My Tractor Forum banner

Hay rake hitch,any ideas?

3K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  Jimmy in NC 
#1 ·
saturday i picked up a gravely hay rake.its in mint shape and hasnt seen outdoors.im curious as to how the hitch works.there was a ball that came with it but the diameter of the pipe is to small to use a split hitch.anyone know what the hitch looks like?
 
#4 ·
Congrats on getting a hay rake. It's definitely a rare option, and I can't wait to see pictures. I'll have to doublecheck my hay rake when I get home tonight, but it was designed to work with the roller rest, which means the standard split hitch should work fine. I remember that there were some early sulkies that predated the split hitch and used something like a universal joint. I've not examined one of these, so I can't say how they worked and if there were early hay rakes that might have used something similar. Hopefully someone with first hand knowledge of these older hitches can comment.
 
#6 ·
I think I found the answer. I went out to check my hay rake, and found the same problem you did - the pipe is too small to fit a split hitch or roller rest. I looked on my shelves and found the part that solves the problem, and have attached photos. It seems that this hitch is designed to use a short piece of pipe to interface with the hitch. I photographed the pipe in place, and even the paint and rust match. It's a miracle that I didn't lose this part in all of the moves this has been through, but I'd say it is definitely the part. It's a piece of 1 1/4" schedule 40 pipe, 5 1/2" long. I'm not sure what the third set of holes is for, as it doesn't quite seem to line up, but it definitely fits. As I was balancing rather precariously on the fender of my Sears to take the photo with the rake, I couldn't get a closer look.

I wonder why they set this hitch up this way? There are times I'd love to talk with some of the engineers who worked on these machines, and understand what all they were thinking about. I wonder if this had something to do with the early hitch change, as I speculated before?



 
#7 ·
great!thanks for the missing link.now i just need to make one.i think it might have something to do with the use of a second hitching system or multi use betweeen the early and later hitches.i have both but i have yet to come across an early hitch and sulky attached.
 
#8 ·
I'd like to see pictures of the whole setup as I have an old hay rake for a Power King that I'm thinking of adapting to work behind a Gravely sulky. I really have no need.. but it's something else for the Gravely right?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top