How to Set Up a Side Delivery Rake
A side delivery rake is a type of hay rake that uses rotating prongs to pick up and turn over cut hay in the field. It fluffs up the hay and collects the hay into a neat windrow for baling. You can also use a side delivery rake to turn over hay that has been rained on, preventing it from molding on the bottom of the windrow. If you use a high-capacity bailer, then you can use a rake to combine two smaller windrows into a single large one, speeding up the bailing process.
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Instructions
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Hooking Up a Three-Point Rake
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1
Back the tractor up to the rake, and lower the three-point hitch so that the bottom hooks are just below the level of the rake's hitch yoke.
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2
Line up the hooks with the receiver pins or brackets on the yoke, and carefully back the tractor up until the hooks are in line with the yoke.
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3
Lift the three-point hitch slowly until the rake's jack is lifted a few inches off the ground.
Hooking Up a Drawbar Rake
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4
Back the tractor up to the rake.
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5
Adjust the rake jack until the rake hitch is at a level with the space between the tractor's drawbar plates.
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6
Slowly back the tractor up until the hole in the rake hitch is lined up with the holes in the drawbar.
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7
Drop a 1-inch hitch pin into the hole to secure the rake to the tractor. Fix the hitch pin in place with a cotter pin through the hole at the bottom of the hitch pin.
Hooking Up the Hydraulics
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8
Separate the pairs of hydraulic hoses, if any. If your hoses are not bundled together, then trace them back to their separate hydraulic cylinders to find which hoses are paired.
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9
Wipe the tips of the hoses clean using paper towels, and jack them into the first two pairs of hydraulic ports just above the tractor's power take-off.
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10
Test the hydraulics by working the hydraulic levers inside the tractor slightly forward and backward. Swap the hoses if the movements of the rake feel backward to you, or if you have mixed up the hose pairs.
Preparing the Rake for Road Travel
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11
Remove the cotter pin from the jack's collar, and turn it a quarter of the way so that it is parallel to the ground. Replace the cotter pin to secure the jack. Note: some rakes have a fixed jack. In these cases, simply crank the jack all the way up to its highest position, or pull back the spring bolt holding the jack into place and slide it up into its housing.
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12
Unlock the axle hubs on the rake, located either at the front of the rake's drive axle or just behind one of the front wheels. Your rake may lock using linchpins or spring-loaded T-handles. A rake with free-spinning wheels will not have locking hubs.
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13
Raise the rake wheels to their highest position. On a hydraulic rake, simply raise the wheels using the hydraulics, then insert the hydraulic chocks between the hydraulic cylinders and the body of the rake. This will keep the wheels from contacting the ground if you lose hydraulic pressure in transit. On a manual rake, turn the lift handle located at the rear of the rake until the handle stops turning.
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14
Rotate the rake so that it runs straight back from the tractor. On a bifold rake, straighten the rakes with the hydraulics, and collapse them to their narrowest setting, driving forward slowly as you do. On a manual rake, turn the rotation handle located at the top of the rake until the rake runs straight back.
Setting Up for Raking
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15
Rotate the rake to the desired angle. On a bifold rake, the rakes should run back at an angle to meet at a gap wide enough to accommodate your desired windrow.
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16
Lower the rakes so that the tines are within an inch of the ground without touching it. On rough or bumpy fields, you may need to raise them slightly to avoid contacting mounds or clods. If you have a hydraulic rake, then remove the hydraulic chocks before lowering the rake.
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17
Lock the rake hubs by inserting the linchpins or releasing the spring-loaded T-bars.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Do not drive a rake over the road with the axle hubs locked.
If you have a second person hooking up the hydraulic hoses, then have them stand well out of the way while you test the hydraulics. A hydraulic rake has several dangerous pinch points.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
