Tedders

[MSS3020]

Is a tedder worth the money is my question??

Is a tedder useful after hay gets rained on??

Never had one in all the years Ive been putting up hay.. but when rained on always thought would like one..

THanks

 

[495man]

Yes and Yes.

I'd have a hard time making hay without one.

Ted green off the mower, ted rained on hay, ted windrows out that have been rained on.

Money well spent in my climate.

 

[Destroked 450]

A tedder is well worth the money, purchased mine in 96 to spread out the windrows a drum mower makes to aid drying.
They are great for fluffing up hay thats been rained on to allow air to get under the hay.
Nothing better for spreading out rained on windrows
I mow in the afternoon, ted the next morning and if hay is thick I'll run the tedder at low speed to fluff the hay before we start baling.

I highly recommend getting a 4 basket ted 2 mower swaths at a time, cuts tedding time and fuel use by half

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

Take my tedder and I quit making hay! I ted everything. Just got a different tedder for this year. It is a Rhino 4 spinner with hyd. fold. Other tedder was a Vermeer and was ok but the manual fold was getting hard on the back. Tom

 

[Hayfarmer]

In my area, Washington state, most everyone uses tedders. They call them fluffers here. After a light rain you can hit hay with it and knock the rain off. Most guys will fluff hay shortly before baling to get the inside dry and into the sun. When I didn't have a flufer I rolled hay after a rain and often had to roll it again. We don't put up 2 dy hay here like I hear from here. Normally 5 day and occasionally 3 day if conditions are just right. I think the fluffers definitely make it go quicker.

 

[Part Time Pete]

Here in central NY it would be pretty tough to get hay dry without one

 

[showcrop]

I agree with everyone else here, except that I understand that they are rarely needed on irrigated ground. Also I don't agree with tedding after baling like Hayfarmer said he does. One more thing about tedding: some people will tell you that they "tedder" the hay. Around here we "ted" our hay.

 

[Bill VA]

In my neck of the woods, a tedder is absolutely necessary and following close behind is a mower with a conditioner, i.e. haybine/discbine - else hard to get hay dry.

Bill

 

[Ken Macfarlane]

Where do you live?

Do you wrap your bales or chop hay for silage?

Where I live they are absolutely required, not optional.

 

[Brendon-KS]

The use of a tedder is apparently a regional thing. From the other's responses here it sounds like it is definitely a useful, if not mandatory, tool for putting up good hay in their environments. However, for 25 years now I've worked with hay production operations in many areas all over the western US (Kansas and west) and have never seen one in use. Most of these operations are professionally-run, commercial hay production businesses that are always striving to put up the best quality hay in the shortest amount of time and are open to trying anything in pursuit of that goal. If tedding was advantageous in these hotter, drier climates I'd think that it would have become popular by now. So, I believe the answers to your questions would depend greatly on where you are at and what your climate is like.

 

[Hay hay hay]

A tedder is critical for good horse hay here in KY. You can buy a decent old used 2 rotor tedder for $1000. It only has to save 200 bales to pay for it self, then the the next 10 years is free.
Pretty cheap insurance, and generally results in higher quality, more uniform hay.

 

[danofarming]

I have a 4 basket Tedder and would not be without it. I will answer your question with this statement... My Dad would have LOVED to have a Tedder. I lost Dad in 1981.

 

[SHALER]

If nothing else, one of the first things you learn from asking hay making questions on this forum is that you are well advised to disclose your geography if you want a good answer as hay making methods grossly vary depending on where you live.

 

[pms]

Depends on climate in your area and what kind of hay your making and weather conditions when making hay.Unless your baling alfalfa in a dry climate you will benefit by tedding grass hay..especially this time of year.Cut a little grass hay the other day.I live in Western Washington..usually can't put up hay till mid to late June.

This was cut on Monday afternoon.I cut hay with a deere disc moco with impeller conditioner.I tedded the following day.Tedded again yesterday and hay had dried down quite a bit.Low humidity,light wind and temps around 80 degrees all week.Will check it this afternoon and may tedd again.Lotta stem moisture this time of year.Another benefit from tedding is it breaks the stems which facilitates dry down.Probably bale it tomorrow.Made a little hay back in April as well almost unheard of around here.

Paul

 

[pms]

Tedding absolutely necessary to efficiently dry down rained on grass hay in my opinion.
Paul

 

[Texasmark]

I had never heard of them and don't remember where and when I did. My problem was always getting spring clippings dry so that I could bale and not have mold and mildew. But, in hearing about them I investigated and invested. I just wore out my first one and Tuesday bought my second. Will not be without one again. Funny my 500# 3 pt. fertilizer/broadcast seed spreader gave out this year too. And my JD 660 was on it's last leg and I found a slick slightly used 662 for a song, and then I got tired of my non-schro, tranny PTO 25 hp tractor so out it went and in came a new one that is so sweet, and so handy, and so much help around here for small jobs.....I hope uncle sugar money managers understand that things do wear out and people do get old.......

 

[steve in ok]

absolutely worth it. A buddy of mine got one and really helped his drying times and had better color to his hay. IMHO

 

[Keith Molden]

I have two 2 baskets and a 4 basket that we use on every field we mow. We use drum mowers and it really helps the drying time on the hay. I have one of the 2 basket ones for sale since we don't need it since we bought the 4 basket but the other one is nice for tight places and we can run 2 tractors and get done a lot quicker that way. I wouldn't be without one here in S.E. Ohio where you never know what the weather's gonna be 15 minutes after you mow.

 

[Texasmark]

I cut with a drum mower on grass also. I find that the tedder tines impacting the grass stem kink it, usually several times. and it you ted more than once that's that many more openings for sap and water to exit.

Only thing I don't like about a drum is the close cutting. I have a Tar River now and really like it but its adjustment is only half an ince,,,,not worth the hassle to installit. I had a 1 on my previous, different brand and it only had 3 5/'6 tp 3/8 diameter holding the bottom stump jumper with long shanks to accommodate the spacer. One trip over a rough field and it tore up that drum....sold it for parts and bought the Tar River.

 

[JayinNY]

Wouldnt be without mine here in eastern NY, I wish mine was hydraulic fold, but for the $900 I paid for it in 2007 it was well worth it.

 

[mjsnodgrass]

i live near mt st helens in western wa. i've been tempted this week to make some hay as well. didn't do it. just don't seem right making hay in may around here. you're a brave man. the field looks real nice. congratulations

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 15:29:45 05/14/21) I cut with a drum mower on grass also. I find that the tedder tines impacting the grass stem kink it, usually several times. and it you ted more than once that's that many more openings for sap and water to exit.

Only thing I don't like about a drum is the close cutting. I have a Tar River now and really like it but its adjustment is only half an ince,,,,not worth the hassle to installit. I had a 1 on my previous, different brand and it only had 3 5/'6 tp 3/8 diameter holding the bottom stump jumper with long shanks to accommodate the spacer. One trip over a rough field and it tore up that drum....sold it for parts and bought the Tar River.

Texasmark, when I was using a drum mower I had a lot of adjustment by tipping it forward or back with the top link.

 

[Hay hay hay]

I agree. The toplink adjustment can make several inches difference in cut height on a Reese drum mower. It also has an inner skid and outer
wheel to adjust height. But since I have the proper height set for cutting grass hay, I never adjust the skid or wheel.

 

[Texasmark]

Problem with that is you scalp coming or going unless level. I even put a magneticly attached level to the main arm to ensure the
cutters being level. I don't have a height adjustment on the machine. It rides on the stump jumpers. Considering the unit weighs
900# and the 3 pt has to be in the relaxed position for it to mow slopes and all, in soft ground it would take a couple of pretty good
sized tires/skid to hold it off the ground....but that would be a good idea.

 

[riveroadrat]

The best fluffer we had was I think a Lely. It had a fold down basket on the back that would take Coastal Bermuda and just puff it up in the air
into a big puffy windrow.