When was the hay rake invented

Mechanical revolution. In , seeding tools improved and the steel-toothed dump rake was invented. Horse-drawn mowers were getting better and better and by hay makers were successful in compressing hay for transport.

Using horse power to cut hay allowed farmers to harvest seven to 10 times more than they could by hand. In addition to improvements in the field, Baylor found that haymakers also saw progress in other areas, as barns were built with hay storage and hay feeding in mind. The steel-toothed riding dump rake was introduced in and that decade also saw the invention of the hay tedder.

In , barn hay forks were developed and in hay loaders and steam-powered engines were on the scene. Progress in the hay industry continued with the introduction of the side delivery hay rake in Also during that year, Pennsylvania produced its first alfalfa crop and five years later, the animal-powered Panama stationary hay press was invented. In , the first gasoline tractor was introduced. During the first half of the 20th century, alfalfa acreage in Pennsylvania increased from 52 acres in to more than , acres in , according to Baylor.

It is also designed to fluff up the hay and turn it over so that it may dry. It is also used in the evening to protect the hay from morning dew. It had to be hand-cut with a sickle or scythe and hand-raked with a wooden rake or fork. On a good day, a farmer could harvest 1 acre of hay. Tedder hay on the morning after the crop was cut. However, if large clumps of forage pile up behind the cutter, it may be necessary to tedder the hay shortly after mowing. These hay wheels adjust so that you may position them into the right place for proper hay contact.

Who invented the hay rake? Asked by: Prof. Sebastian Wintheiser. How did they cut hay in the old days? Is a hay tedder worth it? What is the difference between tedding and raking hay? Do I need to Ted hay? What is a dump rake? What is a sulky rake? Which hay rake is best? What is a horse rake? What is hay baling? Can you Ted hay with dew on it? How long after cutting hay can you bale it?

Inspired by horse-drawn mowing machines, it was not long before horse-drawn rakes made their appearance. These rakes had large wooden combs about 10 feet long with teeth about 2 feet long.

The teeth were spaced inches apart. Plow handles were attached to the frame. As the horse drew the rake across the field, the farmer used handles to manipulate the rake over rocks and around stumps. Grass gathered on top of the teeth, which ran on the ground.

When the rake was full, the horse was stopped, the rake lifted and the hay shaken loose in a heap or windrow. Soon the horse-drawn rake evolved into a revolving rake. It looked quite a bit like the original horse rake, except it had a second set of teeth to gather grass. When the first set of teeth filled with hay, the farmer lifted the handle.

This caused the first set of teeth to catch in the ground and the beam to revolve. The teeth loaded with hay kicked under and back, and the entire rake raised up and revolved over the hay, which was left in a pile. At the same time, the second set of teeth revolved up and over and began to gather more hay.