8 best parallel bar rakes for rough, uneven ground

Anyone who’s ever raked hay on ground that looks more like a lumpy quilt than a proper field knows the frustration. You’re either digging tines into the dirt, bringing up rocks and ash, or you’re skimming too high and leaving precious forage behind. The right tool makes all the difference, and for those of us farming on less-than-perfect land, the parallel bar rake is a game-changer.

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Why Parallel Bar Rakes Excel on Uneven Fields

The magic of a parallel bar (or basket) rake lies in its design. Unlike a wheel rake that follows the ground with large, independent wheels, a parallel bar rake uses a series of tine bars that move in a controlled, orbital motion. These bars are mounted within a basket that floats, often on its own set of gauge wheels, allowing it to follow the contours of the ground with remarkable precision. This gentle, sweeping action lifts the hay and moves it sideways into a windrow, rather than rolling and roping it.

What this means for you is a cleaner, higher-quality product. The tines are set to skim just above the soil, minimizing the amount of dirt, ash, and rocks kicked into the windrow. This is crucial for livestock health and for getting top dollar if you sell your hay. Furthermore, the gentle handling preserves the delicate, nutrient-rich leaves on crops like alfalfa, which can easily be shattered and lost by more aggressive rake types.

On uneven ground, this floating action is everything. As the tractor and rake frame pitch and roll over bumps and dips, the baskets can move up and down independently, keeping the tines at a consistent height relative to the crop. This prevents one side from digging in while the other side misses hay entirely—a common problem with more rigid rake designs. It’s this ground-following ability that makes them the superior choice for old pastures, terraced fields, and rolling hills.

New Holland Rolabar 256: A Proven Performer

The New Holland Rolabar has been a fixture on farms for decades, and for good reason. It’s the definition of a proven, reliable design that simply gets the job done without unnecessary complexity. The 256 model continues this legacy with a straightforward mechanical setup that is easy to understand, maintain, and repair right in your own shop. Its ground-following ability is excellent for moderately uneven terrain, and it produces the classic fluffy, uniform windrows that balers love.

This isn’t the rake with the most advanced suspension or the heaviest frame, and that’s precisely its strength. It’s a balanced machine that provides excellent performance for the majority of hobby farm conditions. If you’re dealing with rolling fields, old pasture ground, and the occasional ditch, the Rolabar 256 has the flexibility to handle it without being over-engineered or excessively heavy for a smaller utility tractor.

This is the rake for the farmer who values reliability and simplicity over the latest bells and whistles. If you want a machine you can count on season after season with minimal fuss, one that parts are readily available for, the Rolabar 256 is an investment that will pay for itself in clean hay and peace of mind.

John Deere 705: Durability for Tough Terrain

When your "uneven ground" includes more than just hills and dips, you need a rake built to withstand abuse. The John Deere 705 is engineered with a heavy-duty frame and robust components designed to handle the shocks and stresses of rougher, more challenging fields. Think of those pastures with hidden rocks, old fence posts, or woodchuck mounds that seem to appear out of nowhere. The 705 is built to absorb that kind of punishment.

The durability extends to the drivetrain and tine bars, which are designed for longevity under high-stress conditions. While it shares the same excellent parallel bar raking principle, the emphasis here is on toughness. The trade-off is a bit more weight, so you’ll want to ensure your tractor is a good match, especially on hillsides where stability is paramount.

This is the rake for the operator whose fields are genuinely rough, not just rolling. If you’ve ever bent a rake frame or broken tine bars on hidden obstacles, the robust construction of the John Deere 705 is exactly what you need. It’s a long-term investment in equipment that won’t quit when the going gets tough.

Vermeer R2300: Superior Ground Following Tech

Vermeer has a reputation for innovative hay tools, and the R2300 twin rake showcases this with its exceptional ground-following capabilities. The standout feature is its rubber-torsion suspension system, which allows the rake baskets to float almost independently of the frame and each other. This system absorbs jolts and allows the rake to glide over highly irregular terrain, maintaining perfect tine height with incredible consistency.

This level of precision is a game-changer on seriously contoured land, like terraced fields or pastures with deep, frequent undulations. The R2300 minimizes tine contact with the soil better than almost any other rake in its class, resulting in exceptionally clean hay. The design also allows for easy hydraulic adjustment of windrow width, giving you precise control over the final product to match your baler’s pickup perfectly.

This is the rake for the perfectionist farming on challenging, highly variable ground. If your primary goal is to produce the absolute cleanest hay possible by eliminating soil contamination, and your fields demand a tool with superior flotation and suspension, the Vermeer R2300 is built for you.

Sitrex RP/4: Compact and Nimble on Hillsides

Not all rough ground is wide open. For those working in smaller, irregularly shaped fields, tight corners, or on steep hillsides, a massive rake can be more of a hindrance than a help. The Sitrex RP/4 is a single-basket rake that offers the clean-raking benefits of the parallel bar design in a more compact and maneuverable package. Its lighter weight and smaller footprint make it an ideal match for lower-horsepower utility tractors.

This nimbleness is its key advantage. It can be easily maneuvered around obstacles and can work effectively on slopes where a larger, heavier twin rake might feel unstable. While it is a single-basket design, meaning you’ll make more passes to rake a field, the quality of the windrow is excellent, and its simplicity makes it both affordable and easy to maintain.

This is the rake for the small-scale farmer with tight spaces, steep ground, or a smaller tractor. If maneuverability and stability on hills are your top priorities, and you don’t need the high capacity of a twin rake, the Sitrex RP/4 provides professional-grade raking performance in a right-sized package.

Pequea HR1140: Heavy-Duty Build for Rocky Soil

Pequea has earned a reputation for building tough, no-nonsense equipment, and the HR1140 hydraulic rake is a perfect example. This rake is designed from the ground up to be heavy-duty, making it an excellent choice for fields where the soil is littered with rocks or other debris. The frame is exceptionally robust, and the hydraulic drive system eliminates the complexities and potential failure points of a ground-drive gearbox, especially when a tine snags on a rock.

The focus on durability means it can handle the constant jarring and stress that comes with working in abrasive conditions. The hydraulic drive also provides smooth engagement and allows for precise control over the basket speed, independent of your tractor’s ground speed. This lets you slow down through particularly rough patches without compromising raking action.

This is the rake for the farmer who is constantly battling rocky soil. If you’re tired of repairing or replacing lighter-duty rakes that can’t stand up to your field conditions, the overbuilt nature of the Pequea HR1140 offers the rugged reliability you need. It’s built to last in environments that destroy lesser machines.

H&S Action Rake: High Clearance for Heavy Hay

Raking heavy, wet crops like haylage or first-cutting grass presents a unique challenge: volume. A standard rake can struggle to move the sheer mass of the crop, leading to bunching, dragging, and poorly formed windrows. The H&S Action Rake is designed with high clearance under the frame and baskets to handle exactly these kinds of heavy-crop situations.

This extra space allows a massive amount of material to flow through the machine smoothly, forming large, airy windrows without plugging. The "Action Rake" name comes from its quick, responsive lift, which is a huge benefit on uneven ground with sudden obstacles. When you’re moving a heavy crop, being able to lift and clear a ditch or rock outcropping quickly is essential for both efficiency and preventing damage.

This is the rake for the producer focused on high-tonnage forage. If you regularly put up heavy first cuttings, work with haylage, or simply need to move a lot of hay quickly and cleanly, the high-clearance design of the H&S Action Rake is a significant advantage. It’s built to handle bulk without compromise.

Tonutti Dominator Pro: Precision on Rolling Land

For the operator who sees haymaking as a science, the Tonutti Dominator Pro offers a high degree of precision and adjustability. This rake is engineered for those who want total control over their windrow, especially on rolling terrain where consistency can be hard to achieve. It features easy-to-use adjustments for basket angle, tine height, and windrow width, allowing you to fine-tune its performance to match crop conditions and the contours of the land.

The robust frame and well-designed suspension provide a stable platform, ensuring that your precise settings are maintained even as the rake moves over uneven ground. This stability translates into perfectly formed, uniform windrows that are ideal for consistent drying and efficient baling. The result is a more uniform, higher-quality final product, whether you’re making dry hay or silage.

This is the rake for the meticulous farmer who wants to optimize every step of the haymaking process. If you obsess over windrow shape and density to get the perfect bale, and you need a machine that can maintain that precision across rolling landscapes, the Tonutti Dominator Pro gives you the control you’re looking for.

Enorossi Caddy 870: Hydraulic Lift for Obstacles

Farming on uneven ground often means dealing with more than just bumps; it means navigating fixed obstacles like irrigation infrastructure, deep ditches, or tree lines. The Enorossi Caddy 870 is a trailed "caddy" style rake that excels in these environments thanks to its fully hydraulic lift system. With the pull of a lever, you can lift the entire rake high off the ground, making it incredibly easy to cross obstacles without stopping or risking damage.

This design combines the excellent raking quality of a parallel bar system with the transport convenience of a carted rake. The caddy frame absorbs much of the stress, and the hydraulic controls allow for rapid transitions between working and transport positions. This is a massive time-saver in fields that are cut up by waterways or require frequent road travel between parcels.

This is the rake for the farmer whose fields are defined by unmovable obstacles. If your daily routine involves crossing ditches, levees, or roads, the convenience and efficiency of the Enorossi Caddy 870’s hydraulic lift system will dramatically improve your workflow and reduce the risk of equipment damage.

Choosing Your Rake: Tines, Tires, and Terrain

Selecting the right parallel bar rake comes down to matching the machine’s features to the specific challenges of your land. Beyond the brand and model, there are a few key components to consider that make a huge difference in performance on rough ground. Thinking through these details will ensure you get a tool that truly works for you.

First, look closely at the tine and suspension system. Some rakes use rubber-mounted tines that offer extra flexibility, which can be a lifesaver in rocky conditions as they can bend out of the way of an obstacle. Others use more rigid tines for a more consistent raking action. The basket suspension is equally important; a system with more travel and independence, like a torsion axle, will always outperform a more rigid setup on highly variable terrain.

Finally, don’t overlook the wheels and tires. A rake equipped with a walking tandem axle under the main frame will be significantly more stable and provide a smoother ride over rough ground than one with single wheels. These tandem axles "walk" over bumps, averaging out the terrain and preventing the shock from transferring into the rake basket, which helps keep the tines at a consistent height. Considering these factors will help you make a smart, long-term investment.

• Your Terrain’s "Personality": Is it rolling and smooth, or is it choppy and rocky? The former needs good flotation, while the latter demands heavy-duty construction.
• Your Crop Type: Light, delicate alfalfa requires a gentle touch, while heavy, wet ryegrass needs high clearance and a strong frame.
• Your Tractor’s Capacity: Be realistic about what your tractor can safely handle. A heavy rake on a light tractor is a dangerous combination, especially on hillsides.

Ultimately, a parallel bar rake is more than just a tool for gathering hay; it’s your primary defense against soil contamination and leaf loss on imperfect ground. By matching the rake’s design—from its suspension to its frame—to the specific character of your fields, you ensure every windrow is as clean and nutrient-rich as possible. That’s not just good for your baler; it’s the foundation of quality feed for your animals or your customers.