Types of Hay Rakes Explained: Wheel, Rotary, Parallel-Bar & Belt
If the hay baler is the star of the forage show, the hay rake is its essential supporting actor. Rakes transform a mower’s scattered swaths into uniform windrows that feed cleanly into a baler. Choose the wrong rake, and your baler will produce barrel-shaped bales, suffer plugging, and waste fuel. Choose the right one, and baling becomes faster, cleaner, and more profitable. This guide covers the four main types of hay rakes used on modern farms and explains which is best for each situation.
Why Raking Matters
After hay is mowed, it lies in swaths whose density and shape rarely match what a baler’s pickup can handle. Raking serves three purposes: it combines multiple mower swaths into fewer windrows (reducing baler passes and fuel use), it inverts partially-dry hay so the bottom layer can finish drying, and it creates a uniform cross-section that allows the baler to form consistent, cylindrical bales. Skipping raking—or using the wrong rake—is one of the most common reasons for poor bale quality on small farms.
1. Wheel Rakes (V-Rakes)
Wheel rakes—sometimes called V-rakes, star rakes, or sun rakes—use a series of angled wheel tines that rotate passively as the tractor pulls them forward. Ground friction spins the wheels, and the angled tines drag hay inward to form a windrow. They typically come in 8, 10, 12, or more wheel configurations, with working widths from 6 ft up to 36 ft.
Advantages: Lowest purchase price. No PTO or hydraulic power required (in basic models). Minimal maintenance. High operating speeds (up to 12 mph). Wide working widths available.
Disadvantages: Tines contact the ground, picking up more soil, rocks, and ash than other designs. Research from multiple U.S. universities has shown wheel rakes introduce the highest ash content of any rake type—an important concern if you feed dairy cattle, where high ash forage reduces milk production. Wheel rakes also struggle with wet, heavy forage.
Best for: Dry hay (under 30% moisture) on level fields where budget is a priority.
2. Rotary Rakes
Rotary rakes use PTO-powered rotors with spring-loaded tine arms that sweep hay into a windrow. They originated in Europe in the 1970s to handle wet grass forage and have gained steady market share worldwide since the 1980s. Single-rotor models work 12–16 ft wide; twin-rotor models reach up to 30 ft.
Advantages: Produce fluffy, uniform windrows that dry quickly and feed beautifully into balers. Tines do not contact the ground (on properly-set machines), minimizing soil contamination. Handle wet forage well—essential for silage making. Excellent for delicate crops like alfalfa where leaf retention matters.
Disadvantages: Higher purchase price than wheel rakes. More mechanically complex (gearbox, drive shafts, cam tracks). Lower ground speeds (typically 5–8 mph). Require tractor PTO.
Best for: Dairy and commercial forage operations where forage quality drives revenue. Also ideal for humid climates where hay is raked at higher moistures.
3. Parallel-Bar Rakes (Rollabar Rakes)
The parallel bar rake was the dominant rake design on American farms from the 1940s through the 1980s. It uses a rotating cage of bar-mounted tines, driven by the rake wheels or a mechanical gearbox, that gently rolls hay sideways into a windrow. The design is simple, durable, and produces very clean windrows.
Advantages: Extremely gentle on the crop—minimal leaf loss on alfalfa and other legumes. Simple mechanical design with few failure points. Produces well-shaped windrows suitable for small square or round balers.
Disadvantages: Limited working widths compared to modern designs. Newer models are increasingly rare on the new-equipment market as rotary rakes take over. The tines can clog in very heavy or wet crops.
Best for: Small farms making high-quality alfalfa hay where leaf retention is paramount. Excellent as a used-equipment purchase because many are still in daily service after 30+ years.
4. Belt Rakes (Power Rakes)
Belt rakes—also called power rakes—use a PTO-driven belt with tine bars that sweep hay continuously. They’re compact, versatile, and popular on small farms and orchards. Unlike wheel rakes, the tines don’t contact the ground, so forage stays cleaner.
Advantages: Can function as both a rake and a tedder with a simple adjustment. Handles both wet and dry forage. Compact for easy storage. Works in tight spaces (orchards, small fields, between tree rows). Available in narrow working widths.
Disadvantages: Moderate purchase price—more than a wheel rake, comparable to a basic rotary. Belt and tine maintenance required.
Best for: Small and specialty operations (orchards, vineyards, horse farms) where one tool needs to do multiple jobs.
Wheel Rake vs Rotary Rake: The Most Common Comparison
When producers debate rake choice, the wheel rake vs rotary rake comparison is the most common. The simple way to decide: if you’re making dry hay in arid conditions and value low upfront cost, choose a wheel rake. If you’re making quality forage in humid conditions or the hay goes to high-value markets (dairy, horse, export), choose a rotary rake. The ash-content penalty of wheel rakes matters far more when livestock performance is at stake.
The Best Hay Rake for Small Farms
For compact tractor operators making hay on 5–50 acres, the best hay rake for small farm use is usually one of three options: a 10-wheel V-rake for dry climates and tight budgets, a 12-ft belt rake for mixed-use versatility, or a single-rotor rotary rake for premium forage quality. Each pairs perfectly with a mini round baler. Pairing the right mower, rake, and baler determines whether haymaking is profitable or frustrating—so don’t skip over the mower either. See our full lineup in the Seria kosiarek do trawy.
Don’t Forget the Driveline
Rotary and belt rakes are PTO-driven and therefore only as reliable as their driveline. Undersized or worn PTO shafts are the #1 warranty issue we see on rakes. Select drivelines matched to your rake’s power and angle requirements; CV joints are recommended for tight cornering. And remember—a high-quality rake is an investment that pays off only when paired with an equally capable baler. Explore our complete round and square baler lineup in the Seria pras do siana.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hay Rakes
Do I need both a rake and a tedder? For humid climates or after rain, yes—a tedder fluffs and dries wet hay before raking. In arid conditions, many producers only use a rake. Some rake designs (especially belt rakes) can double as tedders, reducing equipment count.
What’s the best rake for premium alfalfa hay? Rotary rakes and parallel-bar rakes produce the least leaf shatter on alfalfa. Wheel rakes cause higher leaf losses, which matters significantly since leaves contain most of alfalfa’s protein value.
How wide of a rake do I need? Match rake width to the combined width of 2–3 mower swaths. A 10-ft mower works well with an 18–22 ft rake. Matching baler capacity is also important—don’t build windrows too big for your baler’s pickup width.
Can I use a lawn sweeper instead of a hay rake? No. Lawn sweepers are designed for light material and cannot handle the volume or weight of field hay. They also lack the windrow-forming geometry needed for baler pickup.
Matching Rake Width to Baler Capacity
A common rookie mistake is buying a rake based on acreage without considering the downstream baler. An oversized rake creates windrows too heavy for the baler to handle, causing constant plugging. An undersized rake leaves hay behind requiring multiple passes. The correct approach: verify your rake’s working width produces windrows that match your baler’s pickup width (typically 60–80 inches) and density capability. When replacing one piece of equipment in a haymaking chain, always validate compatibility with the other equipment before purchase.
Recommended Related Product
⚡ PTO Shaft for Rotary Rake (CV Joint, 540 RPM): Constant-velocity driveline designed specifically for single-rotor and twin-rotor rotary rakes. Handles sharp articulation angles that standard U-joint shafts cannot, preventing vibration and premature bearing failure in the rotor gearbox.
Find Your Ideal Rake
Balerhay manufactures rotary, belt, and wheel rakes sized for compact and full-size tractors. Whether you’re a dealer looking to expand your catalog or a farmer optimizing your own haymaking chain, we can match you with the right rake.
editor：WM
