Hay rake

[DickB]

So, after the snow disappeared, grass started up. Things are working fine on the Cub (fingers are crossed), and a light cutting before seed heads seemed a nice thing to do. Some hay rake questions, though. There's a steel tab with a hole in it under the seat that, somewhere, is identified as a place to hook up a rope for dumping the hay rake. Having a nice rope this year I tried to use the tab/hole and landed up with the longish rope going under the tire and a mess resulted. I reverted to draping the rope over my right shoulder and coming down the front of me where I can grab it and yank it when I want to dump the rake. What's that tab/hole all about? And, while I'm at it, what is the paint scheme for a hay rake?

[outdoors4evr]

Paint Scheme - Looks like you have chosen a non-standard paint scheme. Most I see are corrosion brown!
I honestly could not help you with either question, but thoroughly enjoyed your pic. Great looking cub, mower, and rake!

[tinnerjohn]

Thats a great looking rig you've got! The tab under the seat was for the trip rope, sounds like yours was a little long. Drag discs have trip ropes as well as ground lift trailing plows for the bigger tractors. If you use one of these plows, don't tie the rope to the seat, use a piece of wire to attach to the tab. Don't ask how I know John

[Eugene]

don't tie the rope to the seat, use a piece of wire to attach to the tab.

What I was going to say. And for God sakes, do not drape the trip rope over or around your body.

Medium weight "wire about 18"s long. Fold in half. Stick one strand of the wire through the hole in the loop. Fold both strands back to form a tight "U. Cut rope to length and form a large knot in the end of the rope. Knot goes inside the "U". Squeeze the "U" shut to hold the trip rope in place.

[DickB]

don't tie the rope to the seat, use a piece of wire to attach to the tab.

What I was going to say. And for God sakes, do not drape the trip rope over or around your body.

Medium weight "wire about 18"s long. Fold in half. Stick one strand of the wire through the hole in the loop. Fold both strands back to form a tight "U. Cut rope to length and form a large knot in the end of the rope. Knot goes inside the "U". Squeeze the "U" shut to hold the trip rope in place.

Well, Thanks. But I need a bit more if possible. It takes a good firm yank to activate the hay rake's foot pedal with the rope. I'm not sure how one can yank a rope that's behind you, so let me know what you do. Do you have a lot of extra rope that drapes between the Cub's rear and the hay rake so that if you can grab the rope behind you, you can get it over your shoulder to yank it? Cannot picture your wire setup. I'd sure like a photo or a sketch?

If my rake is just "stiff" could I not attach a rope holder to the arm that controls land plow angle? That's high enough and close by and visible. Usually I'm looking at how much hay is in the rake, where the windrow is, and make a fairly quick decision to line up with a windrow of start something new.

Would still like to know about hay rake color(s). Rust brown won't do. Thanks for comments of sickle bar -- the grass board is courtesy of a sketch from Bob McCarty, the outer shoe thanks to Boss Hob (do I have that right? -- the fellow in VA who sells used equipment), and the undershoe thanks to our local Case-IH parts guy. Keen eyes will see Bezirk's engine braces (in blue).

[tmays]

Have you cleaned, oiled and greased wheel assemblies and linkages where needed? Shouldn't take much to trip the lever. Check for binding in the linkage.

Edit: disregard white rope in video. Black rope is attached to trip lever. I just have the rope long enough to hang across my lap. Reach back and pull rope and works good. Yes, I have 'lost' rope before, but not a big deal. Works for me anyway.

[Jim Becker]

Would still like to know about hay rake color(s).

Go to this page. Scroll down the right column and click on page 2 of decision 34.
I think this link will work.

http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/ihc/id/43016/show/42974/rec/12

[torchred89]

Thats a great looking rig you've got! The tab under the seat was for the trip rope, sounds like yours was a little long. Drag discs have trip ropes as well as ground lift trailing plows for the bigger tractors. If you use one of these plows, don't tie the rope to the seat, use a piece of wire to attach to the tab. Don't ask how I know John

Yep! I learned the hard way too.

[Scrivet]

......Well, Thanks. But I need a bit more if possible. It takes a good firm yank to activate the hay rake's foot pedal with the rope. I'm not sure how one can yank a rope that's behind you, so let me know what you do. Do you have a lot of extra rope that drapes between the Cub's rear and the hay rake so that if you can grab the rope behind you, you can get it over your shoulder to yank it? Cannot picture your wire setup. I'd sure like a photo or a sketch?........

The trip rope LOOSELY attaches to the small flat piece of metal sticking out the back of the seat mounting. (look at the bottom right picture on this page from TM http://www.tmtractor.com/tm-tractor/gim/189_plow_001.htm) This places it within reach by swinging your right arm back and down just a bit to grab the rope and give it a pull. Most implements you are turned just a bit to the right looking back anyway. Figure out the length of rope you need to get from the rake to this clip with a little bit extra. The pull, really a yank, should be straight forward. That's something you have to figure out on the rake end. If you're changing directions there you may want to think about a small pulley.

As for the wire. Foot long piece of ground wire out of a 12 or 14 gauge electrical wire. Fold in half. Twist the wires like a bread tie in the middle for three or four turns. Straddle the rope at the proper length with the open end. Wrap the ends completely around the rope once or twice and secure by twisting the wires together. Tuck or twist the cut ends out of the way so you don't stab yourself with them. Take the loop end and make a J shaped hook and hang it in the trip rope clip. You want a gentle curve not a V shaped hook.

Either cut your rope (best) to length or loop it and secure it back on itself not on the tractor (don't be that cheap spring for a dedicated rake rope). The only thing touching the tractor should be the wire. When the rake comes unhooked or the rope catches on something (and they will) it will straighten out the copper wire and come unhooked with out ripping the seat pedestal off the tractor while you're still sitting in it.

[challenger]

Many moons ago, my dad and I could buy these rope trip releases for break away implements such as plows. I'm not sure if they are still commercially available since most implements are now three-point mount. It is a simple device that could be fabricated.
http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-b ... th=1278662

[DickB]

Found this--

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-b ... &th=205809

Scroll down and there's some photos of an AC set up. Simple -- wire goes through a hole under the seat. Wire is in a "U" shape with the "U" going through the hole, then has a bit of a clamp like shaping to keep rope in the wire's loop. Any tension would snap the clamp open and free the rope from the tractor. I'll try something similar on the Cub later on today and post a photo....

Someone on the micro-farm here thinks the white wheels on the hay rake are over the top and so the question on authentic hay rake paint schemes. Here's a few comments from yesterdaystractors site:

"I have used horse dump rakes, McCormick if my memory serves me right were red with white wheels and tongue. It is a long time since I used one there might have been other white parts."

and...

"...the wheels might have been somewhat yellow ( cream). Like I said its been a long time. And faded cream could come close to looking dirty white."

Moreover, looking a photos of those post-horse drawn hay rakes, those side tenders and what-not that've been gussied up, I'd say "red everwhere but for the off-white wheels."

[Jim Becker]

. . . and so the question on authentic hay rake paint schemes . . .

Did you look at the page I pointed at? The answers are there.

[DickB]

Jim, Thanks for repointing my nose! I'd somehow gotten to a page where "oiling" of steel for enhanced hay pickup was the going thing and completely missed what you were after. What you pointed me to was:

SELF DUMP HAY RAKE
Harvester Red
Harvestor Cream
Harvester Blue
Ochre
BIpb Lacquor
(the website says where each color is to be applied but I wasn't able to copy that page...just the color list.)

All those colors and, to simplify, the main body is red, wheels are cream. The rest I'll leave to the authentic restorer...it must have been a beauty with all those colors going through the cut hay fields. I'll assume "cream" to be something like Rustoleum's Almond White, perhaps with a dash of their yellow in it. But come to think of it, I do have some blue in the shop, and ochre can be a yellow with some white and a dash of red....

Scrivet! Take a look and give me a critique. Is this what you meant? Seems like the rope will pull the springy wire down if it were to want to stay behind. And thanks to all for pointing out the safety issue regarding the rope over the shoulder, etc. I'd wondered for some time about that little under-seat tab, and now I'm on to it.

[Jim Becker]

SELF DUMP HAY RAKE
Harvester Red
Harvestor Cream
Harvester Blue
Ochre
BIpb Lacquor
(the website says where each color is to be applied but I wasn't able to copy that page...just the color list.)

Yeah, the OCR on those old documents has its problems.

Here are the 5 lists of parts to go with your 5 colors.

Frame, seat, seat spring and tie rod
Wheels
Hand and foot lovers, trip lever and cleaner rods
Poles and singletrees
Teeth

[Scrivet]

Scrivet! Take a look and give me a critique. Is this what you meant? Seems like the rope will pull the springy wire down if it were to want to stay behind. And thanks to all for pointing out the safety issue regarding the rope over the shoulder, etc. I'd wondered for some time about that little under-seat tab, and now I'm on to it.

002.JPG

You're about 180 degrees out. The wire attaches to the rope not the tractor. Undo the wire from the tab. If the knot is there to keep your hand from sliding on the rope then give it a little tail sticking out the front of the knot. If it's there to keep the rope from unraveling untie it and wrap a couple thicknesses of electrical tape around the end of the rope for now.
Straighten out your wire into the U shape again.
Hold the loop in your left hand and the two ends in your right hand.
About where the rope is laying on it in the picture twist the two wires like a bread tie a couple turns and leave the loop.
Spread the cut ends apart an inch and pretend you are saddling (wire) a horse (rope), about an inch back from the end of the rope.
Take the left side wire and run it under the horses belly and up the right side of the horse. It should be pointing straight up beside the loop.
Do the same thing with the right side. Both ends and the loop should be pointing straight up.
If you have lots of wire left circle the horse (rope) again with both pieces back to this position.
When the wires are to short to go completely around, twist the ends together like bread ties again.
You can tighten up the wire on the rope by twisting the loop or the tail of wire a little with pliers.
Tuck the twisted tail end out of the way so you don't get cut or stabbed on it.
Bend your loop so it will fit through the hole in the metal tab.
You could get by with thinner wire, all the wire has to do is hold the end of the rope up.

Yeah, a picture is worth a thousand words but painting a picture with a thousand words is more of a challenge.