Hydraulic Drive For Hay Rakes

Hydraulic Drive For Hay Rakes HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Rakes (44) 2-3-19 Business is booming for a California firm that rebuilds new and used side delivery hay rakes (mostly New Holland brand), converting them from ground to hydraulic drive. "The ground-driven method of raking is the horse and buggy way," says Dave Allen, who heads up the Allen Manufacturing Company, Sanger, Ca. "Our Power Drive Rake Converter system takes the rake drive off the ground, eliminating nearly 150 conventional and troublesome parts." Heart of the conversion system is a hydraulic motor and linkage unit which connects directly to the starshaped hub of the rake. Here are other advantages Allen feels his conversion drive system offers: • "The operator can speed up or slow down the rake mechanism regardless of forward travel speed. Or, he can stop the rake completely with the flip of a lever for moving from field to field or down the road. • "There is no problem with the rake wheel not turning because of poor traction, as sometimes happens with ground-driven rakes." • "Adjustable hydraulic speed control of the rake makes it easier to pinpoint the optimum speed for turning hay." Allen Manufacturing's rake converter kit includes new wheel hubs which replace the existing axle assembly. Allen also offers slotted star-shaped hubs which allow quick removal of tine bars for maintenance or repair, and sealed ball bearings to replace conventional grease-type tine bar bearings. Allen notes that Deere makes the tines used in New Holland rakes. "We bought the molds and make the exact same tines Deere and New Holland offer. We sell them for $2.25 apiece, which is considerable lower than the going rate. We overhaul and rebuild old rakes with our Power Drive conversion kit for about half the cost of a new rake," Allen told FARM SHOW. "We take rebuildable old rakes in trade for rakes which have been rebuilt and equipped with our Power Drive. We have had a few customers buy brand new grounddriven side delivery rakes, then bring them in for conversion before even going to the field with the new rake." Allen also has introduced a toolbar for ganging side delivery rakes and other equipment. The tool bar is adjustable for length in 3 in. increments with the pull of a pin. Hitching points are permanently welded to the end of the tool bar. It's equipped with builtin hydraulic piping and connections to accommodiate a set of twin rakes, or a single rake set-up. For more details on both the adjustable toolbar and the Power Drive Conversion kits, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Allen Manufacturing, 21136 East Trimmer Spring Road, Sangar, Ca. 93657 (ph. 209-787-2050).

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