Joining the Rotary Rake Club!

After yet another sopping wet year last year, I decided to take the plunge and add a (used) rotary rake to our haying lineup. This Kuhn GA 4101 GTH has definitely seen some love, and I discovered a few things once it hit my yard (seems to happen no matter how thoroughly you look at a piece of used equipment...). But all in all, I'm hopeful that I got it in working shape, and that 2024 will be the year of gloriously fluffy, aerated windrows. We'll see!
(I certainly won't be getting rid of the trusty NH 256 rake, don't you worry!)
~~~
(We are a 53-acre haying operation in Conway, MA - making all small square bales for the local food, fiber, and livestock community. Learn more about our farm at windrowfarmconway.com, or connect with us on instagram @windrow.farm)
Equipment List:
Massey Ferguson 275 Tractor
Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor
Massey Ferguson 135 Tractor
Vermeer TM610 disc mower
Vicon RS410T Tedder
Kuhn GA4101 GTH rotary rake
New Holland 256 hay rake
Massey Ferguson 124 baler (with New Holland 70 bale thrower)
Four kicker wagons
Delmhorst FX-2000 Hay Moisture Meter
Sundown Fertilizer Spreader

[@rickkearn7100]

Nice find, WF, and great that there was a grant available. Also being able to use both MF's to run it is good insurance if one goes temporarily belly up. Looking forward to seeing it in action this June! Cheers.

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks so much! My hopes and thinking too. Need to price out the new pto shaft parts (sounds like I could order just the front half with the constant velocity joint, as I’m 99% sure the back half is original). If it doesn’t break the bank, I’ll likely go for it before the season even kicks off and roll the monetary dice some more 😅. Tractor redundancy indeed only works if you can run everything on both tractors. (Though I bet the 135 would run it okay too 😁.). Thanks for following along, I hope you’re doing well!

[@HumbleHaymakers]

Nice find - should make some fluffy windrows…👍

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks - hoping so!

[@sheldonmoore1088]

Congratulations on your new purchase, you will not regret the upgrade. We are on our 2nd rotary rake, still have our I.H. 56 bar rake but it hasn`t seen any use over the last 2 seasons. Our first rotary was a stoll with hand crank adjustments, current one is a Kubota RA1042T with hydraulic lift which is a really nice option.

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks!! I’m pretty excited about it - just always cautious about “new” used equipment, so we’ll see how it does!

[@randybennett5417]

I like bar rakes the best.

[@windrowfarm]

Oh I’ll be hanging onto mine too. Old reliable!

[@MAF_LTD]

Looks good my buddy just pick up same model. I just put new gears and bearings in the claas 370t i picked up. Those are pricey so keep an eye on that nut as it sets pinion engagement. Im waiting on a thread die to chase the threads for that big nut and finiah assembly.

[@windrowfarm]

Oh, nice! And thanks, I appreciate that readback - my thoughts exactly too. Turns out the threads aren’t clean enough for the new nut, so I have the old one tightened way down, and marked both the nut and casting with a sharpie so I can keep an eye on any loosening. Hoping to fix that at some point, but first want to see how it does this season…

[@andyrobinson339]

I have a similar but I believe smaller model, and all manual. It's a GA 3200 GT by Kuhn. You where making me nervous when you were reving up the PTO speed. These rakes are meant to operate slowly ie nowhere near full PTO speed. Also, if your ground speed is too fast and/or the curtain is too far away, they can scatter hay. All in all I really like mine (also a L hand delivery) but they take some tweaking and getting used too. I do believe they improve drying time too!

[@windrowfarm]

Hey there - thanks, glad to hear it! I’m right with you on slower PTO speeds - I’ve just been messing around with making sure this is working okay, but I totally agree and plan to be as gentile as possible with actual hay. I’ll have to see what the sweet spot is between throttle and tractor gear.

[@russellyoung1181]

Congrats- and another great video! I have a similar rake, and you’ll be glad to know the gorilla tape has lasted 3 years already! The curtain pivots take a nylon bushing inside (after sanding off the rust). They go bad over time with sun/age. I had to replace mine too to prevent dragging. I think they were $.79 a piece! Mine also had ti have s CV joint behind the tractor. Not .79…….. Good luck!

[@windrowfarm]

Hey there, thanks so much! I appreciate that info, I didn’t even think to price out the nylon bushings (I went straight into “cob together” mode 😆), but I’ll look into that now. And glad the gorilla tape holds up! What model do you have?

[@russellyoung1181]

GA 4120 TH. Right hand delivery, non-detachable arms. Same width I think.

[@russellyoung1181]

By the way- airy windrows are great, but you’re going to love the ability to lift up to cross windrows and (with the fancy new shaft if you can swing it), the ability to sharp turn. Nice for our tight New England fields! You’ll become a raking snob in no time!

[@windrowfarm]

@@russellyoung1181 haha, thanks! I agree. I actually started off with an old Massey 3 point rake, so I fondly remember the days of being able to pick up a rake and set it back down again (even if I didn’t like much else about it). I do like the art form of raking a field without that ability (😆), but yeah, it’ll be nice to be able to do that again. How is your prep season going? I wanted to say thanks again for the injector pump fix info. I had to attempt it twice on the 275 (first time I still got leaking from the main gasket). Ordered a second kit, gasket that time was orange rather than black (🤷🏼), and I carefully added the smallest amount of fuel resistant gasket dressing. Not sure what did the trick, but so far no leak! So thanks again, I’m very grateful for your help.

[@farmingforfunandprofit940]

My Son Is The Procurer of Equipment. and hearing him Talk, he seems not to like rotary rakes because of the complexity of the moving parts.... Chances are--- one will show up, But chances are with Krone Mowers, Krone Tedders and Krone Balers it will be a Krone....

[@windrowfarm]

That makes sense! The complexity and cost was definitely what kept me using the trusty NH 256 until now - but with all the sopping wet summers we keep getting in MA, I decided it was time for nice fluffy non-rolled windrows. I understand the brand loyalty though! Thanks for tuning in!

[@farmingforfunandprofit940]

When we stopped row cropping Cotton And Peanuts 7 years ago Our first cutter was a 10 ft Kuhn, But the 2nd year we sold it and bought a 320 Krone, followed by another 320 krone and another 320 Krone all mounted on 4760 KMC carts,,,,, WE Round bale everything, haul and store Converting into small squares to supply TSC stores in our Area.... Just at the very end od 2023 seasoned Transitioned from J.D. balers to Krone....... One unit rolled 96 bakes.... Basically we changed because not to cause confusion in loading bales on the Simpson unroller tables.... WE use JD. Net Wrap and use the Wide Green band to mark bale Rotation...UNROLLING...... The Deere wraps from the rear and a krone wraps from the Front.....