Hay Equipment Selection Guide
Hay Rake Types: V-Rake, Bar Rake, and Horizontal Rake Compared
The rake is the most underappreciated piece of hay equipment on the farm, yet it determines windrow consistency, leaf loss, and the dry-down conditions that control both quality and fire risk at baling. V-rakes, bar rakes, and horizontal finger-wheel rakes each form windrows through a different physical mechanism — and each design has a specific set of conditions where it outperforms the others. This guide gives you the comparison you need to match rake type to your operation.
Compare Rake Types
Why Rake Selection Has a Bigger Impact Than Most Producers Realize
Every rake pass is a leaf-loss event. The proportion of total plant dry matter that consists of leaves varies by crop — alfalfa leaves account for roughly 45% of total plant dry matter but contain 70% of the total protein and 90% of the digestible energy. A rake pass that dislodges even a modest percentage of leaves from dry alfalfa reduces quality dramatically out of proportion to the weight lost. The rake type, operating height, and timing together determine how much of that leaf fraction survives to the bale.
Beyond leaf loss, the rake determines windrow architecture — width, density, height, and uniformity. A windrow that is too wide dries unevenly. A windrow that is too narrow produces slow baler throughput. A windrow that incorporates soil from tine-to-ground contact elevates ash content. These outcomes are driven by rake type and adjustment, not by the hay crop’s inherent properties. Getting the rake right is as important as getting the mower height right.
70%
Share of total alfalfa protein contained in leaves — the fraction most vulnerable to rake-induced loss
3–8%
Dry matter loss range from raking dry alfalfa — varies by rake type, crop moisture, and ground speed
16–22%
Optimal crop moisture for raking — minimizes leaf shatter while allowing adequate further drying before baling
The Three Main Rake Types: Mechanisms, Strengths, and Limitations
V-Rake (Finger-Wheel Rake)
Most popular worldwide
Mechanism: A series of ground-driven finger wheels arranged in a V-shape behind the tractor. Each wheel consists of a set of spring-steel tines mounted radially on a hub; the wheel rotates as the tractor moves forward because the tines contact the ground, spinning the wheel which sweeps hay laterally and inward toward the V’s center point where the windrow forms. No PTO power is required — the wheels are ground-driven only.
Strengths
- Very gentle crop handling — lateral sweep rather than lifting minimizes leaf loss
- No PTO requirement — simple hookup, low HP demand
- Wide working width (7–12+ meters) in a single pass
- Gentle on ground contours — each wheel follows terrain independently
- Low maintenance — ground-driven with few moving parts requiring lubrication
Limitations
- Windrow consistency depends on accurate tine height across all wheels
- Heavy, tangled windrows from first cut can overload the center merge point
- Tine wear is progressive — worn tines produce lower windrows and more soil contact
- Spreading (tedding) capability is limited compared to bar rakes
- Center windrow can be uneven if V-angle is not optimized for crop volume
Best for: Commercial hay operations seeking maximum leaf retention on alfalfa and premium hay; wide-area operations where large windrow width per pass improves throughput; operations prioritizing low HP demand and minimal maintenance.
Bar Rake (Parallel Bar / Wheel Rake)
Traditional U.S. standard
Mechanism: A series of rotating raking wheels, each fitted with spring-steel tines, arranged side by side perpendicular to the direction of travel. The wheels are PTO-driven or ground-driven depending on the design. As the rake travels forward, the tines lift the hay upward and drop it into a windrow formed at the side or center of the raking width. The lifting action is more pronounced than in a V-rake, which is both a strength (excellent mixing and fluffing of dense first-cut crops) and a limitation (higher leaf loss in dry conditions).
Strengths
- Excellent for heavy, wet first-cut windrows — lifting action fluffs and aerates better than V-rake
- Can also ted (spread) by reversing wheel rotation direction on some models
- Windrow placement is precise and consistent across width
- Works well in tangled or lodged crop conditions
- Lower capital cost than large V-rake systems at equivalent width
Limitations
- Higher leaf loss than V-rake in dry conditions — lifting action dislodges dry leaves
- Tine-to-ground clearance is more critical than V-rake — soil pickup is easier to produce
- Windrow width per pass is typically narrower than large V-rake systems
- More complex tine-replacement maintenance than V-rake finger wheels
- Less suitable for premium export alfalfa where maximum leaf retention is essential
Best for: Grass hay and straw operations where lifting and fluffing is needed; operations that also require tedding capability; budget-conscious operations where lower capital cost outweighs the slight leaf-loss disadvantage; heavy first-cut alfalfa in wet conditions.
Horizontal Rotary Rake (Towed Horizontal)
High-capacity specialist
Mechanism: One or more large-diameter horizontal rotors fitted with tines rotate on a vertical axis, sweeping hay in a circular arc. As the rotor sweeps, it creates a windrow at the periphery of the rotor’s path. Towed behind the tractor, the horizontal rake can produce very wide, consistent windrows in a single pass and is especially effective when merging multiple mower swaths into one combined windrow ahead of the baler.
Strengths
- Very high throughput capacity — handles large volumes without slowing
- Excellent for merging wide mower swaths into baler-width windrows efficiently
- Produces very uniform windrow shape and cross-section
- Good performance in lodged or tangled crop
- Particularly effective in grass, straw, and cover crop residue operations
Limitations
- Higher leaf loss in dry alfalfa than V-rake — the sweeping arc generates more crop disturbance
- Requires PTO power — adds HP demand compared to ground-driven V-rake
- More expensive than bar rake at equivalent working width
- Higher maintenance from PTO-driven gearbox and tine impact loading
- Less suitable for premium leaf-retention alfalfa markets
Best for: Large-scale commercial operations with wide mowing widths requiring high-throughput merging; grass hay and forage sorghum operations where leaf loss is less critical; straw merging after combine; operations where windrow uniformity and throughput capacity outweigh leaf retention priorities.
Side-by-Side Selection Matrix: Which Rake Fits Your Operation
| Criterion |
V-Rake |
Bar Rake |
Horizontal Rake |
| Leaf retention (alfalfa) |
★★★★★ |
★★★ |
★★★ |
| Heavy/wet first-cut handling |
★★★ |
★★★★★ |
★★★★ |
| Throughput capacity |
★★★★ |
★★★ |
★★★★★ |
| HP requirement |
Low (no PTO) |
Low–medium |
Medium (PTO) |
| Terrain following |
★★★★★ |
★★★★ |
★★★ |
| Maintenance complexity |
Low |
Medium |
Medium–high |
| Capital cost (same width) |
Medium–high |
Low–medium |
High |
| Grass / straw suitability |
★★★★ |
★★★★ |
★★★★★ |
V-Rake Setup and Adjustment: Getting Tine Height Right
For V-rakes specifically — the most widely used design for commercial alfalfa — tine height is the single most important operating adjustment. The tines should pass through the crop at a height that collects essentially all of the cut material while leaving the tine tips 5–10mm above the soil surface at their lowest point in the travel arc. Tines that contact the soil pick up dirt; tines set too high leave crop on the ground.
Tine height check
After the first 50-meter pass, stop and examine the ground surface where the tines swept. You should see a clear, clean sweep path with only stubble below the cutting height visible. Any loose soil disturbed by the tine tips indicates the height is too low. Any unraked strips of hay left in the path indicates height is too high. Correct until the sweep is clean.
Tine wear compensation
Tines wear progressively from the tip inward, shortening by 3–7mm per season of heavy use. As tines shorten, the effective sweep height increases — the wheel hub is at the same position but the tips no longer reach as low. Compensate by lowering the wheel frame height each season to maintain the correct tip-to-ground clearance.
V-angle adjustment
The angle of the V (how open or closed) controls the windrow width. A wider V collects from a broader swath and produces a wider windrow; a narrower V concentrates the crop into a tighter windrow. Adjust the V-angle so the finished windrow width matches the baler’s optimal pickup width — typically 1.2 to 1.5 times the baler’s pickup width for efficient intake without overflow.
Raking moisture timing
Rake when the crop is at 16–22% moisture — not when fully cured. At this moisture range the leaf cells still have enough turgidity to flex under the tine contact rather than fracturing. Waiting until the crop drops below 14% before raking produces significantly higher leaf shatter loss on every pass.
Windrow Quality Standards: What a Good Rake Pass Looks Like
Assessing windrow quality immediately after the rake pass reveals whether the setup is correct before the baler encounters a full field of poorly formed windrows. Walk 50 meters of the freshly raked windrow and assess three characteristics.
Width consistency
The windrow should maintain a consistent width within ±15% from one end to the other. Width variation indicates wheel height variation across the frame (tines at different heights on left vs right side), V-angle asymmetry, or ground speed variation. A windrow that varies in width produces irregular bale fill rates, causing density variation in the baler chamber.
Leaf debris behind the rake
Look at the ground surface between the windrow and the outer edge of the raked path. Scattered individual leaves indicate excessive leaf shatter — either the crop is too dry, ground speed is too high, or tine height is too low causing impact. Some leaf loss is unavoidable; a visible carpet of leaves on the ground surface between windrows is unacceptable and indicates either crop timing or setup needs correction.
Soil contamination in windrow
Examine the base of the windrow where it contacts the ground. Dark soil particles woven into the base of the windrow indicate tine-to-ground contact on that pass. This soil will be baled into the finished product, elevating ash content and potentially reducing the hay’s market grade. Raise tine height immediately if soil contamination is visible in the fresh windrow base.
The full windrow formation techniques covering raking patterns, overlap management, and the optimal windrow-to-baler width ratio for different baler pickup sizes is in the hay raking techniques and windrow formation guide. The mowing decisions that determine the crop condition the rake receives — cutting height, conditioning intensity, and swath width — are covered in the mowing and conditioning quality guide. The gearbox and driveline specifications for PTO-driven horizontal rake models are in 농업용 변속기 및 PTO 구동계 부품 사양.
Matching Rake to Crop Type and Market Destination
| Crop and market |
Recommended rake |
Primary reason |
| Premium alfalfa — dairy or export |
V-Rake |
Leaf retention is the primary quality driver; V-rake’s lateral sweep causes minimum leaf shatter at correct moisture |
| Grass hay — general livestock |
Bar Rake or V-Rake |
Grass stems are less leaf-critical; both designs work; bar rake offers better first-cut fluffing in heavy yield situations |
| Wide-cut mowing system (9m+) |
Horizontal Rake |
High-throughput merging of wide mower swaths into baler-width windrows is the horizontal rake’s specific design purpose |
| Straw baling behind combine |
Bar Rake or Horizontal |
Straw windrows from modern combines are often too dense and uneven for V-rake — lifting and merging action is needed |
| Cover crops (cereal rye, oats) |
Bar Rake |
Cover crop material is bulky and tangled; bar rake’s lifting action handles it better than the lateral sweep of a V-rake |
Operating Cost Comparison and Long-Term ROI by Rake Type
Beyond the purchase price comparison, the three rake types differ in their annual operating cost structure. Understanding the total cost of ownership — initial investment, annual maintenance, replacement parts, and labor — helps complete the selection decision for operations where multiple types could work agronomically.
V-Rake annual costs
- Tine replacement: $150–$400 every 2–3 seasons for a full set per wheel; replace all wheels in the same season
- Hub bearing service: Low — wheel hubs have sealed bearings requiring inspection every 2 seasons
- Frame inspection: Annual check of transport/working linkage points for fatigue cracks
- No fuel cost for rake function — ground-driven design uses zero tractor PTO HP during operation
Bar Rake annual costs
- Tine replacement: Individual spring tines replaced as bent or broken; full set $200–$500 every 3–5 seasons
- Wheel bearing service: More frequent than V-rake — tines contact ground more forcefully on bar-rake designs
- Transport linkage wear: Hitch and transport pivot points wear faster under the lateral forces of the raking action
- Fuel cost: Minimal if ground-driven; moderate if PTO-powered variant
Horizontal Rake annual costs
- Gearbox service: Annual oil change in PTO-driven gearbox; inspect gear wear every 2 seasons
- Tine replacement: Impact-loading from heavy crops causes tine fatigue fractures; budget $300–$600/season for a heavily used unit
- Rotor bearing service: The main rotor bearings require annual inspection and periodic replacement
- Fuel cost: PTO power demand is meaningful — adds 5–10 L/hr fuel consumption vs. ground-driven alternatives
Quality value of leaf retention: For operations selling alfalfa to premium dairy or export markets, the quality premium from better leaf retention can justify the V-rake’s higher purchase price even against a cheaper bar rake alternative. A 3% difference in dry matter leaf loss at $160/ton premium alfalfa on 300 tons/year = $1,440/year in quality value retained. Over a 10-year rake life, that is $14,400 in additional captured quality value — which comfortably exceeds the typical price premium of a V-rake over a comparable bar rake.
Hay Rake Type FAQs
Can a V-rake be used for tedding as well as raking?+
Standard V-rakes are not designed for tedding — they are designed to merge and windrow, not to spread. The V configuration inherently gathers crop toward the center rather than distributing it across a wide area. Some V-rake manufacturers offer a “spread” mode where the wheel angles are reversed to push hay outward rather than inward, but this is a compromise function and not as effective as a dedicated tedder or a bar rake in spread mode. For operations that need both tedding and windrowing from a single machine, a bar rake with reversible wheel rotation (available on many modern designs) is the more versatile choice. If maximum leaf retention in alfalfa is the priority, the V-rake is the better choice and a separate tedder handles the spreading function. Combining functions into one machine involves compromises — know which function is your priority.
How many finger wheels does a V-rake need for my field width?+
The number of wheels determines the total working width of the V-rake. Each finger wheel typically covers a 1.2–1.5 meter swath width depending on wheel diameter and tine length. A 9-wheel V-rake covers approximately 9–11 meters of working width; a 12-wheel model covers 12–15 meters. The correct working width depends on your mowing width: the rake’s working width should match or slightly exceed the total mowing width per pass so that a single rake pass collects all of the mowed crop without leaving strips unraked. For a 9-meter mower combination, a 9-wheel V-rake is typically the minimum; a 12-wheel model provides additional margin for the occasional pass overlap or windrow displacement from wind. Match the rake width to your mowing system width to minimize the number of rake passes required per unit area.
At what ground speed should I rake, and does speed affect leaf loss?+
Yes — ground speed directly affects leaf loss, particularly in V-rake operation. Higher speed increases the angular velocity of the finger wheels (which are ground-driven), which increases the tine tip speed and the force with which the tines contact dry leaves. Research on V-rake speed effects consistently shows increasing leaf loss with speed above the optimal range. For alfalfa, the optimal speed range is 6–10 km/h (4–6 mph) depending on crop moisture — drier crop requires slower speed. Above 12 km/h, leaf loss in dry alfalfa becomes significant regardless of tine height adjustment. For grass hay, the speed sensitivity is lower because grass stems are more flexible and less prone to leaf fracture from tine contact. Use ground speed as a lever: slow down for the last rake pass when the crop is at its driest, and you can tolerate higher speed in the first rake pass when the crop still has higher moisture content.
Should I rake alfalfa in the morning or afternoon?+
Timing is significant for leaf retention. Morning raking — after the dew has dried from the leaf surface (typically 9–11 AM) but before peak afternoon drying — gives a window when crop moisture is in the 18–22% range that minimizes leaf shatter. Afternoon raking on a hot, dry day can push crop moisture below 14% in the windrow, significantly increasing leaf loss. The exception is when you are using raking specifically to accelerate drying — tedding or raking in the early afternoon on a sunny day maximizes drying rate. The decision depends on whether you need to accelerate drying (afternoon is better) or minimize leaf loss (late morning after dew is better). For premium alfalfa where quality is paramount, always prioritize late-morning raking over afternoon raking when you have scheduling flexibility.
How often do V-rake tines need replacement, and what are the signs of worn tines?+
V-rake tine life varies by soil abrasiveness, crop volume per season, and ground speed. In typical commercial hay conditions, tines wear 3–7mm per season from the tip inward. Replacement is needed when: the effective tine length has shortened to the point where you can no longer achieve correct tip-to-ground clearance without lowering the wheel frame to a position that causes the wheel hub to approach ground level; the tine tips show mushrooming or cracking from fatigue fractures; or you notice increased crop loss (unraked strips) despite correct height adjustment. Most commercial operations replace tines every 2–4 seasons on high-use rakes. Always replace tines as complete sets per wheel to maintain balanced sweep — mixing old and new tines on the same wheel creates uneven sweep height that disrupts windrow consistency.
Is it better to rake into one wide windrow or two narrower windrows per pass?+
The decision depends on your baler and your drying requirements. A single wide windrow provides more volume per baler pass, improving throughput, but dries more slowly in its core because the pile height insulates the interior from airflow. Two narrower windrows dry faster but require two baler passes. The optimal windrow size is the widest that the baler’s pickup can handle at full baler speed without overflow or slugging — typically 1.2 to 1.4 times the baler’s rated pickup width. If your windrow regularly exceeds this width and the baler slows or slugs on the windrow center, split to two windrows per pass. If the windrow is well within the baler’s capacity and your drying conditions are not limiting your schedule, a wider single windrow is more efficient.
