Mowing hay

[Shale]

I see some farmers mow perhaps 6 to 8 passes around the oerimeter of a field, and then back snd forth to finish it off. A few others seem to continue the perimeter cut around and around until the field is done. What method is best?
 

[Kerry50]

I prefer making 8 rounds around the field first. Then laying it off in lands. Baling those first 8, then raking the rest and baling it. Reason is, so I don't have to turn the short corners with the baler.
 

[donjr]

I've usually done it according to the field. If it's a large, fairly square or rectaungular tract, I'll usually cut six or eight ends, and then cut lands of about one hundred feet. On some oddball pieces, I'll just cut around until I finish. But those pieces are generally rather small and do not lend themselves to making lands, and are rather long, narrow strips.
 

[onefarmer]

Almost what Kerry50 said:

I prefer making 8 rounds around the field first. Rake and baling those first 8. Then laying it off in lands, raking the rest and baling it. Reason is, so I don't have to run on the mowed headlands to mow/bale the rest.
 

[Brendon-KS]

The mowing pattern depends on what style of machine you are using. A "center-pivot" mower allows cutting on either side of the tractor and is therefore the only style that you can go back and forth with. A "side pull" mower cuts only on the right side and is used to cut going around the field or in lands. Of course the center-pivot could also be used in this manner if desired.
 

[Tx Jim]

Which takes longer to complete a 90 degree turn or a 180 degree turn??? 180 degree although I'm sure some people will state a 90 degree takes longer.

People that cut/bale/plow or sow fields back and forth or in several lands never cease to amaze me. IMHO every turn made in a field causes the time to increase to complete the field.
 

[Josh in WNY]

Being a small operation, I usually mow 8 laps around the bigger fields and get that baled and out of the way. This usually results in about 6 to 8 acres of hay to put up. I then continue to break the field in the 7 to 10 acre chunks. This allows me to make sure I don't have so much hay on the ground that I can't get it all in before the rain gets here.

On the smaller fields (5 or 6 acres), I'll mow 6 laps for the headlands and then finish the rest by just going back and forth. By the time you get the headlands done on these fields there isn't much difference in making 90 or 180 degree turns. The headlands are usually short enough that you can just mow from the outside toward the center and drive the width between.

Now that I use a NH stacker wagon, I might up the number of acres. Although it is kind of nice to do easily do 600 to 800 bales in a day and be sitting on the front porch with a cold drink by 5:30 or so!

One other thing to keep in mind about turning is what type of pto shaft setup you have. If you don't have a CV style drive line, tight turns can be difficult.
 

[Erik Ks farmer]

I is possible to mow back an forth with a haybine without hydraswing. I use a 488 and a 489 NH and mow back an forth on smaller fields.
 

[Tx Jim]

[Deere Scotty]

We always started at the perimeter, & made 1 continuous path with 90 deg turns. Once completed we drove out from the top, or bottom center where the least amount of hay would be dropped on a line of angled turns heading to a corner of the field. Then we ran the haybine in the opposite direction to cut the area the tractor had to run over on the field edge to finish. Easier to put on paper than said!
 

[Adirondack case guy]

Many farmers only have conventional Haybines. and have to mow from the perimiter, in. With Hydroswings, and SPs, there is no time spent making loops at the corners, (conventional way). Also when chopping into trucks making haylage, It is much easier to run back and forth.When round baling I guess it is a toss up. The big diff is the size and technology of the harvesting equip.
Loren, the Acg.
 

[Ellis Kinney]

In Kentucky and on my farm I do it both ways depending on the shape of the field. Ellis
 

[Josh in WNY]

Your right, Jim. But the CV are a lot nicer. My CaseIH 3309 discbine has one and I'll put the rear tires of the tractor into the side of the hitch before the pto starts to chatter. I generally try not to turn that sharp anyway, but it's nice to know I won't bust up the driveline. My only complant about the CV-joint style is that they are big $$$ to fix.
 

[merlynr]

My sil sent me this just today of me mowing a neighbors field. He tells me it is from google earth back in June! That's my H and a IH 120 7' balanced mower working the field round and round under the umbrella.
 

[merlynr]

The other picture of mowing [img]