6 Hay Tedder Vs Hay Rake Comparison That Ensures a Perfect Cure

You’ve just cut a beautiful field of hay, but the sky is turning a threatening shade of gray and the air feels heavy. This is the moment where the right tool can make the difference between a barn full of high-quality feed and a field of moldy compost. Understanding the distinct roles of a hay tedder and a hay rake isn’t just academic; it’s the key to controlling your hay cure and protecting your hard work.

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Tedders: Fluffing for Faster, Even Curing

A hay tedder is your primary tool for managing the drying process. Its job is simple but crucial: to lift, spread, and fluff the cut hay out of its dense swath. Think of it as untangling a wet towel so it can dry properly.

When hay is first cut, it lays in a tight row where only the top layer gets sun and air. The bottom remains damp, green, and packed against the wet ground. A tedder’s spinning tines grab this matted hay, toss it into the air, and lay it down in a wide, even, and fluffy layer.

This action dramatically increases the surface area exposed to sun and wind. Suddenly, every stem and leaf has a chance to dry at the same rate. This is the secret to a uniform cure, preventing the nightmare scenario of having bone-dry tops and a dangerously wet bottom layer when it’s time to bale.

Rakes: Gathering Dried Hay into Windrows

A hay rake has the opposite job of a tedder. While a tedder spreads hay out, a rake gathers it all back together. Its purpose is to collect the fully cured hay from across the field and form it into neat, manageable rows called windrows.

These windrows are built to match the width of your baler’s pickup. A well-formed windrow is fluffy enough to allow for a bit of final air circulation but dense enough to be picked up cleanly by the baler. It’s the final step in preparing the crop for preservation.

There are different types of rakes, from gentle rotary rakes that sweep the hay sideways to simple wheel rakes that roll it into a row. Each has its own characteristics, but the fundamental goal is the same: organize the cured hay for efficient baling. A rake does nothing to speed up the initial drying; it’s purely a collection tool.

Reducing Curing Time in Humid Conditions

In damp or humid weather, a tedder isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. High humidity slows evaporation to a crawl, and a thick swath can sit for days without drying, creating a perfect environment for mold and mildew. Running a tedder through the field just a few hours after cutting can shave a full day or more off your curing time.

By fluffing the hay, you break up moisture pockets and allow air to circulate freely. If you get an unexpected pop-up shower on hay that’s partially cured, a tedder is your best friend. As soon as the sun returns, tedding the damp hay will spread it out to dry quickly, often saving the entire cutting from ruin. A rake, in this situation, would be a disaster, rolling wet hay into an even denser windrow that would never dry.

The Risk of Leaf Shatter with Aggressive Tedding

The power of a tedder comes with a significant tradeoff: the risk of leaf shatter. This is especially true for delicate, broadleaf forages like alfalfa and clover. The leaves contain the majority of the protein and nutrients, and they become brittle as they dry.

Running a tedder too aggressively or on hay that is already too dry is a recipe for disaster. The mechanical action of the tines will literally shatter the valuable leaves, turning them into a fine dust that falls to the ground, lost forever. You might end up with a barn full of what looks like hay, but it’s really just low-nutrient stems.

To avoid this, ted when the hay is still pliable and has significant moisture content, usually within the first 24 hours of cutting. You can also reduce your tractor’s PTO speed to run the tedder more gently. Often, one well-timed pass is all you need; more is not always better.

Preserving Nutrients with Gentle Rake Action

While a tedder can be aggressive, a rake is designed for a gentler touch, provided it’s used correctly. The goal of raking is to move the hay, not beat it. Proper rake use is essential for preserving the nutrient-rich leaves that you worked so hard to dry.

The key is timing. Raking should be done when the hay is dry enough to bale but still has a bit of moisture, or "toughness," in the stems. Think of it like bending a dry stick versus a green one; the green one flexes, the dry one snaps. Raking when the hay is flexible ensures the leaves stay attached as they are gently rolled into the windrow.

This is where your choice of rake matters. A rotary rake, which uses a sweeping motion, is often considered gentler on delicate hays than a wheel rake, which can roll and rope the hay more aggressively. Preserving the leaves directly translates to higher feed quality for your animals.

Tedding Thick Swaths to Prevent Mold Growth

If you’re mowing with a simple sickle bar or disc mower that doesn’t have a conditioner, you’ll be left with very dense, heavy swaths. The bottom of these swaths can stay wet for days, even in good weather. This is a breeding ground for mold that can ruin your hay and even be harmful to livestock.

In this scenario, a tedder is your best defense against mold. It’s the only tool that can effectively lift that entire wet mass, break it apart, and expose the damp core to the sun and air. Without tedding, that bottom layer will start to compost right in the field.

A common mistake is to try and "fluff" a thick swath by running a rake over it. This doesn’t work. A rake will just roll the top dry layer over, leaving the wet, compacted bottom undisturbed and trapped inside the new windrow.

Raking at Optimal Moisture for Tight Bales

The final quality of your bales depends heavily on the quality of your windrow. A perfect windrow is uniform in size and density, allowing the baler to create consistent, tight bales that shed water and are easy to handle. Raking at the right moisture level is how you build that perfect windrow.

If you rake when the hay is too damp, the stems will rope together, creating a twisted, lumpy windrow that feeds poorly into the baler. This can lead to misshapen bales or, worse, plugged machinery. It also traps moisture, leading to moldy bales.

On the other hand, raking bone-dry hay creates a fluffy, airy windrow that is difficult for the baler to compress. It also maximizes leaf shatter, losing your best nutrients to the field. The sweet spot is when the hay feels dry to the touch but the stems are still pliable enough to bend without snapping. This allows the rake to form a neat, rectangular windrow that is the foundation of a perfect bale.

Combining Both Tools for a Perfect Hay Cure

The debate isn’t really "tedder vs. rake." For consistent, high-quality hay, the answer is almost always "tedder and rake." They are two different tools that perform two essential, sequential jobs. Using them together gives you maximum control over the curing process.

The ideal workflow looks like this:

• Mow: Cut the hay and let it lie in a swath to wilt.
• Ted: After a few hours or the next morning, ted the hay to spread it out for fast, even drying.
• Cure: Let the fluffed hay dry until it reaches the proper moisture content.
• Rake: Just before baling, rake the cured hay into uniform windrows.
• Bale: Pick up the windrows and make your bales.

Sure, in a very dry, windy climate with a light grass crop, you might get away with just raking once. But for those of us dealing with humidity, unexpected rain, or heavy crops like alfalfa, having both tools is what allows you to adapt. It turns hay making from a gamble against the weather into a managed process.

Ultimately, a tedder manages the cure, while a rake manages the collection. One speeds up drying and ensures uniformity; the other prepares the cured hay for the baler. Mastering when and how to use each tool is what will consistently fill your barn with sweet-smelling, nutrient-rich hay, year after year.