graze-l July 2004: [SPAM] - Re: [SPAM] - Re: [Graze-l] [SPAM] - Re: [Graze-l]- Hay Trellis - Email
found in subject - Email found in subject - Email found in subject
>
> From: "Conor O'Brien" <cmobrien@eircom.net>
> Date: 2004/07/16 Fri PM 09:56:20 GMT
> To: graze-l@witt.ac.nz
> Subject: [SPAM] - Re: [Graze-l] [SPAM] - Re: [Graze-l]- Hay Trellis - Email found in subject - Email found in subject
>
> At 03:09 09/07/04, you wrote:
> > * A buck rake fits on the three point linkage
> > * of a tractor and was invented by Paterson in
> > * UK and promoted by Harry Ferguson (tractors)
> > * who invented the three point linkage system
> > * about 60 years ago.
> >
> >Hi,
> >
> >The buck rake wasn't invented by anybody and was in wide use
> >before Ferguson was born. It was a traditional farm tool.
> >The traditional buck rake was generally made of wood on the
> >farm, and was fixed to a shaft that ran back between a
> >team. It was pushed by the horses.
>
> We never used that implement in Ireland but we had a wheeled rake which we
> called a buckrake and pulled by horses. It was like a big comb mounted on a
> cross shaft and counter balanced so that the driver could easily lift it
> when he wanted to release his load. The teeth were curved. It was a grand
> job for a young fella to have especially if the horses were stoppy, because
> they could be given their head and if they did not behave and stop when
> told, just drop anchor and that put manners onto them.
We had a similar rake over here, but it was called a dump rake. It was also pulled by horses with the driver sitting on top of
the rake. As you worked your way accross the field you would trip the mechanism to "dump" the load. With this
implement, a skilled teamster could create windrows almost as straight as the more more modern side delivery rakes.
> We also had a hay rake, which was like a horizontal elevator with tines,
> driven by the wheels and tossed the hay into or out of the swarth. I think
> they had two seperate rakes involved. Theres an old one in a barn here and
> I must look at it.
This sounds like something similar to the hay inverters that some people use around here. They pick up the hay - whether raked
or not - and drop it out a side chute. This effectively turns the hay over to expose what was on the bottom. The makers of
these units claim it to be easier on the hay with less leaf shatter. Looks like you folks were quite a bit ahead in the
developement of this one.
> We also had a wheel rake which was, 4 I think, wheels with hay tines, set
> at an angle so that the forward motion caused them to revolve and toss the
> hay into swarths
This sounds just like my old Farmhand wheel rake - which I still use. It does a very good job - unless the wind is too strong.
Most of the older units of this type had five wheels, with each manufacturer having their own style of wheel. Many farmers in
this area of Wisconsin use modern rakes that employ the same concept, except for size. Most of these have seven or more
"wheels" with some having as many as 14. The latter units are usually shaped in a big V pulling the hay to the
center.
Bill Wetherington
Monticello WI
