Anyone mow hay yet?

[Hay Dude]

Long straggly cuts can be from dull knives or blades but is often from hay that has been knocked down by weather or animal traffic. The wind can lay it over so you have along cut traveling in one direction and a short cut in the opposite direction.

We always called that "lodged" hay

 

[Hay Dude]

Gettin into the “big uns” now. Some of these fields are 75-100 acres. Crazy days of getting up at 5 and coming home 9PM. Equipment’s hurtin. Lots of hours. Stoppin for Leaks but no food.

 

[YLee Kioti]

Long straggly cuts can be from dull knives or blades but is often from hay that has been knocked down by weather or animal traffic. The wind can lay it over so you have along cut traveling in one direction and a short cut in the opposite direction.

Interesting...cause I notice when walking down the land down that the deer have a lot of beds out there.
So that may be another reason.
I try to get all my limbing work out of the way to allow the field to have undisturbed growth.
We just had about 7 hours of steady downfall of rain from this south Texas system.
Hopefully the ground will finish soaking it up and at the end of the month I can give it a clean cut.
Looking forward to spraying the remainder of the huisache after the rains. They should be getting perky!

 

[LHF2019]

Gettin into the “big uns” now. Some of these fields are 75-100 acres. Crazy days of getting up at 5 and coming home 9PM. Equipment’s hurtin. Lots of hours. Stoppin for Leaks but no food.

View attachment 876340


View attachment 876341

Sounds like me only I made it worse by taking a preload job at UPS. Hard physical labor 5-930am. Getting up at 3am. Then make hay all day. Maintenance lacking. Down a mower and haven't even started tearing down. I knew I did a lot between 6-9am during the summer but until you don't have those hours don't realize how much you miss them. Behind on checking cattle in pastures. Some haven't seen for over a week. Wagons loaded with hay that need unloaded. Equipment needing greased, corn needing planted, sprayed, baleage made. And I need a nap.

Always enjoyed those early cool mornings before the day heated up. I think that's what I miss the most right now.

 

[Hay Dude]

Sounds like me only I made it worse by taking a preload job at UPS. Hard physical labor 5-930am. Getting up at 3am. Then make hay all day. Maintenance lacking. Down a mower and haven't even started tearing down. I knew I did a lot between 6-9am during the summer but until you don't have those hours don't realize how much you miss them. Behind on checking cattle in pastures. Some haven't seen for over a week. Wagons loaded with hay that need unloaded. Equipment needing greased, corn needing planted, sprayed, baleage made. And I need a nap.

Always enjoyed those early cool mornings before the day heated up. I think that's what I miss the most right now.

My “side gig” is property maintenance (mowing, tree work, etc.)
Really beat up now. Not eating much, losing weight, but still alive!

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

How is the added rear cutter working out for you? I assume it's not twice as fast since there would probably be more work missing obstacles and maybe some added turn around time, but is it meeting your expectations?

 

[LHF2019]

My “side gig” is property maintenance (mowing, tree work, etc.)
Really beat up now. Not eating much, losing weight, but still alive!

I know that. Since starting at UPS and then adding summer I have had to punch in 3 more holes in the my belt.

 

[Hay Dude]

How is the added rear cutter working out for you? I assume it's not twice as fast since there would probably be more work missing obstacles and maybe some added turn around time, but is it meeting your expectations?

It’s definitely making shorter work of fields, but it was a lot of $.
My goal was to increase speed/decrease time since I took on 150 more acres since last year.
It’s the same mowing width as front mower 10-6” , but you’re lucky if you get an extra 8-9’. I guess that’s about a 75-80% increase…

 

[redman135]

Hello. Haydude. Re post #95 and the rocks beside the fence. I saw a hay contractor mowing ANTICLOCKWISE!!! (first time I saw that )one day and later asked him why he mowed "wrong way"?
Apparently front mowers are relatively expensive and need to be ordered, BUT a right side mower is the proverbial "dime a dozen" AND they are often in stock at a dealer, so replacing one is fairly quick and they are cheaper than a front mower to replace.
Perhaps mowing wrong way on the opening round or two would work for you and give you some peace of mind.

 

[Hay Dude]

Hello. Haydude. Re post #95 and the rocks beside the fence. I saw a hay contractor mowing ANTICLOCKWISE!!! (first time I saw that )one day and later asked him why he mowed "wrong way"?
Apparently front mowers are relatively expensive and need to be ordered, BUT a right side mower is the proverbial "dime a dozen" AND they are often in stock at a dealer, so replacing one is fairly quick and they are cheaper than a front mower to replace.
Perhaps mowing wrong way on the opening round or two would work for you and give you some peace of mind.

True, but I did not have the side mower in that photo and the side mower is a lot newer. The front mower is a little more expensive, but not all that much because the side mower has a complicated 3 point hitch hydraulic raise/lower suspension apparatus. I do mow counterclockwise to open up the field, then mow in straightest lines I can across it.
Good thoughts though