I can't offer any interest as I already have three of those rake & tedder combo units (two of the early style like yours, and one of the similar and slightly later #7's). But to anyone who's interested or has one, I can offer some tips:
- Teeth are still readily available: Google '511506 Rake Tooth' and you'll find lots of aftermarket suppliers.
- All the bearings are the cylindrical-roller bearing style. The company 'Berliss' still makes all the sizes you'd need for all the bearings on these rakes (though you have to measure and cross-reference in their catalog). If you don't care about looking original, there's also a common & cheap bronze-bushing pillow block made by 'Triangle' that works perfect for the tine bars when mounted on some wedge washers - even better than the OEM caster style (part # BFE18G or BCE18G)
- Those pictures show the earliest style - the ones without model number that came out to pair with roto balers. They had a lever on the gearbox to reverse for tedding (rather than the second input shaft that the #7's had). And of that earlier style, those pictures are the earliest: There was a serial number break when they changed the top of the gearbox from a cast ear mount to a slotted angle mount. It's pretty rare to see one like yours with the oldest-style gearbox still intact. Most had the gearbox output end snap off (some folks will tell you it happens when you don't keep the drive chain tight enough, but there's more to it than that: Primarily caused by people adjusting tension incorrectly and not keeping the adjusting lug tightened that takes the overhung load of the output shaft).
- The best thing you can do for these rakes is to cut out a section of the lift chains to either side of the reel and replace it with a heavy extension spring: That gives the basket some 'float'. In their stock condition, they crash pretty heavily into every lump & bump, which doesn't do their spindly nature and favours.
I still like these rakes, although I only use their tedding function. Lots of them sitting in fence rows around here. I never understood why no AC collectors seem interested in them: There are lots of wackos who buy and restore roto-balers, and these rakes should really go hand-in-hand with roto-balers. And unlike the roto-balers, some folks might actually have a practical use for these rake & tedder combo units (whereas the only reason to keep a roto baler from the scrapyard is to serve as a warning from history, to show what happens when innovation outstrips practicality).
Edited by DanielW - 4 hours 8 minutes ago at 6:47am
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