sicklebar mower

   / sicklebar mower #1  

RichZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2001
Messages
1,876
Location
White Creek, New York, Washington County, on the V
Tractor
Kubota 4630 with cab and loader
As many of you know, I'm planning on putting up about 50 acres of hay with my friend. He's putting up most of the land, and I'm buying equipment, or paying to have his fixed. I looked at his sicklebar mower yesterday, and it's so rusted, I don't know if it's worth fixing.
I was thinking of looking at a used Massey Ferguson 7 foot sickle bar for $450. Is this a decent price (assuming it's in good shape?) Also, what should I look for in a used sickle bar to determine it's condition.

Thanks!!!

Rich
 
   / sicklebar mower #2  
Rich,
If you're serious about putting up hay I wouldn't do it with anything other than a mower conditioner. If conditions are right you can rake and bale in a day or two. A mower conditioner will crimp the hay and make it dry much faster. It also puts the hay in a row for you and saves running over hay and lost leaves from having to rake so much. As far as sicklebar mowers go the gearbox is your main concern. The teeth are cheap and easy to replace. I have one here that if you were closer you could just have. They aren't worth alot as most people that do any hay at all use a moco and a rotary mower for mowing.

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   / sicklebar mower #3  
cowboydoc,

Is a moco the attachment that has

Front - cutters
Middle - rollers that squeeze the hay
Back - funnel it out the back into rows?



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   / sicklebar mower #4  
I guess this is the first time I've seen a mower/conditioner abbreviated to a moco./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif But yes, Mike, you described one and most of my neighbors just call them a haybine./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif And naturally, cowboydoc knows what he's talking about - that's what you want for cutting hay, especially if you're cutting anything with very thick stalks. The only time I see anyone cutting hay without the crimper or roller type is if they're cutting nothing but clean coastal bermuda.

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   / sicklebar mower #5  
Richard,

I haven't baled hay in over 20 years, and haven't used a moco...{don't know if it was available then?}...

Anyhow... keep in mind RichZ has limited hp with his TO20 and I believe his neighbors Belarus is about 50 or 60... and the other item is cost... dirt cheap that is workable...

I think basically RichZ wants to use his TO20 for the cutting and raking part, and his neighbors Belarus for the baling aspect...

So as you can see, I want you to make "silk from a sow's ear"...

If you can, give some suggestions on cheaper equipment {most of the stuff you see at auctions and plentiful for parts & fixing}, even if it involves a few more preparation steps...

Have I got you throughly confused now Richard... /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

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   / sicklebar mower #6  
The guy I buy hay from showed me what he uses to cut hay, and that's what he showed me but he never gave it a name.

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   / sicklebar mower #7  
I just checked prices at Eastern Farm and Machinery and the least expensive moco is about $15,000. That probably doesn't fit the requirements of 'dirt cheap that is workable' /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif


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   / sicklebar mower #8  
Yep, Mike, the only one I've used personally is a 9' Gehl and the owner tells me he gave $16,000 for it about 5 years ago./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif That's helps you understand why hay costs as much as it does./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

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   / sicklebar mower #9  
You're right Mike.../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Let's all help RichZ spend his money.../w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

I think really in $500. increments for the implements... and if I try real hard... this could be the start of a "farm poem"... /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif... in other words, RichZ can buy in "bite-size" chunks...

By the time, everything is done... RichZ may have spent the $15k... but it was a little at a time and won't hurt as much.../w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

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   / sicklebar mower #10  
Also explains why he was holding his together with chewing gum and twine and got this real pained expression on his face when he said this might have been the final year for this moco.

But 50 acres is a lot of hay to do without a moco plus how much longer would the hay have to sit in the field drying if it was just cut with a sickle bar mower? A couple more days could mean rain and an entire crop goes to the mushroom farmers.

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