Standard Features

Supersteer System – Maneuverability is everything in the hay field and large rakes often lead to a large turning radius which just doesn’t work when you’re trying to turn on a headland up against a fence line.

The VR683 Supersteer truly handles like a rake half its size. In field position, the VR683 pivot’s around its center casters which cuts its wheelbase in half. The center casters are locked forward while the rear casters pivot freely. You’ll have no problem making your headland turn in fields cut back and forth.

The Supersteer navigates the curves better too. The short wheel base follows the tractor without having to drive over your windrow as you hug the outside of the curve.

For stability in road mode, the rear casters are locked while the center casters pivot.

Kicker Wheel Option – Full raking coverage is imperative for even drying in both mowed and windrowed conditions. In either case, only full sized kicker wheels are up to the task.

The VR683’s raised hitch provides clearance for 3 full size 62″ kicker wheels with full suspension travel.

With a span of 6ft, the kickers sweep the windrow width completely while the large diameter wheels provide the ability to turn a center windrow.

The kicker wheel frame automatically folds in for transport when the booms are closed

62” diameter spring tine rake wheels: 15% larger than the industry standard of 55”. As a result, Bale King rake wheels roll easier and perform better in heavy crops. Because they turn slower, they’re also easier on fragile crops.

The VR683 is tailored for fine, bar mowed hay crops. The rake wheels are positioned closer together to ensure complete ground coverage.

Also standard 48 tines per wheel: 20% more than the industry standard of 40. With closer spaced tines comes better flotation and better ground coverage in fine crops.

Hydraulic windrow width adjustment is standard. Set your windrow width as wide as your baler pickup to minimize weaving. Make consistent bales throughout the field even if your crop is not.

Other rakes use a telescoping rear frame design to adjust their windrow width. This design reduces rigidity and often requires tools, jacks, and forward motion to adjust. The VR683 addresses those issues with hinged pivots rather than rather than sliding frames. The main frame stays rigid while the pivot boxes swing in and out for simple adjustment on the go.

A windrow width gauge clearly shows your width position

With nearly 4ft of clearance, the VR683 will handle heavy crops without plugging

Bale King rakes employ a fixed rear frame to tie the rake booms together while a scissor style opening linkage connects the center of each boom to the hitch pole. This design offers a more consistent windrow width and much more frame rigidity than floating boom style machines, but there can be a tradeoff. While adjusting the windrow width outward, the rake booms pivot around the scissor mechanism which pushes the front of the booms inwards. 

The net effect is that while your rake may cover 42ft at its narrowest windrow width setting, it might only reach 36 feet at its widest setting. This can be a big deal if you need all 42ft to reach. Bale King’s standard compensation cylinder solves this issue by automatically repositioning the scissor linkage to maintain full raking width at all times. 

Running Gear – 10 Tires Standard

These large 11Lx15 tires distribute the weight to protect soft or sandy hay meadows. An upgrade over common automotive tires, these implement tires are built to resist punctures and pinholes from short hay stubble.

The caster wheels pivot on a 2″ hardened shaft king pins shaft. In rough ground with pivot ruts or gopher holes, anything less will eventually bend.

Each caster is equipped with a spring loaded brake system to dampen the caster’s motion at transport speeds.

Specifications

Base Machine (18 wheel)

• Raking Scratch Width – up to 34ft
• Windrow width adjustment range – 4′ to 6’6″
• Transport Length – 40’8″
• Transport Width – 14’2″
• Weight – 9600lb