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What size rake?!?

J robbo

New Member
What are people best size rake to go in front of a forage wagon and a round baler. We do all sorts of cuts from a multi cut system to a one big cut. Just like to know how what they use thank you
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
What are people best size rake to go in front of a forage wagon and a round baler. We do all sorts of cuts from a multi cut system to a one big cut. Just like to know how what they use thank you
What did you use before?


Rake need to be able to make a small enough row in heavy crop for the machine chopping/baling it to cope with. You can't go any slower when in bottom gear!

With lighter crops you can go faster.
 
I’ve a pottinger 762 raking for wagons , it brings 25 ft , it is far better than the 20 ft rake that it replaced , we are now travelling slower but covering more ground , in light crops we can now go faster too. I wouldn’t go back to a 20 ft. Always rake grass that has been spread out with the mower or tedded out, raking from narrow mowed swards like a 10 ft mower in narrow rows causes lumps in the sward , also when raking spread out grass you can straighten the swards if it was mowed in sets with short swards .
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
But
I’ve a pottinger 762 raking for wagons , it brings 25 ft , it is far better than the 20 ft rake that it replaced , we are now travelling slower but covering more ground , in light crops we can now go faster too. I wouldn’t go back to a 20 ft. Always rake grass that has been spread out with the mower or tedded out, raking from narrow mowed swards like a 10 ft mower in narrow rows causes lumps in the sward , also when raking spread out grass you can straighten the swards if it was mowed in sets with short swards .
But the OP has a baler as well.
Completely different scenario to a wagon! The limiting factor to a wagon speed is the amount in the back!
Also completely different rows required.
Baler needs a wide row to form bale without weaving. Waging need a narrow row to ensure chopping is efficient
 

Classichay

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
The moon
one thing to ask if you have a combi baler? if you have too bigger row of grass if the wrapping unit hasnt finished its cycle the danger is that the bale is turning in the chamber with net on / cling wrap for a prolonged period of time risk of Net breaking down from undue wear / risk of net wrap wrapping round the rollers / shafts if this happens. smaller sometimes is better, it is said a wider rake is all well and good but you can drive up a gear cant go any slower in bottom cog without riding the clutch.
 
But

But the OP has a baler as well.
Completely different scenario to a wagon! The limiting factor to a wagon speed is the amount in the back!
Also completely different rows required.
Baler needs a wide row to form bale without weaving. Waging need a narrow row to ensure chopping is efficient
We leave a wide row the same as a baler to spread the grass out over all the knives . I rake for balers too so I do know what type of sward is required.
 
type of sward?

What has the sward got to do with row shape?
You need to be able to leave a row the same width as your pickup for balers and wagons to get the best fill.
Important to have easy width adjustment , we are always adjusting the width for in heavy grass we have to close it in to keep the row narrow enough but in light grass we have to widen it out or it will leave the row too narrow.
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
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