What do u pull your hay rake with?

[smcgrath76]

We put up hay on shares on the
neighbour's ground. We cut rake and
bale and he trucks. Once it's rolled up
it is as good as delivered. Hay around
here often trades at 4 cents plus
trucking, if you can find it.
We pull our 1956 Massey wheel rake with
our 1981 4240 JD. The same thing we use
to pull the haybine and the baler (and
the cultivator and the seed drill).
Last year I built a new wheel for the
rake and discovered that AGCO classifies
it as "vintage". Two years ago folks
were searching for "vintage" as the big
new v rakes couldn't flip swaths very
well.

[ASRG]

I seldom use a rake. Have an old beater I use every 2 or three years when absolutely necessary.
grassfarmer brings up a good topic: when you buy in hay, you are buying nutrients and that should be considered as a "value adding" kind of thing.

I'm one of those "old guys" who still has some crappy hayland and the old haying equipment. In reality buying hay in would make more sense. I should get the last 80 acres broke up this fall.

In the 2009 drought I had very little hay and sure wasn't going to spend the money to feed a bunch of cows. Baled up enough straw (my own crop share land) and fed whole barley (my own crop share). Priced at 1 cent/lb for straw (25 lb) and 8 cents/lb barley (10 lb) it worked out to $1.05/day/cow.

Just augured the barley into the tractor bucket and dribbled it out on top of the straw.

I don't think the cows ever looked better come spring. No calving problems and they bred back well.

[Horse]

A 270 british Leyland cheap on fuel has 3 pt hitch hard to find parts now except from finning and realy cant afford to shop there.