Introduction
The most important step in making hay is to spread the grass out to dry properly. But how can you quickly gather large amounts of loose hay? A hay rake will be your best helper. In this article, I will introduce a few types of hay rakes to help you choose the right one for you and improve your work efficiency!
What is a Hay Rake
A hay rake is a type of farming machine, usually either tow-behind or mounted, and it needs to be used with a tractor. The hay rake collects scattered grasses, wheat, corn stalks, and other crop residues, turning them into neat rows. This makes it easier for you to organize the cut hay into a shape that is ready for bundling, transportation, and storage.
Types of Hay Rake
Based on the shape and working principle of hay rakes, they are divided into four common types: wheel-type, side delivery, rotary, and drum hay rakes. Next, their structure, how they work, and where they are used will be explained, so the differences between these types of hay rakes can be better understood.
Wheel hay rake
Structure
The wheel-type hay rake, also known as the finger-disk hay rake, is made up of several finger disks. Each disk has multiple flexible raking teeth that are used to gather the hay. You can adjust the width of the hay row by changing the angle of the disks. The raking teeth are usually arranged at a certain angle and are mounted on the frame axle, allowing them to rotate freely. There are two types of raking: single-sided and double-sided. The rake doesn’t have a complex drive system. Instead, it relies on the friction between the ground and the wheels to make the disks rotate and complete the work. This makes the wheel-type hay rake simple in design and easy to maintain.
Working principle
When the tractor pulls the wheel-type hay rake forward, the raking wheels roll along the ground, making the rake rotate and gathering the grass or straw to one side. Through continuous raking, the wheel-type hay rake can create neat rows of hay on the ground. The angle between the plane of the raking wheels and the direction of the machine’s movement is usually 135 degrees. You can also use the wheel-type hay rake to flip the hay. To do this, you simply need to change the angle between the raking wheels’ plane and the direction the machine is moving.
Application
The wheel-type hay rake can work at speeds of over 15 kilometers per hour. If you need to handle a large amount of grass, this type of rake is a good choice. Its flexible raking teeth can also gather leftover crop residues and plastic film from the soil, helping to reduce plastic pollution on the land.
Dump Hay Rake
Structure
The drum hay rake is named because the hay rows it creates are perpendicular to the direction of the machine’s movement. It usually comes in tow-behind or mounted types and has a simple structure. The main parts are the rake mechanism, lifting system, and frame. The rake mechanism consists of a row of curved or spiral-shaped spring teeth. The shape of these teeth directly affects the rake’s ability to gather hay effectively and the quality of the hay rows. The space between the teeth is usually 7 to 9 centimeters. Smaller gaps help create more compact hay rows, while larger gaps are better for thicker crops.
Working principle
When the drum hay rake moves forward, the spring teeth lift the grass from the bottom along its curved surface, raising it to the highest point before it falls down to form a hay row. Once the row fills the front part of the teeth, the lifting system can raise the rake. Then, using the weed bar, the gathered hay is dropped to the ground, forming a hay row about the same length as the working width of the rake. After that, the rake automatically lowers and continues gathering hay.
Application
The drum hay rake works at a slower speed, usually 4 to 5 kilometers per hour. Unlike the wheel-type rake, you can adjust the size of the hay rows it creates. If your field is small or the grass yield is not very high, a drum hay rake will be enough for your needs.
Rotary Hay Rake
Structure
You can divide the rotary hay rake into two types based on its components: the rake type and the spring-tooth type. The rotary hay rake has 6 to 8 rakes on each rotating part, while the spring-tooth type has several spring teeth around the rotating parts.
A rotary hay rake mainly consists of the frame, drive system, rotating body, wheels, rear deflector, and raking parts (either spring teeth or rakes).
The wheels support the machine and help it move on the ground, making it easier to operate. You can adjust the rear deflector to change the working width based on the amount of grass. The raking parts on the rake arms work with the deflector to gather the grass and straw.
Working principle
As the tractor moves forward, the ground wheels also move, and the hay rake begins to work. The rake teeth rotate around a central axis while also spinning on their own. The cam track and cam cover limit the teeth, making them rotate along a fixed path and angle. This design makes sure the rake teeth accurately gather the hay in a specific spot and can also flip the hay.
The working principle of the rotary hay rake is simple. When the rotating parts spin, centrifugal force makes the spring teeth open, performing the raking action. To spread the hay, you need to change the angle at which you install the spring teeth.
Application
The rotary hay rake works quickly, with speeds of 12 to 18 kilometers per hour. It gathers the hay into loose, airy rows, which helps the grass dry thoroughly and shortens the drying time, resulting in higher-quality hay bales. If you have a large field with a high yield, a rotary hay rake would be a good choice.
Cylinder Hay Rake
Structure
The main working parts of the cylinder hay rake are two “V”-shaped raking drums that rotate around a horizontal axis. Each drum consists of 3 to 6 parallel rods with rows of raking spring teeth. The rods connect to the circular surface of the drum, forming a parallelogram structure.
Working principle
When the cylinder hay rake works, the tractor’s power take-off shaft will drive the drum and then the drum starts rotating. As the machine moves forward, the raking spring teeth also rotate around a horizontal axis. When the grass and straw come into contact with the spring teeth, they form continuous hay rows between the two drums, aligned with the direction the machine is moving.
Application
The cylinder hay rake can work at speeds of 12 to 18 kilometers per hour. The dense spring teeth on the two drums effectively gather the dry hay and reduce waste. As the drums rotate, the spring teeth move in a sweeping motion, keeping the hay rows loose and airy. If you have a large field with a high yield and need high-quality hay rows, the cylinder hay rake would be a good choice.
Conclusion
After my introduction, do you now understand the differences between the different types of hay rakes? There is no “best” hay rake, only the one that is best for you. If you are looking to buy a hay rake, feel free to contact us at ANON. We can analyze your needs and recommend the best hay rake for you!
FAQ
Is raking hay necessary?
In the process of making hay, there are a few harvest management tactics that can greatly affect forage quality at feeding. The raking process can be the most critical to identify and conduct proper management practices to help conserve the available nutrients in the crop and reduce crop losses.
What is the difference between a hay tedder and a hay rake?
You can use the hay tedder to spread and dry grass or straw, while the main function of the rake is to gather hay for subsequent bundling, transportation, and storage.
