Options for pull type hay cutter/swather

[horsebroke]

I'm new to the haying business - call me a hobby farmer. I bought a baler last year, and sicle-bar mower, 4-wheel rake. WOW - what a lot of work. Did appx 1,100 square bales.

I'm looking for better options for cutting/swathing. I've considered self-powered swathers, but would rather have something to pull behind my 45 hp tractor.

Yall have any suggestions? Obviously, reasonable price is a must. I've looked at the John Deere 525 - but that sucker's almost $12K!!! and it's out of production. Other companies make anything similar that cuts/rakes/windrows all at once, in a pull-behind configuration?

thanks in advance

 

[zzvyb6]

Deere and New Holland come to mind in my zip code. Lots of used machines under $3500. I suggest your purchase decision include how far away your dealer and also an alternate parts source are located.

I run a NH-479 9' mower conditioner with the swath gate closed down to make windrows for second cutting. Your JD 850 will run it with ease. When I had a 22 hp Yanmar, all I needed to do was add a lot of front weight to keep the nose down...

 

[burnetma]

Your tractor is going to be the limiting factor in the type & size of hay cutter.

The first question is: Do you need conditioning?

If you need conditioning, you are going to be limited to a sickle bar style mower-conditioner, like the NH 479 mentioned above. However, I believe that the 479 is too much machine for your JD. I wouldn't go bigger than a 7' cut especially if you are not on dead flat ground or you will get pushed around by the mower.

If conditioning is not required, you will have more options. Everything from an old fashioned sickle bar on up to a more modern drum/disc mower. I am completely unfamiliar with these as we can not live without conditioning in NY.

Check out the AG Tractor section for more haying advice.

Best of luck!

 

[horsebroke]

Thanks for the input so far. I've sold the JD850 - now use TYM T450. It's 45HP. My process up to now has been to cut with the Tonutti 7 foot cicle-bar mower, then rake a couple times into windrows, then bale (with obvious drying time).

What's "conditioner". My fields are relatively flat, hay is appx 70% grass, 30% alfalfa. What does a conditioner do?

Thank you

 

[chh]

A conditioner crimps the stalks of the grass/alfalfa to speed the drying process. The current production ones that I know of would take a considerably larger tractor to run. The grass needs to lay more or less spread out to aid drying and if the grass is heavy I use a tedder to "fluff" or spread the hay out to make it dry more evenly.

 

[flusher]

I'm new to the haying business - call me a hobby farmer. I bought a baler last year, and sicle-bar mower, 4-wheel rake. WOW - what a lot of work. Did appx 1,100 square bales.

I'm looking for better options for cutting/swathing. I've considered self-powered swathers, but would rather have something to pull behind my 45 hp tractor.

Yall have any suggestions? Obviously, reasonable price is a must. I've looked at the John Deere 525 - but that sucker's almost $12K!!! and it's out of production. Other companies make anything similar that cuts/rakes/windrows all at once, in a pull-behind configuration?

thanks in advance

Here are a few recent examples of mower-conditioners auctioned off on eBay:

NH 472 $1850 (7 ft cut)
NH 474 $3500 (7 ft cut)
NH 469 $1025 (9 ft cut)
MF 725 $1525 (7 ft cut)
JD 1327 $3405 (8 ft cut)
JD 1219 $950 (9 ft cut)
JD 1209 $310 (9 ft cut)
Hesston 1070 $1000 (7 ft cut)

So you see that prices for used mocos range all over the place.

I may eventually get a moco to use on my 10 acres. Right now I'm going to tackle this baby, an MF 44 windrower a neighbor gave me yesterday.

There's more info in this TBN thread

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/vintage-tractors/140164-mf-44-windrower-more-found.html

 

[AKfish]

Here are a few recent examples of mower-conditioners auctioned off on eBay:

NH 472 $1850 (7 ft cut)
NH 474 $3500 (7 ft cut)
NH 469 $1025 (9 ft cut)
MF 725 $1525 (7 ft cut)
JD 1327 $3405 (8 ft cut)
JD 1219 $950 (9 ft cut)
JD 1209 $310 (9 ft cut)
Hesston 1070 $1000 (7 ft cut)

So you see that prices for used mocos range all over the place.

Whoa... those are some low, low prices! I've been looking at the JD 1207, JD 1217 (7' cut) and the 1209-1219 for my 33hp PTO tractor (43hp gross).

My FIL is from the east side of Grand Mesa. Pretty dry country. Likely don't need a conditioner unless you've got irrigated hay. Dry land hay probably air-cures in a day or so.

These models that are listed should work just fine behind your TYM. The JD models have conditioner rollers.

Are you looking at a larger, cutter/swather to speed up your haying process? Or, the Tonutti just didn't do a good job?

If you move towards a disc-type mower; you'll quickly discover that 45hp won't get you very far...

Best of luck.

AKfish