Operating the John Deere Sulky Rake

LOCATION REFERENCES: “Right” and “Left”, “Front” and “Rear”, refer to the operator’s “Right” or “Left”, and “Front” or “Rear”, when facing the same direction machine is headed or traveling.

Proper Setting Up. Improper setting up can cause inferior work and damage to rake. Be sure it is properly set up. Be sure all nuts, pins, and keys are tight, and that cotters are spread. This is important!

Lubricate connections and wearing parts freely. Keep axles thoroughly greased. Failure to use plenty of oil results in excessive and unnecessary wear.

Hitching to the rake. Rake is designed to work with pole thirty-one inches or shafts forty-two inches from the ground, measuring underneath at front end. Only at this height are best results obtained. Oftentimes a rake does not do satisfactory work because the neckyoke holds the pole too high or too low, usually too low. If pole or shafts sag in the middle, remove, turn pole over and rebolt to rake. Keep pole bolts tight.

TRUSS ROD under rake head should be kept rigid by adjusting turnbuckle, Figure 1. Secure turnbuckle with lock nut.

For Transporting, raise teeth with hand lever and hook transport link, Figure 1, over hand lever.

SETTING OF TEETH. A wide range of adjustment is provided for setting teeth high or low to best meet the condition of ground and hay. (See Figure 1.)

To keep teeth on ground. When raking, hold foot on foot lever (Figure 1). If it is difficult in extreme cases for the operator to hold the teeth in working position, move foot dump lever stop, Figure 1, back. An additional hole is provided for this purpose.

To dump, remove foot from foot lever, Figure 1, and press trip lever, Figure 2.

Dump rods are locked positively in and out of ratchets. When raking, dump rods cannot engage in wheel ratchets and cause rake to dump prematurely. They are positively locked by trip plunger. When rake is tripped, dump rods are locked securely in wheel ratchets by trip plunger and cannot jump out and let teeth return before dumping is completed. Keep trip plunger well greased.

The nuts on the two bolts that go through K5477H spring and K375H trip plate should be screwed back against the cotters, in order that the equalizer clamp, K5640H and spring may function properly.

TO GET TEETH BACK TO WORK SOONER OR LATER, adjust SNUBBING BLOCK, Figure 2, by lifting and turning block to desired position. The low point to the rear will cause teeth to rise higher in dumping, which is desirable when bunching, to clear the windrow or if team walks slowly. The second or medium point is for average conditions or for a fast-walking team. The high point is for light hay. It trips teeth quicker, thereby causing them to return to their working position in less time.

IF RELIEF SPRING is used it should have just enough tension to get teeth back to the ground promptly and still relieve the head and teeth of excessive jar. (See. Figure 3.)

FOR BUNCHING or in extremely heavy hay, set snubbing block, Figure 2, with low point to rear. As rake teeth are raised, press foot lever down, until notch locks over stud, as shown in Figure 4, thus holding teeth in carrying position, for the moment to clear the window and clean the rake. Lock or hook foot lever is also used to carry teeth at the end of the field when turning.

WHEELS ARE INTERCHANGEABLE AND DUMP RODS ARE REVERSIBLE. If ratchets and rods become word, interchange wheels and reverse dump rods to provide new wearing surfaces. Keep dump rod bracket bolts tight.

Setting Up The John Deere Sulky Rake

1. (Figures 5 and 6.) Slip shields under Dump Rod, then over Hub of Axle Bracket at “A”, bolting shield to axle bracket, as shown.

2. (Figure 7.) Scrape paint from axles and grease well. Put on Wheels. Steel washer goes at each end of wheel hub. Notched Washers are adjustable to take up end play, see Figure 14. Adjust and secure with pin. As wear occurs that cannot be taken up with notched washers, take up play with B5309H washers.

3. (Figure 7) Assemble pole and bolt to rake securely. (If special stiff pole is used, attach as shown in Figure 20.) The shafts may be assembled either as pole for two horses or as shafts for one horse. For pole, attach shafts on top of rear frame angle to the inner set of holes. It is very important that the shafts or pole be hitched to the proper height, so that the teeth will have the proper pitch. Oftentimes a rake does not do satisfactory work because the neckyoke holds the pole too high or too low, usually too low. The Pole should be 31 inches from the ground, measuring underneath the front. If one horse is used, bolt the shafts underneath the rear frame angle and to the outset of holes. The shafts should be hitched 42 inches from the ground, measuring underneath at front end.

4. (Figures 7 and 8) Bolt K384H bracket with spring plunger to lever support angles. K385H plunger must be free to slide up and down in K384H bracket. Lubricate parts freely. Remove paint if necessary. Rough surfaces on top of K385H plunger or underside of lug on K383H foot lever prevents parts working together smoothly. Grind or file rough surfaces smooth.

5. (Figure 8) Remove bolt and slip hinge straps over foot lever. Rebolt hinge straps to hinge bracket, being sure to place washer under nut and secure with cotter, as shown.

6. (Figure 8) Bolt hand lever base to rake head angle, securely.

7. (Figure 7 and 8) Bolt hand lever to lever base.

8. (Figure 8) Bolt hinge bracket to foot lever support angles and secure with cotter.

9. (Figure 7 and 9) Secure foot trip lever under lever bearing on front frame angle and center frame brace at the same time bolting hammer strap to front of lever bearing as shown. Hook connecting rod in foot trip lever, then bolt and cotter rear end of rod to trip bracket on rake head. After cotter is inserted in bolt, turn nut back against cotter. Note that connecting rod goes under rear frame angle. Be sure that foot trip lever works freely.

10. (Figure 7) Attach seat and spring. Seat is adjustable for convenience of operator.

11. Tighten all nuts and spread cotters.

12. (Figure 8) Hook transport link over hand lever while teeth and holders are being attached.

RAKE TEETH

1. (Figures 10 and 11) Teeth. Transport link should be hooked over hand lever to place head in convenient position to receive teeth. Start at RIGHT-HAND END OF RAKE, AS SHOWN. Put outside tooth and bolt in holder as you set holder in place and put nut on loosely. As you put in each tooth tighten bolt just enough to hold the additional teeth, then put in the other bolt and tighten both bolts securely.

AFTER THE TEETH ARE ON, lower Rake head and tighten tooth holder bolts again. When assembling teeth in the wide spacing, each holder takes three teeth- four teeth are used in each holder when rake is assembled with teeth in the narrow spacing. (See Figure 11.)

2. (Figure 10) Insert cleaner teeth, with offset of tooth down and notch for tie rod up, though holders on rear frame angle. Secure with cotters.

3. (Figure 10) Secure tie rod and cleaner with teeth with clips, exactly as shown in figure 12. Be sure to draw clip bolts tight.

NEW IMPROVED TONGUE TRUCK

More comfortable riding-easier turning-saves the horses-low wheels permit sharper turning. A better working rake. The truck keeps the stub tongue at the correct height insuring proper setting of teeth.

Substantial John Deere Construction. Strong, rigidly braced stub tongue. Hook connection permits wheels to follow ground without strain on truck or rake.

Removable chilled boxing in wheel and chilled axle sleeve takes all wear from axle and wheels. Strong wheels equipped with grease cups.

Truck can be unhooked from rake, and seat transferred from rake to truck making a handy cart for transporting small farm tools (see figure 17).

Block up Rake at Front Frame angle and remove Doubletree and Pole or thills.

1. (Figure 16) Bolt stub tongue to front and rear and frame angles in same holes used for attaching thills (see “3”, Figure 7).
2. Remove chilled stud and hub from wheel.
3. Slide chilled stud onto axle and secure stud to axle with pin.
4. (Figure 16) Bolt wheel to hub as shown.
5. (Figure 16) Bolt pole to pole frame middle brace as shown. If thills are used they attach to pole frame angles at “A” and “B”, Figure 16.
6. Raise pole up and push tongue truck under stub tongue. Lower pole at same time guiding hook at “C”, Figure 16, into ring on stub tongue.
7. Remove blocking.

TRACTOR HITCH

1. (Figure 18) Bolt tractor hitch angles to hitch plate securely as shown.
2. (Figure 18) Secure rear end of tractor hitch angles to rear frame angle with clamp plates and bolts as shown.
3. (Figure 18) Bolt tractor hitch adjustable front supports right-hand and lefthand, to front frame angle.
4. Bolt adjustable front supports to tractor hitch angles at “A”, Figure 18.
5. (Figure 18) Connect rake to top of tractor drawbar.

Note: Adjust tractor hitch in one of five square holes at “A”, Figure 18, so distance from center of front frame angle to ground measures 27- ½ inches.

3477 ROPE TRIP ATTACHMENT

1. (Figure 19) Remove and discard foot lever and spring. Save long bolt through lever and foot lever support angles.
2. (Figure 19) Bolt trip rope pulley to rake as shown.
3. (Figure 19) Bolt rope controlled trip lever and spring to rake as shown. Bent end of spring fits around trip lever. (When raking, bend in trip lever locks over hinge joint “A”, Figure 19, to keep teeth on ground.)
4. (Figure 19) Bolt foot trip lever extension to foot trip lever with U-bolt and clamp as shown.
5. (Figure 19) Thread rope through foot trip lever extension, trip rope pulley, rope controlled trip lever and tie knot as shown.
6. (Figure 19) Attach rope clamp to rope and adjust rope so both levers trip at the same time.
7. Attach wooden trip rope handle to rope.
8. Attach stud and spring release for rope to tractor seat. Tie rope to link and hook link in spring release.