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West Central Iowa | I have used both a single rotary rake and double rotary rake. In general a rotary rake takes the drier hay from the top of the original windrow and places it on the bottom while leaving the wetter hay on top and somewhat "fluffy". If the hay you are raking is already dry, there may not be a difference between rotaries, basket, or wheel rakes. But if you are trying to turn damp/wet hay in hopes of speeding up the drying process, rotaries will do a better and more consistent job. Sometimes basket or wheel rakes will rope damp/wet hay or even roll that wet/damp material onto the underside of the new windrow. You will not find that with a rotary.
The downside is that the average rotary rake will be more costly than its basket or wheel counterpart. It has more moving parts and over time will need more maintenance. There is also a "sweet spot" you need to find as well in regards to PTO speed vs. ground speed. Each company typically has some general recommendations as a starting point, but do not treat those recommendations as gospel. A number of factors including type of hay, thickness of hay, moisture of hay, etc. all play a role in figuring out the correct PTO and ground speed that meets your needs.
If you type "Rotary rake" in the search box of Youtube you will find a few videos of single rotary rakes. | |
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Tell me about hay Tedders and Rotary Rakes
