9LZD-9.0 17-Wheel V-Rake | 9 m Finger Wheel Hay Rake

Where the 9LZD-9.0 Sits Inside Our V-Rake Lineup

The 9LZD-9.0 finger wheel hay rake is the densest implement in our trailed V-rake catalog. Where the 12-wheel 9LZ-6.0 covers 6 meters and the 15-wheel 9LZY-9.0 covers a full 9 meters with a lighter wheel count, the 9LZD-9.0 takes that same 9 meter sweep and crowds 17 finger wheels across it. The result is 1020 individual spring tines (17 wheels times 60 tines per wheel) brushing the soil at every pass, which is what gives this rake its sub-2 percent miss rate even on heavy-yielding alfalfa, thick CRP grass and irregular wheat stubble.

For a US producer choosing between the 15-wheel and 17-wheel models, the decision usually comes down to two questions. First, how heavy is your typical tonnage per acre? On a thin native range producing under 1.5 tons per acre, the 9LZY-9.0 will keep up. On second-cut alfalfa, irrigated grass or a heavy stover layer, the additional two wheels and 120 extra tines on the 9LZD-9.0 close the gaps that thinner rake spacing leaves behind. Second, what tractor are you planning to pull it with? The 9LZD-9.0 specifies 55 to 75 kW (75 to 100 horsepower), which positions it slightly above the lighter 50 to 55 kW window of the 9LZY-9.0 to handle its 1240 kg implement weight on rolling ground.

 

Field operators who run high-volume custom haying contracts across the southern Plains and Texas Panhandle have shifted toward this heavier model, because the difference between 2 percent and 5 percent miss rate adds up to several hundred dollars per cut on a 500 acre wheat-stubble job. The 9LZD-9.0 is also the model we recommend for any operation pulling forage straight into a high-density round baler, since cleaner windrows feed the chamber more evenly and produce better-shaped bales downstream.

Key Technical Specifications

Three numbers anchor the 9LZD-9.0 specification. The 9 meter raking width pairs with a 0.8 to 1.2 meter windrow target, meaning the rake gathers material from a swath nearly thirty feet wide and lays it into a windrow that fits cleanly under a standard 5 foot or 6 foot baler pickup. The 17 finger wheels carry 1020 individual heat-treated spring tines, which is what holds the miss rate at the 2 percent ceiling. And the 55 to 75 kW power window means most American utility tractors in the 75 to 100 horsepower class can run this rake all day without lugging.

The 16.8 meter long working envelope (folded out of transport) reflects the in-line V-rake configuration: when deployed, the wheel banks angle backward in a wide V shape behind the tractor, which is what creates the lateral sweeping motion. In transport mode the implement folds back to roughly 3.9 meters wide, well within US farm-road and trailer legal limits. Total weight stays at 1240 kg (around 2,733 lb), which is light enough that a 75 horsepower tractor handles it without ballast on flat ground.

Imperial conversions are rounded approximations. The metric values are the engineering specification of record.

Working Principle: Ground-Driven, No PTO Required

The 9LZD-9.0 is a passive, ground-driven implement. There is no PTO shaft, no gearbox on the rake itself and no fuel-burning power consumed by the rake's motion. As the tractor pulls the implement forward at 8 to 10 km/h, friction between the cut crop, the angled finger wheels and the soil surface causes the wheels to rotate naturally. Each wheel spins independently, picking up material on its leading edge and casting it inward toward the central windrow zone behind the tractor.

The 17 wheels are arranged in two angled banks behind the tractor, forming a wide V shape. The two outer wheels start the lateral sweep, the next pair pick up what the first set missed and accelerate the crop further toward center, and so on inward through the V. By the time material reaches the inner wheels, it has been folded into a continuous windrow ranging 0.8 to 1.2 meters wide, depending on tractor speed and crop yield. Operators dial the windrow width to match the pickup width of the round baler that will follow.

The advantage of ground-driven operation in modern American hay practice is twofold. First, fuel cost is dramatically lower than running an active rotary rake, because the tractor only has to overcome rolling friction, not also drive a heavy gearbox at 540 r/min. Second, mechanical reliability is far higher. There are no rotating PTO shafts to seize, no oil-bath gearboxes to overheat, and no shear pins that can let go in the middle of a 4 PM rake-out before a thunderstorm arrives. Most operators report the 9LZD-9.0 as a "set it and forget it" implement, with the only daily task being a quick pressure check on the transport tires and a grease shot on the wheel hubs.

For comparison context, the lighter 12-wheel 9LZ-6.0 V-rake uses the same ground-driven principle on a narrower 6 meter footprint, suitable for smaller operations and for paddocks where a 9 meter sweep is overkill.

Core Operational Advantages on US Farms

The four advantages below are the ones our American customers consistently identify as the reason they chose the 9LZD-9.0 over a lighter wheel rake or a heavier active rotary unit. Each is tied to a specific number on the spec table.

Construction, Materials and Service Life

A 17-wheel V-rake operates under cyclic stress every minute it works. Each finger wheel touches the ground, lifts material, casts it sideways, then rotates back into contact again. Multiply that by 17 wheels and 60 tines per wheel, and the implement endures roughly one million micro-impact events per hour of operation. Build quality is therefore non-negotiable, and the 9LZD-9.0 is engineered to absorb that workload across a service life measured in decades, not seasons.

The main central beam is fabricated from high-yield carbon steel tubing. Every plate and bracket is CNC laser-cut, then assembled on automated welding fixtures so each weld bead reaches the same depth and width. Joint geometry is verified against a master jig before the chassis enters the surface treatment stage. The chassis then passes through abrasive shot-blast cleaning before receiving a multi-stage industrial electrostatic powder coat in our signature deep indigo. That powder finish is the same class used on shipping containers, and it shrugs off UV exposure, fertilizer overspray, and ammonia from manure-rich field margins.

The finger wheels themselves are the primary wear part. Each wheel runs on a sealed, double-row tapered roller bearing rated for 1,500 working hours between greasing intervals. The 60 spring tines per wheel are individually bolted, not welded, meaning a single broken tine costs roughly five dollars and three minutes of field time, not a full wheel replacement. The tine steel is a high-memory carbon spring formulation that flexes without taking permanent set, so a tine that hits a buried rock typically rebounds without damage.

Tires are heavy-duty pneumatic flotation, mounted on an axle group rated to support the 1240 kg implement weight even on soft, recently irrigated ground. Hydraulic cylinders driving the fold-out function use US-standard SAE quick-disconnect couplers compatible with John Deere, Kubota, New Holland, Case IH and Massey Ferguson tractor remotes.

Field-Tested Application Scenarios

The 9LZD-9.0 is engineered for the full spectrum of American hay, forage and crop residue work. The four scenarios below cover the operations where our customers report the highest payback compared to thinner-spaced rakes or active rotary alternatives.

▸ Alfalfa Re-Raking and Tedder Recovery

After a tedder spreads alfalfa for drying, the regathering pass is the most leaf-shatter-sensitive step in the entire hay chain. The 9LZD-9.0 finger wheel hay rake handles re-raking gently because the wheel rotation is driven by the ground, not by an aggressive PTO. Tines roll the crop laterally without the violent percussion that strips protein-rich leaves off stems. Idaho and California growers consistently report higher leaf retention switching from a rotary rake to this V-rake configuration, which translates directly to better RFV grades at the truck scale.

▸ Wheat and Cereal Stubble Consolidation

Modern combines lay sparse, thin stubble swaths that are too low-density for an efficient round baler intake. The 9 meter span of the 9LZD-9.0 takes three combine passes and consolidates them into one full windrow, which is exactly what a 4 ft by 5 ft round baler chamber wants to see. Custom contractors in Kansas, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle pair this rake behind a 90 horsepower utility tractor for stubble work, then switch the same tractor onto a round baler in the afternoon.

▸ CRP Hay and Native Range

CRP haying windows are tight and the ground is uneven, often with hidden mounds, abandoned fence wire and shallow erosion gullies. The 17-wheel design floats over irregular terrain because each wheel pivots independently on its mount, maintaining ground contact without forcing the central beam to bottom out. Operators in North and South Dakota use the 9LZD-9.0 as a primary rake on emergency CRP releases, where speed and miss-rate together determine whether a contractor breaks even or loses money on a federal-rate cut.

▸ Corn Stover After Chopping Combines

Behind a chopper-head combine, corn stover lies in heavy, irregular swaths with a mixed moisture profile. Lighter rakes drag and clog. The 9LZD-9.0, with 1020 tines and a strong 75 horsepower power match, lifts and rolls the residue into a uniform windrow ready for the round baler. Bedding sales out of Nebraska and Iowa have grown faster than alfalfa in many local cattle markets, and a 9 meter rake is the practical sweet spot for matching a single chopper-head combine pace.

Sizing Guide and Tractor Compatibility

A V-rake is sized to the tractor and the typical crop yield, not to the bargain price tag. Run through the four-point checklist below before requesting a quote so the 9LZD-9.0 lines up cleanly with what is already in your shed.

• ✔ Tractor power. Rated for 55 to 75 kW (75 to 100 horsepower). On flat ground a 75 hp tractor handles the rake comfortably. On hilly terrain or wet soft conditions, step up to a 90 to 100 hp tractor for safer towing margin and stable braking on the road transit between paddocks.
• ✔ Hydraulic remotes. The fold-and-deploy cycle requires one rear double-acting hydraulic remote with SAE quick-disconnect couplers. Dual remotes are useful but not required. The rake itself does not draw any PTO power.
• ✔ Field topography. The 9 meter wing span performs best on flat to gently rolling ground. Steep cross-slopes above 12 percent grade are workable but reduce raking quality near the downhill wing because the implement weight shifts away from the uphill wheels. For mountainous land, the narrower 9LZ-6.0 is the better fit.
• ✔ Crop and yield profile. Heavy-yield alfalfa, irrigated grass, thick stover and dense CRP grass reward the 17-wheel density. Light-yield native range under 1.5 tons per acre may be served just as well by the lighter 15-wheel 9LZY-9.0 finger wheel hay rake.

Most American customers also pre-spec the round baler that will follow the rake. If you have not already chosen a downstream baler, the 9YG-2.24D S9000 Ultra round baler matches the 9LZD-9.0 in workload class and produces commercial-grade silage and dry hay bales from the windrow this rake creates.

9YG-2.24D S9000 Ultra round baler

Choosing Between the 17, 15 and 12 Wheel Configurations

Our V-rake catalog gives American buyers three points on a single curve. The neutral comparison below uses our own published specifications for all three models so you can place the 9LZD-9.0 against its in-house alternatives at a glance. Bale baler pairing is listed at the bottom for fleet planning.

If your operation also gathers large windrows behind extra-wide combine swaths, see the horizontal side-delivery 9LH-12 hay rake, which uses a different gathering geometry and reaches a 12 meter sweep.

9LH-12 hay rake

Drivetrain Touchpoints and Companion Equipment

The 9LZD-9.0 itself runs entirely on ground-friction drive, so there is no PTO shaft, no input gearbox and no internal lubrication points beyond the wheel hubs. That keeps the implement profile clean and dramatically lowers maintenance overhead. The hydraulic side of the implement uses a single double-acting cylinder per wing for the fold and deploy cycle, plumbed through SAE quick-disconnects compatible with virtually every American utility tractor brand.

Where drivetrain selection matters is on the equipment that runs alongside this rake. A V-rake on its own is only as productive as the round baler and mower that flank it. Both of those companion machines do require precision-forged input gearboxes to handle peak intake torque. Operators replacing a worn baler bevel reducer, or specifying a new mower-conditioner driveline, should source a purpose-built agricultural right-angle gearbox that is sized for the cyclic shock loads typical of hay and forage work. The right gearbox absorbs the radial impact spikes of slug feeds, prevents premature bearing failure, and keeps the round baler chamber starting cleanly even on heavy windrows.

In a typical American hay workflow, the 9LZD-9.0 sits between the mower and the baler. A mower-conditioner cuts and crimps the crop, the rake gathers the cured material into a 0.8 to 1.2 meter windrow, and a round baler intakes that windrow at about 5 to 7 km/h. Productivity through the chain is set by the slowest link, and at 9 ha/h the rake is rarely the limiter. That is why operators upgrading to the 9LZD-9.0 often pair it with a high-throughput round baler at the same time, since the rake will out-pace any baler running at less than 60 bales per hour.

Maintenance Schedule and Service Calendar

Because the 9LZD-9.0 has no PTO drivetrain, no gearbox and no internal active machinery, daily maintenance is short. Most operators finish the start-of-day check inside ten minutes. The schedule below is the manufacturer recommendation under typical American hay and stover conditions; harsh sandy soils may need more frequent grease intervals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What American Operators Say About the 9LZD-9.0