Flail or finish mower to mow a "resting" hayfield?

[TractorToolsDirect]

I would go with the flail. Better results in a wider variety of conditions. No clumping.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I just can't imagine it being much of a hay field if it's even possible to cut it with a finish mower. The way any hay fields around here grow, it would never happen, as a finish mower just wouldn't get it done...

SO, I'm at a loss about that one, around here you'd need a good "rotary cutter" to cut a hay field and a decent tractor that could take that load for the hours it would take, in the warm weather.

SR

 

[aczlan]

We have 35 acres total, so the total of all three fields is probably around 15 acres. Its a pretty small setup, but we don't need that much hay so it works for us.

Aaron Z

 

[ovrszd]

I just can't imagine it being much of a hay field if it's even possible to cut it with a finish mower. The way any hay fields around here grow, it would never happen, as a finish mower just wouldn't get it done...

SO, I'm at a loss about that one, around here you'd need a good "rotary cutter" to cut a hay field and a decent tractor that could take that load for the hours it would take, in the warm weather.

SR

I think the "load" issue will be next year or 2 years from now after repeated short cuttings. Then letting it mature and cutting it for hay. A Sickle mower ain't doing it. A Disc mower and slow speed will definitely be required. The short cuttings will cause all the various grasses to stool and thicken their population.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I just can't imagine it being much of a hay field if it's even possible to cut it with a finish mower. The way any hay fields around here grow, it would never happen, as a finish mower just wouldn't get it done...

SO, I'm at a loss about that one, around here you'd need a good "rotary cutter" to cut a hay field and a decent tractor that could take that load for the hours it would take, in the warm weather.

SR

That was basically my thought. Once my hay gets more than about 12" tall the flail won't cut it, it just wraps around the rotor. If I'm not cutting for hay I use a bush hog.

 

[ovrszd]

Aaron has already stated he plans to keep it clipped short. This time of year any kind of mower will get you started if you don't delay too long.

 

[flusher]

Use your brush hog. Sharpen the blades the same as you do for a riding lawnmower. That will get you the cut you want. You don't need another type of mower for this job.

Good luck

 

[aczlan]

Use your brush hog. Sharpen the blades the same as you do for a riding lawnmower. That will get you the cut you want. You don't need another type of mower for this job.

Thought about that, but its a 5' cutter and the L3830 is 6.6' wide, so you end up with a set of roostertails on each side from the grass that gets squished down and not cut.
The B7500 is narrow enough to work, but it has a quarter inching valve and the bushhog drifts down (from the valve handle bouncing around I think) unless I close the drop speed valve (which makes it so I cant pick it up as needed).
The BX2660 will beat you up if you go very fast and it seems hard on it to mow the field.
Why did we get a 60" mower? It was $75 on CL and it fit our needs at the time (it needed a new deck, I traded a deck for mowing a field at the local fab shop).

Aaron Z

 

[Bigfoot62]

I think either one would work. I agree with what's already been said about the flail vs. finish, but I'm not sure that you have enough tractor to use either one.