Starting when I was 7 years old, I learned to run a tractor on a 1959 Ford 641 diesel pulling a 1975 John Deere 660 rake. Over the years, the little tractor had it's ups and downs and is now in better shape than the last time it pulled the 660 rake. Almost 20 years ago, my dad lost the bottom half of the reel drive shaft and ended up getting and using an old NH 56 rake since then. This last week, the 56 rake had a catastrophic failure and broke the spindle shaft and the hub that drives the rake, those two piece from NH were going to be over $400 all told, so I ordered the half-shaft for the 660, robbed teeth and wheels and tires from the NH and pressed the rake that's older than I am back into service.
Looking at it now, I can't understand why my dad didn't put the 660 back into service way before this because it's a foot wider, has 45 more teeth for a cleaner field, and is actually a newer rake than the 56.
It's a trip back to simpler times for me to use this old pair of war horses. Makes me tear up to remember dad teaching me how to rake with this setup. Makes my heart full to think that maybe some of his grandkids can learn on the same setup that he taught on. Anyhow, thought some of you might appreciate the sentiment.
Edit: I should add that when I mentioned that I was going to use the 660 rake again to my mom her comment was, "Lord, shouldn't that old thing be put out of its misery? We bought it in 1975, it's probably raked well over a million square bales of hay!" LOL
The Dynamic Duo rides again!!!
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