[AT] The rest of the story

[Spencer Yost]

I did run across one hiccup baling and the story starts with raking...

I bought a new Holland number 57 rake for my field. This is the number 56 rake, except it is a three point hitch. I suspected I would dislike three-point hitch rakes, but they run about 1000 bucks less than the number 56 or 256 rakes.  So I figured I could put up a little with a lot of aggravation for 1000 bucks. Now I'm not so sure :-). They are nice for lifting over the headland rows but that's about it.  Also; it doesn't rake as well as a 56 or 256, but again I don't leave $1000 worth of hay in the field so I'm I am OK with that.   

The story starts with the fact that rake has a stand.  You use it when you disconnect it so you can reconnect easily.  You can take the stand off or you can reverse it and leave it's on the rake while you use it. That's what I do. Somewhere in raking that stand came off.  I looked for it but I figured "no big deal" -  odds are it's not in the windrow, and if it is the baler will not pick it up. I was very wrong about that!    That stand ended up in the baler and took out a sheer pin. Fortunately the baler knifes hit the stand square and nothing was damaged except I'm sure the baler knives needs to be sharpened now. Although looking at the bales its still cutting nicely.  But I definitely have two nice divots in the stand.

And to Cecil's point:   It's still too humid  here in North Carolina to bail at night, as the dew starts falling early.  But I know what you mean about just sitting in the rocking chair and going. It's a nice feeling.

Spencer Yost