Small-scale hay makers in New Zealand chasing a dry weather window need a rake that turns a cut swath into a tight, even windrow without scalping the sward or dragging dirt into the crop. This guide ranks the rake types that matter for lifestyle blocks and compact tractor operators, and tells you straight up what Implements Direct actually stocks versus what you'll need to source elsewhere.
- Finger-wheel hay rakes turn windrows fastest for small-scale hay making - buy one if you're cutting under a few hectares.
- PTO rotary rakes cost more to run but handle wet or heavy grass better than ground-driven wheel rakes.
- Implements Direct does not stock a dedicated hay rake in 2026 - budget for a hire or a specialist import instead.
- Sierra's 2.4m landscape rake and the Wifo 72in power rake handle paddock prep, not windrow turning - Consider, don't confuse the two.
- Chain-drag rakes are the cheapest option but push hay rather than turn it evenly - Skip for anything you plan to bale for feed.
Why this matters
A hay rake decides how fast your cut grass cures and how much leaf and clover you keep in the windrow. Rake too aggressively and you scalp the sward, pick up stones, and lose the fine leaf material that carries most of the feed value. Rake too gently and the crop takes an extra day or two to cure, which on a small block in a three-day weather window is the difference between good hay and rained-on hay.
Before you shop for a rake, it pays to get the paddock itself right. A 3-point linkage chain harrow ahead of the season breaks up dung and old thatch so the sward grows evenly, which gives the rake a cleaner, more consistent windrow to work with come cutting time.
How this list was ranked
The rankings below weigh four things that matter specifically for small-scale hay making in 2026: how well the mechanism handles a light, uneven crop typical of lifestyle blocks; tractor horsepower required; how much leaf loss the action causes; and running cost per hectare for someone doing a handful of paddocks a year rather than hundreds. Types built for large-scale arable operations that need a 40hp-plus tractor and three-figure hectare counts score lower here, even if they're the industry standard on bigger farms, because they're overkill for a two-hectare lifestyle block.
The rake types ranked for small-scale hay making
1. Finger-wheel (tine wheel) rake β the classic windrow tool
A finger-wheel rake uses a row of ground-driven spring-tine wheels set at an angle to sweep cut grass sideways into a single windrow in one pass. It's the most common rake on small NZ hay blocks because it's ground-driven, meaning no PTO shaft or hydraulic hookup required, and it runs light on horsepower.
The trade-off is tine wear and a learning curve on wheel angle β set it too steep and you drag topsoil and small stones into the windrow, which ruins hay quality and chews up a baler pickup. Once set correctly, it's gentle on the leaf and cures faster than a rake that packs the swath tight.
Verdict: Buy if you're cutting under a few hectares a season and want the lowest-maintenance option.
2. Rotary rake β the fast worker for tight weather windows
Rotary rakes use a PTO-driven tined rotor (or a pair of rotors) to lift and turn the crop rather than dragging it, which handles heavier or slightly damp grass better than a finger-wheel unit. They work faster per hectare and are more forgiving on uneven ground because the tines are powered rather than relying purely on ground contact.
They cost more to buy and to run β PTO engagement means more fuel burn and more moving parts to maintain β and most models need a mid-size tractor to run the rotor speed properly.
Verdict: Consider if you're regularly racing weather and have the tractor horsepower to spare; Skip if your paddock never sees more than a light crop.
3. Rake-tedder combo β two jobs, one pass
Some rotary units convert between raking and tedding (fluffing the swath to speed drying) by adjusting rotor direction. On a small block where you're doing every pass yourself, cutting the number of implement changeovers matters more than it does on a farm with a hired hand and a second tractor.
The compromise is that a combo unit does neither job as well as a dedicated tedder or a dedicated rake, and parts availability in New Zealand for combo units is thinner than for single-purpose gear.
Verdict: Consider for one-person operations short on shed space and time; Skip if you already own separate gear that does each job well.
4. Chain-drag rake β the budget entry point
A chain-drag or tine-drag rake is little more than a weighted bar or chain mat towed behind the tractor to gather loose grass into a rough row. It's cheap and simple, and some lifestyle block owners build their own.
The problem is quality: a drag rake pushes rather than turns the crop, so the bottom of the windrow doesn't get exposed to air and cures slower, and it picks up far more soil and debris than a wheel or rotary action. Fine for gathering garden clippings or light pasture litter, not for hay you plan to feed out.
Verdict: Skip for anything going into a bale that's meant to be stock feed.
5. Sierra 2.4m landscape rake β not a hay rake, but earns a place in the prep list
This is where honesty matters more than a tidy top-five. Implements Direct's Sierra landscape rake is a 2.4m unit built for tractors in the 25β45hp range, designed for debris removal, soil grading, seed bed preparation and light gravel levelling β not for turning cut grass into a windrow. Priced at NZ$1,995 as listed in 2026, it's a genuinely useful tool for levelling a hay paddock or prepping a seed bed before you oversow, but it will not do a rake's job at harvest.
Verdict: Consider for paddock renovation and seed bed prep ahead of the growing season; it is not a substitute for a windrow rake at cutting time.
6. Wifo 72in skidsteer power rake β the finishing tool for paddock renovation
The Wifo RA72 power rake is a 72-inch Harley-style rake with carbide teeth and 12V remote power-angle control, built for skidsteer loaders rather than 3-point linkage tractors. At NZ$18,995 as listed in 2026, it's a finishing-grade tool for levelling and fine-grading a paddock surface before reseeding β the kind of job that sets a hay paddock up for a better crop next season, not a tool for turning the crop itself.
Verdict: Consider only if you're already running a skidsteer and doing serious paddock renovation; Skip if you're simply shopping for something to turn cut grass.
βA finger-wheel rake that scalps the sward burns curing time, not saves it.β
Comparison table
| Rake type | Power source | Best for small-scale hay making | 2026 verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finger-wheel rake | Ground-driven | Under a few hectares, low HP tractors | Buy |
| Rotary rake (PTO) | PTO-driven | Wet or heavy crop, tight weather windows | Consider |
| Rake-tedder combo | PTO-driven | One-person operations short on shed space | Consider |
| Chain-drag rake | Towed, unpowered | Garden clippings, not feed-grade hay | Skip |
| Sierra landscape rake 2.4m | 3-point linkage | Seed bed prep, paddock levelling | Consider (prep only) |
| Wifo 72in power rake | Skidsteer hydraulic | Paddock renovation, reseeding | Consider (prep only) |
Where to buy
- Match the rake to your tractor's PTO and linkage category before you buy β a rotary rake sized for a 45hp tractor will overload a 25hp compact and won't reach proper rotor speed.
- Check what's actually built for windrow turning versus paddock finishing β as the list above shows, plenty of gear that looks like a rake is graded for soil work, not hay.
- Freight and after-sales support matter more than sticker price on a small block β Implements Direct ships tractor implements nationwide and backs its range with over 22 years in the industry, which counts for more than a cheaper import with no local parts supply once something wears out mid-season.
Once the hay is cut, raked and baled, the next bottleneck on most small blocks is moving bales without a second person. Light-weight pallet forks rated to 1,000kg cover round and square bales on a compact tractor loader and save a lot of manual handling at the end of a long cutting day.
FAQ
What's the best hay rake for small-scale hay making in 2026?
A ground-driven finger-wheel rake is the best hay rake for small-scale hay making in 2026 if you're cutting under a few hectares. It runs on low horsepower, turns the windrow gently, and needs no PTO hookup.
Is a rotary rake better than a wheel rake?
A rotary rake handles wet or heavy grass better because it lifts and turns the crop with a powered rotor instead of dragging it. A finger-wheel rake is cheaper to run and better suited to light, dry-season crops on smaller blocks.
Can I use a landscape rake to turn hay?
No. A landscape rake like Sierra's 2.4m unit is built for soil grading, debris removal and seed bed prep, not for turning a cut swath into a windrow. Use it for paddock renovation before or after the hay season, not at cutting time.
What size tractor do I need for a hay rake?
Ground-driven finger-wheel rakes run on compact tractors under 30hp. PTO rotary rakes generally need a mid-size tractor to spin the rotor at the correct speed, so check the rake's PTO rpm requirement against your tractor's output before buying.
Do I need a PTO or ground-driven rake for a lifestyle block?
Most lifestyle blocks in New Zealand do fine with a ground-driven finger-wheel rake, which needs no PTO shaft and costs less to run. Move to a PTO rotary rake only if you're regularly dealing with heavy or damp grass.
How many hectares can a small-scale hay rake handle?
A finger-wheel rake on a compact tractor comfortably handles a few hectares in a single afternoon, which suits most lifestyle block hay operations. Larger acreages usually justify a faster PTO rotary rake to beat the weather.
What's the difference between a rake and a tedder?
A rake gathers cut grass into a windrow ready for baling. A tedder spreads and fluffs the swath to speed up drying before raking. Some rotary units switch between both jobs, which suits one-person operations with limited shed space.
Does Implements Direct sell a dedicated hay rake?
Not as a dedicated windrow-turning rake in 2026. Implements Direct's rake-style range covers paddock prep and finishing tools like the Sierra landscape rake and Wifo power rake, which are built for grading and seed bed work rather than turning cut hay.
One last thing
The single biggest mistake on small NZ hay blocks isn't the rake choice β it's raking too early. Grass raked before it's dropped below roughly 40% moisture packs the windrow too tight to cure evenly, and no rake mechanism fixes that. Get the cutting timing right first, then worry about wheel rake versus rotary.