Raking Wet Swath

rusty6 · Sep 8, 2019

The oats I swathed over a week ago were still wet and green when I checked underneath yesterday. A few rains and daytime highs in the 60s make for slow progress. I turned the swaths yesterday in hopes we get enough wind and sun to dry them enough to bale before the next rain. Rake did not work too well in the heavy damp straw.

2140 Raking Swaths

rustred · Sep 8, 2019

yep I agree the wheel rake is useless for heavy swathes. if you had an old round baler you could open the rear door and run it through and it would fluff it up.

rusty6 · Sep 8, 2019

(quoted from post at 19:01:08 09/08/19) yep I agree the wheel rake is useless for heavy swathes. if you had an old round baler you could open the rear door and run it through and it would fluff it up.

My baler is plenty old enough I could have done that but never thought of it.

JD Seller · Sep 8, 2019

I have a hydraulic drive bar rake that works great to turn over windrows. You can keep a good ground speed while keeping the basket speed down. The hydraulic drive means it will turn green heavy windrows.

SVcummins · Sep 8, 2019

Wheel rakes have come a long ways

Bob · Sep 8, 2019

<img src = "https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto9641.jpg">

There used to be quite a few of these "shop-made" swath turners around here, most used Sund pickups.

They fluff a windrow with a LOT less loss of leaves or seed than mauling it around with a wheel rake.

Were they ever common in your area?

GreenEnvy · Sep 8, 2019

Interesting. I have a neighbor who just mounted a sund pickup on their swather to turn it over.

paul · Sep 8, 2019

Saw a few windrow movers in the past here, usually an old JD pickup set at an angle. Homemade. Throws the windrow onto a new dry patch of stubble over a couple feed without disturbing it much. Saw a couple manufactured ones, but basically same thing.

Never thought of a round baler opened up.

A rake works if you just nudge the windrow. Your rake has that wheel in the wrong place, need to turn it more than needed. Sucks to make the bunched windrows but a person has to do what ya has to do.

Paul

Bruce from Can. · Sep 9, 2019

Wet swaths can be frustrating. I like your Canola swathing video too. That JD swather looks very much like the big brother to my old swather. Replacement canvas is getting to be expensive proposition nowadays.

showcrop · Sep 9, 2019

You may have to get a tedder

RM-MN · Sep 9, 2019

I made a mount for a Melroe pickup (like a Sund) to fit on the front of my self propelled swather. It allows me to pick up the swath and move it sideways a few feet to get it up on standing stubble. The problem with that is you only get one chance because once you move it, there is no more standing stubble because the swather has knocked all the rest down. I'm still waiting for decent weather so I can run my oats through the combine.

rusty6 · Sep 9, 2019

(quoted from post at 20:03:54 09/08/19)
There used to be quite a few of these "shop-made" swath turners around here, most used Sund pickups.

Were they ever common in your area?

I've never seen one of those swath turners here but seen them in the old Country Guide magazines. For the few acres I have to bale I guess I will just wait it out. Will be interesting to see how the two bales I made turn out. I baled some slightly damp oats last year and they heated pretty good for a while but turned out fine as winter feed. I could see no sign of mold or spoilage.

Determined · Sep 9, 2019

I borrowed one off a neighbor years ago, it was a swath inverter made by Matador.

Basically a frame with a baler pick up on it but on the back it had a poly chute that makes the swath turn upside down before it moves it over and lays back on the ground.

I was turning swaths from a heavy mature oat crop that had been rained on and it did a great job with next to nothing for grain loss.

With all the rain in the forecast for this week and 99% humidity right now I won't even be looking at the baler until next week.

rusty6 · Sep 9, 2019

Found it! The ad for the Westgo swath lifter. An early fifties version. This might be the fall they could sell a few although there is not a lot of swathing done on cereal grain nowadays. Still hoping to straight cut my wheat and possibly the oats but we need a frost to take out the green stuff.

JMS/.MN · Sep 9, 2019

I mounted a JD combine pickup on a 4240 3ph. Hyd motor drive to vary the speed, and a hyd cyl to swivel it to each side. Could move each windrow to the side, maintaining equal distance between swaths. Pic is in archives.

Raking Wet Swath

rusty6

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rustred

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rusty6

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JD Seller

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SVcummins

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Bob

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GreenEnvy

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paul

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Bruce from Can.

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showcrop

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RM-MN

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rusty6

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Determined

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rusty6

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