Used V-Hay Rake Recommendations

[Bill VA]

Considering adding an old (read cheap) V-hay rake to the haying collection. It would be used to pull together windrows for round baling.

Probably an 8 wheel rake would suffice - something with a center kicker wheel would be a plus…

What is a good old v-rake that you would recommend where parts availability is still there?

Any sage info is appreciated!

 

[Alvin 41]

Considering adding an old (read cheap) V-hay rake to the haying collection. It would be used to pull together windrows for round baling.

Probably an 8 wheel rake would suffice - something with a center kicker wheel would be a plus…

What is a good old v-rake that you would recommend where parts availability is still there?

Any sage info is appreciated!

Onli parts concern is condition of tines (they break at band pivot }and are apx $3/tine or $100 for a whole complete wheel ,or if the wheel arms are bent.

 

[Tgrasher]

Hydraulic raise and lower makes it a lot easier. Mine only gives me trouble when the hay in spots is too thick. It gets bound up between the tire and the rake wheel. If I would adjust it wider, then the rows from each side won't be close enough for the baler. Nothing to really wear out except for the rake wheels. Rural King sells those. Will add brand later after I go see this evening.

 

[rrlund]

There was only about two variations regardless of brand. One with the hubs in front of the wheels, one with them behind. The ones behind have more capacity, but if you're just pulling two nine footers together, the ones behind work fine. Parts and design and all pretty generic. I think there are two different lengths of times, but I can't tell you which brands use the shorter ones.

 

[urbancase]

Parts I think for the most part common, I have a strex 10 wheel with kicker, 5 of the wheels have less then 100 ac on them. I don’t use anymore as I changed balers. Been wanting to see it but haven’t yet. But when I was using it I got parts from rural king.

 

[paul]

As rrlund says. The arm behind the hub is a lot better for crop flow.

I have a 5 wheel 3pt straight model, and struggle getting straw to flow through under the arms. And the long hay in my swamp, the Reed canary. Makes it about useless for me with the arm in front of the hub. In lighter hay wouldn’t be a problem.

I do so many odd sizes and road ditches, field roads, water ditch banks, that a V rake would be tough for me to be efficient with. So often I’m raking 3 or 5 passes together, often in the same long skinny field road.

Would be nice to have a big rectangular field to use a mower and v rake efficiently. But, I digress.

Paul

 

[Tx Jim]

After owning/operating several different type of wheel rakes in my 35 yr custom hay baling career I'll agree with rrlund that rake wheels that push hay in front of wheels perform better with less hay stalks/stems wrapped around rake wheel spindles than rake wheels that pull hay with rake wheel spindles closer to loose hay.

I prefer a wheel rake that raking width can be adjusted simply by moving a tractor scv lever on the go vs manually having to alter raking width. It also important windrow width can be independently adjusted without affecting raking width. I have needed to adjust my H&S 14 wheel rake on the go from 28' raking width down to 9' when hay thickness warranted. I never encountered any crop my H&S hi-cap rake would not rake successfully.

I never thought I needed any kicker wheels as I successfully baled many 100's of acres that had be cut with a disc mower & left laying flat on the ground. I always just operated rake opposite direction than the direction cutter was operated.

 

[Bill VA]

Thanks for the replies everyone - much appreciated!!!