Given the current economic conditions, it isn’t too surprising that fuel costs aren’t anywhere close to what they were just a few years ago. With that said, fuel still represents one of the largest expenses a field operation will need to pay. To help minimize that expense, many farmers are looking to purchase larger hay rakes.

By doing so, they can help to reduce the number of trips needed across the field, thus of course reducing the amount of fuel required. Hay rake manufacturers have been listening, and new generations of hay rakes have seen a greatly increased size. They often sport larger sets of rakes and utilize larger wheels to get around.

An example of one such a rake is the Circle C Golden Eagle wheel take system. According to the manufacturer, this rake is large enough to cover 3 swaths, which assists in reducing trips across a field and saving time and money in the process. The rakes also feature a series of “depth bands” which help guide the rake tines and prevent them from digging into the soil. Too much digging can pull up rocks and debris, which shortens the life of your average rake tine.

Circle C company officials have stated that these rakes are built for maximum longetivity, and that one rake owned by Threemile Canyon farms in Boardman, Oregon covered 36,000 acres for the rake tines needed to be replaced. The industry standard for replacing rake tines runs about 7,200 acres. Needless to say that’s an impressive record, although you would need to do your own extensive testing to prove the claim.