New Way To Bale While You Rake

New Way To Bale While You Rake BALERS Balers 31-3-3 "It's not the first one-pass haying system ever, but I think it's the best," says Cecil Scott, Porter, Texas, who modified an H&S 27-ft. rake to pull any brand of round baler. The system eliminates the need for a separate raking pass and turns baling hay into a one-man operation, says Scott. The rake is available with the modification kit installed or you can buy a kit to install on any H&S or Pioneer rake model. "I came up with the idea because I had trouble finding anyone to run my hay rake while I baled," says Scott. "Rakes designed to mount on front of the tractor create a lot of dust which can cause problems with air and oil filters. You can buy rake wheels that mount directly onto the baler, but they're awkward to use and difficult to disconnect. Disconnecting the baler from my rake is as simple as pulling a pin and unhooking the quick-disconnect hydraulic hoses." The baler is pulled a full 22 ft. behind the tractor and is operated by a long pto shaft. The baler hooks up to a drawbar on back of the rake. The rake rides on dual wheels for added stability and is strengthened by the addition of a steel "pull bar" at the bottom, which also supports the pto shaft. To modify a rake, Scott cuts 6 ft. off the front part of the rake's tongue and adds a drawbar on back. Loops and tubes are welded onto the top part of the rake to secure the rake's hydraulic hoses and wiring that leads to a bale monitor in the tractor cab. To move from one field to another you can just lift the rake and fold it to its normal width of 8 ft. "The baler is located 22 ft. behind the tractor so the dust it makes won't cover your tractor cab," notes Scott. "Because of the CV joint on front of the pto shaft, it's just like raking hay - the rake and baler follow you wherever you go. It works great in small fields, too, because the rake can be opened and closed to go through small areas without the operator ever leaving the tractor seat. Another advantage is there's no windrowed hay to blow away." He says three years ago, Texas A & M University did a study on what it costs to rake and bale hay. æThey found you can save 40 percent by raking and baling at the same time. And that was when fuel cost less than today." The kit includes the main pull bar, pto shaft, a new set of shortened-up hydraulic hoses, and new electrical wire for the baler monitor. It also includes a Fasse hydraulic diverter valve that mounts on front of the rake, so if your tractor has only two remotes you can still operate both machines. It takes two men about four hours to install the kit on an H&S rake. The system requires about 20 more horsepower than operating the baler alone. The rake sells for $16,900 F.O.B. The kit sells for $5,900. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Cecil Scott, P.O. Box 636, Porter, Texas 77365 (ph 512 731-0867; cpscotts@msn.com).

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