sandhiller Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 With the extra heavy hay crop and wet weather conditions this summer I have been looking for a windrow inverter. So guess what I pull up behind going through North Platte tonight Going to Colorado but about had to come from my area🥺 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitty Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 We bought a new NH 166 back in the day. We bought a new rotary rake and the inverter was second to the rake for drying out hay 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy WP Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 2 hours ago, sandhiller said: With the extra heavy hay crop and wet weather conditions this summer I have been looking for a windrow inverter There is one sitting on highway 26 either at Michell or Morrill. I get them confused. At the equipment jockey. Grints also have one at Sargent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrr4quality Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 I have never owned or used an inverter, don’t see many others using them around here(but I don’t get out much!). Tedders seem to be the tool of choice for getting the hay to dry. I have seen some people using a rotary rake and I would like to give one a try. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall1066 Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 The NH 166 inverter is ok, but it doesn’t like big thick windrows, I made a few haystacks with ours over the years when we were still putting up hay. The chute doesn’t extend far enough past the belt in my opinion, allowing hay to bunch up trying to make the corner. Maybe they have made things better since we had ours? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Hillbilly Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 5 hours ago, sandhiller said: With the extra heavy hay crop and wet weather conditions this summer I have been looking for a windrow inverter. So guess what I pull up behind going through North Platte tonight Going to Colorado but about had to come from my area🥺 there are 2 sitting on a dealer lot here. been there for years...if you're interested in a little road trip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandhiller Posted August 30 Author Share Posted August 30 1 hour ago, TN Hillbilly said: there are 2 sitting on a dealer lot here. been there for years...if you're interested in a little road trip. Still got that mower deck sitting in Missouri? Just as well hook up the flatbed and make a big circle 🤠 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandhiller Posted August 30 Author Share Posted August 30 3 hours ago, Farmall1066 said: The NH 166 inverter is ok, but it doesn’t like big thick windrows, I made a few haystacks with ours over the years when we were still putting up hay. The chute doesn’t extend far enough past the belt in my opinion, allowing hay to bunch up trying to make the corner. Maybe they have made things better since we had ours? And big heavy windrows is where I would need one. My other option is to set the H&S so it rolls the windrow over so bottom is in top, let it dry them rake the two windrows together. Pain in the butt no matter what luckily don't have to deal with it often Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearclash Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 @sandhiller One thing you might keep an eye out for is a “fluffer” tedder. They work pretty well for a situation like yours. They leave the windrow in a windrow so you aren’t forced to make a rake pass if you use it. https://www.tractorhouse.com/listing/for-sale/207272903/pequea-710-tedders-hay-and-forage-equipment Above is just an example. H&S made them, we have one built by the Grimm company from New England. Some are PTO drive and some are ground drive. An ATV can pull the ground drive units. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IH Forever Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 As a young kid in the early or probably mid 80's I spent hours and hours in Dad's 1066 pulling a New Idea wheel rake. I would get so frustrated some days raking alfalfa. Sometimes I could keep the windrow from flipping over with the wet side on the bottom. I had an idea in my mind for something just like those New Holland inverters. Maybe they were already building them at that time but I had never seen such a thing. I always thought I should have tried to patent my idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandhiller Posted August 31 Author Share Posted August 31 14 hours ago, Gearclash said: @sandhiller One thing you might keep an eye out for is a “fluffer” tedder. They work pretty well for a situation like yours. They leave the windrow in a windrow so you aren’t forced to make a rake pass if you use it. https://www.tractorhouse.com/listing/for-sale/207272903/pequea-710-tedders-hay-and-forage-equipment Above is just an example. H&S made them, we have one built by the Grimm company from New England. Some are PTO drive and some are ground drive. An ATV can pull the ground drive units. I have seen those and maybe even a homemade version from salvaging and old baler pickup. That looks awful simple and in my experience simple is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyDairy Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 Uncle got 1 here. Only one ever in atea anyone knows of. 2 seasons and it was gone. Tedders do much better job on our grasses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearclash Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 38 minutes ago, TroyDairy said: Uncle got 1 here. Only one ever in atea anyone knows of. 2 seasons and it was gone. Tedders do much better job on our grasses. Fluffer bedders don’t replace a basket tedder, and they get used at a different time during the drying process. A fluffer only really works if most of the swath is dry, but the bottom is somewhat tough yet. I usually use it around noon or early afternoon of the day I want to bale. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db1486 Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 13 hours ago, sandhiller said: I have seen those and maybe even a homemade version from salvaging and old baler pickup. That looks awful simple and in my experience simple is better. We have an old square baler with the back open that just picks the swath up and fluffs it a bit. Or else run the round baler with the endgate open a bit. Lots of NH chain balers got turned into swaths fluffers around here too Usually if we have to flip a swath we just leave one side of the v rake locked up and go 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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