Wheel Rake... Too Much Hay?

So I picked up this wheel rake last fall because I've been wanting to upgrade from my little side delivery rake to a V-rake, and I found this one used for a great price. The rake works really good as long as you don't try to rake more than 2 ton per acre. I tried raking almost 3 ton per acre timothy, and it would just plug up instantly (really glad that I didn't sell my little basket rake). It's very obvious that the problem is that there's not enough clearance between the frame and the ground. So now I'm thinking that I need to resell this rake (I think I can sell it for what I bought it for), and buy a higher capacity wheel rake, but I would like some experience based input from you guys before I make any more rash decisions.

 

Here's some more details to think about:

• I hay about 100 acres of grass.
• I don't want to rake any more than 20ft of tedded hay.
• Rotary rakes are not hardly used around here (never see a good used one for sale) and are too expensive for a new twin rotor.
• Used hydraulic baskets are a dime a dozen, but they're all 25+ft and are just too big and complicated for my smaller operation (I think).
• I like the function and simplicity of the wheel rake, as long as the hay is smoothly flowing through it.

 

So here's my questions:

1. The two brands/models that are available through my dealer that I have my eye on are the New Holland Duravee 1020 or the Sitrex Explorer MX10. What are your experiences with these rakes?
2. Could 3 ton per acre of fluffy grass hay ever be an issue with these high capacity rakes?
3. Is a high capacity style rake (wheels in front of frame) more than what I need? Or would a high clearance carted rake (wheels behind frame) be more than adequate? Such as a Sitrex QRake QR10 or a New Holland Procart 1022. 

Any and all opinions are appreciated.

 

Thanks,

-Kyle

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Wheel Rake... Too Much Hay?