Gehl CR50 hammermill

[Jon Wolter]

I just bought this thing and it has one screen with 1/2 holes. Want to grind hay for my old toothless horse. I have read to use
a 1.5 inch screen for hay. I have also read some guys simply remove the screen entirely for hay. Does anyone have experience
with grinding hay? Where might I find a screen with larger holes? My screen measures 10 inches wide and is 36 inches around the
outside of the arch. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Going without the screen should work just fine. You should try it & see if it's too your liking. I've heard from a couple old horse owners that they don't want it too fine, due to dust. Other people don't care as they soak it.

Just my $0.02.

Mike

 

[caterpillar guy]

We used to grind hay with the same screen as for corn and oats. So it was as fine as the ground feed. I would be leery of trying no screen might plug the auger underneath taking the hay away from the mill.

 

[Leroy]

It will be as fine a grind either with or without a screen. Years ago we would grind hay to mix in the hog feed. Was way better than the alfalfa meal you could by at the local feed mill. I was 30 mile from the alfalfa meal plant and I saw all the junk-weeds they were harvesting to make the alfalfa meal out of. Was so expensive we bought an old belt powered David Bradley hammer mill and ground our own. With a screen it was so fine it was just dust. Decided to try it without a screen and it might be too fine yet for what you are needing. Powered it with a John Deere B. I don't know if running at say 2/3 throttle might not make it as even without the screen it was almost too fine for what you are needing.

 

[coonie minnie]

Run it without the screen. Otherwise google Southwest Mill. They make screens and are affordable.

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

Try without but like Connie said they are places that make new screens. I had a new one made for my Deere 400 grinder years ago. Tom

 

[Jon Wolter]

Thanks everyone for all the information. I appreciate you!

 

[Leroy]

Let us know how it works for you.

 

[Jon Wolter]

I finally got my new hitch and new PTO shaft installed. I removed the screen and chopped grass hay today. It did not get the hay short enough for my horse. I believe the knives simply swept it through and it fell to the lower auger without chopping much. The only screen I have has 1/2 holes. I was skeptical as to whether it would chop the grass hay or simply plug up the screen. But I installed the screen and it chopped it just fine! Now that I know it is going to work, I am going to try to get a screen with bigger holes. Thanks everyone for your help. I appreciate it!