[Guja0501]

First cutting is down. How close is the rest of GTT?

 

[JD4052M]

Here in SE Missouri almost everyone cut last Friday or Saturday, and most are baling today or did yesterday.

 

[JD4430]

Passed on this window. Really need 4 days minimum this time of year and only got 3 and now there are pop ups all over today. Glad I didn’t take the bait

 

[MTB98]

It’s been raining every 2-3 days for what seems like months here in central Indiana. It rained most of last week. Saturday was no rain but windy. We cut 1/2 acre on Sunday, tedded it yesterday, my son just raked it and we are baling it this evening whether it’s ready or not since rain is forecast for tomorrow morning. Very few fields cut, only smaller ones. I only saw one small parcel that has been square baled with the bales on the ground this morning and one guy out raking. I could really use an old hay crimper right now.
We spent the first part of the weekend pulling the plunger from the baler and putting in new slides. Hopefully that fixes the occasional tying problems. Tonight will be the test flight.

 

[Guja0501]

Passed on this window. Really need 4 days minimum this time of year and only got 3 and now there are pop ups all over today. Glad I didn’t take the bait

Hopefully your 4 days come soon!

It’s been raining every 2-3 days for what seems like months here in central Indiana. It rained most of last week. Saturday was no rain but windy. We cut 1/2 acre on Sunday, tedded it yesterday, my son just raked it and we are baling it this evening whether it’s ready or not since rain is forecast for tomorrow morning. Very few fields cut, only smaller ones. I only saw one small parcel that has been square baled with the bales on the ground this morning and one guy out raking. I could really use an old hay crimper right now.
We spent the first part of the weekend pulling the plunger from the baler and putting in new slides. Hopefully that fixes the occasional tying problems. Tonight will be the test flight.

Fingers crossed for you!

 

[jdmich]

Uncle and cousin did 2 of our smaller fields over the weekend. They wish they’d cut more as was great weather and dried fast. Cut Saturday and baled it last night. Wasn’t real thick yet but got normal amount off. Saying rain tonight then we’ll see about doing some more fields.

 

[offroad00]

Put down a small portion or our brome on Saturday with the sickle mower and was able to put it up yesterday before the rain.

What are you guys using to mow your hay down with on your compact tractors? I would like to come up with a good disc mower to run, but haven't found anything affordable.

 

[MTB98]

Put down a small portion or our brome on Saturday with the sickle mower and was able to put it up yesterday before the rain.

What are you guys using to mow your hay down with on your compact tractors? I would like to come up with a good disc mower to run, but haven't found anything affordable.

I run a Kuhn GMD33 disc mower. It’s a 4’ mower. Deere sold the same mower just painted green. They’re not really common.
Tractortoolsdirect.com sells small drum mowers.

 

[Guja0501]

What are you guys using to mow your hay down with on your compact tractors?

Others like @MTB98 will have to chime in.

It's been a topic of discussion a couple of times, but for the price we are charged (for cutting, flipping/tedding, and baling), the ROI (for said equipment) is too far out there.

 

[MTB98]

Others like @MTB98 will have to chime in.

It's been a topic of discussion a couple of times, but for the price we are charged (for cutting, flipping/tedding, and baling), the ROI (for said equipment) is too far out there.

I bought mine used. It was still expensive but I guess it’s what you find to be affordable. An old sickle is the cheapest way to cut it. It’s a lot slower and not nearly as much fun.
Other hay equipment like a Rollabar rake or wheel rake or a two basket tedder can be ran with a small tractor very easily.

 

[JD4430]

Did mow today though not hay. Knocked down the rye. It is a 7-10 drying and bleaching process. Try predicting the forecast that far out. And we need rain on it. Couple tenths is good.

 

[offroad00]

I run a Kuhn GMD33 disc mower. It’s a 4’ mower. Deere sold the same mower just painted green. They’re not really common.
Tractortoolsdirect.com sells small drum mowers.

Thanks for the feedback on this, I am not seeing to much out there in the way of 4 to 5 ft in the used market. See alot of larger ones, and was wondering if I could buy a larger one and remove several of the turtles and make it smaller, but I really need to take a closer look at the cutter bar, I know some of the older ones (I believe the gear driven ones could not be easily shortened). I know some of the later NH ones have a shaft that runs between the turtles and they may be a candidate for what I am after.

 

[offroad00]

Others like @MTB98 will have to chime in.

It's been a topic of discussion a couple of times, but for the price we are charged (for cutting, flipping/tedding, and baling), the ROI (for said equipment) is too far out there.

I agree the ROI is pretty steep on haying equipment for compacts. My neighbor currently puts up majority of my hay for me, but due to the smaller size of my fields and I know not to far off he will be retiring I would like to gain the ability to do it myself. Besides I like doing this type of work, it is more of a stress reliever for me, which is probably why I help local neighbors and my relatives with wheat and fall harvest every year.

My main hang up at this point is I would like to stay with round bales as opposed to square because I remember the days of my youth handling small squares and as I get older I really don't want to do that again, besides I would have to use up some of my shed space to store them as well. I also remember the frustration when the baler wasn't tying right and really don't want to deal with that again.

 

[MTB98]

Yesterday evening I baled 51 from the 1/2 acre cut. No tying problems so I think i have fixed those issue with new bill hooks and wiper arms last year and the new slides this year. Now in need to shim the knives to make a clean edge on the cut side of the bale. I’m really glad I only cut half an acre. 3 days isn’t long enough to dry it out. This hay is going to be fed right to the cows over the next 10-14 days.
Rain in the forecast next two days then a few dry days then more rain. Ugh.

 

[MTB98]

I agree the ROI is pretty steep on haying equipment for compacts.

I also remember the frustration when the baler wasn't tying right and really don't want to deal with that again.

ROI for any sized hay equipment is steep, especially is you want newer stuff. You need to make a lot of hay to cover $75,000-100,00 in equipment- and that’s running used stuff. If you can fix up some old junk and buy it right it’s not too bad. As long as it’s functional it will keep its value.
Round balers aren’t foolproof and have their own share of issues to contend with. Knotters on square balers can be temperamental but once you work with them a bit and with the help of YouTube and Internet forums and online sources of info, troubleshooting them isn’t magical voodoo science.

 

[Guja0501]

Besides I like doing this type of work, it is more of a stress reliever for me,

I know what you mean, a bad day on the tractor is better than a good day at work (for those of us who are not retired).

 

[MTB98]

Thanks for the feedback on this, I am not seeing to much out there in the way of 4 to 5 ft in the used market. See alot of larger ones, and was wondering if I could buy a larger one and remove several of the turtles and make it smaller, but I really need to take a closer look at the cutter bar, I know some of the older ones (I believe the gear driven ones could not be easily shortened). I know some of the later NH ones have a shaft that runs between the turtles and they may be a candidate for what I am after.

The main concern with a disc or drum mower on a compact is the weight cantilevered over to one side. I don’t know about removing turtles, it seems like it would cause more problems even if it was possible. It doesn’t take much HP to run the cutters. There are smaller cutters out there, it might take awhile to find them. My neighbor saw this one on Craigslist and forwarded it to me. I drove about 4 hours each way to get it (which I recouped the first time I cut with it instead of a sickle!🤣).

 

[Guja0501]

Google maps to the rescue!

Well sort of...
I feel dumb and embarrassed, but I measured our hay fields in google maps and found out we over estimated the acreage. We took the word of the person who originally cut the field for us and never verified it. Oh well, life goes on.
Now to have the conversation with the neighbor who charges by the acre.

 

[PJR832]

We've done four fields so far, a little thin, we've had second cutting on a good year that yielded more bales. My FIL is mowing two more fields that we spend a little more time on with lime and fertilizer this afternoon. The yield on those two field should be better, but time will tell, they are filling out very nicely in the last couple of weeks.

 

[JD4430]

Google maps to the rescue!

Well sort of...
I feel dumb and embarrassed, but I measured our hay fields in google maps and found out we over estimated the acreage. We took the word of the person who originally cut the field for us and never verified it. Oh well, life goes on.
Now to have the conversation with the neighbor who charges by the acre.

I use this site for acreage and to find soil types and information.

Web Soil Survey - Home

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is the Federal agency that works in partnership with the American people to conserve and sustain natural resources on private lands.

websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov