Posted by Billy NY on September 27, 2012 at 06:38:42 from (24.29.79.122):
In Reply to: Raking hay posted by Billy Shafer on September 27, 2012 at 05:09:01:
I would agree with the others, there's really nothing to it, but you do want to make the windrows per what the baler likes, so like was said, have him show you.
If there are any leafy hay crops, alfalfa or similar you do have to be cognizant of hot dry weather concerning the loss of leaf due to same, but it would seem the owner would state this and time the raking accordingly.
You obviously want to rake just prior to baling, but with enough lead time to allow the bottom to dry. Around here, if one side is left on the bottom too long, you can absorb moisture, enough to cause problems once baled, I've seen it more with 2nd cut, so in our neck of the woods you kind of pay attention to that, more so in some fields than others. May not even be a consideration where you are.
A few years back I was asked the same thing, farmer needed help with the hay and I had not raked since I was a kid. Really did not know much about tedders or disc mowers, ran both of those for him. He refreshed me on adjusting his ground driven NH side delivery rake, setting the pickup teeth, same with the tedder, it was easy.
Ironically, the first field I had done in what could be over 30 years, I tedded first, the whole thing was just covered in 1st cut evenly. Well I started on the outside of the field and made nice even windrows in this thick hay, right to the middle of the field, whereas I called the farmer, (I knew he would get a real laugh out of the question I was going to ask) and said, I'm done here, but "how do I get out?" LOL I'm right smack in the middle, done and did not want to mess up the neat uniform windrows, we used to have a M-F pto side delivery rake, so you lift and drive over, baler would still pick it up, he & I still laugh about that, I knew he liked a neat job and I wanted to make sure the work I did was right, he still laughs like heck about that, but knew anytime he asked me to work, I'd do it as close to what he wanted every time.
His son came home from the day job, went over and baled that field, with the JD 4440/NH315 baler, asked his dad who raked and said what a nice job, exactly how he wanted it done, I guess you don't forget these things. I had some photos of this, but the phone they were on got washed, I may have a few in an old camera I have not uploaded from.
He upgraded and added a Kuhn rake to his hay equipment, I never got a chance to use that one, supposed to fluff more and not intertwine as much like a side delivery does.
The only confusing thing for me was and its really nothing was combining 2nd cut windrows into one, with a single side delivery rake, in that case you drive and rake one way, then the opposite, I made it more confusing on myself, but still got good reviews, farmers brother rakes, his son on the baler does not like how he does it, me I'm good, so when raking, you aim to please the baler LOL !!
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