Next step in haying?

[Anonymous]

So I have been cutting hay with my scythe because I dont have a mower. I rake with an old wooden hay rake and then load the wagon with a pitch fork, its not bad but I have a haflinger that Im retraining and Im trying to think of some tools I could make to put him to work with the hay. I have spent all of my budget so I was wondering what people used to use before side delivery rakes and such. was there any sort of walk behind hay rake that could be made. Im a pretty handy guy and a capable welder.

any ideas?

thanks

jared

[Andy Carson]

How about something like a buck rake that you pull behind the single? It could save the raking. How is the scything going? I got one too, but still need some practice. How are you stacking the hay once it’s gathered?

[JerryHicks]

If your haflinger will work in shafts you might look for a dump rake. They work pretty well and can be used to bring the hay to the stack as well as for raking. A buck rake is really for moving hay not so much for raking and turning. We cut a lot of hay with a scythe and used to rake it by hand. We now use a number 9 mower, side delivery behind the forecart, and a hay loader to take it to the barn, but still use a scythe in tight spots and steep ground. You can also bring bunches of hay to the stack on a pole. We use a long hickory pole with a clevis on one end. A rope goes from the single tree to the clevis then has about 15 or so feet left. The pole is pushed under a big bunch of hay or the hay is stacked on the pole, then the rope is brought down tight over the hay and tied to the end opposite the single tree. After tying the load one horse can pole the load to the stack. Sort of a one runner sled.

[sickle hocks]

I have seen photos in a British workhorse book of a little one-horse wooden rake with handles that you walk behind. There is also a picture of one from Norway in one of the Lynn Miller books. I don’t know what they are called. It doesn’t seem to be part of the american tradition, but maybe if you look into some European sources you could find some examples to work from. That’s not very helpful, perhaps someone here knows more. I often thought it would be a handy little thing for small scale haying.

[Andy Carson]

I was thinking of using the buck rake to gather hay and transport it to the stack, rather than having to rake into rows/piles and fork it onto a sled/wagon. It seems this would save raking and forking time, but I am really just guessing, I have never done this. I think a dump rake is also a great idea.

[bdcasto]

@JaredWoodcock 35521 wrote:

So I have been cutting hay with my scythe because I dont have a mower. I rake with an old wooden hay rake and then load the wagon with a pitch fork, its not bad but I have a haflinger that Im retraining and Im trying to think of some tools I could make to put him to work with the hay. I have spent all of my budget so I was wondering what people used to use before side delivery rakes and such. was there any sort of walk behind hay rake that could be made. Im a pretty handy guy and a capable welder.

any ideas?

thanks

jared

Hi Jared,
I used to do hay similiar to what you’re describing. One year I made easy to build racks to store hay in field to limit transporting the loose hay very far. Looks neat but racking the hay was time consuming. I then switched to a wooden hay baler I built using a design I found that long leaf pine harvesters use for pine straw baling. Easy to build and use. It makes square bales that are only about 20 pounds. Once again, I would take the baler to the hay by trailer and load the trailer as I baled so I didn’t have to keep moving loose hay. I’m all for getting the hay indoors if possible for best quality. I now use a gasoline powered baler (NH 66). As far as raking, some people seem to be able to scythe in a way that leaves the cut vegetation in a windrow at the end of each stroke. Let dry in windrow and go straight to baling, pitching, racking or whatever and skip alot of the raking. I was able to achieve this with winter wheat but never scythed mixed species type hay very much. Just some thoughts. Loose hay is much harder work than baling if you don’t have the equipment to pick it up and get in inside.

BD Casto
New Carlisle, OH

[Anonymous]

I did my first load the other day and it did dry nice in the windrow where it fell during cutting, i just raked it up into piles and then forked it into the trailer. went well. if I didnt have the horse I would be just about done with haying for all my other livestock….

Jared

[Anonymous]

Anyone every collected hay from brush hog mowing? got a small budget, now mower, and little time here but plenty of people brush hogging fields around me, dries up decent on a hot day…?

Evan

[bdcasto]

@ethalernull 35572 wrote:

Anyone every collected hay from brush hog mowing? got a small budget, now mower, and little time here but plenty of people brush hogging fields around me, dries up decent on a hot day…?

Evan

I did it for several years using a 6 foot brush hog. Nice green hay that sustained several horses. Main drawback to me is the bales tend to be more fragile and volume of hay is less. I still do it for some hay we take off of wetlands if weather is not cooperating for drying or growth too thick for my old sickle bar mower. I’ve baled it the day after brush hogging several times. It dries quick. Some folks have even removed the discharge side wall of their brush hog to reduce chopping effect but I never thought it to be necessary.
BD Casto
New Carlisle, OH

[hobnob]

Think this might be what sickle hocks is referring to above. Also some text that explains it a bit. Hope it’s of some interest.

“A Horse drawn Hay sweep or rake often referred to as a “Tumbling Tam”

It measures 12 feet across and is good condition for its age but has a bit of woodworm in the tines (ones been repaired). All its ironwork is present and is in good order.

The Tumbling Tam or Tumbling Tommy haysweep was used with a single steady, fast working horse hitched with chains, using the lugs at each end of the long beam. The hay was swept up from the field, running in stretches back to where the haycart stood. As the haysweep travelled it scooped up the hay in a mounting pile. When it was full the driver brought it to the cart and threw the handles upward, letting the horse go on walking. The sweep somersaulted forward and “leapt” over its dropped load of hay, righted itself and was ready to collect the next load. The driver caught up the handles, walked over or round the pile of hay, and went on for another lot. Meanwhile the men with the cart were forking the hay from the dropped load onto the cart.”

[Anonymous]

Here’s a flop-over hay rake. This tool might work for you and would be fairly easy to build. My dad says the Mennonites used them before they invented the dump rake. If you’re haying with a scythe — I’ve tried that, it’s good exercise and good for your spine, too — it would be able to keep up with your production in a pinch.

The tines dig in when the load is full of hay, then you lift up the handle and it dumps the hay out. If you can find a dump rake, that’s the way to go because they are lots of fun.

[JayChase]

I’d love to see that YouTube video!
Jay

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