A hay tedder for lucerne hay making has to speed up drying without knocking the leaf off the stem, and that trade-off is sharper with lucerne than with any grass or clover hay cut in New Zealand. Lucerne carries most of its feed value in the leaf, so the right tedder setup protects that leaf while still getting the crop dry enough to bale.
- A hay tedder for lucerne needs gentler tine settings and lower PTO speed than a pasture-spec tedder.
- Ted lucerne within a few hours of cutting, then stop passes once moisture nears baling range.
- Run tines at the implement's rated PTO speed - 540 or 1000 rpm - never flat out.
- Lucerne shatters leaf faster than ryegrass or clover, so fewer, gentler passes beat aggressive tedding.
- Match tedder rotor count and working width to tractor horsepower and paddock size, not the biggest unit on the yard.
Why a hay tedder matters for lucerne growers
Lucerne, also called alfalfa, carries most of its crude protein and digestible energy in the leaf, not the stem. That is exactly what makes it worth baling over ordinary pasture hay in the first place. Every tedding pass run too aggressively, or too late in the drying window, knocks leaf off the stem before it reaches the baler, and that leaf ends up on the ground instead of in the bale.
Grass hay and clover tolerate a rougher tedder because the stem still carries decent value. A detailed hay tedder guide is worth reading before you buy, because getting a hay tedder for lucerne right is less about horsepower and more about matching tine speed, tine angle and pass timing to a crop that shatters easily once it starts to dry. New Zealand's changeable weather compresses the drying window further, so timing decisions matter as much as the implement itself.
Understand why lucerne needs gentler tedding than grass hay
Lucerne cures on a different clock to ryegrass or clover, and it punishes an aggressive tedder harder than either.
- Leaf holds most of lucerne's protein and energy; stem holds comparatively little
- Leaf dries and turns brittle faster than stem, so late passes shatter leaf while the stem is still green
- Lucerne stands taller and thicker than pasture grass, so tedders need more lift, not more speed
- A rougher pasture-spec tedder run on standard settings strips more leaf off lucerne than off grass hay
- NZ's variable spring and summer weather compresses the drying window, so timing beats raw tedder output
Match tine speed and PTO rpm to the crop, not the tractor's top output
Running any tedder at full PTO speed on lucerne is the single most common way NZ growers strip leaf they've already paid to grow.
- Run at the implement's rated PTO speed - 540 rpm or 1000 rpm depending on the driveline - never above it
- Drop tine aggressiveness or pitch angle if the tedder has adjustable settings
- Slow ground speed on the first pass after cutting, when lucerne is wettest and toughest
- Increase ground speed slightly on later passes once the crop has wilted and handles rougher treatment
- Check gearbox oil and PTO shaft guards before the season - lucerne's thicker stem load strains drivelines harder than fine pasture grass
Time the first tedding pass to the cut, not the calendar
Lucerne loses drying time fast once it's down, and the first pass after mowing sets up everything that follows. A disc mower that leaves a wide, even swath does half the tedder's job before the tedder even starts.
- Ted within a few hours of cutting while the crop is still turgid enough to handle tine contact
- Spread the swath wide on the first pass to expose more leaf surface to sun and air
- Avoid tedding once dew has burned off fast in full sun - dry leaf shatters faster than damp leaf
- Match tedder working width to the mower's swath, not the tractor's transport width
- Re-ted only if the crop is still too wet to rake by the following morning
Choose a tedder size that matches your tractor and paddock, not the biggest unit available
A wider multi-rotor tedder covers ground faster but costs more headland space and horsepower, and that trade-off bites harder on smaller lucerne blocks than on broadacre arable country.
- Match rotor count to tractor PTO horsepower - an undersized tractor labours a wide tedder and forces ground speed down anyway
- Check headland turning space before buying a wide unit; tight lucerne paddocks favour a narrower, more manoeuvrable tedder
- Confirm 3-point linkage category (Cat 1 or Cat 2) matches your tractor before ordering
- Weigh transport width against gateway and lane widths if the tedder moves between blocks
- Favour a narrower single or twin-rotor unit on lifestyle blocks running smaller areas of lucerne
Rake lucerne into a windrow without stripping the leaf a second time
Raking is where a lot of the tedder's careful work gets undone if the rake is set wrong. A hay rake built with lucerne in mind needs the same gentle-handling approach as the tedder.
- Rake once the crop has wilted enough to hold together in a windrow, not while still green
- Set tine height to skim the swath rather than scrape the ground and pick up soil or stones
- Rake early in the morning while some dew still softens the leaf
- Avoid double-raking the same windrow - each additional pass costs leaf
Watch moisture, not the calendar, to decide when to stop tedding
Lucerne hay is generally baled in the high-teens to low-20s percent moisture range, and pushing tedding past that point only shatters leaf for no drying benefit.
- Use a moisture meter on the windrow rather than judging by feel alone
- Stop tedding once the crop nears baling moisture - further passes only strip leaf
- Bale slightly damper than grass hay if adding a preservative, drier if not
- Watch the forecast for a second rain risk before committing to another tedding pass
Handle and store cured lucerne bales without undoing the tedder's work
All the care taken through cutting, tedding and raking is wasted if bales get handled roughly afterwards.
- Use handling gear sized for the actual bale weight, not undersized general-purpose forks
- Stack bales under cover as soon as practical - lucerne leaf that survives the paddock still sheds in wet storage
- Handle bales gently during loading - leaf loss continues at every touch point, not just in the paddock
Sorted the tedding, now the bales?
Bale grabs built for gentle handling of cured hay bales.
Comparing tedder options for lucerne growers in 2026
| Option | Best for | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Single-rotor tedder | Small lucerne blocks, compact tractors | Slower ground coverage on larger paddocks |
| Multi-rotor rotary tedder | Larger lucerne areas, faster turnaround | Needs more PTO horsepower and headland space |
| Wheel rake-tedder combo | Growers wanting one implement for tedding and raking | Less precise tine control than a dedicated tedder |
| Contract tedding | Occasional lucerne cuts, no tedder ownership | Depends on contractor availability during a tight drying window |
Verdict: for most NZ lifestyle blocks and small arable lucerne stands, a narrower single or twin-rotor tedder run at rated PTO speed beats a wide multi-rotor unit that outpaces the tractor and the paddock.
Common mistakes lucerne growers make with a hay tedder
- Running the tedder at full PTO speed on every pass - strips leaf fastest on the pass that matters least.
- Using pasture tine settings on lucerne - a tedder set up for ryegrass is too aggressive for lucerne's brittle leaf.
- Tedding too late in the drying window - leaf shatters hardest once moisture drops below baling range, and further tedding at that point adds no benefit.
- Buying a tedder wider than the tractor and paddock support - an oversized rotary tedder undersells its own coverage advantage when ground speed has to drop to compensate.
- Skipping driveline maintenance - lucerne's thicker stem load strains PTO shafts and gearboxes harder than fine grass, and a neglected guard or gearbox fails mid-season.
FAQ
What's the best hay tedder for lucerne hay making?
A narrower rotary tedder with adjustable tine pitch, run at the manufacturer's rated PTO speed, is the best fit for lucerne on most NZ lifestyle and small arable blocks. Wider multi-rotor units suit larger lucerne areas but need more tractor horsepower and headland space to work well.
Is a rotary tedder better than a wheel rake for lucerne?
A dedicated rotary tedder gives more control over tine angle and aggressiveness than a combined wheel rake-tedder, which matters more with a leaf-heavy crop like lucerne. Growers cutting small areas sometimes accept the trade-off for one implement doing both jobs.
How fast should a tedder run on lucerne?
Run the tedder at its rated PTO speed - typically 540 rpm or 1000 rpm depending on the driveline - and never above it. Reduce ground speed on the first pass after cutting when the crop is wettest and most prone to leaf shatter.
How much moisture should lucerne hay have before baling?
Lucerne is generally baled in the high-teens to low-20s percent moisture range. Baling slightly damper is more common when a hay preservative is being added; without one, growers wait for lower moisture.
Can you use a pasture tedder on lucerne?
A pasture-spec tedder can work on lucerne but strips more leaf unless tine aggressiveness and ground speed are dialled back. Lucerne's brittle leaf punishes settings that grass hay tolerates without issue.
How many passes does lucerne need over a tedder?
Most lucerne cuts need one to two tedding passes - one soon after cutting to spread the swath, and a second only if the crop is still too wet to rake the next morning. Extra passes beyond that mostly strip leaf rather than add drying benefit.
What PTO speed do tractor tedders run at?
Tractor PTO shafts run at one of two standard speeds, 540 rpm or 1000 rpm, and the tedder's gearbox is built for one or the other. Running an implement above its rated speed accelerates wear on the gearbox and driveline.
Does tedding reduce lucerne hay quality?
Tedding reduces quality only when it's run too aggressively or too late in the drying window, because that's when leaf shatter is highest. Timed and set correctly, tedding speeds drying without meaningfully reducing feed value.
One last thing
Lucerne's leaf carries most of the crop's protein and energy, noticeably more than the stem, which is exactly why every pass over a hay tedder for lucerne should protect leaf first and dry speed second. Growers who treat tedding as a race to finish the paddock fastest usually end up with a lighter, lower-value bale than the ones who slowed the first pass down. Into the 2026 season, that one adjustment - patience on pass one - separates a good lucerne cut from a mediocre one more than any single piece of equipment does.