For a first timer in haying

[jerry shannon]

When looking for a hay mower,, do I look for Mower/conditioner or just a mower. Is a Moco better for horse hay than just a mower and will one be more expensive than the other? As you can tell I am new to haying. I will be looking for a good used mover, rake and round baler for this spring.

I know this is a question of brand loyalty but is a John Deere mover any better than a good New Holland? Seems that in round balers there were strong opinions on a John Deere round baler over a NH. Is that the case on mowers? Thank you.

 

[Tx Jim]

What type of hay you're going to cut will determine if you need a conditioner although a conditioner will speed up drying time a little in all types of hay. Cutter with a conditioner will require more HP to successfully operate than just a cutter bar.

 

[avillahdw]

As Tx Jim said, there are many variables to this. I personally use just a mower as most of the time of the year I am cutting, shortening the drying time by a day is not normally an issue. I use a new holland cutter, rake and vermeer 4x5 baler. When looking for a baler, one of the main things to consider is net vs string. Net baler are much more expensive but bale faster due to less time wrapping. They also have advantage if hay will be stored outside. I bale 200-300 per year and store mostly under roof so I have not found a justifiable reason to upgrade to a net wrap. Once again, many opinions on this also. Good luck!

 

[jerry shannon]

What type of hay you're going to cut will determine if you need a conditioner although a conditioner will speed up drying time a little in all types of hay. Cutter with a conditioner will require more HP to successfully operate than just a cutter bar.

I will be using an Oliver 1855 Diesel. 100hp at the pto. My field is grass and alfalfa. More grass than alfalfa.

 

[jerry shannon]

As Tx Jim said, there are many variables to this. I personally use just a mower as most of the time of the year I am cutting, shortening the drying time by a day is not normally an issue. I use a new holland cutter, rake and vermeer 4x5 baler. When looking for a baler, one of the main things to consider is net vs string. Net baler are much more expensive but bale faster due to less time wrapping. They also have advantage if hay will be stored outside. I bale 200-300 per year and store mostly under roof so I have not found a justifiable reason to upgrade to a net wrap. Once again, many opinions on this also. Good luck!

Thank you. I will be storing inside. Now I have 4x4 bales which I put on pallets to keep off the dirt floor. Works great. I use about 70 to 100 round bales per year. I like the wrap but not married to it. Thank you for the response.

 

[Tx Jim]

Since you have Alfalfa you'll need a conditioner or a tedder.

 

[jerry shannon]

Since you have Alfalfa you'll need a conditioner or a tedder.

Would it be better to get a tedder and a mower rather than a mower/conditioner? Dollars and cents wise.

 

[Halftrack]

You will want/need a conditioner for making alfalfa hay in your area. The conditioner will shorten drying times by about a day. In our area, (just south of you), mow on Monday morning, and hopefully rake on wednesday prior to noon and make hay that afternoon. That is an ideal situation, dependant on overnight dew, wind, and relative humidity. A conditioner or crimper will crush the stem of the alfalfa stalk to open it up for moisture release, yet not damage the leaves. The tedder can assist in drying by allowing you to redistribute a windrow, which exposes more of the stems to sunlight and dry air. With most of the big guys going to high speed disc mowers, the availability of 9' up to 12' mower conditioners has increased. Your 1855 would handle either just fine. Green or red, watch for the condition of the rubber rolls, gear boxes, sickle drives and parts sources. The 9' NH will almost rust out before it stops working. The 12' models may be an issue in some smaller fields and you did not say how many acres you are planning on tackling. Happy haying.

 

[jerry shannon]

You will want/need a conditioner for making alfalfa hay in your area. The conditioner will shorten drying times by about a day. In our area, (just south of you), mow on Monday morning, and hopefully rake on wednesday prior to noon and make hay that afternoon. That is an ideal situation, dependant on overnight dew, wind, and relative humidity. A conditioner or crimper will crush the stem of the alfalfa stalk to open it up for moisture release, yet not damage the leaves. The tedder can assist in drying by allowing you to redistribute a windrow, which exposes more of the stems to sunlight and dry air. With most of the big guys going to high speed disc mowers, the availability of 9' up to 12' mower conditioners has increased. Your 1855 would handle either just fine. Green or red, watch for the condition of the rubber rolls, gear boxes, sickle drives and parts sources. The 9' NH will almost rust out before it stops working. The 12' models may be an issue in some smaller fields and you did not say how many acres you are planning on tackling. Happy haying.

I will be haying about 25 acres. Thank you for the great ideas and point of view. Will keep you informed.

 

[D7E]

No one would dream of using a tedder for alfalfa here , It would cnock the leaves off and make it worthless . We bale about 2500 round and large square and i just use 2 sickle haybines with rubber crimper rolls And try not to move it at all but usually just a gentle roll over with a basket rake a few hours in front of the baler is neccessary .