Content:
The rake is an indispensable tool in almost all types of agricultural work. In the past, they were the main tool for hay harvesting, which was carried out in two stages. First, the grass was mowed by hand, then it was collected in rolls with a rake. This method of harvesting livestock feed was very time consuming. Nowadays, all these actions are performed by one unit - a rake-tedder. With their help, the machine operators rake the cut grass, turn it over for drying and collect it in windrows. If farmers and summer residents on small plots quite successfully cope with such work with the help of ordinary rakes, then on large areas one cannot do without tedders.
DIY tedders rake
Features of equipment designs
By the type of model, the tedder rake can be used on tractors, mini tractors and walk-behind tractors. In the process, they are serviced 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 (for motoblocks);
- by the method of collecting hay in rolls - into transverse and side;
- by design (gear, wheel-finger and drum);
- by the method of attachment to equipment.
For its shape and appearance, the structure is called "the sun" because of the similarity of the rotor tubes to the sun's rays. In factory production, there are many models of tedder rakes, but the most popular are rotary and wheeled.
5 wheel tedder rake
Rotary rakes are designed in such a way that their basis is one wheel with rotor tubes, on which tubes-fingers are fixed by means of springs. With the help of these devices, such types of work as tedding and drying of grass are carried out. But they are not suitable for collecting in swaths. The rake is mounted on wheeled tractors and is operated by the hydraulic system of the machine.
Wheeled tractor tedders are a model consisting of several (4-5) "floating" wheels fixed on a suspension. This type of construction makes it possible to work in fields with different terrain. Rotary and wheel tedders can be operated on all types of agricultural machines. Therefore, they often make a do-it-yourself roller rake.
The principle of operation of the structure
The operation of the equipment is based on the transmission of the rotational motion of the tractor engine or walk-behind tractor to the rake mechanism. This allows you to use up to five pairs of wheels and harvest hay over a large area. With the help of special devices on wheels that resemble large hooks, you can perform several types of work: pry on armfuls of grass or heaps of straw, turn over or rake.
Everything will depend on the setting of the angle of the needle wheels. This will allow you to combine or vary the functions of the machine. You can set the rake so that it will collect the grass in the center, or, conversely, arrange them in a row for frontal collection of hay. Thanks to the simple operating principle of the unit, it will be easy to work on it. Therefore, it will not be difficult for a self-taught master to make a homemade rake for harvesting hay for a tractor with their own hands.
Mounted tedder rake
Technical capabilities of the device
The main advantage of the unit is that it is serviced and operated by one operator. Other features are the absence of complex parts and the independent installation of component parts of the equipment, so repairs in the event of unforeseen breakdowns can be carried out directly in the field. Another advantage of the tedder rake is the ability to connect the rolls, tedding, shaking up and ventilating them, which contributes to high-quality pressing into bales. The capabilities of the rotary rake allow them to handle crops carefully and to successfully collect wet hay.
Still such a design, reminiscent of the sun, - a do-it-yourself tedder rake can be made for small equipment (mini tractor or MTZ walk-behind tractor).
The simplest do-it-yourself tedder rake
If there is a desire, then it is not difficult to assemble the structure yourself, using the drawings of the do-it-yourself rake tedders from the Internet. Moreover, a lot of them are now posted on various sites. Not every summer resident or farmer has a tractor, so first we will talk about assembling equipment for a walk-behind tractor or a miniature tractor.
For a walk-behind tractor, a tedder of three wheels is enough; for a home-made tractor rake, you will need five of them. To make them, you need a metal pipe on which the rotors will be mounted. To ensure the rotation of the rotary rake with your own hands, you can use the bearings and the VAZ hub.
Tedder rake for walk-behind tractor
Attachments are installed on the frame. By connecting to the hydraulic system, the farmer can easily switch the tedder rake from working to neutral and vice versa. Wheel rims can be made of metal four millimeters thick. Raking and tedding hooks can be made from thick, sturdy wire.
Structural diagrams can be easily found on the respective Internet sites. Making and installing a rake on a tractor with your own hands will also not be particularly difficult if the enthusiast is familiar with the technique and has a desire to create his own design. Practice has shown that homemade rake-tedders are in no way inferior to industrial models, and sometimes even superior in quality indicators.
It is interesting that the tool, resembling an ordinary modern rake in shape, found by archaeologists during excavations, was made in prehistoric times, in the Mesolithic era - this is 15 thousand years BC. But man has always dreamed of creating a perpetual motion machine that he could make a rake-tedder with his own hands!
