About Hay Rakes
Hay rakes are critical to the baling process. In addition to moving hay into windrows for baling, hay rakes also fluff the hay and invert the crop to help it dry faster. Farmers may also use hay rakes to move the swath from wet ground to dry ground and merge swaths to better suit the capacity of a harvester or baler. There are several types of hay rakes: parallel bar, rotary, and wheel. The best choice for the job depends highly on the forage being harvested, the moisture level, the windrow orientation, and the topography of the land.
John Deere WR12 Hay Rake
Parallel Bar Rakes
Farmers who choose parallel bar rakes (sometimes called “basket rakes”) often do so because they tend to be gentler with hay and reduce the chance of knocking the leaves off of certain crops. Many parallel bar rakes feature a hydraulic control system; because they don’t rely on ground contact to power the raking mechanism, these rakes also don’t disturb the soil to the same degree. The parallel bar rake is often adjustable, allowing operators to choose among more windrow configurations to suit dry or wet forage. More recent models can feature up to seven bars (vs. five on previous-generation rakes) and larger baskets to work more quickly.
Rotary Rakes
If your forage is typically wet or heavy, a rotary rake might be the best choice. The rotary action is said to create a high, fluffy windrow, ideal for facilitating better air movement and drying the forage more quickly. The powerful rotors can also be hydraulically adjusted to skim above the ground and produce high-quality hay while minimizing soil disturbance. On some rotary rakes, operators can configure the machine to create dual windrows. Newer models tend to feature wider working widths, which means you get the job done in fewer passes, saving time and fuel.
Wheel Rakes
Wheel rakes tend function best with dry hay, such as crops with moisture levels of 30% or below. With wetter forage, wheel rakes might have to be set more aggressively and potentially contact the ground, which may introduce rocks and dirt. Wheel rakes do have the advantage lower price tags than other types because their simpler mechanism doesn’t require PTO (power take-off) or hydraulics to turn the hay.
Find The Right Hay Rake
TractorHouse.com features hay rakes from every major manufacturer. Just a few of the most popular brands for sale include CLAAS, H & S, John Deere, Krone, KUHN, New Holland, Rowse, Sitrex, and Vermeer.
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