I don't ever recall that being mentioned in the manual for my 169, it has a normal and low position for the wheels but never recall being turned forwards as an option. However, the more angle the baskets are being ran to to the ground, the smaller the contact area becomes with the fingers and may leave quite a bit between the baskets if its matted down at all.

 

I have a John Deere 752 Tedder which I am pretty sure is the same or real close as the New holland 162 both made by Kuhn and I have played with about every setting on mine and it really does not make much of a noticeable difference so I just leave it in a setting that makes it easer to fold up. I have not been impressed with it very much although it does work fine. I had a 2 basket sitrex before and i thought I was upgrading by buying the 4 basket 752 but I’m not so sure as the 2 basket sitrex I had would really spread out the hay.

 

Usually the wheels face forward for the most tedding action. Don't get hung up on how far or how high the hay is pitched. You want a uniform spread behind the machine. Pitching the hay into the fence row will not cause the hay to dry faster.

unless you have your mower set to the exact width of the Tedder, a two basket Tedder will always do a better job of tedding. The more centered the windrow is to the pared baskets the more even of a job the Tedder will do.

 

The wheels only lock to the rear for towed transport. When tedding the wheel goes forward and has 3 positions, straight and two positions with an angle left or right for border tedding.

Tedding with the tire rearward gives poor gauge wheel function so the teeth will crash into the ground a lot. This gets dirt in the hay, and overloads the lightly built drive train of the thing. Crossing dead furrows or dips is particularly rough when its setup incorrectly like that.

 

Usually the wheels face forward for the most tedding action. Don't get hung up on how far or how high the hay is pitched. You want a uniform spread behind the machine. Pitching the hay into the fence row will not cause the hay to dry faster.

unless you have your mower set to the exact width of the Tedder, a two basket Tedder will always do a better job of tedding. The more centered the windrow is to the pared baskets the more even of a job the Tedder will do.

I've said the same for years and most people look at me like I just fell off the turnip truck. I have a NH169, will ted two passes from a 12 or 13' mower, however does a MUCH better job tedding three 9' rows as the baskets center over the row so each one grabs an equal amount of hay.

 

Adjusting the tedder to toss the hay high in the air will likely give a wider thinner distribution - UNLESS you have a cross wind , a tailwind or a steep side slope. In those conditions you can end up with a real mess.

 

The problem with throwing higher and farther is you end up with windrows where the two Tedder swaths meet. You also risk missing hay on the outside rotors because of the tilt. NH has used Kuhn and Vicon, now Kubota, Tedders. In most conditions the Vicon Tedder does a nicer job, at least with the 4 basket Tedder, because the Tedder lays the swath out with less windrowing, plus it does not pitch hay into the fence row. The trade off is in light hay the Vicon Tedder does not spread the full width of the Tedder, but then again nothing is gained by spreading a few inches more in light hay conditions.

 

Usually the wheels face forward for the most tedding action. Don't get hung up on how far or how high the hay is pitched. You want a uniform spread behind the machine. Pitching the hay into the fence row will not cause the hay to dry faster.

unless you have your mower set to the exact width of the Tedder, a two basket Tedder will always do a better job of tedding. The more centered the windrow is to the pared baskets the more even of a job the Tedder will do.

My 752 faces forward for the above reason. The JD946 MOCO windrow leaves it hard to hit two rows at a time. I think the latter above would work better 'cept more fuel.