John Deere Hay Rake - Hermann, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 42.410 W 091° 25.949
15S E 636296 N 4285410
On display at the old MFA grain elevators...which today is a brewery
Waymark Code: WM134Y1
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/17/2020
Views: 1
County of display: Gasconade County
Location of diaply: E. 1st St. & Gutenberg St., Tin Mill Brewery, Hermann
Type Equipment: Hay Rake
Model.Manufacturer: John Deere 594
"You know the common lament that they don’t make tools and machines the way they used to? Maybe there is something to it, because I’ve found old farm machinery to be remarkably durable and useful. One of our main tractors for making hay is a Massey Ferguson 135 that’s nearly 50 years old, and one of our hay rakes—which works beautifully—is a John Deere 594, which is so old that you can adjust it for use with horses.
" ... Dating back to at least the 1950s if not earlier—this model was manufactured for many years—the 594 is described as a “side delivery” rake and differs from other rakes. It has two large steel driving wheels at the front and two smaller wheels at the back, meaning that the rake is supported entirely by its own wheels and doesn’t require a tractor to hold up the front end. This is understandable because parts were available that would change the tractor hitch into a horse hitch (complete with the addition of a seat for the driver), and having the rake support itself would have taken an unnecessary strain off the horses pulling the rake.
"It’s also tough enough and simple enough that on the rare occasion when it does have an issue, it’s relatively easy to fix. ... " ~ Hobby Farms