John Deere Side Delivery Rake No. 594

from issue: 34-3

Equipment & Facilities

John Deere Side Delivery Rake No. 594

This material comes straight out of the John Deere manual for this model. After several decades of usage and familiarity with ground-drive hay rakes I have settled on this outfit as my favorite. I have four John Deeres all alike, with two being parts rakes.

(I do also have a good New Idea with the handy option of reversing the action in order to tedd. Only feature I wish my JDs had.)

I appreciate the wholly accessible design and construction of the John Deere Side Delivery rakes. Simply put, I can work on mine. My buddy Ed Joseph just rebuilt his completely and can’t stop talking about how quiet and sweet working she is.

This material featured a whole bunch of assembly pictures which have been useful to me when trying to fix something so I’ve left them in for you. If you have a make and model of rake you prefer to pull behind your horses (or even behind an old tractor) let us know. Perhaps we can dig up some info on it. LRM

OPERATION AND ADJUSTMENTS

Before starting the John Deere Side-Delivery Rake, make sure that all bolts are tight, cotter pins are spread, and machine has been properly set up.

Be sure to fill gear case with the proper grade of oil and lubricate as shown in lubrication chart.

When starting a new side rake, turn the reel by hand to be sure it revolves freely and the teeth do not strike the stripper bars. Then throw the rake in gear and turn the wheel by hand to see that the tooth bars and gears run free. Breakage of parts, which causes serious delay and additional expense, can be avoided by taking these precautions before entering the field.

An occasional thorough inspection for loose nuts, worn bolts, and other parts will add to the efficiency of your rake.

TOOTH-ADJUSTING LEVER

The most important adjustment is the angle of the teeth in relation to the surface of the ground. This adjustment regulates the raking of the teeth for loose or tight windrows.

Under average conditions the normal position for the tooth-adjusting lever will be in the center of the rack, at Notch 3. Moving the lever to the rear toward Notches 4 and 5 increases the forward angle of the teeth to produce a loose, fluffy windrow. Moving the lever forward toward Notches 1 and 2, will decrease the tooth angle to produce a tighter windrow. The Sixth Notch is used when transporting rake.

FRONT LIFTING LEVER

The teeth should always be set as high as possible and still pick up all the hay. This setting causes the teeth to pitch the hay into loose windrows permitting free circulation of air. A trial in the center notch of the Front Lifting Lever will give an indication as to the position in which it should be set.

REAR LIFTING LEVER

The Rear Lifting Lever is properly set when the rear end of the reel is slightly higher than the front end. This aids in making the windrow loose and fluffy.

TRANSPORTING

In traveling on the road, the Tooth Adjusting Lever should be moved to Notch 6. In this position, the teeth are raised above the stripper, out of danger of being bent by hitting obstructions. Raise both ends of the reel as high as possible by moving the front and rear lifting levers into the extreme forward position.

When transporting the machine on a public road at night or during other periods of poor visibility, use a warning lamp in socket provided on the extreme left-hand side of the rake.

A warning lamp, that also may be used with other implements, can be purchased from your John Deere dealer.

MAKING HAY THE JOHN DEERE WAY

For proper method of cutting and side raking hay the John Deere Way, see illustrations above.

In mowing, enter the field as shown in the inset, making one round to cut hay along the fence. Reverse direction of travel and continue around the field making right-hand turns until the entire field is cut.

Drive the John Deere Side Delivery Rake in the same direction the mower traveled. Working against the heads of the plants, the John Deere places the majority of the leaves inside the windrow. The leaves, shaded from the direct rays of the sun by the stems, are cured rapidly by the free circulation of air.

To hasten curing of especially heavy crops, or to preserve the quality of hay dampened by a shower, turn the windrow upside down by simply driving alongside the windrow with the left rake wheel just at the edge of the hay. This causes the windrow to be placed with the dry side down on dry stubble.

LUBRICATION

Before operation, put 3 quarts SAE 140 transmission oil in gear case.

LUBRICATION NOTES

Note No. 1 Gear Box. The gear box holds 3 quarts SAE 140 transmission oil. At no time should oil be more than 1 inch below top of oil pan on gear box. Drain, flush out, and refill with fresh oil once each season.

ATTACHMENTS

TRACTOR TONGUE (HEAVY-DUTY)

349E — The heavy-duty tongue, shown above, is made to provide extra strength for use in extremely heavy crops, or where the rake is subject to a longer than normal using season.

MINT STRIPPERS

176E — Mint strippers are used to provide clean, positive stripping when raking viny crops, or when working in extremely windy conditions. Extra holes have been added to the main frame angles for attaching the mint strippers. The additional strippers may be left on the rake at all times regardless of the material being raked.

DOUBLE WHEEL EXTENSION

298E — Double Wheel Extension with 8-inch centers.

The use of double wheels provides a better support for rake when crossing borders in irrigated territory. It also gives the reel a more even contact with the material being raked when working deep corrugated or rough ground.

This wheel extension may be used on either side of the rake.