disc vs. drum mower

[Jordanbear]

Hi - I'm new, and browsed around old messages, but still have a few questions.

Can someone please explain the differences between a drum mower and a disc mower. I've seen a disc in person (little oval plates with knives attached), but all the photos of mowers show the whole machine, with the important parts under a curtain - a little Wizard of Oz- I'd like to know what's going under there!

We're going to be replacing our old sickle bar mower for next year and the better, newer options seem to be either drum or disc.

I want safety, ease of use on fields that are mostly rock free, but have a few lumps here and there, for mowing timothy/clover horse hay. We have a total of about 30 acres of fields which produce about 2000 bales (small, square ones) of hay per year -right now we only do 1 crop.

I'll be posting my tractor questions on the other forum, but I have use of a 55hp David Brown with rear hydraulics, and my own tractor is a 1957 Cockshutt 540, with no rear hydraulic (except the 3pt hitch). It does have a PTO.

Thank you!

 

[cowboydoc]

They're basically the same thing. The big difference is whether or not they have either conditioning rollers or impellers to help the hay dry faster. Typically a haybine disc mower will have the conditioner as part of the unit. When they talk about drum mowers they are usually just talking about mower itself. There is also a difference in how they are put together. The drum mower is usually just a three point deal. The discbine mower or mower conditioner is usually on it's own meaning that it has wheels and hooks on by the drawbar and has hydraulics.

 

[HayDR]

Either is a good choice. They both cut by shearing the stem of the grass. The drum mower is usually used on large compact tractors or 35-60HP utility tractors. The most popular size is the 165cm, 5'5" but other sizes are available. We do see a smaller 53" drum mower for compact tractors. The drum mower is the most durable of all hay harvesting mowers. The 165 will mow 4-5 acres an hour. Prices range from $1800-$2600.
Disc mowers range for 5 1/2' to 10 1/2' cutting width with prices ranging from $3,500- $8,500. If you want a larger cut then the disc mower is usually the way to go.
Realize that and $1,800 drum mower will mow more than a 7' sicklebar mower and the drum mower will never clog up. If you have a small tractor all but the smallest disc mowers require 40 HP or more. Dollar for dollar the drum mower is the best value available for a small tractor.