IH side delivery hay rake identification, care, and use

[Micaiah]

I have an antique (steel wheeel) IH side delivery hay rake that I intend to use. I have some questions about it:

*Can anyone tell me which model it is?
*I will paint it for protection purposes - does anyone know how it would have been painted originally? (colors)
*What sort of maintenance should I do? Before use and routine.
*The previous owner threw out a few comments on what some of the controls were for, but he didn't remember exactly. Is there online info to help me? Or is it just try out the controls and see what happens?

I took a pic of about every imprint I saw in case any are helpful. Also, after power washing, black stuff that crumbles kind of like disintegrating rubber remains in a few places. I circled it on two of the photos near the chain. Is that part of something that needs to be replaced before use?

THANK YOU SO MUCH in advance!!!

 

[Charlie M]

Going to need some pictures to help you out.

 

[Micaiah]

Yes, of course you are! I didn't realize I couldn't post photos yet - too new. I requested a change to that status and will post photos as soon as I'm able. Thanks for the quick reply!!

 

[Micaiah]

Here are the pics... I hope...

 

[JK-NY]

I think the black stuff you see is dried out caked up old grease . Is it in the vicinity of a grease fitting or grease cup ? You could scrape it off and be sure to grease all lubrication points before use as well as replace missing teeth and check everything over. Be sure any enclosed gearboxes are filled .

 

[Charlie M]

I've got a 3-bar IH rake very similar to yours. The black stuff you are circling is a mix of grease and dirt and should just scrape off. The levers on each side raise and lower the rake. Those don't raise much off the ground so I never has to adjust mine. The little short lever in the middle puts it in gear. I can't tell for sure but looks like there is a second lever on the right side as you sit on the seat which if present will adjust the pitch on the tines. A lot of those old rakes were designed to run backwards and use them as a hay tedder and you had to change the pitch on the tines to do that. Tedding is tough on old rakes and I stopped doing it with mine. Only problem I've seen with steel wheeled IH rakes is I haven't been able to find replacement tines for mine. I can't tell you a model number as I have never gotten one for mine either. Keep it greased and it will last for ever if you don't brake off the tines. You don't have to worry about flat tires. Some people will say you can't run them very fast but I draw mine in the field the same speed as a rubber tire rake I have. They are very slow to draw down the road.

 

[DeltaRed]

Partially dissasemble in a few places. Look for hidden paint. That will give an idea of original paint colors. However,if all else fails,you cant go wrong with IH red and white.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Got one about like it. No idea what model it is. The cover on the gear box should have wing nuts to open for filling. Probably want some grease mixed with transmission oil so it doesn't just run out through the bearings or seals. Or just put cornhead grease in it. grease the fittings on each bar of the rake with oil on the gears and the levers will explain themselves as you use it. The short one on the right by the gearbox adjusts the pitch of the teeth.

 

[peteL]

I have a owner's manual with the part R5051 listed in it as Cover for gear housing. The manual title is McCORMICK Enclosed Gear Tractor Side Delivery Rake (4-Bar).

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Well, lets start near the beginning....

Those rakes came to IHC with the purchase of Keystone a few years after the main merger of companies. After that it was IH's Rock Falls Works. There weren't any model numbers. Just side delivery rake, rake/tedder & then the tractor rake. The early ones were three bar, the latter were four. Looks like the production run for the rake/tedder was from 1916 - 1958 & they made 13,380 of them. The plain three bar was 1938 - 1949 with 11,240 built. The four bar tractor rake was built between 1938(9?) & 1960 with 141,099 built. All that info is from the (IH) Machine Product Listing - Through 1978. Not exactly sure which three bar side rake predates the one I listed, as there are several options. Probably the one listed as KEYSTONE OR INTERNATIONAL - 1916 - 1938 (I think equipment production was moved from Rock Falls to the Reaper Works in '38??). Now.... some parts on the rakes could get used to narrow down the date of manufacture some. There were a few parts that were only made for a number of years before they were upgraded & received a new number or letter i.e. 602K would get upgraded & became 602KA. Somewhere in the late '40s, the K or R numbers on the rakes were updated to the new xxx xxx Rx numbering system. But not all of them. Then too.... if a repair had to be made & the dealer had an older part on the shelf, it would get put on & throw off my method of deduction, here in the future, of narrowing down the years the rake may have been produced. Same story with my grain binder. The sum of that machine's parts puts the build date no later than 1917, provided it's all original. If you are wondering where I get the dates for the parts, they would be listed in the old master parts catalogs the dealers had on the shelf. Most of mine that list dates are part of the hard cover books that the dealers had. Updates tagged onto the manuals that were sent home with the machine can give you an idea of when parts were updated too.

Manuals for those are a dime a dozen on ebay. Don't be had by some dolt that wants $100 for it, that's a $2 or $3 manual. You want the one for the tractor rake. All your maintenance & care instructions are in there. Really isn't anything special that you have to do to them to keep them running right.

You'll have to dig through the Paint & Product committee decisions & fine the one pertaining to your rake. Link is below.

I'm probably forgetting something, but you get the gist of it.... hopefully.

Mike
HERE....

 

[Micaiah]

Thanks for all that info!!! I have more pics of parts with stamped codes and markings on them. I just couldn't post them all in the original post due to size limitations. Here are some:

 

[Micaiah]

(quoted from post at 18:43:26 08/03/22) Partially dissasemble in a few places. Look for hidden paint. That will give an idea of original paint colors. However,if all else fails,you cant go wrong with IH red and white.

I want to paint it to protect it. How do I prepare it for painting? It does NOT need to look perfect by any means, but neither do I want to do a crappy job and not be protecting it at all.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

I cleaned all the grease off of mine & tore it down to the frame. Went around the frame, unbolted & cleaned where the corners & other members
come together & then primed & painted those spots before reassembly. Use wire & composite stripper wheels to get the rust & crud off. Slowly
cleaned & primed all the parts as it was getting put back together. The paint I used for blue was Kubota excavator blue & the red & white
came from CaseIH, but I think I've seen a couple people post that Rustoleum has colors that are close.

Mike

 

[Leroy]

That is just a plain McCormick 4 bar enclosed gear rake. NO tedder ti it as it is an enclosed gear and tedder version is all open. That is as said just dried up grease mixed with dirt and may be verry hard. One thing not mentioned is take cover off gear box and klean it out good, may be full of water as any rain can get in their. Years listed are correct and last steel wheel model made. the set in gear lever can move both ways but only one way works as that part was also used on the rake-tedder v ersion. So if second direction does not do any thing don't worry because nothing in gear box for it to move that way. Just greae all the fittings and you will be good to go, put a little gun greas on the gears but after using and greasing the fittings on box it will keep it as full as needed. Just don't sett the teeth so low they hit the ground and don't speed as it was made for horses so keep it at the speed a horse would walk. And no problems getting new teeth but you might have to buy a box of 50 teeth,now the clip to hold the tooth on is the problem as not made anymore unless some Amish has decided in the last few years to start making them I have rebuilt dozens of them for the Amish. Also the 3 bar tedder, the New Idea both 3 and 4 bar and Deere both 3 and 4 bar plus a couple of Moline and Case rakes. Over a hundred altogether but had togive it up about 3 years ago as health-age along with no longer a place to do it. Justysed Rust oleum spray cans in I believe it was candy apple red. I do have all the parts books from earliest but just not handy anymore.

 

[34Case]

(reply to post at 11:20:41 08/0
It sounds as if you may not have used a rake before. IF SO, then, put it on a level surface. Set the teeth at a slight cant to the L side. Then set the bars so that the teeth are around an inch or 2 above the surface its setting on. Dont try to harrow the ground as my dad did and wondered why he went through rake after rake.
I got his JD steel wheel rake, and had to manufacture 3 teeth that had wore down cause of this. As to a thought I have when haying, I tilt my sickle bar as far up as it will go. This cuts grass at around 3 or 4in high. That makes it easy for the rake to pick up without touching the ground much thereby saving teeth. ALSO, I think it causes faster regrowth, enables the grass to withstand hot summers, and cold winters better

 

[Micaiah]

Thanks - I'll try that. I don't really like mowing it short anyway. I'm still a little worried about breaking teeth because my ground is so uneven. Guess all I can do is try!

 

[Micaiah]

Thanks! I was hoping maybe Rustoleum would do the job. Nice you are willing to offer your knowledge to others now that you can't rebuild them anymore yourself. I can use all the help i can get!

 

[Micaiah]

I wish I had time to take it all apart and do a great job! But that sort of thing will just have to wait a few years more. Meanwhile, appreciate the info!

 

[Micaiah]

Thanks! Probably won't get it done for awhile yet as I need to get some other equipment running first. But really appreciate the info for when the time comes.

 

[Micaiah]

Good idea! I had an old tractor for awhile that was painted school bus yellow. At the time, I noticed some blue paint under that and wondered if the original color was blue. I didn't really care at the time, but I stumbled on that tractor years later and saw that it WAS origianlly blue. I never considered someone might paint an old tractor some other color... (duh)

 

[Micaiah]

Ah, yes! Old grease/dirt. It is mostly at joints around the chain, so it makes sense. Power washer didn't do a thing, so I may need to apply some elbow grease. Haha. thanks!

 

[Micaiah]

Thanks! I wouldn't have been looking for McCormick...

 

[Micaiah]

Thanks - appreciate the lever info as I'm not very hay rake savvy.

 

[Randy-IA]

(quoted from post at 11:20:41 08/03/22) I have an antique (steel wheeel) IH side delivery hay rake that I intend to use. I have some questions about it:

*Can anyone tell me which model it is?
*I will paint it for protection purposes - does anyone know how it would have been painted originally? (colors)
*What sort of maintenance should I do? Before use and routine.
*The previous owner threw out a few comments on what some of the controls were for, but he didn't remember exactly. Is there online info to help me? Or is it just try out the controls and see what happens?

I took a pic of about every imprint I saw in case any are helpful. Also, after power washing, black stuff that crumbles kind of like disintegrating rubber remains in a few places. I circled it on two of the photos near the chain. Is that part of something that needs to be replaced before use?

THANK YOU SO MUCH in advance!!!

Consider this...unless you you want to pull it in parades that rake is nearly 100 years old and still works... why? Because it's mostly cast iron which doesn't rust away like new metal alloys do. That rake, if kept lubed at wear points will outlast you in it's present clothing. Another thing is that paint will possibly trap water if it ever cracks. But ultimately it's your choice.