# vermeer vr1224 wheel rake



## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Is anybody running a vr1224 rake? I am going to demo one in the next day or so (depending on weather) any tips on operating the rake such as raking the way it's cut, or going against the cut? I've never had much love for wheel rakes, but I watched a neighbor use a 10 wheel carted frontier rake and it impressed me. I understand that the vermeer or kuhn are about the best. I currently use a twin rotor krone rotary rake that is awesome but pulling all the tines for transport sucks. I'm looking to use this for small fields and as a backup rake. Dealer says it will rake 24.5 feet and I measured my swaths from hw340 and they are 22 ft from edge of swath to edge of swath. I have a good vermeer dealer near me, and I'm really not interested in kuhn. Any feedback would be much appreciated.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

The pins to adjust are pretty self explanatory. If not the manual is right there. After aetting angle and windrow width, set downpressure and good to go. Mine is the 10 and as of yet I very pleased.

If you buy 2 or more pieces from Vermeer the factory will give you a discount.  Good luck.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Our new Vermeer dealer has a carted 10 wheel with 2 center kickers mounted on the center frame....looks nice


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

How does your 10 wheel handle thick hay? Does it rake good at full width? Thanks for input


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

I dont think I am at full width. I set it for a 4ft windrow. Works great for what I have. I am sure it could do more.

I don't have enough experience to define thick, but first crop laid down alfalfa clover grass that my antique windrower jd 2320 mowed at about 1.5 mph raked up fine. There are probably areas where higher capacity is needed, not here though. Plenty of room between rake wheels and frame (for me).

I was initially going to get an 8, but decided on a 10 I could always drop a wheel. No need as of yet. Any bigger and I would be plowing windrow with front of baling tractor. I was surprised I didn't on some. This is with Kubota m7040 (64 ponies on pto).

Demo should tell you if it is right for you.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Even with the arms on your rake, wouldn't it be much narrower than the HW340? I never take the arms off of mine. I figure if I'm comfortable dragging a 13' discbine behind me down the road I should have no problem with the arms on the rake on the road. To each their own.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

I don't understand your question 8350 hitech. The width of 2 of my swaths is 22 ft from side to side. This rake covers 24.5 feet so it should take 2 of my windrows. I guess what I was asking is "anybody raking 2 swaths together from a 15-16 ft discbine with this rake"


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

central va farmer said:


> I don't understand your question 8350 hitech. The width of 2 of my swaths is 22 ft from side to side. This rake covers 24.5 feet so it should take 2 of my windrows. I guess what I was asking is "anybody raking 2 swaths together from a 15-16 ft discbine with this rake"


Your stated complaint with your twin rotor is removing the arms for transport. I'm asking why you're bothering removing them if it isn't even the widest thing you regularly transport.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Dead moose what I mean by thick is 2.5-3 ton acre hay. Reason I'm asking so many questions is I've tried wheel rakes in the past and they have been nightmares. I've had a jd 700 twin rake, new holland 216, then about 10 years ago I bought my krone 1401 swadro rotary rake. Everybody and their brother in my area has wheel rakes, but I can't seem to operate them lol. Just wondering what I'm doing wrong. Everyone I use drags hay (won't rake clean) or clogs up, or just makes a damn mess in the field. I'm used to cutting my pto on and raking hay, my wallet just doesn't allow 30k for another rotary, 216 or r2800. But my neighbors frontier did good so I'm thinking they have really improved wheel rakes in the last couple years.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

My rotary is a fold up model. You pull all the pitchforks and they have holders on rear axle that you store them in. If you go down the road without removing them you are way over height and top heavy. The newer ones have a fold down hinge on them but I bought mine about 10 years ago before they came out with that. Also 2 point hitch is a pain in the ass also. I have a special hitch on my truck for 2 point eq but it's still a hassle. ( I farm land 30 miles apart hate to drive tractor that far)


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Oh, height. I was assuming it was a width issue. My fault.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Damn thing is wide though. Wheel to wheel takes up whole side of the road. I have several small fields that literally take longer to assemble rake than it does to rake the field.


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

central va farmer said:


> Is anybody running a vr1224 rake? I am going to demo one in the next day or so (depending on weather) any tips on operating the rake such as raking the way it's cut, or going against the cut? I've never had much love for wheel rakes, but I watched a neighbor use a 10 wheel carted frontier rake and it impressed me. I understand that the vermeer or kuhn are about the best. I currently use a twin rotor krone rotary rake that is awesome but pulling all the tines for transport sucks. I'm looking to use this for small fields and as a backup rake. Dealer says it will rake 24.5 feet and I measured my swaths from hw340 and they are 22 ft from edge of swath to edge of swath. I have a good vermeer dealer near me, and I'm really not interested in kuhn. Any feedback would be much appreciated.





central va farmer said:


> Is anybody running a vr1224 rake? I am going to demo one in the next day or so (depending on weather) any tips on operating the rake such as raking the way it's cut, or going against the cut? I've never had much love for wheel rakes, but I watched a neighbor use a 10 wheel carted frontier rake and it impressed me. I understand that the vermeer or kuhn are about the best. I currently use a twin rotor krone rotary rake that is awesome but pulling all the tines for transport sucks. I'm looking to use this for small fields and as a backup rake. Dealer says it will rake 24.5 feet and I measured my swaths from hw340 and they are 22 ft from edge of swath to edge of swath. I have a good vermeer dealer near me, and I'm really not interested in kuhn. Any feedback would be much appreciated.


I am using my 2nd vr1224 with the center kicker wheels. They rake the ground really well. especially if you follow the swarth path. The kicker helps your baler clean the ground, do not get the rake without, unless you tedder all of your hay.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Thanks for the info clowers. It must be a good rake if your on your 2nd one. I'll find out probably end of week as we're getting more rain tomorrow. I ted and don't ted, all depends on how much we have cut down and the weather window. Your rake rakes better going the way it was cut then? That's good to know.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I've raked three 9' swaths with my H&S hi-cap 14 wheel rake for yrs with no kicker wheels and leave very little to no hay in the field but I rake/bale opposite direction (CCW) to cutter(CW). My H&S will rake any crop as good or better as the Vermeer R23 I owned back in the early 90's.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

If this wheel rake does like a r23/jd 700 I'll be tickled pink. They are good rakes.


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## Osman1 (Nov 30, 2014)

Center kickers are awesome they do a good job of evenly distributing hay compared to single kicker only complaint is pivot points don't have grease zerks and pins that hold on the arms 3 per side,seem to wear fast we run two1224's and for a rake in the $8000 bracket they do an excellent job


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Alright fellow's I have my personal feedback on the vr1224. I picked the rake up yesterday evening at dealer. Today around 2 or 3 rain was on and off so I took the rake to Hayfield along with a ford 5000 rowcrop to pull it. Figured I would get it adjusted and rake this weekend. Well lo and behold it had not rained on this field. Rain was within a 1/4 mile of field and all around but dodged us. We adjusted rake and went about 20 feet and clogged it up. I re adjusted the windrow width to 6 feet and it worked great. My father is in love with it. This was thick hay making 4 3×4×7.5 bales to acre. Raked and baled 12 acres made 49 bales plus 1 left in baler. 
I'm really impressed with this rake. I can see my rotary staying in shed and just using it at home. Vermeer has a winner with this one. Only negative I have is my baling speed. I generally pull big square in 10th or 11th gear but was baling behind this rake in 9th. For the money a extra gear is not worth it to me. 
If it's not raining tomorrow I'm going to move eq about 10 miles up the road to another farm to see how it does on tedded hay. I'll keep ya'll informed on how it does. So far this little rake is awesome on performance and price. I can't see 30k for r2800/216/another rotary when this does just as good. I'll say 90% performance for 20% of the price. Thanks for everybody's feedback.


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## jd4230ps (Dec 9, 2010)

Va farmer,I know you said you were not interested in a Kuhn,but I just want to tell you what features I like and dislike on a Kuhn. The Vermeer may have those same features,I have never run one. I have a SR 312, the front 2 wheels on each side can be locked up making a 8 or 10 wheel if needed. Raking width is adjustable from tractor seat. Feature I like most is back 2 wheels are adjustable in or out independent of rest of rake making it easy to get windrow exactly the width you want in almost any conditions. Just my. 2 cents. What I dont like is the rigid frame. Sometimes on terraces or really uneven ground it doesn't have enough flex and leaves some hay. Hope whatever you get works great for you.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Jd4230ps I've really got nothing against kuhn, just nearest kuhn dealer is also jd and they think everything they have is made of gold. The wheels and adjustments on the vermeer are manual and the wheels are fixed nearest I can see. I can say the vermeer does excellent on hills because where I took it is STEEP and uneven. It really cleaned the ground, as good as my rotary does.
Thanks for info on the kuhn


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

central va farmer said:


> Alright fellow's I have my personal feedback on the vr1224. I picked the rake up yesterday evening at dealer. Today around 2 or 3 rain was on and off so I took the rake to Hayfield along with a ford 5000 rowcrop to pull it. Figured I would get it adjusted and rake this weekend. Well lo and behold it had not rained on this field. Rain was within a 1/4 mile of field and all around but dodged us. We adjusted rake and went about 20 feet and clogged it up. I re adjusted the windrow width to 6 feet and it worked great. My father is in love with it. This was thick hay making 4 3×4×7.5 bales to acre. Raked and baled 12 acres made 49 bales plus 1 left in baler.
> I'm really impressed with this rake. I can see my rotary staying in shed and just using it at home. Vermeer has a winner with this one. Only negative I have is my baling speed. I generally pull big square in 10th or 11th gear but was baling behind this rake in 9th. For the money a extra gear is not worth it to me.
> If it's not raining tomorrow I'm going to move eq about 10 miles up the road to another farm to see how it does on tedded hay. I'll keep ya'll informed on how it does. So far this little rake is awesome on performance and price. I can't see 30k for r2800/216/another rotary when this does just as good. I'll say 90% performance for 20% of the price. Thanks for everybody's feedback.


For the money you can't beat it. Congrats on your new yellow iron.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

We ain't bought it yet, but unless it seriously screws up on this tedded hay I imagine it will stay with us.


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## jd4230ps (Dec 9, 2010)

Glad the Vermeer is working for you. I agree with what you said about J D dealer. Lots of them are like that.


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Alright gentleman, final word on the vermeer rake. We raked about 70 acres of really thick stalky hay. (Grass/clover) It averaged 5 3×4×7.5 bales to the acre.
I LOVE THIS RAKE! Simple, easy to use, easy to transport, and reasonably priced. No kicker wheels made no difference in tedded hay. The rotary is going to stay in shed except for alfalfa. I do believe I'm gonna keep the vermeer rake.
Anybody looking for a nice wheel rake should look at a vermeer vr1224, it's sold me on it.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

No problems with stalks going through the wheels, or did this one have the windguards/plastic centers on the wheels??

Guy I used to run cutters for used to have a wheel rake that he was constantly folding and unfolding in the field-- if there was anything tall and stalky, like johnsongrass, it would tend to go through the spokes and stop the wheel from turning, and within a few feet you'd have a ball of hay the size of a round bale... it happened so often they simply folded "on the fly" and then unfolded again without even hitting the clutch, leaving a 20-30 foot long strip of unraked hay...

I thought it was a big mess, myself...

Later! OL JR


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

Clogged up 2 times. Not so much from stalk just from volume of hay. My jd 700 would clog up from time to time. We just closed in the rake from 24 ft to 21 ft still maintaining a 5 footish windrow and had no more trouble. But this was thick hay, 5 3x4 big squares to acre. Normal yields we had no trouble, but I can see where stalk could be trouble.


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