rrlund
Well-known Member
To be honest,I only had a discbine for 2 weeks,and most of that time it was in the shop. So I traded it for a new conventional. That was in 1994. I do know that you don't have to hit much to knock a knife off of one. A LOT less than it takes to knock one out of a conventional.
Ken Macfarlane
Well-known Member
We have enough rocks the cutterbar on our 489 had a serious frown shape. Broken knives every day mowing. I was tired of it.
Bought a discbine, I lose about one knive per year, they are quick attach so 30 secs to renew. I do hit about 30 icebergs and throw a half dozen rocks a year. I do drive around and pry rocks every year so it has been getting better every year, take out a half dozen icebergs per year.
I did break a weld on the outside turtle hitting an elm tree this year. Most of the time trees get cut off as we are mostly softwoods.
Bought a discbine, I lose about one knive per year, they are quick attach so 30 secs to renew. I do hit about 30 icebergs and throw a half dozen rocks a year. I do drive around and pry rocks every year so it has been getting better every year, take out a half dozen icebergs per year.
I did break a weld on the outside turtle hitting an elm tree this year. Most of the time trees get cut off as we are mostly softwoods.
I'm lusting over a drum mower. Looks a lot more durable and less to damage than haybine, or diskbine. My big problem is mole hills that have stones pushed up in them. Damages cutter bars very frequently. Also have a problem with thick undergrowth jamming sickle bar mower. Now I use a flail chopper to cut that stuff. Removed the trough and auger, and just dump it back on the ground. Lossy though.
Went from a haybine to a discbine last year, I had the same concerns as you going in. Aside from one dumb incident - total operator error - I found the discbine to be much more rugged than I had anticipated. I have a few rocks of the shape and size that I have to be careful of or the knifes will scrap them, but even when I misjudge it hasn't been an issue - just leaves little circular marks on the rock.
I think the biggest increase in danger of damage is the increased ground speed. With my discbine I can cut as fast as I dare drive - that's pretty fast in some of my fields, and that greatly reduces your ability to react to rocks or other obstacles, and when you hit something at 8 mph instead of 3 or 4 mph it's a huge difference in potential damage. But it's hard to say that being able to cut twice as fast is a disadvantage. You can always drive slower if you want. :wink:
I think the biggest increase in danger of damage is the increased ground speed. With my discbine I can cut as fast as I dare drive - that's pretty fast in some of my fields, and that greatly reduces your ability to react to rocks or other obstacles, and when you hit something at 8 mph instead of 3 or 4 mph it's a huge difference in potential damage. But it's hard to say that being able to cut twice as fast is a disadvantage. You can always drive slower if you want. :wink:
Probably not different than the 'chuck holes we have here. The farmer I used to help has an '08 JD, can't recall the model, but I've ran it, changed blades on it too. I believe there is a rock guard or some kind of option for same ( someone correct me here) his has it, greenhouse owner I buy from does 100+ acres of hay for extra income and bought a new JD and we had the discussion, I just could not remember the specifics in regards to additional protection for rocks and such, his fields are clean but was wondering about the option, JD rep was supposed to come by about it, I'll have to ask him next time I see him, which may not be til spring. I am assuming he liked the discbine, as I only saw it when it first arrived.
I was impressed by this machine, but don't know a heck of a lot about it. The fields I cut did have 'chuck holes with dirt mounds, the farmers son works a regular job and often times does field work rapidly, so the blades get dinged up, I reversed them to a new side and installed new where needed, which was an easy task, but prior to this, the skips were minor, it seemed tolerant to these conditions.
I hate mowing over things like that, like to mark the fields off season, many of them I remember or can see from the previous cutting, raise up and that taller grass, becomes a marker for the next cutting.
Unless you need the other type for alfalfa or similar crop, these are nice and you can go faster, love the way his raises up and turns, so much different than our old 535 ford mower conditioner, it had been a long time since I cut hay, was great to have experienced this modern technology.
I was impressed by this machine, but don't know a heck of a lot about it. The fields I cut did have 'chuck holes with dirt mounds, the farmers son works a regular job and often times does field work rapidly, so the blades get dinged up, I reversed them to a new side and installed new where needed, which was an easy task, but prior to this, the skips were minor, it seemed tolerant to these conditions.
I hate mowing over things like that, like to mark the fields off season, many of them I remember or can see from the previous cutting, raise up and that taller grass, becomes a marker for the next cutting.
Unless you need the other type for alfalfa or similar crop, these are nice and you can go faster, love the way his raises up and turns, so much different than our old 535 ford mower conditioner, it had been a long time since I cut hay, was great to have experienced this modern technology.
Richard Hare
Member
We had a Krone drum mower 30 odd years ago in England.
Was a lovely machine compared to the old sickle mower in soft grasses and mole-hills.
There, we rolled the hayfields each spring, so rocks weren't a problem.
Came to Canada 27 years ago, and used an old IH 230 swather with conditioner.
Made a lovely swath, and was fast!...but wet clayey molehills were always a problem, even when we trapped every year.
Got a Massey conventional haybine (used) and it did OK, but not as fast as the swather, and plugged up in wet years when molehills were muddy.
The conventional would cough out a rock though, when cutting greenfeed thast wasn't rolled.
4 or 5 years back got a Kuhne discbine, and it's wonderful to be able to keep going, and not get blocked up!
I got the higher skids, so can leave a 3 1/2" -about 6" stubble, so even when I cut an old meadow that has rocks and fescue that shudders my conventional to a standstill, I can just keep going. Even if I go slower under these rougher conditions, I Can keep going.
Re. getting more hay wet with a Discbine;
Indeed you Can!...Or get it cut And baled Before the rain hits!!
Also, you could always cut half a day and go fishing.....
For thin stuff, I still like the swath the old swather makes. (you can still see the swath when it's dry!) but for normal/heavy crops inc. rank clover, the discbine wins hands down.
Was a lovely machine compared to the old sickle mower in soft grasses and mole-hills.
There, we rolled the hayfields each spring, so rocks weren't a problem.
Came to Canada 27 years ago, and used an old IH 230 swather with conditioner.
Made a lovely swath, and was fast!...but wet clayey molehills were always a problem, even when we trapped every year.
Got a Massey conventional haybine (used) and it did OK, but not as fast as the swather, and plugged up in wet years when molehills were muddy.
The conventional would cough out a rock though, when cutting greenfeed thast wasn't rolled.
4 or 5 years back got a Kuhne discbine, and it's wonderful to be able to keep going, and not get blocked up!
I got the higher skids, so can leave a 3 1/2" -about 6" stubble, so even when I cut an old meadow that has rocks and fescue that shudders my conventional to a standstill, I can just keep going. Even if I go slower under these rougher conditions, I Can keep going.
Re. getting more hay wet with a Discbine;
Indeed you Can!...Or get it cut And baled Before the rain hits!!
Also, you could always cut half a day and go fishing.....
For thin stuff, I still like the swath the old swather makes. (you can still see the swath when it's dry!) but for normal/heavy crops inc. rank clover, the discbine wins hands down.
I may be in the minority here but I can"t afford a discbine. Had one for three years when I was only cutting 150-200 acres a year. Average repair costs was $1500/yr. It was a used New Idea machine but with rented ground rocks were death to the machine. Six years ago I purchased a new Mac Don conventional. Averaging about 600 acres a year my total cost of maintenance has been $1200 for the whole period. The conventional machine offers faster regrowth and higher yields. I don"t travel as fast but I am making more money.
I asked the same question 12 years ago. One fellows response was " get one . You just go." And that basicly sums up the haybine vs discbine debate. You just go, as fast as you can sit on the tractor. Only rocks I have are planted ones, but when you hit those you hear a little rattle and keep on going. Went in a field with tornado debris that hadn't been picked up. Clipped pole barn nails off 2x4's , but when i picked up an alumimum baseball bat, It bent one knife enough that I had to change it other wise no damage. Tough Machines Get one.
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