The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

Having a built in air compressor sounds really handy!!!

It’s extremely handy. Works better than a gas blower and it’s easy to store on the front of the tractor. It’s just like an air brakes system on a truck.

I think that I've seen all of your posts and pictures, but I don't remember seeing where you store those big square bales. Do you keep them in a barn, out of the weather? Or do you sell them as soon as you bale them? Just hauling them to the barn seems overwhelming!!!!

I keep the feed hay bales inside in 5 different barns. The mushroom hay or cow hay bales stay outside, stacked in 4 layers. The middle bales may still be sold as cow hay. The bottom and top bales go to the mushroom houses.

 

[tradosaurus]

I would do that myself. Would rent a mini ex or a backhoe.

The problem with that is it sounds like you are so busy you may never get to it.

 

[Hay Dude]

The problem with that is it sounds like you are so busy you may never get to it.

Hahaha yes, sadly you are quite correct.

 

[Hay Dude]

This Wednesday brought in an updated forecast. Instead of sun through the weekend, rain.
Thursday was just a little drizzly, so we decided to catch up on some mowing. Once of my contracts is a monthly pond mowing. Kinda steep, so I use the F-3680 on this one.

Here we are heading out to cut the neighbors. Ahead of me is my son on the ZD331. We drive the mowers from the shop to the neighbors farm we cut just up the street.

Today (Friday) still raining. I’m in North Wilmington (DE), just below the PA border. Looks like rain through middle of next week. Have lots of hay down. It’ll be a mess to bale up. One of the reasons I feel lucky is we have a customer base for rained on hay-the mushroom growers. They don’t mind rained-on hay (ROH) as long as you get it dry before it’s baled.
I decided to fix some nagging small issues.

In the sky, you can see the fog & mist.

I like to keep a good tarp on top of the Krone to protect the computer and some of the more sensitive electronics. Below the front edge of the tarp you can see the water extinguisher. I also removed the monitor from the cab. At $8,000, even though this property is very safe, I’m not taking any chances with theft, or lightning strikes.

 

[scootr]

I see another extinguisher on the service truck

 

[LouNY]

It must make it better having a market for rained on hay. Around here the only market is the mulch hay market which most years wouldn't even cover the cost of baling. Then all of a sudden that market will spike for a few markets. I've seen times we went in and chopped it into wagons or round baled it just to dump in the hedgerows.

 

[Hay Dude]

It must make it better having a market for rained on hay. Around here the only market is the mulch hay market which most years wouldn't even cover the cost of baling. Then all of a sudden that market will spike for a few markets. I've seen times we went in and chopped it into wagons or round baled it just to dump in the hedgerows.

Yes, with the mushroom hay market, we have a place to get $100-$120 per ton for ROH or lower quality hay. I see guys bring hay in from NY down here.
It really helps when you need a place to dispose of it.

 

[deserteagle71]

Doggone you, Hay Dude...all these pics of the Pennsylvania countryside are giving me nostalgia fits! Next year should be my 60th class reunion; I may just have to drive back there and wallow around in the Pennsylvania farm country for a week or so!

My brother baling hay, 1972:

 

[EddieWalker]

I can't make out what it says on the hood. What type of tractor is that? I haven't seen very many white colored tractors.

 

[deserteagle71]

I can't make out what it says on the hood. What type of tractor is that? I haven't seen very many white colored tractors.

David Brown 1200. Powered by a Perkins diesel. Very dependable tractor and very economical to run. There's a huge farm not far from here that runs a whole fleet of them, old as they are: