Double Windrow Rake Built From Two Used 3-Pt Rakes

Double Windrow Rake Built From Two Used 3-Pt Rakes HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Rakes (44) 20-2-10 Paul Michener, Waynesville, Ohio, wanted a way to speed up raking hay without dam-aging hay quality or having to spend a lot of money. So he bought two used, 3-pt. mounted 4-wheel rakes and built his own "double windrow" rake that puts two windrows together at the center. "It gives me better quality hay and cuts my raking time by more than half," says Michener. He flipped one of the rakes over and re-versed the wheels, then mounted both rakes on a home-built 2-wheel trailer equipped with a 10-ft. long hitch and 10-ft. long manual-fold swingout arms that are hinged at the rear. The finger wheels are mounted on the arms. A rear-mounted hydraulic cylinder raises or lowers the arms. "I can go up to 10 mph, if the field is smooth enough, without shaking off many leaves," says Michener. "The finger wheels don't turn very fast because they're set at a 45 degree angle and are dragging sideways as they go forward. Hay travels only half as far as other rakes that roll hay from one windrow to another. The arms can be set narrower if the hay is heavy or if I want a smaller windrow. I can hydraulically lift the rake in light hay or when turning corners to keep hay from bunching up. "When I built it I didn't know of any commercial rakes like mine. Now there are similar rakes on the market that sell for $3,500 to $6,500. I spent only about $1,000. I paid $300 for both rakes. Even though I built it four years ago, I'm still making improvements on it. I plan to either add more raking wheels or build a larger rake. The additional raking wheels could be added when the hay is lighter or removed when it's heavy." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul Michener, 5565 Lytle Road, Waynesville, Ohio 45068 (ph 513 897-5142).

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