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The McHale rake has been one of the worst kept secrets in the Irish agricultural machinery scene.
There have been many sightings of it around the country and numerous photos on social media, so anyone with any interest in machinery is not surprised that there will be a launch at this year’s Ploughing.
Introduction
And this introduction to the rake market is likely to be very successful, as McHale has a strong following for its current product range, from its wrappers to the very latest combi balers.
This brand loyalty, along with the undoubted build quality that will be brought to this machine, will make it a serious contender in the medium-width rake market.
These machines have been working all over Ireland for at least this season and possibly longer under the radar.
McHale will introduce its R62-72 centre delivery rake at the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore on the 19 September.
Testing
McHale rakes have been tested in the world’s most difficult conditions in order to deliver a machine which is efficient and reliable in all terrain.
James Heanue, Irish sales manager, explained: “We are an Irish company and do a lot of product testing here from which we get a lot of good feedback. This allows us to develop heavy-duty products suitable for heavy Irish crops.
The twin-rotor centre delivery rake offers working widths from 6.2m to 7.2m.
“We had a number of rakes out with customers over the last two seasons and the feedback has been excellent.
Customers liked the heavy-duty build quality and also the unique McHale features.”
When asked about how the new range will be received, Heanue said: “I feel it will be well accepted. The machines we have out have performed well and, although we will only be launching the machine at the Ploughing, some customers have heard that we have some rakes out and I have been getting a lot of calls about availability for next season. We will be launching one model at the Ploughing and another larger model later in the year which will be available for next season also.”
Specifications
The McHale R 62-72 rake is an ideal machine for those who want to get the best fodder by delivering an aerated swath. The rakes deliver an ideal swath for high-output baling or harvesting.
The pivoting headstock of a McHale rake couples into the tractor linkage arms and controls the steering system.
The heavy-duty wide angle gearbox is mounted on top of the sturdy chassis.
On the McHale R62-72 rake, the drive line flows through a wide angle gearbox to the individual rotors. Each rotor on the McHale centre delivery rake picks up the crop only once and places it in a loose aerated swath.
The rotors on the McHale centre delivery rake are suspended centrally and both rotors operate at equal ground pressures across the working width. The suspension system allows the rotors to follow all ground contours regardless of the terrain.
McHale centre-delivery rakes are powerful but gentle on the crop, delivering the perfect row.
The McHale R62-72 twin-rotor centre-delivery is equipped with a height adjustment indicator, so tine height can be adjusted easily.
The cleanest sweep
The tines on each tine arm guarantee the cleanest sweep, delivering uncontaminated fodder into the row.
The tine movement can be adjusted, allowing the operator to adjust the cam angle which in turn adjusts when the tine releases the crop to cater for different crop conditions.
The McHale R62-72 twin-rotor centre delivery rake offers a number of different working widths from 6.2 metres to 7.2 metres.
The variable working width is adjusted hydraulically by the telescoping arms from the tractor seat. The R62-72 can be used to combine multiple mower rows or to row up grass which is left on the flat.
In the skin
Having spotted the R62-72 in a dealer’s yard over the summer, I got to have a good snoop around. There are some really nice touches on this machine from the simple width adjustment from the driver’s seat to the mechanism that lowers the deflector into position when the rake is folded out from its compact road-going position.
Quality
The quality of build was what you would expect from McHale, with all the pivot points and joints seeming to be extremely well built.
Having undertaken a lengthy testing programme in many different areas of Ireland, I think that this rake will be more than up to the challenge of Irish conditions and therefore capable of rowing grass anywhere in the world.
The McHale name and colour on a rake did seem a little odd at first, but I believe that this well-built rake will become a common sight on farms and in contractor yards around Ireland and the world.
Transport, wheels and maintenance
For transport, the rotors are folded up and they move down into a locking position which delivers a transport height under 4 metres.
As a result, tine arms do not need to be removed for transport.
The rake is designed to deliver a tight turning movement and high output. The low-maintenance steering system is effective in even the tightest turns.
Once at the field, the crop deflector moves automatically into the working position as the rake is being folded down. The axle and wheel configuration protects the swath, ensuring the cleanest possible crop is delivered. McHale rakes are specifically designed to deliver high headland clearance.
The R62-72 folded in road position.
The McHale R62-72 is equipped as standard with 380/55 -17 wide tyres which give excellent stability on the road while minimising compaction in the field. The transport running gear is approved for 40 km/h.
Each rotor is also equipped with centralised grease blocks to facilitate easy maintenance and cam adjustment to change when the tines release the crop depending on working conditions.
In 1983, Padraic and Martin McHale manufactured their first product, a block cutter. They then went on to develop a range of slurry pumps and subsequently designed their first bale wrapper in 1987.
Over the years, their McHale bale wrapper products took them around the world. By 1999, McHale products were working in 30 countries. At the turn of the century McHale entered the baler market and became the first producer in Ireland and the UK. McHale baler development has always been innovative and now McHale Fusions, F5 Roller Balers and V6 Belt Balers have become the machine of choice around the world. McHale products now operate in more than 55 countries around the world.
In 2015 McHale widened its grass line when it launched its ProGlide mower range. Next week in Tullamore at the National Ploughing Championships McHale will widen this grass line further with the launch of the McHale R62-72 Rake.
McHale employs 270 people at its headquarters in Mayo and has just completed a major expansion which will lead to more jobs being created in 2018.
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