Massey Ferguson® Introduces Three RK Series Rotary Rakes

Feb 22, 2013

Massey Ferguson® a global brand of AGCO (NYSE:AGCO), introduces three new rotary rakes, designed to help hay producers optimize hay quality and create windrows that increase baling efficiency and capacity.

The new models expand the RK Series line of rotary rakes from Massey Ferguson to offer more options that help both small and large operations produce quality hay. All three models help speed drying time because they sweep the hay or forage into a uniform windrow. Their gentle action helps maximize leaf retention for optimum protein content, resulting in more valuable hay.

“Rotary rakes form more even windrows without roping or plugging, and the tine angle and gentle sweeping motion result in a cleaner crop in the windrow,” says Dean Morrell, product marketing manager for Hay and Forage. “In addition, the tines on these rotary rakes last two to three times longer than tines on traditional wheel rakes.”

The new durable RK Series of rotary rakes includes three models. The RK3802 single-rotor rake is designed for smaller tractors without hydraulic valves. This model offers a three-point lift system and is an economical upgrade for producers using vertical-fold wheel rakes. The RK3845 is a 21-foot model available with a transport chassis, and the RK3879 PRO model is a heavy-duty model with a 27-foot working width, also featuring a transport chassis. Both larger models are dual-rotor rakes and are equipped with steerable rear wheels on the transport chassis for greater maneuverability on tight turns during raking and moving from field to field.

These dual-rotor models also feature “jet effect” rotor lifting. When the rotor is lowered from headland to working position, the “jet effect” lets the rear of the rotor touch down first (like an airplane landing), which prevents the tines from scalping the soil surface and contaminating the windrow. This also helps extend the tine life.

Standard on each dual-rotor rake with transport chassis is the exclusive ROTORFLEX™ suspension system, which allows rotors to gently “float” from front to back and side to side, so the baskets work together to gather the crop into a more uniform and manageable windrow in uneven, rough terrain.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.