Raking our Last cut of hay. Trying a different way. 

You are doing great... I experienced the farming’ learning curve ‘ slowly from birth, you are experiencing the curve in an accelerated, in your face mode as an adult. You have not ran from physical pain or the mental anguish and continue to improve your abilities and your equipment and you are becoming’ farm tough’ , you will do ok. If it is the lifestyle and not the monetary profits that you seek, I think you will be happy! Too old for the fields now, I farm wth you.

If Your Family that owned the property years ago could see how great You've made it, they'd be proud. Thought Your rows looked great!

Good job Evan, looks like a great cutting for the third cut 👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. Thanks for sharing with us, always enjoy your videos.

Everything we do in life is a learning experience and we grow and improve. Enjoy your videos and I learn from watching. 👍

Good job today Evan. Hopefully you can get some rest over the winter months. Love your videos,I am always looking for another one. God bless,and be safe.

Thank you for taking the time to share your day with us. Very enjoyable to me.

Thanks for the video. I enjoy watching them. Be well. 💐👍👏☝️

Evan, this raking sure seemed to go alot smoother. And the field is looking great! Hopefully it comes back even stronger next spring! Good job!

Nice looking hay. Reminded me of when my Dad used to cut hay. I think you did a great job.

Hi..... Evan nice to see you, nice cutting hay, thank you for sharing your video homestead chicken farmer garden 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 👕🐔🐓🐥🐕🐖🐈🌱🐐🎥👍👍👍

That up close, slow mo shot of the rake was really cool looking. Keep up your hard work. Best wishes to you and the wife.

Congrats, Evan, on passing the 50K subscriber mark. You put a lot of work in on producing lots of videos, with lots of great content. You and Rebeca have done a great job.

Good job Evan, we all learn as we go. I rake the outside rows last as to clean up the end tails of all the inside rows.

Good morning Evan I think you’re doing a nice job being a newbie at that being a farmer it takes a while to do what you have to do and learn how to do hey can be tricky sometimes on uneven acreage keep on watching and keep doing the job and you’ll get it

You did excellent! Looks so even! Good job!

GLAD YOU 'RE A MAN WHO CAN DEAL WITH ADVICE, MINE IS JUST STICK WITH IT, YOU'RE DOIN GOOD, I ENJOY THE CHANNEL, BEAUTIFUL PLACE YOU'RE PUTTIN TOGETHER

I’m loving how you keep all of your machinery going. No computers to go down, all simple machinery. As a KC-135 aircraft mechanic, I have a fondness for keeping simple stuff going.. and it’s a nit plate that you’re missing on the hood of your tractor.

While I've never been a hayfarmer I can say that your fields are beautiful and Thanks! for posting as my husband and I absolutely love to watch you work lol

Hey what's not to like, you do the work and I sit on my duff and get to watch you do it that's a win win for me, plus I do enjoy watching your videos., so you keep making them and I will keep watching them. Have a Good Day.

Looks like a good 3rd cutting, hey your learning and doing a great job.

Much better! When I raked I always just turned around and went down the other side of my wind row. Then I would do a final around the outside

Looks nice to have all your attachments and equipment out of the weeds and up on that slab and under that cover

I think you are doing a wonderful job. I love the smell of fresh cut/raked hay. As far as the hood on the tractor, that's pretty much a low priority thing. My old tractor (1979 Ford 3600) looks pretty rough but gets the job done. I'm on it just about every weekend. Some day when I get some "free time" I might take some of the sheet metal off and sandblast/paint it.

definitely an improvement the way you raked it for sure.. its always a learning curve :)

I like that you take on board and share ideas and tips that other people send you because im also learning from what you share we have a 100 acre property in south Australia in the early stages mainly land clearing and weed control at the moment so your videos help a lot ...Thanks

You're doing great, its all a learning experience. The first time I raked hay it wasn't pretty.

That sickle looks to have done a far superior job.... not too hairy from what I can see... And don't sweat the layout too much... You'll get better as you go along. Definitely getting better even now! BEERS!

I love the old case she looks like a beast !!!!

You will get the pattern that works for you. But anyway, it was nice to share the hayfield and sunny day with you and the satisfaction of great grown hay!!!

nice job Evan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing job you are a very hard worker

No1 is perfect it just takes time to figure out what works best for you 👍👍keep up the good work 👏

You did a good job, hay does look good. It’s amazing to see that old rake work

Yehey!!! Never been so early. I'm a fan of your videos and farm project. Love from Philippines!

Awesome job your doing very good job.love the vids I do three 50 acre cuttings a year. Love to do more when weather alows it. The arm chair farmers are great. But your the one that counts. Keep up the good work.

Glad someone had the courage to speak up about how it might be more efficent. It was hard to watch the going in squares. I know that it is hard putting yourself out there as a beginner.... Keep working hard. I noticed that you have gotten lean and strong from all the work. Well done.

Great looking Hay !... appreciate your shares.... Jon @ Idaho

Deer heaven. Growing up our neighbor's had field like that it was always full of rabbit's and deer. God I sure miss hunting and fishing. God speed

You did good great job you are learning

Hay rake is doing a nice job cleaning up the field.

It is a learning curve. Will get better at it.

Looks awesome too me ,but I'm just a Gramma in fl.havin my coffee and loving life.You and your Wife are so cute. GOD BLESS.🙏♥️

Your doing good. Dont worry about negative comments. That hood can be put on later when you done with the hay. You work full time and try to get things done on the farm. Not enough time in the day sometimes. I do the same thing. Just keep pluggin away. We are always trying to catch up.

I used to worry about how I raked. I guess I do as far as trying to save time but in the end, if it is in a windrow, the baler will get it. what I have done on triangle pieces is at the wide end, if it isn't too wide, just keep raking in to the center until I get it all into a row. if it is to fat, start another row. It is difficult to find room to turn around though without getting into the row beside you. again, in the end... if it somewhat straight... the baler will get it. :-) It is cool watching you learn as you go. I can tell you, you are nailing it. sickle bar in tip top shape as is your knowledge of what works and what does not.

When I have to measure, like find the center of a field, I paint a stripe on my tractor tire and count the revolutions. Works great!

I liked how you did leave those tail ends. It's easier to pick up when your making the turn with the baler, your not making such tight turns 👍. Great birds eye view of the raking pattern 👍

I’ve no doubt that you will get better at it. You didn’t do that bad at all. Better than I would’ve. Great job.

We usually double the windrows. Seems like you’re getting the hang of it. We also have have a second tractor following the raker so doubling the windrows as you go is more critical to give the baler a job. I usually start on my long straight side and work my way back and forth flip flopping the rake so they double up. One end turns sharp back on it self but the other end is a little tricky. Looking good.

Well done!

I think you did well, thanks for sharing.

I would have no idea how to rake....I would be lost. Im a city girl....grew up in California and never saw a hay field until I moved to Wyoming. So as long as you get the hay in bales I say it’s a success.🐖🐖

That was kind of the viewer to send you an overhead diagram on how to rake the field. Now that you are an experienced farmer, for Christmas, you will need to ask for a new pair of coveralls, a straw hat and perhaps for your stocking a long piece of hay so that you can chew on it as you do your farm chores! I've enjoyed watching your videos as you tackle your homestead. Keep it up!

Well done Evan

We need WD40 to step up and sponsor this man. And while we’re at it.. an implement sponsor, tractor sponsor, Simply Safe, Ariat boots. Send this hard working man some products and financial support.

Way to go looking good.

Great piece of property you found 👌❣️

Looks good.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone has to learn. My hubs is not a DIY guy at all, he has learned so much from watching your videos and has also learned how to try, look up and research things for himself! Keep up the great videos!

Making hay while the sun shines!

Awesome video and God bless

I think it looks awesome! You did a good job looks like to me. 🙂 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Dont worry about how to mow or rake your hay field my friend and dont let others try to perswaide you into doing your work their way. Just do the work in a way that pleases you and it gets done. Take a look at other fields in your area and see how thay are doing their taking and come up with a plan that works for you. It's your field and not anybody else's so just take your time and figure out a way that please you. You are doing a great job as a new farmer so just dont worry rush things, take your time and be safe. Ralph a retired dairyman from the Great Dairy State of Wisconsin.

Great video! I've been doing it for 6 years and am still fine-tuning how I rake. One suggestion to deal with all the "tails" on the windrows...if you're going to double windrows rake 2 passes outward around the perimeter then start on one edge of the field go down raking inward turn a sharp 180 and back making one windrow in the middle, then move over, down and back again. At the end that you turn towards the windrow the rake will tidy up the ends (if you turn fast enough). The other end of the field will have "scallops" raked outward. When done with all your back and forths go across the scallops raking them into a nice windrow and cutting off the ends of the back and forths (you might need to make a couple windrows a that end to clean up any "islands". Last go around and roll the perimeter inward so you have room for the tractor and baler. Bale the perimeter first, then the end rows (i.e clearing the headlands), which gives you room to turn the baler when doing the body of the field.

Nice video. What I would try is raking starting at one side and rolling one wind row at a time up and down instead of jumping around. Odd shape fields just aren’t easy to rake sometimes.

Can’t learn if you don’t try. Your kickin butt keep it going

great job Evan......hey sponsors where are ya got well deserving youtuber right here

Looks like a pretty nice yield for a third crop. Here in North Central Pa most didn't even get a second crop. Remember the NH 78 is a high capacity baler and can eat some big windrows.

The pattern looks good , and the old rake seems to be working pretty good . I do think that next year you might need to look at the condition of the rake teeth like how worn or how many are broken hard to tell in the video

Looks like the rake I used in the late 60s (I was under 16). I was paid like 90 cents an hour - hot job. One option you may try is turn to the right at the end of a row and make a circle. I think that is what I was taught. But it looks great. I know some times I raked two rows together, but that slowed down the baler - too much going into the machine and had to come to a stop to push the material through. We made the small hay bales (80 to 100 pounds each) with wire (not twine). Enjoy seeing the older equipment still in use today.

You could also look for Zamboni pattern on the Net. This pattern is used to resurfaces ice rink but can be adapted for other purpose like mowing and raking large areas. It is good to avoid sharp turns. You can also put landmarks on the field's edge to help you go the right direction. Good preparation always pays back.

Good job

I think your windrows look great. Don't worry about comments about your tractor ... gracious.

I have a rake just like that, yes the bolt lock on the belt tensioner is factory. I use a trailer receiver hitch on my drawbar that extends the rack back which allows me to make a U turn on the wind row with out the tractor wheel getting into the rake and leaving no eye in the wind row. A tricycle tractor works best but a tight turning wide front will do it also.

Who cares if someone doesn't like the hood being off your farming not entering a beauty contest!

Evan, I grew up on a dairy farm in the east central part of PA. it looks like our New Idea rake was the same model as yours. I noticed when you move the rake your bars are always moving. There is a lever by the left wheel that if you pull it down you will disengage the bars. I realize you might already know about it and that the clutch could be damaged or worn out and you have to leave it engaged. As far as how your raking the field other people are right it's a learning curve don't be afraid to try different ways the good thing about raking hay is if you don't like how the windrow looks you can always move it. Your alfalfa and grass mix looks good it should be easy to sell what you don't need.

We just stuck bolts with a nut and washer to hold the hood on our 930 case, seems to work fine.

There should be a disconnect on that rake, so it doesn't rotate while in transit. I found that raking irregular shaped fields, works best if you rake it so the baler doesn't have to take sharp turns. Also raking in the early morning, while the dew is still in the hay, minimizing leaf loss. If it is too dry, the leaves just fall off, and the hay is not as nutritious.

Well done.

9:43 Function before fashion! 😉👍🏻

...GOOD ONE , STAY SAFE..

When I rake, I drive straight similar to what your doing then turn around 180 degrees and rake the unraked hay back into the windrow I just made. Making it a doubled up winrow.

Hey bud. Great vid! Just as a suggestion, consider getting a pull behind conditioner. You can pick one up used for $500 all day long. It will cut your dry down time by 2-3 days. Mow like you have been, then condition it within the first 12 hrs of cutting. I used to condition twice when the hay was heavy. Once right after cut, then a second time the next morning. Never condition after 12 hrs or you get leaf loss on the hay and are baling stems. I never had hay down over 3 days. Hope this helps.

Its looking fantastic, Evan. Your field has come such a long way since it got wrongly sprayed last year, and your old equipment looks like its holding up pretty well. How is your back doing now? You seem to be fully recovered from that fall you took.

Great video. I don't think it is important if the hood is on the tractor or if the rows are straight, I think the main thing is getting the hay in before the rain. Great job.

"Make hay while the sun shines"! Your animals will be very happy. Love your channel.

As Red eyed Mongoose said You are doing well and on the right track Bailing will be much easier Keep at it Its like learning to cut grass First time or two if frustrating but ten years from now it will come naturally and you won't even think about it U will just get er done lmao All the best as always from Allenford, Ontario, Canada

I just love your equipment and how you keep it going. Kudos to you 👍❣️

I couldn't keep from smiling. I have a 10 wheel V rake for the speed. I also have a old New Holland 55 roller rake that I love using. The way I rake is I always go all around the outer part of the field twice in the same direction to throw the hay farther away from any tree line or fence then I would turn around go the opposite direction and rake the third pass to finish the window. That way when you start baling it give you more turning room with the baler. In thicker hay I go in one direction the 1st pass and turn around and go the opposite direction on the same window. You can always go a little faster on the first pass then you do on the last pass. There's no one way to rake . Whatever may work in one field may need to be done a little different in another field depending on the shape of the field and whatever works for each individual. Keep up the good work. I love doing hay ( when everything goes right, lol). Keep the videos coming enjoy watching them.

Rivnuts for your hood and rattle can paint jobs on case tractor,mower,rake and baler for the winter jobs under cover.

Nice an old roller bar hay rake .

Learning curve

Old rake looks to be doing a good job, I understood you were going to get upgraded tires for better grip?

nothing in life is perfect but i think you did it like pro and the tractor looks great

Windrows look a lot better as you say you need more room on ends can you disengage the hay Turner when transporting but you have learnt a lot in your 1st year

Thank you very enjoyable, do you take the temp of you bails to make sure they don’t overheat and cause a fire?

Looks like high quality hay. Happy to confirm in the clear field that the cutter bar worked as well as it looked in the last video.

When raking I'd suggest you do like you are but try to make as big of windrows as long you can and as and do your main outside windrow then do all your inside windrows then finally do a second outside pass and it cleans up the little short ends that are left when it's a triangle.

You make it look easy. Every time I do this I’m about to lose a leg or finger.

Well done. I think that your mower has done a better job at cutting the crop and that this method of raking is much better and will allow easier baling and become more efficient for the time you have available. Thinking forward to next year: Have you had the soil tested for pH (acidity) and other nutrients? If not get it done by an independent lab having collected the 3-4 samples yourself and send them off. Remember you have exported plant nutrients off the field and farm by selling some crop. The Fall is the ideal time to correct any deficiencies to allow the winter rains to carry them into the soil for next year. Your local co-operative will probably be able to supply you with what is needed if necessary and possibly hire you the spreader to apply them. Now would be a good idea to knock down all those overhanging hedge branches and cut back hard the lower vegetation and hedges. Push the brash into large heaps and burn it in the winter when it has dried out. A pole saw and a weed strimmer with a cutting blade makes this a much easier job or possibly employ a contractor to cut your hedges. Does the field have any drainage ditches at the boundaries? If so make sure they are clear of rubbish and outfalls are clear so that the soil can drain easily.

I'm going into my 4th year making hay in 2021 I bale 86 acres with all old equipment... when I rake I do 6 rounds on the outside raking outward after the 1st round then your long rows start on outside and work in raking toward the outside then wont be as bad of a triangle just how I do it... you will get the hang of it just keep at it