whats the best 4 row tedder

[fiat 9090]

hi,im just wondering what is the best 4 row tedder fo tedding out heavy ten ft silage swards ,a sh one and 4000 of a budget and about 200 acres max over ten weeks 30 acres per day will be the max we will need its just a few of our customers have asked

 

[Cowabunga]

Do you mean four rotors or a machine to ted four ten foot mower rows at a time? I suspect it's the first option, because the second would be overkill for 30 acres per day. Having said that, you might find that those 30 acres need tedding twice per day and might overlap with another 30 acres on the same day.

A four rotor rake will only ted two mower widths at a time. I would seriously look at a six rotor rake to spread 30 ft. If the mower leaves rows, you need a rotor size that will take the rows exactly between the rotors. Heavy crops require a fairly slow forward and rotor speed. The rotor speed because of the weight and bulk being lifted means that if the speed is too high it will break tines. They all do that.
Basically all big-name tedders are good and certainly good enough for spreading silage. If there is a light and a heavy duty choice in a brand's offering, go for the heavy duty for heavy crops. Unfortunately the crops on mainland Europe where these things are designed are nothing like Irish and Western British heavy crops.

Brand? Choose from MF/Fendt, Krone, New Holland, Pottinger, Kuhn, Claas, or any other brand available where you are. I'm willing to bet that most dealers will be sold out by now or have a limited choice of machines left unsold. A factory order may well be next December delivery for many brands.

 

[agri knives]

Do you mean four rotors or a machine to ted four ten foot mower rows at a time? I suspect it's the first option, because the second would be overkill for 30 acres per day. Having said that, you might find that those 30 acres need tedding twice per day and might overlap with another 30 acres on the same day.

A four rotor rake will only ted two mower widths at a time. I would seriously look at a six rotor rake to spread 30 ft. If the mower leaves rows, you need a rotor size that will take the rows exactly between the rotors. Heavy crops require a fairly slow forward and rotor speed. The rotor speed because of the weight and bulk being lifted means that if the speed is too high it will break tines. They all do that.
Basically all big-name tedders are good and certainly good enough for spreading silage. If there is a light and a heavy duty choice in a brand's offering, go for the heavy duty for heavy crops. Unfortunately the crops on mainland Europe where these things are designed are nothing like Irish and Western British heavy crops.

Brand? Choose from MF/Fendt, Krone, New Holland, Pottinger, Kuhn, Claas, or any other brand available where you are. I'm willing to bet that most dealers will be sold out by now or have a limited choice of machines left unsold. A factory order may well be next December delivery for many brands.

Malones are available in dealers here .

 

[Cowabunga]

Malones are available in dealers here .

That's another name to add to the list. Many other brands are available and I wouldn't like to speculate as to which are the most suitable for heavy crops. I've had a six row Fella, nowadays MF, for probably 20 years now and it has done the job. Wish it was an eight or ten rotor machine though because I often need to ted many acres in a short period of time to make use of maximum crop drying time. A self propelled eats up to 80 acres of heavy crop in a day easily and if I have to ted that twice in a day it is virtually impossible with a six row machine. Need to do 80 acres between dew rising and 11am and then the same again starting at maybe 3pm. It would be viable if the crop was lighter and dryer but not with a heavy and initially fresh or wet crop

 

[Matthew Britton]

That's another name to add to the list. Many other brands are available and I wouldn't like to speculate as to which are the most suitable for heavy crops. I've had a six row Fella, nowadays MF, for probably 20 years now and it has done the job. Wish it was an eight or ten rotor machine though because I often need to ted many acres in a short period of time to make use of maximum crop drying time. A self propelled eats up to 80 acres of heavy crop in a day easily and if I have to ted that twice in a day it is virtually impossible with a six row machine. Need to do 80 acres between dew rising and 11am and then the same again starting at maybe 3pm. It would be viable if the crop was lighter and dryer but not with a heavy and initially fresh or wet crop

Sell him yours and get a bigger one!

 

[Bald Rick]

Heavy crop (which is usually in the eye of the beholder) will make for a slower forward speed otherwise the slip clutch will be going off all the time.

If buying secondhand as the OP wishes, I would look very carefully at the gears. Tedders get a lot of abuse.
For such a small acreage, make is largely irrelevant - parts availability would be my key criteria

 

[Pistonbroke]

Lely 600 was marketed as heavier duty than others for heavy crops with bigger rotors and more arms. Never had a problem ( yet )

 

[Cowabunga]

Sell him yours and get a bigger one!

They’ve sold out locally.

 

[fiat 9090]

Do you mean four rotors or a machine to ted four ten foot mower rows at a time? I suspect it's the first option, because the second would be overkill for 30 acres per day. Having said that, you might find that those 30 acres need tedding twice per day and might overlap with another 30 acres on the same day.

A four rotor rake will only ted two mower widths at a time. I would seriously look at a six rotor rake to spread 30 ft. If the mower leaves rows, you need a rotor size that will take the rows exactly between the rotors. Heavy crops require a fairly slow forward and rotor speed. The rotor speed because of the weight and bulk being lifted means that if the speed is too high it will break tines. They all do that.
Basically all big-name tedders are good and certainly good enough for spreading silage. If there is a light and a heavy duty choice in a brand's offering, go for the heavy duty for heavy crops. Unfortunately the crops on mainland Europe where these things are designed are nothing like Irish and Western British heavy crops.

Brand? Choose from MF/Fendt, Krone, New Holland, Pottinger, Kuhn, Claas, or any other brand available where you are. I'm willing to bet that most dealers will be sold out by now or have a limited choice of machines left unsold. A factory order may well be next December delivery for many brands.

Thanks for that info ,4 rotors to do two ten FTS and I'll only be doing it once for silage if I could do 7/8 acres per hour I would be happy ,I don't want any bigger as my daughter will be doing it

 

[fiat 9090]

Malones are available in dealers here .

Grand ,a friend of mine in limerick sells Malone so I'll give him a shout

 

[agri knives]

Grand ,a friend of mine in limerick sells Malone so I'll give him a shout

Hard to find a good secondhand Tedder , the way silage is going , a lot more grass is being tedded , so I’d buy new or near new , a 4 k Tedder will let you down when you need it.

 

[sheepwise]

Malones are available in dealers here .

Tried to get one through a dealer here 2 weeks ago and was told none available till mid July.

 

[fiat 9090]

Hard to find a good secondhand Tedder , the way silage is going , a lot more grass is being tedded , so I’d buy new or near new , a 4 k Tedder will let you down when you need it.

I'm inclined to agree I think he might trade in a mower which will take the sting out of it

 

[agri knives]

Tried to get one through a dealer here 2 weeks ago and was told none available till mid July.

Did you try Alasiter Smart in north Scotland he might have one .

 

[fiat 9090]

My friend said he has a Lely lotus 600 with a swivel headstock he did the rake is good but it needs four hinge pins ,3000 euro

 

[Pistonbroke]

My friend said he has a Lely lotus 600 with a swivel headstock he did the rake is good but it needs four hinge pins ,3000 euro

Must have done some work if the pins are worn

 

[fiat 9090]

Must have done some work if the pins are worn

yea i thought the same but he said if they are not greased regularly they can go because it moves alot on uneven ground ,good clean 600 s are making big money ,i have seen a lot of chezk and polish tedders and they look v light for irish conditions

 

[sheepwise]

Did you try Alasiter Smart in north Scotland he might have one .

Just spoken to him and he has machines available. Many thanks.

 

[Cmoran]

hi,im just wondering what is the best 4 row tedder fo tedding out heavy ten ft silage swards ,a sh one and 4000 of a budget and about 200 acres max over ten weeks 30 acres per day will be the max we will need its just a few of our customers have asked

From experience just bite the bullet and buy new you’ll never regret it!! I had 4 different second hand tedders before buying a new malone last year and I’m sorry I didn’t buy it years ago

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

From experience just bite the bullet and buy new you’ll never regret it!! I had 4 different second hand tedders before buying a new malone last year and I’m sorry I didn’t buy it years ago

The 0% finance that some companies offer makes new sound even better.