, it's also one of the most misunderstood/underutilized features on a rolabar rake. You'll notice on the front of the rake frame where the front of the basket frame mounts to it, there is a vertical plate sticking down with a slot in it, with an adjustable pivot ball that the front of the basket frame pivots on with a ball-n-socket arrangement-- THIS is the basket tilt adjustment. There's either a hex nut or, on older rakes, a sliding "bar-n-threaded barrel" type adjuster nut (so you don't need a wrench to turn it) on this pivot point. If you loosen this nut a couple turns, you can slide the pivot point up and down in the groove, which changes the 'angle of attack' between the tines and the ground. With the adjuster nut ALL THE WAY UP, the tines are pretty much VERTICAL with the surface of the ground-- this makes the hay get flipped UPWARD and to the side as the windrow forms across the face of the basket, making a LOOSER, FLUFFIER windrow to speed drying. It also will handle heavier hay better. With the adjuster nut ALL THE WAY DOWN, it tilts the basket tines BACK so they're at an angle to the ground and hay, with the tips swept toward the BACK of the rake-- this causes the hay to ROLL FORWARD and to the side MUCH more than it's flipped up, making a TIGHTER windrow, which tends to "rope" more in certain conditions. This setting IS better in short, light grass crops or in over-dry conditions when a lighter, fluffier windrow might "blow apart" or more short, fine hay will be lost through the basket. BUT, for MOST conditions in good, "regular" type hay, you want to run the rake pivot AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE in the groove-- this results in a higher, fluffier, looser, and better-drying windrow, as well as less "roping" of long-stemmed hay, and the hay rakes easier (handles large windrows better/easier) and IMHO it's easier on the hay as well. A lot of the adjustment of this comes with EXPERIENCE so just play around with it a little and see how you like it. If the windrow is "too tall and fluffy", lower the nut in the groove. If the windrow is "too tight and ropey", raise the nut in the groove.

Be sure you grease her up every day... There's zerks on each hub on the outside, as the hubs have bushings so they can ratchet on the axles (acts as a differential when turning and the axle turns faster than the wheel on the inside wheel of the rake on a turn) and allows the axle to "freewheel" inside the hub when you stop (and the basket keeps turning the gearbox and axles/ratchet clutches in each wheel hub. MAKE SURE these are greased well. There's also a zerk on the back of each axle housing, which contains the roller bearings (wheel bearings) that the axles rotate in. There's also zerks on both U-joints next to the axle housings on the driveshaft between the two wheels, and on both the U-joints on the driveshaft from the gearbox down to the LH wheel outside end of the axle. Also, a zerk on the driveshaft to grease the telescoping part of the shaft (as the basket moves up and down) There's also zerks on the tops of the bellcranks that adjust the height of the basket, and a zerk on the front end of each bellcrank rod just behind the float springs behind the hand height adjusting cranks at the forward frame mounts. Grease these all up because they all pivot/slide as the basket floats over uneven terrain. There's also a grease zerk on the RH "star wheel" on the end of rake, on the inside of the hub that the star wheel bolts to, which greases the roller bearings on the RH idler star wheel. Be sure that the gearbox has plenty of corn head (very thin) grease in it-- gear oil usually leaks out, but since it's a low speed box, corn head grease will stay put and works great.

Maintenance wise, there's not much to them-- there's a dog clutch in each hub that uses a ratchet pawl(s) attached to the axle plate inside the hub. The hub itself slides on over the end of the axle, and rides on bushings inside the hub (which you want to keep well greased to prevent undue wear and "slop" in the wheels) and the inside of the large "bell" end of the hub has grooves that the ratchet dogs drop into (with the help of little return springs) to drive the rake when pulled forward, but ratchet going backwards or if you stop quickly (to let the basket "spin down" to a stop) and also allow for "differential action" in turns. If you ever have a problem, it's easy to fix-- take the roll pin or bolt out of the end of the axle, slide the hub off (and gearbox driveshaft on the LH wheel) and slide the hub off-- inspect the ratchet dogs and springs for free movement, check the grooves in the hubs for packed in dried grease/dirt/crud and dig out if necessary-- if the springs are good and the dogs move freely your golden. I've never had to rebuild a NH rake gearbox, and we've been running these things since I was knee high to a grasshopper... sometimes the cable that disengages the gearbox (they're spring loaded "in gear"-- the cable/shifter pulls the gearbox lever "out of gear" and holds it there) might need adjustment or replacement if it gets rusted or breaks, other than that they're pretty trouble free. If you run them right, and if the rake hasn't been used to "plow" by previous owners, the tine bar bearings should last practically forever. The 256 uses a single ball bearing in each tine bar end, the 258 uses TWO ball bearings in each bar end. They're all permanently sealed ball bearings, BUT I HAVE seen some OLDER rakes that actually had a grease zerk out there on the bar ends, so double check to see if yours does or not-- if it does, give them a couple shots of grease each! The only other thing that springs to mind is the bellcranks that connect the height adjustment screws to the basket-- where they mount to the frame of the rake just above the basket, those bushings can sometimes go bad and need replaced... the bellcranks will sit noticeably "sideways" or "keeled over" if they need fixed-- it's not a huge deal or very expensive to fix usually. Other than that, the occasional U-joint failure is inevitable, BUT, if you DON'T PLOW with the rake (and get one that hasn't been abused by previous owners) and you keep them greased, the U-joints will last practically forever as well. OH, one other thing-- DO NOT use a lower-lift arm mounted "drawbar" (that slides in both lower links of the 3-point, and goes straight across between them) to pull these rakes-- these type drawbars will, invariably (sooner or later) end up "bottoming out" in the hitch clevis on turns, and end up twisting/bending the rake frame where the hitch bolts on, or breaking the hitch clevis itself. ALWAYS use the regular old tractor "straight drawbar" coming out under the rear frame of the tractor and sticking straight out the back-- if you're pulling the rake with an old IH Farmall with the "U" shaped hitches coming down and around from one axle to the other, BE SURE you use a "stub plate" bolted to the hitch (a "V" shaped plate that bolts to 2-3 bolt holes on the hitch with a single pin hole on the narrow end of the "V" for the rake to pin to, so it doesn't "bind up" in a turn and break the hitch). Also, be careful you don't turn too sharp and stick the rear tractor tire into the rake or basket frame...

That's pretty much all you need to know... Later and Congrats! OL J R


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

...and you just as well get started in the habit of reading the manual for everything- no matter how simple it appears to be. Luke was right on about the adjustment of the angle of attack. I see many people that curse the rakes as being rope-makers, but their adjustment is at the bottom.

They will, darn sure, make a rope windrow that will NEVER dry if raked too wet.

Here's your manual. Open and download it to your desktop or whatever for future reference.

View attachment IA_New_Holland_256_258_260_Rolabar_Rake_.pdf


73, Mark


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

My wife does all the raking and it's the only kind of rake she wants to use, hers has dolly wheels.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> By Traction tires you mean a set of new tires? Are tines expensive? Are they easy to replace?
> 
> To me it looks like it has 5 bars. I know the JD had 4 and you were saying 5 was much better.


Tines are super-easy to fix...
TSC carries some cheap Chinese ones, which work pretty decent. NH and other brand tines are "better quality" (actually harder "spring steel") and can be worth the money if you have really hummocky, rolling ground, lots of gopher holes, or ditches or terraces or stuff that makes for a lot more "ground contact" between the tines and the dirt than you'd get on the average smooth, level hay field. The TSC tines can and do bend if they hit the ground just right... though usually it's nothing that the loop end of a crescent wrench or a pipe wrench and some good sideways bending won't fix to bend them back.

The steel tines are held on by a single bolt using a carriage head and 9/16 nut. The bolt head has a special little "clip" washer that goes on the bolt first, it's sort of a "cupped washer" with a groove pressed into it for the tine to go in. The tine will have a "loop" rolled into the upper end that slides over the bolt snugly to hold the tine on the bolt, then the bolt slides through the tube of the rake bar and the nut is installed on the backside. The cupped washer keeps the tooth pointed "vertically" below the tine bar and aligns it using the curvature of the tine bar pipe as the nut is tightened up. Give the tine a wiggle as you tighten the nut until the clip washer is snug against the pipe of the tine bar.

Sometimes the tine will break just above the coil spring section which sticks down under the bolt just below the tine bar-- you can usually just remove the bolt and, if it's in decent shape, reuse it and the cup/clip washer-- slide the old "loop" from the busted tine off the bolt, and slip a new tine on the bolt and into the clip washer, and reinstall the bolt in the hole and tighten the nut on the back of the bar. The spring coils of the tines can sometimes bend if the tine comes down hard onto something that won't give, or if the wheel of the rake drops into a particularly bad hole, or something like that... or the tine itself sticking out the bottom of the coils-- if that happens, just stick a crescent wrench's handle end hole over the tine to the bent spot, and use some elbow grease to carefully bend it back straight. Sometimes a tine will 'get caught in front of a stripper bar' and get bent, and will make a terrible noise as it scrapes around and will stick out way in front of the bar-- again, use the end loop of a crescent wrench or a pipe wrench to bend the tine straight.

You will probably want to pick up a few tines either from your NH dealer or at your local ag supply store. There's a lot of different teeth that are made for different brands and styles of rake, and some are interchangeable and some aren't. ALSO, be aware that New Holland DOES make BOTH right-hand delivery and left-hand delivery rakes (the LH delivery rakes are FAR more common however) and the teeth for RH rakes are "reversed" or "backwards" in how they're made from LH rake teeth-- Don't mix them up-- make sure you get LH rake teeth. It's probably a good idea to get a bag or box of those little "clip" washers too-- although you might have to go to NH to get them... (depending on the quality of your ag store). These come in RH and LH too--you'll need LH for a 256 or 258 rake. The bolts are pretty much regular carriage bolts-- don't recall the length at the moment, but I WOULD get grade 5 carriage bolts-- the grade 2's are too prone to breaking IMHO... and the grade 5 carriage bolts are harder to find. Again, your ag store MAY have them (they'll have 3 hash marks on the carriage head of the bolt-- if they're smooth with no marks, they're grade 2) and if they DON'T have grade 5, I'd get them from the NH dealer...

Some rakes have the rubber tines. For some things, they're good, and some guys love them, but IMHO, at least in MY experience, the rubber teeth are crap. All our NH rakes over the years were steel tined, except the ONE that I bought at auction and fixed up, which had rubber tines. About 1/3 of them were missing or the rubber turning loose from the steel mounting brackets. I tried the cheap replacement rubber teeth from TSC (average ag store rubber teeth replacements) and they didn't last worth a darn-- I was losing as many of the replacements as I was the probably 30 year old original NH rubber teeth that were turning loose from age! The rubber teeth are about 3 times as expensive as the steel teeth, so I just started replacing them with steel teeth instead. The rubber teeth are held on with a "U" shaped clip that the rubber "spring" is cast onto, with the steel tine sticking out the center of this "gob" of rubber. The steel "U" shaped tooth base slides over the bar, and a regular bolt slides through both sides of the "U" base through the tine bar, with the nut on the back. SO, replacing them with steel tines means new carriage bolts, new clip washers, and a new steel tine every time, but they hold up MUCH better and do a better job IMHO than the rubber teeth, in my experience anyway. Also, you'll probably need a hammer to knock the old "U" shaped metal tooth 'base' off the bar when it comes time to replace a rubber tooth-- they're usually rusted on pretty good, and the rubber sort of "glues" itself to the bar underside as well. Once you smack the old tooth base off the bar, you can either replace it with the steel tine as described above, OR replace it with a NH rubber tooth (I'd never recommend going with the stupid cheap Chinese junk rubber teeth at TSC). Slide the tooth up onto the bar, and slide the bolt back through it (or usually a new bolt, as the old ones can get pretty rusty and hard to get out of the bar sometimes...)

I noticed that after awhile, the steel teeth prevent the rubber teeth from being damaged... I've still got quite a few original rubber teeth on the 258, usually with a steel tooth right beside them. They still slowly give out over time and are gradually being replaced with steel teeth, but I get a LOT less replacement damage than when I was running the cheap TSC rubber teeth...

Later and good luck! OL J R : )


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Dill said:


> Make sure you pull the right pin to disconnect the drive shaft on the NH you can pull the one that retains the wheel on that side as well. That btw is not good. As long as you can turn it by hand you should be able to run it as is than fix as you go. I've had car tires and traction tires on rakes. Traction tires are actually quite expensive. And I'll echo what everyone else said. There is no reason your Farmall wouldn't pull that rake. You can do it with a Cub.


A cheaper solution that works just about as good as the traction tires-- get some "pull off" mudgrip tires at some local tire shop (whoever sells "pull off" or "used" tires in your area.

The hardest problem will be getting some narrow enough to fit on the rake without rubbing the frame rails. Also you don't want "slick" mudgrips, either.

We ran our old 55 rake with regular old 7.50-15 inch tires on it for MANY years without any problems. IMHO, the car tires or mudgrip tires are actually as good as or even a little better than the factory "traction tires". The rake is heavy enough that under MOST (nearly "all") conditions they won't slip appreciably, and since they're a little taller, they turn the basket just a LITTLE slower than the smaller, lower profile "traction" tires... the rake will rake just as clean with a little less "rolling" of the hay (since the basket is turning a tiny bit slower) and less 'roping' of hay in tall grass hay. Plus, you can rake a little faster ground speed without the basket bars flexing from centrifugal force and smacking the basket frame, since the basket is turning slower for a given ground speed due to the larger tires.

If you're really worried about traction/slippery conditions, the mudgrips work fine, and the traction tires are best, but in MOST conditions, any "car tire" with decent tread is sufficient to keep the rake turning without slipping. At least in MY experience. I wouldn't worry about the tires so long as they hold air and turn and aren't throwing off rubber... LOL If it's a problem, you'll know it and can worry about it then.

Later! OL J R


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> I am at the new holland website. I have selected my location as the Coopersville, MI dealer Burnips Equipment Company. I can only find rubber tines. I would prefer to keep them all metal. Is it ok to have a mix match on the tines? or does anyone have the part number handy? I'll keep looking but thought I'd throw it out there. Thanks.


If you've got metal tines, BY ALL MEANS, STAY with metal tines... rubber are at least 3x higher in cost and IMHO don't last anywhere near as long, nor do they do as good a job in most hay conditions...

Rubber tines were the answer for particularly damage-sensitive high value crops. In the New Holland literature on their rakes decades ago, they advertised the rubber tined 258 rakes as "bean rakes" with a third tine installed beside the existing two (three tines between each stripper bar and two on the ends, versus two tines between each stripper bar and one on each end like a "regular" NH hay rake). This was supposed to be for raking swathed beans into windrows for combining or something like that (not that anything like that was done down here-- probably some upper Midwest practice).

They should have steel tines and the clip washers for them... if they don't I'd look for another dealer (or they can order them for you). Heck your local "Big R", "Rural King", or TSC should have them, for that matter...

I'd DEFINITELY forget about messing with rubber tines, FOR SURE...

Later and good luck! OL J R


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Those tines say 259 are they compatible with the 256?


Not sure on a 259... have to look at them.

The first thing when looking at replacement tines is, is the rake RIGHT HAND DELIVERY or LEFT HAND DELIVERY. The NH model 55 rake (straight bar axle, no offset wheels), 56, 57 (3 point hitched PTO driven rake), 256, and 258 are all LEFT HAND DELIVERY. The model 260 rake is a RIGHT HAND DELIVERY. IOW, *almost all* "regular" New Holland rakes are LEFT HAND DELIVERY.

The reason you need to know this is, the RH delivery teeth are a backwards "mirror image" of the LH delivery rake teeth-- they're curled and turned the OPPOSITE WAY from the LH delivery teeth. They won't fit under the clip washers of the LH rake teeth, because the loop for the bolt is curled the OPPOSITE direction from a LH rake tooth. I'm not sure of a 259 model rake, because it's a number I'm not familiar with. If it's a LH delivery rake, then the teeth are PROBABLY compatible... if it's a RH delivery rake, then almost certainly NOT compatible.

If in doubt, take a tooth off the rake and take it with you. Your average ag-supply store will have a BUNCH of different rake teeth available. Some will be identical (other than paint color) to the New Holland tooth your rake uses. Some are NOT compatible (reversed, different length, etc). The only way to know is to compare "whatcha got" to what you're gonna buy... (at least at the ag supply stores-- NH can get you the exact tooth you need for your application... and any NH store that DOESN'T stock the clip washers, carriage bolts, and spring steel tines for a NH 256 rake isn't worth doing business with IMHO). Just BE CAREFUL if you go to the "ag supply store" and don't just buy the first *NH yellow* painted teeth you see-- they MAY be RH delivery rake teeth! (Don't ask me how I know-- I STILL have a couple of those laying around in the shop!)

Later! OL J R 

PS. here's a quickie paint drawing to make my point... sorry for the shaky squiggly mess, but you get the idea...


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Later! OL J R


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Nearly forgot this one...

Later! OL J R


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

luke strawwalker said:


> A cheaper solution that works just about as good as the traction tires-- get some "pull off" mudgrip tires at some local tire shop (whoever sells "pull off" or "used" tires in your area.
> 
> The hardest problem will be getting some narrow enough to fit on the rake without rubbing the frame rails. Also you don't want "slick" mudgrips, either.
> 
> ...


I disagree on the used "mud grips" because they will invariably be much taller than the factory 5.00-15 tire. This will ruin some of the ability to make a fluffy windrow as it will negate the ability to have the basket running as vertical as possible.

In the eBay link I provided you can get a pair of BKT tires that are designed for the application for $135. That's the same neighborhood my local tire shop has them priced and that would include free mounting. Personally, I think it's a very easy decision at that price.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I am uploading videos to youtube right now. We got it raked tonight before dark. I'm sure we looked hilarious since it was our first time. Also the tractor has one big tire and one regular tire.... the correct tire is being fixed tomorrow morning. Please give all and any advice. I know we need to tweak it in better before second cutting on my property. I think we did an ok job but definitely need to adjust it properly.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)




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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Hopefully those rows don't draw too much moisture overnight. Here I never rake the day before baling. Good luck tomorrow.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

From the video does it look like we could bale tomorrow if it doesn't soak up moisture overnight? We don't plan on starting till about 11:00. We don't have a moisture meter.... any other good ways to test dryness?


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Experience is the tried and true method and most moisuture meters are only accurate after its in the bale so more of a double check than a pre-checker (there are exceptions, but I do not have a meter either nor did anyone else making hay for the last 2000 years prior to the electronic age of the last 20 years. You can also weigh an amount of hay on a precision scale, then microwave it dry, then weigh again on scale, apply some mathematics. This way is highly accurate but is not real practical unless at home ).

Method 1 is dig in the windrow: Grab a small handful and then grab it with each hand by the ends. Grip hay tight at the ends and rotate your hands in a motion like you are peddling a bicycle with your hands. Does the hay start breaking apart in the middle after 4 to 6 pedal revolutions? If not it is likely still too wet and tough to bale. (Note the whole windrow needs to pass this test not just the driest part). If not it is use the rake to flippy the windrow the best you can to get dampest wettest portion to the top where it can get air and sun and wait. You may have to play with rake adjustments, tractor travel speed, how much of the rake is used to flippy the windrow etc to best accomplish this. (And here is where a rope making hay rake is less than the ideal tool for the job. Rope makers do a fine job of feeding hay to the baler, but a poor job of helping one getting it dry so you can actually bale. Loose fluffy windrows best for drying so use what little adjustment you have there as much as you can. It is the only tool you have besides time so make it work best you can).

Method #2: Dig in the windrow and find what appears to be the wettest stuff: Often times this is stems on leafy crops but not always. Take your fingernail and run longways on the stem. Inside it will be like a small hollow pipe. Was this hollows stem easy to cut with you fingernail? Is there any moisture inside the stem? If tough and moisture inside the stem then it is wait for more drying. (Again Use the rake the best you can to get the dampest wettest stuff to the top and wait).

I use a combo of both methods (and carzy high humidity will make it difficult to judge but crazy high humidity also makes it difficult to get it dry also)


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

That Simplicity is handling it just fine.

You would do a better job if you drove round the field in the other direction (clockwise) and raked to the outside. You want to turn all the hay over, and if you rake in the anticlockwise direction, like you were, you can't turn over the bit at the bottom of the windrow. You can rake it all again before you bale it though, and that will help the windrow dry a bit more.

For the outside of the field you have to rake in both directions and make a bigger windrow.

See all that hay you have missed on the right hand side of the rake? That's caused by all the missing tines. Make sure you replace them all before the next cutting. When you re-rake it, try to incorporate those missed bits into the windrows.

You seemed to be raising a bit of dust. That says to me the hay is drying. Everyone has their own way of tellign whether hay is dry enough to bale. This is one of mine. If you grab a small handful and twist it together a little and then try to snap it in half and it doesn't bounce back, it's dry enough to bale. It looks like you could probably bale it tomorrow. Rake it again as soon as the dew is off it, to make sure.

You will need plenty of tension in the bale chamber! Good luck.

Roger


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## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Many guys will claim they do not rake until right before they bale; but they leave the part out that they went over the field twice with their tedder.or fluffer (plus they cut with a conditioneror crimper too which provides faster drying).

Raking 3 times is same # of trips over the field as tedding twice and raking once. (When you do not have but one tool...you do the best you can with what tool you got).

While that is drying this morning and early afteroon I would be installing some of the missing rake tines for next windrow flip. I highly doubt you can start baling at 11:00 AM. Dew will barelyt be off by then and anything you brought to top has not had much chance to dry yet.

Investigating the windrows will tell the story though...That said I have feeling you will be raking (flippy windrow) again around 1:00pm and maybe tryingin to bale around 4:00 to 5:00? Hard to guess without being there.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)




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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> I disagree on the used "mud grips" because they will invariably be much taller than the factory 5.00-15 tire. This will ruin some of the ability to make a fluffy windrow as it will negate the ability to have the basket running as vertical as possible.
> 
> In the eBay link I provided you can get a pair of BKT tires that are designed for the application for $135. That's the same neighborhood my local tire shop has them priced and that would include free mounting. Personally, I think it's a very easy decision at that price.


Well not only that, but a taller tire will rotate slower, therefor your rake will run slower and make a tighter row which will take longer to dry.

Just get the proper tires, not really that expensive and you'll most likely never wear em out. If the rake can't be stored indoors then once a year hit the tires with armor all or 100% silicone spray to help keep from checking so fast.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Any guesses on how many squares we will have based off the view from my second video of the field. Yes I know they would be wild guesses but just curious. Also how long would it take if properly done to bale 200 bales with my NH Super 66. I know a lot of factors come into play.... just looking for ball park.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

mlappin said:


> Well not only that, but a taller tire will rotate slower, therefor your rake will run slower and make a tighter row which will take longer to dry.
> 
> Just get the proper tires, not really that expensive and you'll most likely never wear em out. If the rake can't be stored indoors then once a year hit the tires with armor all or 100% silicone spray to help keep from checking so fast.


I have no choice but to store outside. I will however do one helluva tarp job. I plan to sand blast and repaint this rake. No reason I couldn't have it looking great again.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I think our new plan is to rake the correct direction at 11:00 give it till 1:00 and start doing the twist test around the field. If we think we are safe we will start to bale if not we wait. The ground is pretty high and dry so I'm fairly confidant the hay is not pulling moisture from the ground. Another factor I think that is in play is the fact that this grass is a little more mature than desired. I think the moisture content before cutting was a little lower than desired. So once it was cut it seemed me to drying faster than my fields did on first cutting. However, this is a totally different field with all different variables. I don't want to go through all of this work to ruin the hay so we will be damn sure it's good to go. We are a little pressed because we have scattered showers tomorrow.

Opinions on impending rain... do you bale hay that is almost ready or is it better to roll the dice on scattered showers the next day?


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

bool said:


> That Simplicity is handling it just fine.
> 
> You would do a better job if you drove round the field in the other direction (clockwise) and raked to the outside. You want to turn all the hay over, and if you rake in the anticlockwise direction, like you were, you can't turn over the bit at the bottom of the windrow. You can rake it all again before you bale it though, and that will help the windrow dry a bit more.
> 
> ...


Right... rake the opposite direction. Fix the missing tines.

As for testing for when it's dry enough to bale... I reach down into the center or bottom of the windrow-- this will be the dampest part since it's the most protected from the outside air... I open the windrow a little and look in there and grab the greenest looking stuff I can find. Pull it out, and "wring it out" by twisting it in your hands, like you'd wring out a washcloth. Then I fold the wrung-out handful of hay in two, and sniff the folded over part... I mean stick it basically right up against your nose. If you can smell or feel any moisture, it's still too wet to bale. It should smell like, well, cured hay. If it still smells like damp grass, or you can feel any moisture on your skin, it's too wet. Give it a few hours longer.

Later and best of luck and great first turn at bat! OL J R


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

8350HiTech said:


> I disagree on the used "mud grips" because they will invariably be much taller than the factory 5.00-15 tire. This will ruin some of the ability to make a fluffy windrow as it will negate the ability to have the basket running as vertical as possible.
> 
> In the eBay link I provided you can get a pair of BKT tires that are designed for the application for $135. That's the same neighborhood my local tire shop has them priced and that would include free mounting. Personally, I think it's a very easy decision at that price.


Well, you have to get as close as you can to a 7.00-15 or 7.50-15 mudgrip. Yeah, I know, that's a bias ply tire size, and 99.9% of everything is radial now. Didn't say it'd be easy... LOL

With the fact that most tires on vehicles in the last 20 years have gone every more towards larger rim sizes (heck even the old man's minivan has 16 inch tires as a minimum), wider tread tires, and lower sidewall heights (I HATE low profile tires-- those things don't hold enough air to hold pressure-- you can fill them up to 36 PSI today and in a week or two they're baggy down around 25 PSI... the old 235/75R15's held enough air that even with normal leakage, they'd STILL be standing normally after six months most of the time... these low profile tires hold so little air that the least leakage and they're practically running on the rim). Anyway, it's getting harder and harder to find decent trailer or implement tires at the local used tire shops, because everything is some stupid weird size the idiot engineers put on the vehicles when they designed them.

Probly best to just get the new "traction" tires, but we weren't talking about what was "best", we were talking about a LOW COST solution... The tires he's got on there are doing the job, so personally I wouldn't bother til one bit the dust.

Also, as I said before, our old 55 New Holland rake had some old pickup mudgrips on it, and it actually works BETTER. It slowed the basket down just a little bit and it actually does a BETTER job at raking. I noticed it as soon as we traded the old rake off on a new 256 with the itty-bitty traction tires, that the basket was spinning visibly faster going at the same speed, and that it tends to "toss" the windrow off the end of the basket more and cause it to "flop open" as it rolls off the end. The tine angle was a non-issue... even with the larger tires, it only raises the back end of the rake up maybe a couple inches, which is well within the range of the natural rolling surface of the ground, or slight height variations in drawbars between tractors. Once you crank the rake down another turn on the handles to get the basket tine height right, it actually makes the driveshaft operate at a better, straighter angle as well... so everything turns smoother because the U-joints are straighter-- less "mu" factor (the effect of one end of a driveshaft speeding up and slowing down twice each revolution due to high U-joint angles, which is what causes driveshafts to "knock" in hard turns).

Anyway, given how hard it is to find 15 inch tires anymore, when he gets new ones he'll probably be getting some traction tires... just don't put ribbed flotation type implement tires on the thing...

Later! OL J R


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

Your new plan is a good one. Yes, I think the grass was mature.

The rake basket is still spinning when you stop, that's a good sign the tines are not too low. There is a rattling sound though, so something is not right. I'm guessing there is a bent tine hitting something.

Number of bales depends on how heavy they are! Assuming normal weight, say 50 lb, I think your 200 will be fairly close. Maybe a few more. A couple of hours to bale if you have no major dramas. The windrows are on the large side for your baler, so go slow. And use a tractor. You might not be able to go slow enough if you use the truck. And you certainly won't be able to see the baler as well.

Whether to bale or not depends on how much more moisture content it has than it should have, how widespread the wet patches are, how likely the showers are, and how heavy they are likely to be. Hard to answer.

Roger


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