Which four rotor tedder

[Selectamatic]

Im really happy with my Haybob 360 for rowing up, it's just what I want to make some rows for the small baler.

However, it is a bit slow in covering the ground when tedding out, and, probably, not as good as a purpose made tedder.

So, If I was to buy one, are there any ones in particular that I should look out for, or avoid? Im thinking of a tidy second hand one, but some new ones are not that much more money nd might be worth the jump?

 

[Dave W]

Everyone will say Lely but in reality condition is far more important than badge once you get slightly more vintage. They will all do the same job ultimately.
the man on the seat is as important as the shape of the tine

 

[HarryB97]

I borrow a neighbours Kuhn and it does a great job as well as being very well built and finished. I used a Krone for several years and it was one of the worst machines I have ever used put me off the brand completley. Something like a tedder is worth buying new as they rnt overly expensive and will last years if they are looked after, generally they are only sold as they are past it as they rnt the heaviest of built machines.

 

[Pan mixer]

I will say lely stabilo 6 combi, throw away your haybob

 

[daveydiesel1]

Iv got a 4 rotor lely with the gates on for makin rows. Brill machine

 

[Sharpy]

A Lely is the answer for hay. The combi will row up hay as well into two haybob swaths but as you have a 360 I wouldn't try to find one. As a hay tedder the lely has no equal.

 

[Boohoo]

I'm happy with my Lely Lotus 460. Not a common model but it's light and the small rotors don't miss anything.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

We went through the same thought process and bought a Lely 4 basket which only teds. I think Vicon made a mistake naming the haybob 360 a Haybob. It is quite different to a regular haybob, it is really a 2 rotor rake, with the advantage it can be a second tedder if chasing the weather.

 

[Drillman]

Buy a 6 rotor Tedder. I nearly bought a 4 rotor but knew I be driving up down the field thinking should have bought a 6, should have bought a 6 etc..... so I did. No regrets. It was a Lely as there supposed to be good and at the time new it was 2nd cheapest of the 7 brands I priced.

 

[oakleaf]

I bought a 10 year old 520 Stoll in 2002. The UJ' s were knackered at the time and l had only to give 1200 for it . It has gone on to give me 18 years of trouble free service and will continue to l hope.
6 rotors may be great but my hayfields vary from 1.5 to 7 acres and the 4 is the best size for me.

A used 4 rotor bought from someone who is upgrading to a 6 can be an easy buy. They are not ALL sold because of a fault, even though mine was.

 

[jpd]

if silage is yer game
any brand
if hay is yer game
any brand except lely
m2pw
and yes ive owned both
hay is my game
i currently run a claas 52

 

[Goweresque]

Kuhn seem to be offering some good deals on new ones at the moment, my local farm supply place that sells a few Kuhn implements was offering a 4 rotor Kuhn tedder for £5250.

 

[FE35]

I went through this last year, upgrading from a haybob to Tedder. I didn’t mind the haybob & believe that do a decent enough job if careful but wanted more output. I aim for hay & sell quite a bit so wanted to be able to get on when the weathers good. I wanted a 4 rotor lely combi but they were about impossible to find, were knackered or very expensive! So went with a 5.5m 4 star kvernland buying on condition & then price. It seems well built & does a really nice job - literally twice as quick as haybob & a better result. I run it on a 90hp tractor on steepish small badly shaped fields with no bother. It has a boundary setting to stop it throwing grass up the dyke but I find It creates a heavier section on the outside row which doesn’t dry as quick so don’t bother with it & just go a bit steadier instead in the normal position. Only bad thing is it’s made the 35 redundant as it’s to small to lift it!

 

[Happy]

if silage is yer game
any brand
if hay is yer game
any brand except lely
m2pw
and yes ive owned both
hay is my game
i currently run a claas 52

Funny How we all have different experiences.
For hay I’d say anything but a Claas volto 52!
Half made and grass winds itself into the rotor housings and when near fully made has a tendency to windrow and also build up on the transport ropes and folding rams.

 

[Selectamatic]

I went through this last year, upgrading from a haybob to Tedder. I didn’t mind the haybob & believe that do a decent enough job if careful but wanted more output. I aim for hay & sell quite a bit so wanted to be able to get on when the weathers good. I wanted a 4 rotor lely combi but they were about impossible to find, were knackered or very expensive! So went with a 5.5m 4 star kvernland buying on condition & then price. It seems well built & does a really nice job - literally twice as quick as haybob & a better result. I run it on a 90hp tractor on steepish small badly shaped fields with no bother. It has a boundary setting to stop it throwing grass up the dyke but I find It creates a heavier section on the outside row which doesn’t dry as quick so don’t bother with it & just go a bit steadier instead in the normal position. Only bad thing is it’s made the 35 redundant as it’s to small to lift it!

That's interesting! I didnt think that you'd need such a large tractor, would a DB990 or 996 be able to handle it? Some ground is a little steeper, nothing drastic though...

 

[bobk]

I will say lely stabilo 6 combi, throw away your haybob

I've got one of them geezers , no need to change machines .

 

[Michael S]

We have a Pottinger HIT 8.91 which we have done a couple of seasons with, over a 1000 acres per year, and we haven't even broken a tine. Seems a very well built machine, I know it is twice as big as OP looking for but they do 4 rotor machines as well.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

Don’t know if this is unique to a Lely 520 like ours but as long as you can get it to the field with a bigger tractor and leave it opened up, even a smaller tractor can operate it. The swivelling headstock means it never needs to be picked up when tedding a field.

 

[ffukedfarmer]

Buy a 6 rotor Tedder. I nearly bought a 4 rotor but knew I be driving up down the field thinking should have bought a 6, should have bought a 6 etc..... so I did. No regrets. It was a Lely as there supposed to be good and at the time new it was 2nd cheapest of the 7 brands I priced.

It really is worth spending the extra money on a bigger tedder. Stick a bit on finance if you need to, no doubt there will be a zero % interest deal to be had if buying new.

4 rotor tedders don't make as good a job as a 6. Not so much of a problem in silage or haylage but definitely a consideration in hay.

 

[Boohoo]

It really is worth spending the extra money on a bigger tedder. Stick a bit on finance if you need to, no doubt there will be a zero % interest deal to be had if buying new.

4 rotor tedders don't make as good a job as a 6. Not so much of a problem in silage or haylage but definitely a consideration in hay.

Why do you say that a 4 rotor doesn't make as good a job as a 6 rotor? Is rotor size not more important than the number of rotors?