Will a McHale f550 take 3 raked 8ft swarths?

13spanner

Would a McHale F550 take in 3 raked 8ft foot swarths without having to go at snails pace? Run on a massey 6465, in and around 120hp.
Thanks in advance,
13spanner.

Casinoking

An awful lot of grass in 24ft in a heavy crop, it's putting the pick-up under serious pressure. Did it a few times with a Welger RP235 but wouldn't be keen on it. From my experience it's easier to make better shaped bales travelling quicker in a smaller swarth in average crops. Plenty of grass in a 10ft swarth for baling.

Swinefluproof

Picked up 30ft rows last year with a 550 and 40fts on occasion with about 120hp, 30s are ok but you will have to slow down a fair bit and 40s are just wrong. Puts real pressure on the whole baler. Can't imagine that you should have too much trouble picking up 24 feet though, it's not much more than a 10ft grouped row after all. Is actually easier IMO to pick up raked silage than after the mower, especially round corners and headland. The F550 in fairness will take a huge volume of grass before it clogs up

cam1452

most contractors round here row up 3 rows for baling. lot more solid bales

Casinoking

cam1452 wrote: »

most contractors round here row up 3 rows for baling. lot more solid bales

The density setting on the baler will make the bales more solid, not a bigger row. Each to their own I suppose, but I can't see the justificatin in raking in front of the baler when you're not getting paid for it. I'd rake a light crop alright if it saved racing around the field trying to make 40 bales an hour, but raking a heavy first cut costs more than it's worth in my opinion.

jeff greene

I get mine raked, €10/acre aids drying too, 3 eights for a RP220 profi baler, full knives driven by 120hp, prefer to drive 5mph than 15. I hate picking up singles after working with raked grass.

pajero12

Casinoking wrote: »

The density setting on the baler will make the bales more solid, not a bigger row. Each to their own I suppose, but I can't see the justificatin in raking in front of the baler when you're not getting paid for it. I'd rake a light crop alright if it saved racing around the field trying to make 40 bales an hour, but raking a heavy first cut costs more than it's worth in my opinion.

Oh but it does, the wider and more dense the swarth, the more evenly it feeds into the baler, giving more solid bales with squarer shoulders.

F.D

isnt it a known trick that the faster you go baling the baler doesent get enough time to pack the bale tight enough? so more bales
never see the need for fast forward speed, let it be baler or self propelled keep loads of grass in front of them.

goondakid

Ya thell take 3 8ft swarts al day no boder if the crop is heavy just push out that accelerator abit more;)