Disc Mower Tips

[ddivinia]

As you know I have broken out a couple window in my cab with my disc mower on a mower caddy. Well, I just finished up 100 acres with no broken windows. I raised the front of the mower a tad more (3 turns on the 3 point) and it is throwing nothing now. Also, the grass is in better shape so I am much happier with things. I am still planning on building a rear guard, but it is not as urgent now.

I am learning as I go, I am not fortunate to have a mentor guiding me here.

So, you can have the mower too low and well with a mower caddy it puts it in a better spot to bust out windows.

D.

 

[AKfish]

D. - glad to hear that you're makin' things easier for yourself... can't be much fun pickin' glass outta everything and then payin' for a new one!

And, it's always a rougher ride when you don't have somebody to point out the bad spots in the road before you go through 'em!

How many cutting does this one make for the season?

Best of luck.

AKfish

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Thanks for the tip Darin.

Are you slinging rocks I'm guessing?

 

[ddivinia]

D. - glad to hear that you're makin' things easier for yourself... can't be much fun pickin' glass outta everything and then payin' for a new one!

And, it's always a rougher ride when you don't have somebody to point out the bad spots in the road before you go through 'em!

How many cutting does this one make for the season?

Best of luck.

AKfish

Yeah - making progress. When those windows break - it will wake you up for sure.

2.5 cuttings seems to be the norm. I got a godo 1st cutting. A horrible 2nd cutting (no rain) and I am doing the 3d which most would call my 2nd to be honest. It is looking good. I have all 100 acres cut. Front 33 acres is raked and I am baling it. Wife is in the back 66 acres raking it up. So far 23 bales and I think I have covered about half of that front pasture.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

Thanks for the tip Darin.

Are you slinging rocks I'm guessing?

I was slinging rocks, it is much better now. I broke out a side window in the first cutting and the main rear window on the 2nd cutting. I made it thru this cutting with no broken windows.

We sprigged these pastures in 3/07. New pastures, not totally covered yet - it happens.

I am on track to maybe make 250 bales off them this year so I can't complain too much for a new pastures I guess. Especially considering this is the first year and it has been pretty dry.

Also, those rocks will get into everything. I have one get stuck in the pickup reel auger. it jammed the pick up reel clutch and wasted it. My dealer told me you get 3 slips and it is toast. Since I bought it used, who knows how many times it has slipped. I put a new one on it a couple week ago with a new chain. I am going to add the slip clutch system to the baler. $250 or so for the parts. It will alert you if the main drive clutch or pickup clutch is slipping.

Some people will tell me I am fool if you don't hear the pickup clutch slipping but that is not always true. In a John Deere cab - it can be hard to hear. Open the rear window and it is obvious what is going on.

D.

 

[jimg]

So what does that making your mowing height? Seems the front skirt would catch the rocks but I guess it didnt (at least some of the time).

 

[ddivinia]

So what does that making your mowing height? Seems the front skirt would catch the rocks but I guess it didnt (at least some of the time).

I do not know. I'll measure it once I hook it back up to clean it up.

Where do you run yours?

D.

 

[jimg]

Dont own one yet...but when I do itll be a Kuhn pull behind....at least based on whats currently available. I dont have a cab on my tractor but mow at between 3 and 4" (closer to 4 than 3) w/ my current mower.

 

[ddivinia]

Dont own one yet...but when I do itll be a Kuhn pull behind....at least based on whats currently available. I dont have a cab on my tractor but mow at between 3 and 4" (closer to 4 than 3) w/ my current mower.

What kind of mower are you using?

Are you cutting hay?

D.

 

[chh]

I have never actually measured the heighth that I cut at. I have always adjusted it by whether it "looked" right or not. 3" to 4" is about the right height from all that I have read. If the tips of the blades are showing a lot of wear quickly or if you see a lot of dirt or dust coming out of the cover, it is set too low. On the Krone's the cover should look level or even a bit high in front. I wear steel toed boots usually and when I hook a mower up I want to be able to slide the toe of the boot under the front of the blades and have room to spare. For me if fields are rough, have quite a few small rocks or gopher piles I generally set it to cut a bit higher if I see it trying to kick up too much dirt ect. I had a customer put me in a field this year that he said was mowed last year and "they didn't have any trouble". It is amazing how far one of these mowers can throw baseball sized rocks. I ended up changing 4 blades and walking out the area that had rocks in it. I noticed that he didn't say anything about the skipped area in the field.

 

[ddivinia]

I have never actually measured the heighth that I cut at. I have always adjusted it by whether it "looked" right or not. 3" to 4" is about the right height from all that I have read. If the tips of the blades are showing a lot of wear quickly or if you see a lot of dirt or dust coming out of the cover, it is set too low. On the Krone's the cover should look level or even a bit high in front. I wear steel toed boots usually and when I hook a mower up I want to be able to slide the toe of the boot under the front of the blades and have room to spare. For me if fields are rough, have quite a few small rocks or gopher piles I generally set it to cut a bit higher if I see it trying to kick up too much dirt ect. I had a customer put me in a field this year that he said was mowed last year and "they didn't have any trouble". It is amazing how far one of these mowers can throw baseball sized rocks. I ended up changing 4 blades and walking out the area that had rocks in it. I noticed that he didn't say anything about the skipped area in the field.

I will check mine when I pull it out to change the oil, blades, etc.

All my blades have nicks in them, but i figure that has to be normal. How screwed up were the blades that you replaced?

D.
\

 

[jimg]

What kind of mower are you using?

Are you cutting hay?

D.

A MF725...older 7' sickle moco. Yes, I cut hay w/ it this yr. Worked really good ex in soaked grass which caused it to clog repeatedly.

 

[ddivinia]

A MF725...older 7' sickle moco. Yes, I cut hay w/ it this yr. Worked really good ex in soaked grass which caused it to clog repeatedly.

Good deal - I discovered the same. I don't cut too early if we have dew - it just gets me in a bad mood.

D.

 

[chh]

I will check mine when I pull it out to change the oil, blades, etc.

All my blades have nicks in them, but i figure that has to be normal. How screwed up were the blades that you replaced?

D.
\

One set was bent up about 1" or so and the other set had one blade bent down at almost a right angle and the other one bent enough to hit. It was making enough noise that I could hear it clanging in the cab of the 5455 with the stereo on and I'm about 1/2 deaf. IF I do hay for him next year, there are 2 small fields that I will refuse to cut. So far in the last 3 or 4 years no one has done hay for him more than once.

 

[ddivinia]

One set was bent up about 1" or so and the other set had one blade bent down at almost a right angle and the other one bent enough to hit. It was making enough noise that I could hear it clanging in the cab of the 5455 with the stereo on and I'm about 1/2 deaf. IF I do hay for him next year, there are 2 small fields that I will refuse to cut. So far in the last 3 or 4 years no one has done hay for him more than once.

Wow! I thought I had some big rocks. Some of my rocks have been big enough to jam my pickup feed augers. A chisel and sledge hammer had to be used on one this weekend...

D.

 

[slowzuki]

You must have a centre pivot swather! I've got some rocks up to the rollers, a few have gone through. Often I'll find a big one sitting on the grass board over the hold downs.

This normally only happens when I cut the field in a different pattern than it has been cut historically. You can see the scars on the rocks from the years of mowing.

Wow! I thought I had some big rocks. Some of my rocks have been big enough to jam my pickup feed augers. A chisel and sledge hammer had to be used on one this weekend...

D.