Mow, Rake & Round Bale with 40 HP.

[Richard]

Question...

If you have (like we do) an IH 444 which I'm led to belive is 35 hp (might be wrong, and don't know if that's pto, or not)

None the less...

Looking for WIDEST cutter on back

Have a 5 foot beat to death rotary cutter, is their some other kind of cutter I can put back there that will go up to, say 8 feet? (more??)

most of what we have are hilly areas and near the edges of woods, I would not mind swapping back over to rotary cutter to beat back the "woods creap".

But cutting roughly 125 acres with a 5' cutter...sigh... I'm not looking forward to helping on that.

any impliments that might cut wider & be acceptable on the 444?

Thanks
Richard

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Richard,
I was wrong on the 2444/444 PTO HP it is 38. oops...
We are currently using a sickle bar cutter for hay, 6' I think. Rotary cutters are a bit high and the maintenance is high as well, Well cheap until you have to rebuild the guts of one, and very loud too. We cut enough hay to get our 200 head or so of cattle thru the winter and do not sell any. I am not sure how big of a rotary type of cutter you can use for hay on the 2444/444. 2444 is just the industrial version of the 444. Heavier front axle and a foot throttle in addition to the hand throttle.
As far as a brush hog type of cutter 8' might be a foot or so too large, not having run over a 7 ft myself on mine. I will check with my friend though and let you know.
My friend was rolling hay yesterday /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[rtimgray]

Just out of curiousity, are you referring to the rotary hay mowers as being high maintenance (as compared to a sickle bar mower)? What kind of rotary hay mowers have you been using? We have had a Kuhn (which was one of the earliest if not the earliest rotary mowers around our area, anyway) for about 16 years and we had to take it in for service once after we changed the gearbox oil and didn't get the plug tight and it fell out and the oil drained and ruined a couple of gears - still it was under $300 to fix. We have also replaced the belts one time (2 years ago). Besides that, we have had 0 problems with the machine - amazing in my opinion. We usually mow about 180 to 250 acres per year, and the fields are in pretty good shape, so its not like we abuse it, but still no problems.

I remember having alot more problems with our old Ford sickle bar mowers.

Take it easy

Tim Gray

 

[cowboydoc]

Just remember this is one persons post about what they think is best from another country. My opinion, CCI's opinion, or anyone else's is just that, their opinion and experience. There is very little real data to support any of it. There is sales date, etc. but I highly question the reliability of that as real life doesn't always support it, just like the medical field. You will see results from two people seeing the same set of data and numbers and they come up with two completely different conclusions. You can make #'s and data say about whatever you want.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Tim,
Ford sickle bar mowers, Yes they had lots of problems. I am not sure of the brand of rotary hay cutter my friend had trouble with.
But after 2 seasons it had to have about 1,500 worth of work on it.
so he sold it and went back to the sickle bar. New holland bar I think, It's pretty old and has no stickers left.
As posted here just my observations and opinions.

 

[rtimgray]

Wow - I don't know if you meant it that way, but your reply comes across to me as really, really condescending. I'm aware that opinions are alot like...well, you know what they're alot like. I was just trying to clarify if he was indeed talking about a rotary mower or some other type of mower. But hey, I appreciate you taking the time to educate me about facts versus people having opinions.

I'll be sure to tread more carefully next time.

Take it Easy

Tim Gray

 

[Woodbeef]

Whoa,I'm sure glad you understood what that post was all about,cause I sure did'nt!!

Is your Kuhn a disc mower?

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( your reply comes across to me as really, really condescending )</font>

Tim, I think you misunderstood what Cowboydoc was saying; only that we sometimes have different opinions based on our own experiences. Nothing condescending about that. He was just stressing the fact that sometimes our opinions are not an absolute fact.

 

[rtimgray]

Well, maybe I didn't understand it completely...just struck me sour is all.

Yes, the Kuhn is a disc mower - that is the proper name for the style. Sorry if that caused some confusion; is a rotary mower a different animal from a disc mower? I honestly have no idea - we've had such good luck with the Kuhn there's no reason to look for another one, and I know the difference between a sickle bar mower and a disc mower, and I guess a mower-conditioner, but maybe the rotary mower is something different still...

Take it Easy

Tim Gray

 

[rtimgray]

Again, just curious, but do I come across as the type of person that doesn't seem to be able to distinguish one person's opinion from evidence-based fact? It just seems odd that Cowboydoc would take an entire post to state the obvious (that opinions are often based on a person's experience and are not necessarily an all-encompassing fact). I guess that's what seemed strange to me. I would equate it to saying "You know, if you don't have any gas in your car, it won't run.."; kind of stating the obvious. I'll give the benefit of the doubt, as you often can't hear sarcasm, humor, or tone of voice when you read a post (other than your own) to Cowboydoc, that he probably wasn't trying to be mean or condescending - just helpful.

Take it Easy

Tim Gray

P.S. - For the record, I already knew that opinions were different from facts, even before Cowboydoc told me /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif