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Post by Beerwiser on Aug 8, 2020 10:51:59 GMT -6
I thought about doing this to mine, but the whole ass end would need beefed up. www.flexrakellc.com/Has anyone seen one or know a price? |
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Post by cptusa on Aug 8, 2020 12:59:50 GMT -6
I always envisioned the rake on the front of the tractor somehow, maybe off a front three point. Seems like a lot of drive line going through the rake there back to the baler.
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Post by Beerwiser on Aug 8, 2020 15:55:40 GMT -6
I had the same thought about front mount. Was almost tempted to chain it up to the fel and try. Problem I seen while following my old man close was on the corners. You are effectively lengthening the rake by the mounting point of the rake to the back wheels of the tractor. On a 90 degree corner the outside v will be dragging the swath even more compared to pulling the rake. Also the driving over a double swath is sometimes a problem with it hanging up.
I don't think the driveline length would be too much of an issue, a few steady bearings and good. If you have ever seen a degelman side arm, you will see a long driveline and 4 right angle gearboxs too. Some hp loss, but shouldn't be a problem. Definitely would need cameras on the baler though.
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Post by Albertabuck on Aug 8, 2020 19:00:41 GMT -6
One of my old neighbors before I moved built a front mounted twin wheel rake. Prairie Farm Report did a story on it for one of their inventions series. I was just on their site, but since what I speak of is from the early to mid nineties I could find nothing about it.
Honestly, all these years later, I am still shaking my head about the whole idea. I will never forget watching Murray going with his rig and the huge cloud of leaves off the alfalfa surging up and blowing around engulfing the tractor and the following baler, never mind the ones the drawbar supports and hitch knocked off as it passed under the tractor...to me that completely defeats the idea of good legume based hay...so many of the leaves never ever made it into the pickup of the baler.
I forget if he cut 9 or 12 feet, but when it come down to it, I could bale more tons in a day chasing 14 and 16 foot single swaths with my NH 855 than he could with his rig. At the time I believe he had a Deere 530 which was then current production at the time. Part of him going slow as he did was due to moles, I regularly drug my fields with a float made out of a pile driver derrick, so I could boogie right along in 6 or 7 gear in the 4020 with the baler and not beat the crap out of everything.
Maybe such has a possible place with grass hay, I dunno, at times I do have issues with my 16 and 18 foot hay swaths drying due to being thick and heavy, but I would rather deal with that than try to go this other route. Personal preference I suppose, I never made fun of Murray's rig, but I made no bones about, it in no way interested me nor did I see any real value to it. And I wasn't alone.
Now as to pushing a rake as opposed to pulling one, when I was young and custom baling my ass off, often had thought of pushing a bar rake hooked up the loader, two main reasons were to make crisp clean corners and to be able to simply pick it right up off the ground at the headlands...never did pursue the idea and something I haven't thought of in years till reading this here.
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Post by Beerwiser on Aug 8, 2020 20:00:39 GMT -6
So Ab, do you run a v rake at all? That was my dads and my concern when buying. How much leaf loss in alfalfa since really that is what counts. I honestly never noticed much leaf loss at least on this slovema rake, it is pretty gentle on the swaths. Typically I have only raked just to get the bottom dry. 2 16' swaths since Heston can not make an even swath.... And with the last few years a swath inverter seems more appropriate. The only reason I brought it up was it showed up in one of my recommend youtube videos, tells you what I watch. Still think it would be the cats ass for grasses.
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