Wheel rake

TractormanNC · Aug 3, 2013

Posted over on implement alley a couple days ago and got limited response so I thought I would post it here, after all a rake needs a TRACTOR to pull it.

Looking at a Vermeer VR820 wheel rake. Never used one or even seen one used but I like the wide working width compared to a NH56. Give me the good, bad, and ugly on this. We do only grass hay, no alfalfa if that makes any difference. Have heard that they put a lot of dirt in the hay, true or false?

keh · Aug 3, 2013

I'm not up on the model numbers, but I have a 10 wheel Vermeer V rake, like it fine. I haven't noticed dirt in the hay, but it rakes up everything that is cut or lying in the fiels, saw timber excepted. It will not rake well when making sharp turns. The wheels are going too straight in relation to the dirction of of the turn and will make only small windrows. What I have done in rectangular fields is to rake straight across, make a sharp turn and go back alongside the previous windrow. When finished, make a couple of runs around the field to take care of the hay missed while turning.

My biggest complaint with the 10 wheel is that it dosen't fold up into a narrow transport width. Also, unless you adjust the the wheels to make a wider than useful windrow the rear wheels drag the ground when in transport position. I understand the 8 wheel dosen't have that problem.

It does a good job of floating over uneven ground.

Bigdaddy4430 · Aug 3, 2013

Ihave a 12 wheel Tonnutti.On mine you can adjust the depth to which the wheels drop.In most cases you don't need to scrape the ground with the teeth,when you do you get dirt in the windrow.I can put 3 9' swaths together which makes for some quick baling

donjr · Aug 3, 2013

I answered your other post, but something I didn't think of. Get one with a center kicker. It will kick the hay the outer wheels will not turn over.

tom-ky · Aug 3, 2013

I have a 8 wheel M&W, did use a NH55. The time savings is great. Without a kicker wheel it will not flip the center hay, usually not a problem for me as I ted all the thick hay and thin hay it really does not matter. Thick hay will bunch up in mine and some others that I have seen. Since the teeth have to make ground contact to work you will pick up a little more trash. Hope this helps.

TractormanNC · Aug 3, 2013

Thasnks for all the replies.

And yes donjr, it has the center kicker, in fact two of them. I have learned the hard way what happens if some hay is left undisturbed at the bottom of the windrow.

hrRoss · Aug 3, 2013

I have a h+s bifold 12 wheel rake, manual fold. I rake 2 9ft swaths at a time at 5-8 miles per hour, while the wheels turn real slow cause of the ground drive. will rake gradual corners. rake long rows first, then headlands. this rake will rake small gravel stones into the row to some degree. long stubble does present some problemsin lodged hay as the rake will then skip some hay. this rake will fold down to about 8'and rake 20 acres in 1-1/2 hours.works excellent ahead of round baler with the 2 rows side by side, no weaving. I prefer it any day over my nh 256. it also rakes the hay rows in a much fluffer manner, not twisted like a rope like the nh rake. don't have center kicker wheels either as there is at least 3ft between the swaths for the rows.sometimes raking very heavy 1st crop is a problem as the hay cant pass under the wheel spindles. for that h+s makes a high capacity rake with wheels are turned the other way so it doesn't plug

Wheel rake

TractormanNC

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keh

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Bigdaddy4430

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donjr

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tom-ky

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TractormanNC

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hrRoss

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