Rakes: final preparation before harvest

Mowing, tedding, turning: When straw, hay and other grassland growth is harvested, a number of steps are necessary to prepare the cuttings optimally for collection and storage. However, before the cuttings can finally be collected or baled, they must be folded into windrows in the field - this final preparation is the only way to ensure reliable collection of the cuttings.

Tasks of a rake

As the name rake suggests, the main task of the rake is to fold the crop back into a swath after tedding and turning. As a rule, this is done directly before loading to ensure the highest possible collection rate.

When preparing hay, rakes are also used to create so-called “night swaths”. As hay drying can take several days, depending on the region, some farmers rake the hay in the evening and then spread it out again the next morning. This additional work step ensures that the grass only has a small surface area for dew or rain to attack during the night. However, any additional mechanical processing causes further crumbling losses, which is why the number of processing passes should be kept to a minimum.

Construction types of rakes

In the past, farmers used simple rakes for raking, but today various swathers are used to sweep up the crop. The rotary rake design, which is available in numerous sizes, has become particularly popular. Other designs such as pick-up rakes, comb rakes or star-wheel rakes are still produced today, but only have a very small market share.

Rotary rake

Rotary rakes are the most commonly used type of rake and consist of one to six rotors, which are driven by the tractor's PTO shaft. Each rotor has several rotating booms with spring tines, which are controlled via a cam track so that the tines engage with the forage during rotation and transport it in the desired direction, where it is unloaded as a swath.

Depending on the number of rotors installed, rotary rakes can reach a working width of up to 20 m and thus achieve hourly outputs of several hectares, making them significantly more powerful than other designs. In addition, the rotary rake deposits the mowed material loosely so that it is well aerated and can dry out. However, ground tracking is not always ideal, especially with large rotary rakes, but this can be improved by using tandem chassis and feeler wheels in front of the rotors. If the rake is not adjusted correctly, there is also a risk that the crop can become contaminated.

Pick-up Rake

Although pick-up belt rakes have been on the market for some time, they have also become increasingly popular in Germany in recent years. Depending on the model, the 2 - 13 m long machines are equipped with a pick-up along their entire length, which places the crop on a long, rotating belt that is driven by the PTO shaft. This then transports the crop either to the side or to the center, where it is deposited as a swath. The transport direction of the belt can be flexibly adjusted so that flexible working is possible.

Pick-up rakes have two decisive advantages: Firstly, in contrast to rotary rakes, the working speeds are 2 - 4 km/h faster, which means that the area output is higher for the same width. In addition, the tines of the rake do not scrape the ground, which reduces the risk of soiling the crop. However, the problem with belt rakes is that the hay builds up between the middle wheels and the chassis, which encourages the formation of excessively large swaths. In addition, wear and maintenance costs are higher than with rotary rakes.

Belt rake

Belt tedder, belt hay tedder or belt windrower - and the belt rake can also be found under these different names. The belt rake consists of a belt running transversely to the direction of travel, which is equipped with vertical tines that transport the crop to the side.

The advantages of the belt rake are particularly evident in mountainous regions: Thanks to its lightweight, compact design and low power requirements, this rake is also ideal for use on smaller vineyard tractors or single-axle tractors. In addition, the belt tedder can often also be used for tedding and turning, making it particularly interesting for small farms. However, as the belt rake tedder only has a low area output, it is generally of no interest to larger farms without slopes. In addition, it tends to overthrow with larger quantities of forage.