Rotary rake width for small square baler

[Tstoner]

Ive been making hay for a few years now. Ive always used my jd 640 bar rake. I came across a Kuhn GA4101GT rotary rake. It has a 13.5 foot working width which is 4-5 foot wider than mine. Will the windows be too big for my small square baler? I know it depends on how heavy the crop is. Just looking for some opinions.

 

[Jim.ME]

Ive been making hay for a few years now. Ive always used my jd 640 bar rake. I came across a Kuhn GA4101GT rotary rake. It has a 13.5 foot working width which is 4-5 foot wider than mine. Will the windows be too big for my small square baler? I know it depends on how heavy the crop is. Just looking for some opinions.

What tractor and baler?

 

[gmccool]

What are you using for a baler???

 

[Tstoner]

What are you using for a baler???

Jd 336

 

[paul]

If you are running in 3rd gear and don’t mind running in 1st if it gets heavy, should work out. Would probably put you in 2nd gear most of the time.

If you are already running in 1st gear some of the time, then I would be afraid to add that much more windrow.

Also I often am raking 2 or 3 swaths together, if that is common it’s not difficult to adjust windrows to fit,

More or less how I would look at it.

Paul

 

[Ray,IN]

If you are running in 3rd gear and don’t mind running in 1st if it gets heavy, should work out. Would probably put you in 2nd gear most of the time.

If you are already running in 1st gear some of the time, then I would be afraid to add that much more windrow.

Also I often am raking 2 or 3 swaths together, if that is common it’s not difficult to adjust windrows to fit,

More or less how I would look at it.

Paul

I agree. Don't have to use the full width of the rake when grass is heavy.

 

[deere4040]

Lets start with how rotary rakes are described. Not all brands give you all the specs. There is working width and there is clean sweep(raking width). Many use working width interchangeably. For instance I run a Pequea HRS15 for small squares. It has a 15' working width but is 13' clean sweep. The working width includes how far out the curtain moves. And as above you do not need to use the full width.

It can be frustrating when buying equipment especially if it is a short line rebranded many times for the same piece trying to find all the specs you want. I spent many months/years even trying to figure out the perfect single rotor rake to do every aspect of raking we do. Which is why I settled on 13'. Almost went Class at 15' That's one big single rotor.

My latest researching for the next perfect rake has me settled on the Vermeer R2800 fully outfitted with center spinners and single sided raking for everything my single and double rotors do. Tired of needing 2 tractors and drivers to keep up with the balers and making 2 trips for 1 windrow.

 

[rrlund]

Just because its for sale doesn't mean you have to buy it. There are narrower ones. If you aren't comfortable with it, keep on looking. You don't need it until next year anyway. Being that wide, it's not going to be fun to get down the road in traffic.

 

[deere4040]

Just because its for sale doesn't mean you have to buy it. There are narrower ones. If you aren't comfortable with it, keep on looking. You don't need it until next year anyway. Being that wide, it's not going to be fun to get down the road in traffic.

I'm confused, How narrow would you want your rake to be for raking? Refer to my post above.

 

[deere4040]

Ive been making hay for a few years now. Ive always used my jd 640 bar rake. I came across a Kuhn GA4101GT rotary rake. It has a 13.5 foot working width which is 4-5 foot wider than mine. Will the windows be too big for my small square baler? I know it depends on how heavy the crop is. Just looking for some opinions.

Based on my research by getting access to the manuals, the specs for the 4201 are the same just a series newer.

KUHN GA 4201, 4401 Single-Rotor Rotary Rakes

KUHN GA 4201 and 4401 single-rotor mounted rotary rakes were designed with a focus on smaller tractor sizes and operations in hilly regions.

www.kuhn-usa.com

The rake you are looking at has an approximate 9' clean sweep

 

[rrlund]

Based on my research by getting access to the manuals, the specs for the 4201 are the same just a series newer.

KUHN GA 4201, 4401 Single-Rotor Rotary Rakes

KUHN GA 4201 and 4401 single-rotor mounted rotary rakes were designed with a focus on smaller tractor sizes and operations in hilly regions.

www.kuhn-usa.com

The rake you are looking at has an approximate 9' clean sweep

If that's the working width, sure, go for it. I've got a GT300 that I bought new back in 1987. If the Deere is the width that works for him now and he's just starting to make hay, I'd guess he isn't cutting more than 9 foot, so he'd want a rotary that rakes 9 foot. I'm wondering if that 13 foot width that he's stating includes the full width from right side sweep all the way to the outside of the windrow after it throws the hay out? Do you think too, that it might be?

 

[deere4040]

I'm wondering if that 13 foot width that he's stating includes the full width from right side sweep all the way to the outside of the windrow after it throws the hay out? Do you think too, that it might be?

Lets start with how rotary rakes are described. Not all brands give you all the specs. There is working width and there is clean sweep(raking width). Many use working width interchangeably. For instance I run a Pequea HRS15 for small squares. It has a 15' working width but is 13' clean sweep. The working width includes how far out the curtain moves. And as above you do not need to use the full width.

It can be frustrating when buying equipment especially if it is a short line rebranded many times for the same piece trying to find all the specs you want. I spent many months/years even trying to figure out the perfect single rotor rake to do every aspect of raking we do. Which is why I settled on 13'. Almost went Class at 15' That's one big single rotor.

My latest researching for the next perfect rake has me settled on the Vermeer R2800 fully outfitted with center spinners and single sided raking for everything my single and double rotors do. Tired of needing 2 tractors and drivers to keep up with the balers and making 2 trips for 1 windrow.

That's why for your post #8 I wanted you to read my post above yours which I quoted here. When researching rotary rakes you have to do a deep dive in the specs to make sure you know what the true raking width is. Yes the rake the op is looking at is 9'