Homemade rotary rake for the T-25 or T-40 tractor - instructions, features, photos and videos

Raising livestock requires quite a lot of feed, such as hay and a variety of grasses. However, to grow, mow and harvest them yourself, you will also need a variety of devices, which together can cost quite a pretty penny. The solution may be to independently manufacture certain equipment, for which improvised materials and even what previously might have seemed like garbage are often suitable.

Application of tedder rakes

After mowing, you should prepare the grass for turning it into hay. This means that it is necessary to form windrows, turn over from time to time, and collect into bales or rolls. Factory or homemade tedder rakes collect the mown grass into windrows and, if necessary, turn them over to dry. To use hay harvesting equipment, walk-behind tractors, mini tractors, tractors and even horses are used. This is much more efficient than working with hand tools. You can perform the following operations:

raking of mown plant matter;
tedding the grass;
windrow wrapping and spreading;
doubling of arranged rows of rolls.

Do-it-yourself rakes for mini tractors have a number of advantages. The device is more efficient than hand tools, is easily transported to the storage area and takes up little space. Affordable price and no problems purchasing spare parts.

All tedders can be divided into several types. For example, rakes differ in the rotation of the working elements when forming transverse and lateral rolls. They are also divided according to the type of working mechanisms:

wheel-finger, allowing you to make rolls of the required size. This type can only work with dry plant mass and this is perhaps the only drawback. Thanks to the thoughtful design of the rake, tedders of this type are characterized by good performance and are considered the most practical;
drum or rotary, characterized by structural strength and independent arrangement of raking wheels. They are considered the most expensive models on the agricultural equipment market, but this is justified by their functionality. This type of equipment can not only turn over the mown plant mass, but also form neat windrows from it;
tooth tedders. Thanks to the design, it is possible to change the angles of inclination of the working elements.

Depending on the type of traction, the equipment can be either tractor or horse. The second type can be used together with a walk-behind tractor. Installation of factory or homemade rakes is possible in three ways:

trailed (installed on tractors);
semi-mounted rakes (the most affordable);
mounted tedders (aggregated with walk-behind tractors and mini tractors).

Rotary tedders are considered the most expensive, so many people prefer to do it themselves, especially since there are no problems with spare parts. They can be purchased in specialized stores or removed from old equipment. Making your own rake is not that difficult; all you need is the desire and experience in handling a plumbing tool.

Principle of operation

Thanks to the power take-off shaft or chain drive, the torque is transmitted from the main engine to the rotating mechanism of the tedder. Up to five pairs of wheels can be used at the same time, covering a large area to carry out the necessary work. The special design of wheels with hooks along the rim allows you to pry up blocks of grass, stacks of straw, heaps of leaves, turning them over, collecting them in a heap or simply raking them behind you.

A rake of this type, thanks to the set angle of the needle wheels, can perform many different functions. By changing the direction of torque, functions can be combined.

For example, if one side of the tedder is turned clockwise and the other side is turned counterclockwise, all the straw, hay, grass or leaves will be collected in the main center track, where they can then be easily raked into a pile. If you need to use the tedder as a wide rake, then the angle of the fence changes by 180°, so that the wheels align in one row and rake everything that needs to be collected from the ground. The principle of such a device is quite simple, so it is easy to work with.

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VIDEO: HOW RAKE TEDDERS WORK

Varieties for mini tractors

There are many options for homemade and factory rakes for tractors. The classification is based on characteristics such as the type of working mechanism, method of attachment to the machine, etc.

By type of working mechanisms:

Name	Characteristic
Wheel-finger	They are characterized by high productivity and can make windrows of the required size.
Rotary	Durable and multifunctional. In addition to creating windrows, they are used for turning hay.
Dental	Can change the angle of inclination.

By type of traction:

tractor;
horse ones, can also be attached to a walk-behind tractor.

According to the installation method, devices are divided into:

mounted;
trailed;
semi-mounted.

However, the main criterion is the design. According to this principle, rakes are divided:

rotary;
wheel-mounted;
tape

Drawings and assembly instructions

Assembling the device with your own hands is a doable task even without special knowledge.

Mounted wheeled

We are talking about “sun” type rakes, which are so called because of the tedder wheels located on both sides of the mini tractor. The advantages of the design are the speed of raking and turning hay, as well as a long service life. In total, 3-5 wheels are placed on the “sun”.

For assembly you will need:

grinder, drill, wrenches, welding and other tools;
metal pipe (you can use a motorcycle frame);
thick wire to form the fingers of the instrument;
brackets;
sheets of metal, such as steel, to make discs;
bearings: 2 per wheel;
spare parts for the fastening device to attach the tedders to the tractor (for example, car hubs).

According to the drawing, you need to assemble the parts into one structure, then attach the “sun” to the tractor.

Tape design

This tool is suitable for collecting and tedding freshly cut grass and hay.

A distinctive feature of tedders is the extensive coverage of the treated area with a low weight of the implement.

Since there are no wheels in the design, the rake is considered to be mounted.

Rotary rake

Farmers use them to collect and form windrows of fragile types of hay. The “fingers” gently beat and turn the crops, maintaining the quality of the grass without loss of mass.

For assembly you will need:

metal pipes with a diameter of about 5 cm and rods - 1 cm;
metal for frame;
chain and gears;
metal sheet for strengthening;
cardan shaft

Build process:

Preparing the frame. Its width should be suitable for the mount, and its length should be suitable for the grip radius. For example, with a span of 3.5 m, the length of the frame will be 2.5 m. The shape that works best is a crane boom, i.e. at one end it is wide, and at the other it narrows.
Preparing the rotor. It will be driven by a cardan shaft, which is used as the rear axles of cars (since they have the necessary gears).
Attach pipes about 40 cm long to the rotor. To do this, you need to drill holes for them at equal distances in diameter.
Make rake “fingers” from rods, secure them to the pipes with bolts or weld them.
Attach the rotor to the frame. In order for the design to work correctly, you need to adjust the gears for raking and tedding. The shaft must be divided in half and the parts placed on opposite sides so that the rotation speed is reduced to 80 and 20 rpm, respectively.
Attach one part to the frame using plates with bearings.
The second one is to be attached to the bottom with springs. Place the gears on the shaft and connect them with a chain.

To change gears, the worker will need to change the gear and chain length.

Description

This turner attachment is designed to perform two tasks:

tedding hay;
raking it to one side.

The working part of this type of tractor-mounted equipment (Russian, Finnish, Polish or Turkish) in most cases consists of four or five wheels. They all rotate in the same direction in a plane that is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the mini tractor.

In this case, the outermost wheel is slightly ahead of the others, the second is slightly behind, the third is even further, then the fourth and fifth. They all rotate in the same direction.

Each wheel has many metal rods around its perimeter, which are slightly curved at the edge in the shape of a hook.

Tedder rake

In raking mode, work occurs as follows.

The wheels, according to the instructions, rotate in such a way that the very first wheel, located on the right (if you face the direction of movement), picks up the hay scattered on the surface of the ground with metal rods and throws it to the side so that it falls under the second wheel.

There are several options for working:

You can make one pass, then in the opposite direction, so that all the hay ends up in one row, where it will be much easier to collect.
You can make three passes in one direction, gradually moving the collected hay in one direction. In this case, you will have to collect three times as much hay from one row.

There are other possible operating schemes that can be followed on the tedder rake in this mode.

In the tedding mode, the tractor driver rotates the frame with impellers 180 degrees. In this case, the rightmost wheel will be located at the rear. The hay he picks up will not fall on other wheels. The same can be said about each of the wheels.

Tedder rake at work

General recommendations

Farmers are choosing to assemble their own rakes to save money. However, it is worth considering that spending on homemade tedders will be less only if there is a sufficient amount of scrap metal, i.e. in the absence of the need to purchase consumables. As a result, structures assembled with your own hands last a long time, and their power is not inferior to factory-made devices.

The main recommendation is to decide which type of tool is most suitable for the area of land being cultivated. Since, for example, sun rakes and tedders with a belt structure will work effectively only on flat fields.

In addition, it is worth thinking about the choice of design device, because... rotary devices are one spinning wheel, which can be hazardous due to the large radius of rotation.

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Do-it-yourself tractor rake – Special equipment

Raising livestock requires quite a lot of feed, such as hay and a variety of grasses.

However, to grow, mow and harvest them yourself, you will also need a variety of devices, which together can cost quite a pretty penny.

The solution may be to independently manufacture certain equipment, for which improvised materials and even what previously might have seemed like garbage are often suitable.

A rotary rake for the T-25 or T-40 tractor is quite a useful tool when harvesting hay and various grasses, namely when raking swaths into equal windrows, wrapping, light tedding, or scattering and doubling windrows.

Although a homemade design may have a number of limitations caused by the manufacturer’s plumbing skills or available materials, it will help you save a lot. Also, based on your own needs, you can choose the width of the rake or set limiters to select the size of the windrow.

Depending on the topography of the field, it is worth considering two options, namely fully mounted equipment or a rotary rake with its own axis, which will allow the rake to always be at the same distance from the ground.

Tractor rakes are an indispensable assistant when making hay

Tractor rake Kverneland Taarup 95150 C

Tractor rakes are necessary for raking hay into windrows. When preparing feed for livestock, this equipment can provide invaluable assistance to the farmer.

It is worth noting that almost anyone can make a tractor hay rake with their own hands. Considering these features, every zealous owner should acquire such a unit.

In this article we will look at the design features, make a brief overview of the models and tell you how you can make a hay rake with your own hands.

Kinds

wheel-finger, allowing you to make rolls of the required size. This type can only work with dry plant mass and this is perhaps the only drawback. Thanks to the thoughtful design of the rake, tedders of this type are characterized by good performance and are considered the most practical;
drum or rotary, characterized by structural strength and independent arrangement of raking wheels. They are considered the most expensive models on the agricultural equipment market, but this is justified by their functionality. This type of equipment can not only turn over the mown plant mass, but also form neat windrows from it;
tooth tedders. Thanks to the design, it is possible to change the angles of inclination of the working elements.

trailed (installed on tractors);
semi-mounted rakes (the most affordable);
mounted tedders (aggregated with walk-behind tractors and mini tractors).

How to make a rake on a mini tractor

Making hay harvesting equipment yourself is not difficult. Such equipment is perfect for farmers who own small plots of land and mini tractors. The presented version is designed for use in coupling with mini-equipment and is equipped with 5 raking wheels. Before you make a tractor rake with your own hands, you need to prepare the following materials:

Drawings and approximate dimensions.

metal pipe (often an old motorcycle frame is used);
brackets for mounting wheels;
spring steel wire 4-8 mm thick for raking fingers;
steel sheets for the manufacture of impeller disks;
2 bearings in the hubs for each wheel;
parts for making a hitch for attaching a do-it-yourself tedder to the power plant.

Required material and tools

First, you need to take care of the availability of tools, since all further work will depend on this. First of all, you need a welding machine, an angle grinder, an adjustable wrench and a drill with a metal drill. If there should be no problems with cutting metal, then quality welds will require skill. The rotor will rotate at fairly high speeds, and if it breaks, it can damage the tractor or create a dangerous situation for human life.

For the homemade rotary rake itself, you will need metal rods 10 mm wide for the tractor, tubes with an outer diameter of 50 mm and an inner diameter of 50 mm, you can also choose a metal profile for the frame. Next, you need a driveshaft, or rather, its articulated part, as well as a set of gears and a chain, which will be described later. For various works on strengthening the structure and the like, sheet steel 5 mm thick is required. For the rotor itself, the rear axle assembly of the car is best suited, and the presence of a native driveshaft will only be for the better.

Photo of homemade rotary rake for tractor T-25

Advantages

The simplicity and strength of the tedder design make it possible to use this type of hay harvesting equipment on almost any soil. The rake teeth and most parts of the unit are made of durable spring steel, thanks to which the rake can work even after being hit by stones. Even self-made mounted tedder rakes on a tractor allow you to efficiently and carefully collect the mown dry plant mass and place it in even hay windrows. The most popular are the “Solnyshko” tedders. This is due to a number of advantages:

minimal equipment maintenance costs;
the hinged design ensures a long service life;
the design has a powerful frame and traction drawbar;
convenient transfer of equipment to transport or working condition;
price.

Most farmers claim that thanks to the use of rotary rakes and tedders aggregated with mini-tractors, the loss of dried plant matter during raking is minimized. In addition, the “fingers” on the turner wheels not only beat the hay well, but also turn it over, which improves the ventilation of the windrows and, accordingly, increases the quality of the hay mass.

Technical capabilities of the device

The most important advantage of the unit is that its maintenance and operation are carried out by one operator. Other features include the absence of complex parts and the independent installation of component parts of the equipment, so repairs in the event of unexpected breakdowns can be carried out directly in the field. Another advantage of tedder rakes is the ability to connect windrows, tedding, shaking and airing them, which contributes to high-quality pressing into bales. The capabilities of rotary rakes allow them to carefully handle crops, as well as successfully collect wet hay.

Note! The operation of wheeled tedders is characterized by high productivity and good speed. They work especially well on straight, level areas. Such machines are good for use when harvesting hay from forage crops.

Another design that resembles the sun, a do-it-yourself tedder rake, can be made for small-sized equipment (mini tractor or MTZ walk-behind tractor).

Features of equipment designs

According to the model type, tedder rakes can be used on tractors, mini tractors and walk-behind tractors. During operation they are operated by one person. According to their technical characteristics, they are classified according to the following parameters:

By type of traction they are divided into tractor (for tractors) and horse-drawn (for walk-behind tractors);
according to the method of collecting hay in windrows - transverse and lateral;
by design (geared, wheel-finger and drum);
according to the method of attachment to the equipment.

Due to its shape and appearance, the structure is called the “sun” due to the similarity of the rotor tubes to the sun’s rays. There are many models of tedder rakes in factory production, but the most popular are rotary and wheeled.

Rake tedder 5 wheels

Rotary rakes are designed in such a way that their basis is one wheel with rotor pipes, on which pin tubes are secured with springs. With the help of these devices, types of work such as tedding and drying grass are carried out. But they are not suitable for windrow collection. The rake is mounted on wheeled tractors and operates using the machine's hydraulic system.

Wheeled tractor tedders are a model consisting of several (4-5) “floating” wheels mounted on a suspension. This type of design makes it possible to work on fields with different terrain. Rotary and wheeled tedders can be used on all types of agricultural machines. Therefore, they often make roller rakes with their own hands.

Interesting. Replacing manual labor using simple rakes with mechanical tedders allows you to increase efficiency tenfold.

Tractor rakes are an indispensable assistant when making hay

Tractor rake Kverneland Taarup 95150 C

Tractor rakes are necessary for raking hay into windrows. When preparing feed for livestock, this equipment can provide invaluable assistance to the farmer.

It is worth noting that almost anyone can make a tractor hay rake with their own hands. Considering these features, every zealous owner should acquire such a unit.

In this article we will look at the design features, make a brief overview of the models and tell you how you can make a hay rake with your own hands.

Operating principle and design features

In order for mounted rakes to work properly, it is necessary to select equipment based on the traction class of the tractor. The most popular models are designed to work with mini-tractors; therefore, they do not have a wide coverage and are suitable for use in small areas.

With heavy tractors it is advantageous to use wide-cut equipment. If you do not take these nuances into account, you will not be able to achieve maximum efficiency of the unit.

Wheel-finger rake GKP-6.1

Mounted rakes can consist of one or several sections. Almost all models have their own wheels and, accordingly, belong to the category of semi-mounted equipment.

It is worth noting that usually the drive goes to only one wheel. The position of the frame is changed by adjusting the drive wheel. Sections with steel teeth are attached to the frame. They are the working part of the equipment. The teeth are made of high-strength material, so they do not suffer mechanical damage even when colliding with stones or debris.

Depending on the design, hay rakes can be divided into three groups:

Rotary. Perhaps these are the most expensive models on the agricultural equipment market. Rotary rakes are quite functional: they can not only turn up the grass, but also form windrows. It is worth noting that almost all models can operate in automatic mode.
Wheel-finger. This equipment can only be used for dry beveling. This is the only drawback of the product. Thanks to a well-thought-out design, wheel-finger units show good performance and are rightfully considered the most practical products.
Transverse. The simplest units in terms of their technical characteristics. Such rakes do not stir up the bevel, but only rake it into windrows. The performance of the equipment directly depends on the width of the area covered and the power of the tractor. The one-sidedness of the work is compensated by the low cost of the equipment.

Model overview

In this review, we decided to present to your attention one model of tractor rake from the above categories. This will help you better understand the operating principle of each variety. Let's start with the foreign production model.

TAARUP 9443 Kverneland

This is a rotary model with one working disk. Despite the fact that the equipment is wide-cut, it can be used to work with tractors of low and medium power.

It is worth noting that, depending on the model, there may be about 12 teeth on the rotor. The equipment is available in six different modifications. The width of the covered area can vary from 320 to 430 centimeters. The model is quite light, its weight is 460 kilograms.

Among the features, we can note a three-point hitch of a fixed or rotary type. The last option is installed optionally. It is worth noting the mechanical setup of the equipment. This allows you to work with high efficiency on fields with complex geometry and terrain. At the customer's request, manufacturers can install an additional wheel or reinforced axles.

Mounted rake Taarup 9443 Kverneland

GKP-6.1

Mounted hay rake of wheel-finger type. This model is equipped with hydraulically adjustable tines, which allows the equipment to adapt to almost any terrain.

Among the technical features, we can note the complete automation of work. The rake is brought into working position due to the hydraulic system of the tractor. The formed windrow remains soft and is not contaminated by stones and earth. The equipment shows good performance even on low-yielding and wet grass.

The weight of the equipment is 450 kilograms, with a width of the covered area of 6 meters. To work with this model, you will need equipment with an engine power of at least 30 horsepower. The optimal operating speed is 20 km/h.

PPG

Tractor rake of transverse type. This model is available in three variations. The numerical index after the letter designation indicates the breadth of equipment coverage. This figure varies from 4 to 12 meters. In one hour of work, you can process about 9 hectares.

It is worth noting that the equipment is designed to work with powerful tractors. The structural weight of the unit can reach 1,800 kilograms, depending on the model.

Cross rake GPG-4M

The number of working sections is from 1 to 3, respectively, the number of teeth varies from 80 to 196. Raising and lowering of the equipment is carried out by the hydraulic system of the tractor. Models can be produced in folding and solid versions.

We make a rake for a tractor with our own hands

As you may have already noticed, there is nothing complicated in the design and operating principle of tractor rakes.

Therefore, many farmers prefer not to spend money on purchasing factory models, but make tractor rakes with their own hands.

At the same time, homemade models practically do not differ in functionality and performance from rakes made at the enterprise. You can make a rake according to the following scheme.

First, a metal frame is made. The dimensions of the structure will depend on the traction power of the tractor and the design of the hitch. Let's take the rake's coverage to be 3.5 meters. In this case, the length of the rake should be about 2.5 meters.

The shape of the frame can be copied from the boom of a tower crane. This design is reliable and allows you to evenly distribute the workload. One side of the frame should be the same size as the canopy, the other should gradually taper. To make the frame, you can use a metal pipe with a round or square cross-section.

Homemade tractor rake

To operate the equipment, you will need a rotor, which is driven by a cardan shaft. It can be replaced with the rear axle of any passenger car. There are all the necessary gears for the job.

It is worth noting that it is necessary to reduce the speed of the power take-off shaft. On almost all tractors the PTO rotates at a speed of 540 rpm. This is a lot for the rake to work, so it is necessary to install a reduction gear.

It is recommended to divide the PTO power into two gears. One will be used for forming, the other for turning the windrows. Accordingly, the shaft rotation speed should be 80 and 20 rpm.

The role of the rotor will be performed by the car disk, onto which ten tubes must be welded. This needs to be done in such a way that you get a “sun” with a diameter of 3.5 meters. It is recommended to drill several holes on the tubes at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other. This will make it possible to adjust the coverage width and facilitate the transportation of equipment.

Now all that remains is to make the teeth. They must be made of high-strength or tool steel. The teeth are attached to the rotor by welding or threaded connections. Using this scheme, it is possible to produce rotary rakes that can be used with tractors of 0.9–1.4 traction class.

Design and features of mounted tedder rake

A hay tedder for a tractor, which performs several important agricultural tasks at once, is a very popular tool. Therefore, agricultural machinery manufacturers pay quite a lot of attention to the design and manufacture of this mounted element. The hay rake for the tractor is available in various modifications and types. However, two are in greatest demand:

Rotary. This is a wheel-finger design with a base of thickened rotor pipes. Fingers are attached to horizontally rotating rotors using a spring with teeth for collecting hay and turning over dry grass. Moreover, the operator can easily control the height and angle of rotation of the rake, which in turn ensures an even load on the device and good reproduction of the terrain of the area.
Wheeled. This type of rake is a mounted wheeled structure with 3-5 wheels mounted on a floating console, located obliquely from each other. Bent wire spring fingers are installed on them, which rake/turn over the hay. The floating suspension guarantees good shock absorption and prevents premature wear of agricultural implements.

Installing a rake on a tractor, regardless of the selected device model, significantly increases the productivity and speed of hay harvesting.