My NH haybine has seen it's last cutting. I hear so many people talking about how great disc mowers are. My question is should I look for another haybine or switch to a disc mower even though the disc mower won't have conditioners. I don't have enough horsepower to run a discbine. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
there are disc mowers and disc mower/conditioners....disc mower/conditioners will do everything your haybine will do and do it better and faster...down hay, no problem...you can even mow through already mowed hay....they come with roll conditioners or finger conditioners...a 10 foot will run on 70hp....once you use one, you will not want to go back
55Deere70- We use a 3 point disc mower that is 7'10" cut on a 48 HP tractor. We also use a New Holland 404 crusher to condition the hay, even though it means another trip around the field with another piece of equipment. Saves at least a day in curing. We also use a tedder when needed. We mow only about 30-35 acres on the first cutting. Very small operator, I guess.
Do you use a tedder after mowing with the Haybine? What part of the country are you in? What kind of hay? Just curious.
Garry
Do you use a tedder after mowing with the Haybine? What part of the country are you in? What kind of hay? Just curious.
Garry
This is a GREAT question. Right now I'm getting along fine with a sickle bar mower, but one of these days will likely upgrade. I think I can run
the smallest of discbines with my 50 PTO hp tractor, if I take it easy and a larger tractor is a consideration later too.
But at a glance, a discbine is almost double in price vs a 3pt disc mower or a sickle type haybine.
I feel that I'd want to run a tedder, even after running a disc/haybine - just to fluff up the hay and even out the clumps, but I think with the
additional conditioning, I'd get a faster dry down.
Fast is important for me, not just due to no rain windows, but just the number of hours in the day. The day job doesn't leave much time in the
evenings for haying - so faster I get done, the better.
Here's the dilemma....
Mowing hay in the evenings after a heavy dew (or even a rain shower) might be a challenge with a sickle haybine. I've mowed dew damped
hay with my sickle mower with success - right up to dark, but that's probably pushing the limit. I would think a sickle haybine in good working
order would be much better, but just haven't used one. Mowing after dark (in a pinch or a hard thunderstorm) don't think is a go - but a real
scenario with mowing in the evening after the day job hours. I'm confident a disc mower/discbine would have zero problems.
Next is obstacles. I'm a little concerned with some of my newer hayfields that I've got a few obsticles that a haybine might hang-up on. Sickle
breakaway has saved my buttox a few times already and a 3pt disc mower has that safety feature too.
So if I'm going to ted anyway - my thinking is to go with a 3pt disc mower, a larger tedder (4 vs 2 basket in my case) to cut down the field time -
but make more passes with it to overcome not having conditioning rolls.
Mow anytime with a 3pt dis mower, simple maintenance, doesn't require a lot of barn space to get it out of the weather, larger tedder/more
frequent tedding and I think close to a discbine - without the expense of it.
YMMV
Great question - thanks!
Bill
the smallest of discbines with my 50 PTO hp tractor, if I take it easy and a larger tractor is a consideration later too.
But at a glance, a discbine is almost double in price vs a 3pt disc mower or a sickle type haybine.
I feel that I'd want to run a tedder, even after running a disc/haybine - just to fluff up the hay and even out the clumps, but I think with the
additional conditioning, I'd get a faster dry down.
Fast is important for me, not just due to no rain windows, but just the number of hours in the day. The day job doesn't leave much time in the
evenings for haying - so faster I get done, the better.
Here's the dilemma....
Mowing hay in the evenings after a heavy dew (or even a rain shower) might be a challenge with a sickle haybine. I've mowed dew damped
hay with my sickle mower with success - right up to dark, but that's probably pushing the limit. I would think a sickle haybine in good working
order would be much better, but just haven't used one. Mowing after dark (in a pinch or a hard thunderstorm) don't think is a go - but a real
scenario with mowing in the evening after the day job hours. I'm confident a disc mower/discbine would have zero problems.
Next is obstacles. I'm a little concerned with some of my newer hayfields that I've got a few obsticles that a haybine might hang-up on. Sickle
breakaway has saved my buttox a few times already and a 3pt disc mower has that safety feature too.
So if I'm going to ted anyway - my thinking is to go with a 3pt disc mower, a larger tedder (4 vs 2 basket in my case) to cut down the field time -
but make more passes with it to overcome not having conditioning rolls.
Mow anytime with a 3pt dis mower, simple maintenance, doesn't require a lot of barn space to get it out of the weather, larger tedder/more
frequent tedding and I think close to a discbine - without the expense of it.
YMMV
Great question - thanks!
Bill
Keith Molden
Well-known Member
WE bought a drum mower 3 years ago and haven't even thought about the hay bine since. ( so I have a Massey 7'hay bine for sale if you're near Ohio) My drum mower is only 5 1/2' cut but it will out cut a 9' hay bine and it doesn't plug up. We do use a tedder to speed up drying time. Keith
tomstractorsandtoys
Well-known Member
If your hay operation is small I would consider the disc mower and a tedder and if you have the time buying an older hay conditioner would be a good idea as well. Before we had a tedder we ran our hay thru a conditioner the day after we cut it with a haybine to speed drying.The biggest advantage to a disc machine is you can cut morning or late evenings no matter how wet where a haybine does not like wet stuff. But there is still alot of good hay made with haybines. Tom
Thanks for all the responses...I guess it boils down to whether the advantages of a disc mower outweigh the conditioning of the haybine. I haven't really had much trouble with the haybine plugging, not nearly as much as a sickle bar and it will go through mowed hay much better.
You mean a haybine with sickle sections? Nooooo Waaaay. I have a 6' cut older Galfre (Italian make) drum mower (kinda like
a disc mower) and I will NEVER go back to anything with a sickle bar! Way too many clogs. I know what some will say - 'Keep
'em sharp and you won't have so many problems'. But ya know, with the 8 small, replacable blades on my drum mower (again,
similar to a disc mower), I can buy new ones every season for under $20, replace them in five minutes tops, and away I go,
cutting as fast as I can. Could never do that with any type of sickle.
I made about 3200 bales this year, all cut with that little 6' drum mower. Cut mostly in the morning with the dew, can cut
as fast as I can stand it. On my 5303 John Deere, that meant 3d gear, mid range. I could never have cut that fast with my
previous NH haybine. Then I ted it. Rugged, easy to work on, maybe you should look into a drum mower?
a disc mower) and I will NEVER go back to anything with a sickle bar! Way too many clogs. I know what some will say - 'Keep
'em sharp and you won't have so many problems'. But ya know, with the 8 small, replacable blades on my drum mower (again,
similar to a disc mower), I can buy new ones every season for under $20, replace them in five minutes tops, and away I go,
cutting as fast as I can. Could never do that with any type of sickle.
I made about 3200 bales this year, all cut with that little 6' drum mower. Cut mostly in the morning with the dew, can cut
as fast as I can stand it. On my 5303 John Deere, that meant 3d gear, mid range. I could never have cut that fast with my
previous NH haybine. Then I ted it. Rugged, easy to work on, maybe you should look into a drum mower?
I amazed at the cursing sickle haybines get. I have had pretty good luck with my sickle mower - knock on wood. I have the mowing scythe my
great grandfather used to clear the same fields I'm doing. I can't help to think what an advancement in hay making the dreaded sickle mower
made over a scythe every time I use it. I'm not blind to the fact that sickle bar mowers have their limits - but I also ponder if the biggest problem
is operator error in their set-up, i.e. sharp sections, down on a good ledger plate, in register and the right mowing speed/conditions. There are
some great youtube videos of sickle mowers knocking down hay - no problem.
Seems to me the sickle haybine is a huge advancement over that - yet, I hear them bashed all the time. I wonder what the real skinny is -
problematic design or operator error? Many acres of hay taken down and conditioned with a New Holland 472 or 488 - and both are still in
production. But again, these are casual observations as I've never ran a haybine - so take my comments with a grain of salt.
The 3pt disc mower - look to me as drop dead simple to operate and maintain. Can't say I'd be worried to much about my boys loosing a digit
with them when tinkering like a sickle mower. Probably the best reason to ditch a sickle mower for a disc mower.
For some reason I still like the concept of a sickle mower/conditioner, like the New Holland 472. I'd just hate to shell out the cash for a really
good condition used or even new one and know I'd be faced with agony for the next 20 years with plugging, delaminating rollers and wobble
box fixes. But still like the idea of the conditioning right at the time of cut.
So likely I'll wind up with a disc mower - simple, mow anytime and a 4 basket tedder - again simple and cuts down on the trips around the field
vs my 2 basket - yet simple enough to operate and maintain.
Bill
great grandfather used to clear the same fields I'm doing. I can't help to think what an advancement in hay making the dreaded sickle mower
made over a scythe every time I use it. I'm not blind to the fact that sickle bar mowers have their limits - but I also ponder if the biggest problem
is operator error in their set-up, i.e. sharp sections, down on a good ledger plate, in register and the right mowing speed/conditions. There are
some great youtube videos of sickle mowers knocking down hay - no problem.
Seems to me the sickle haybine is a huge advancement over that - yet, I hear them bashed all the time. I wonder what the real skinny is -
problematic design or operator error? Many acres of hay taken down and conditioned with a New Holland 472 or 488 - and both are still in
production. But again, these are casual observations as I've never ran a haybine - so take my comments with a grain of salt.
The 3pt disc mower - look to me as drop dead simple to operate and maintain. Can't say I'd be worried to much about my boys loosing a digit
with them when tinkering like a sickle mower. Probably the best reason to ditch a sickle mower for a disc mower.
For some reason I still like the concept of a sickle mower/conditioner, like the New Holland 472. I'd just hate to shell out the cash for a really
good condition used or even new one and know I'd be faced with agony for the next 20 years with plugging, delaminating rollers and wobble
box fixes. But still like the idea of the conditioning right at the time of cut.
So likely I'll wind up with a disc mower - simple, mow anytime and a 4 basket tedder - again simple and cuts down on the trips around the field
vs my 2 basket - yet simple enough to operate and maintain.
Bill
For me it was where is the most profit to be made. I have owned a disc mower conditioner and after 3 years of repair bills and a lot of labor I purchased a new MacDon
Sickle machine now eight years old. Overall repairs per acre decreased to less than a fourth per acre. My hay has at least a 3 to 4 day faster regrowth due to a much
cleaner smooth cut. Ever walk behind a disc mower and see where a stem was cut twice with an inch long second cut was made. In our transition I had side by side
windrows half mile long. When baled we got a third of a bale more hay behind the sickle haybine. Now in wet clay with gopher mounds that discbine is a better choice.
Beware if you operate on hillsides with a drum mower. Our highway departments learned in less than a year that those long days on a slope that there were a lot of
bearing failures in the drum mowers
Sickle machine now eight years old. Overall repairs per acre decreased to less than a fourth per acre. My hay has at least a 3 to 4 day faster regrowth due to a much
cleaner smooth cut. Ever walk behind a disc mower and see where a stem was cut twice with an inch long second cut was made. In our transition I had side by side
windrows half mile long. When baled we got a third of a bale more hay behind the sickle haybine. Now in wet clay with gopher mounds that discbine is a better choice.
Beware if you operate on hillsides with a drum mower. Our highway departments learned in less than a year that those long days on a slope that there were a lot of
bearing failures in the drum mowers
notjustair
Well-known Member
I'll second that. I've got a 12 foot disc mower with flail conditioner. You can move right along. I've heard of guys being able to plug the flails in slew grass. I've never had a problem. If you have the ponies you would never regret it. If you are low on HP go with a disc mower. You would never be sorry.
My 2 cents is conditioning helps one put up the best hay possible as does tedding.
So even if you do tedd then there is still no reason not to still condition as it is still a benefit in any crop.
So in my opinion, The choice is either sickle based mower conditioner or disc mower conditioner.
Sickle based cutters still put up a lot of good hay and they can be run on a rather small low hp tractor with no cab. As pointed out by another poster, many studies do show quicker regrowth on crops cut with sickles compared to disc cutters.
Now a disc mower conditioner is likely the better choice for any big time operator doing many acres and has a big hp tractor and a cab. Personally no way would I run one of these on a cabless tractor (I would make myself a protective shield at minimum out of thick Lexan in lieu of a cab).
So even if you do tedd then there is still no reason not to still condition as it is still a benefit in any crop.
So in my opinion, The choice is either sickle based mower conditioner or disc mower conditioner.
Sickle based cutters still put up a lot of good hay and they can be run on a rather small low hp tractor with no cab. As pointed out by another poster, many studies do show quicker regrowth on crops cut with sickles compared to disc cutters.
Now a disc mower conditioner is likely the better choice for any big time operator doing many acres and has a big hp tractor and a cab. Personally no way would I run one of these on a cabless tractor (I would make myself a protective shield at minimum out of thick Lexan in lieu of a cab).
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