If you have small acreage and thinking of cutting hay... Drum Mower

[DaveOmak]

After procrastinating for 2 years, I finally broke down and bought the 135 Drum Mower from Carter & Carter Machinery (CCM )...
I am impressed.... It cuts as well if not better than described in the videos and in print..... I tried cutting this alfalfa for 3 painful years using a sickle bar.. What a PITA.....
This mower does not bog down.... cuts clean in the tallest, tangled stuff you could imagine.... The thin swathe dries fast..... Last cutting I had the hay baled on the fifth day from cutting, and the water back on...... The alfalfa below is 30 days from the last cutting.... It is about 27" tall and budding... I removed the canvas wrap from around the blades as it screwed up the swathes and served no useful purpose as a safety wrap..... Must be some government thing that it was installed to begin with..... It takes me about an hour to cut 1 acre.... I do have multiple sprinklers to negotiate around.....

Dave

 

[Ed of all trades]

Looks good, how wide a cut does it have?

 

[WilliamBos]

Nice alfalfa!! How many years ago was that planted?

Does that work like a diacbine? Could you post a pic of the blades?

 

[Bigfoot62]

Here's a link: Drum Type Disc Mowers : Affordable Tractors, Top Quality Tractors, Affordable Prices

 

[DaveOmak]

Ed, evening.... This is the smallest cutter they sell..... Cuts about 53" wide...

William evening..... The field is 3 years planted.... after a lot of prep work....

 

[bjr]

I have 135 (they call it a 2555) 53" machine that I bought From SFI and everything you say 'bout the mower is true. My only snivel about the mower is trying to get it to pick some what level. I've taken to moving the pins on one draft arm to rocker shaft arm so's that side will pick a little higher on that side. I've thought about buying a 1-1/2" x 36 cylinder from Burdens supply to make the platform lift 90 degrees like the ones SFI show on their site. I have the auxiliary valve (remote valve) on my tractor. I went thru a set of blades almost immediately I was mowing a neighbors field and it had rocks/cement chunks buried in the weeds. I have the same A-CM120 blades I bought the 25 pack, about $40 with shipping. I need a tool that's a little longer or the handle that has more cure down or a helper to replace blades as I lift. It is nice to have at least one piece of decent machinery on the place. The local dealer/vendors in my area never heard of such a machine and didn't want to waste time even talking about them. Their customers are the Industrial Farming businesses and any small production machines are not what they deal in. The local New Holland dealer does have some lower HP tractors is his lot but still didn't want to look up or talk about a drum mower. I Didn't need Their Arrogance. My money spent out of state just fine and I got what I wanted. bjr

 

[lutt]

Nice field! I like that mower, didn't know those were around! I think thAt will be on the radar for the small acreage haying I plan on doing in the future, what pto horsepower do those take, I am assuming not a whole lot? LUTT

 

[atgreene]

I'm looking at upgrading from my IH mo co to a drum. How does it do on rocky and rough terrain? Everything we mow is either steep or rocky/rough. Not sure if a drum is the way to go for me, but they sure look nice and simple.

 

[aczlan]

I keep wondering about drying time with a drum vs a moco... Would be nice to go faster and have the smaller footprint of a drum mower, but does it beat the crop up enough to condition it, or are drying times longer?

Aaron Z

 

[atgreene]

I have a crimper if needed as well as tedders. The faster ground speed (rough ground permitting) should make up for the lost extra trip with a crimper when needed.