The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[sixdogs]

Eddie, Tractors are perfectly legal on the roads, if they follow the rules. I think all you need is flashers/lights on and the slow moving vehicle triangle on the back. We see them regularly here too on our county roads. Just be patient and pass when and where it is safe.

Although one time I did see a giant tractor with some huge attachment that I couldn't identify on the interstate 94 bridge crossing the river between MN and WI - AT RUSH HOUR! In addition to being certifiably nutz, I'm pretty sure that was not legal. That made a mess of things while I was coming through myself, but I don't know if it caused any accidents. You could probably safely get away with that late into the evening or overnight, but at 5PM that was a seriously dumb move.

Around here, and I believe much of the country, farmers have right of way on the roads and God forbid if you hit one with an SMV emblem and lights on it. Guys farm here with tractors and duals that are wider than country roads and a real challenge on even the two lanes.

Farmers haul all sorts of stuff on the road but if it's a secure load, and often it doesn't matter, you're all good. No one says anything and city people don't seem to be inconvenienced. They do pass your 20mph at 60mph, often not safely, but I'm not in charge of their behavior.

I used to pull over and do all sorts of things to be a nice guy but learned I should not do that for liability reasons. Just load up and go and like you're supposed to. Life in the country is life in the country.

 

[Hay Dude]

Around here, and I believe much of the country, farmers have right of way on the roads and God forbid if you hit one with an SMV emblem and lights on it. Guys farm here with tractors and duals that are wider than country roads and a real challenge on even the two lanes.

Farmers hear all sorts of stuff on the road but if it's a secure load, and often it doesn't matter, you're all good. No one says anything and city people don't seem to be inconvenienced. They do pass your 20mph at 60mph, often not safely, but I'm not in charge of their behavior.

I used to pull over and do all sorts of things to be a nice guy but learned I should not do that for liability reasons. Just load up and go and like you're supposed to. Life in the country is life in the country.

I pretty much stopped pulling over, too. So many drivers have done so many stupid things, flipped me the bird, etc that I just don’t have a lot of kindness left

 

[LouNY]

The most that we are on the road is usually just a mile or 2, once in awhile it will be 3-5, and for one late hay cutting it's about 13 miles. But most of the bales are hauled on trailers for that hay. But no, no pulling over, no riding on the shoulder, We aren't tearing up equipment or tires to let idiots get by a few minutes faster. The worst times are slowing to make left turns at intersections or field roads and have them trying to come flying around as I'm turning left. If the on coming traffic is clear I pull over and straddle the center line of the road if it has one as I slow down for the turn.

 

[Hay Dude]

Final baling day, or at least I think so….

Just a small field. Made (12) 2K bales. Hard to get hay up dry now. I’m 50% sure someone will call me that couldn’t get baled up and ask me to help them, but for now, that’s the end of 2023 hay.

A few pics.

Saying goodbye to this Redtail Hawk

Bringing the last bales to their stacking spot. Amazing how many of my fields have very few flat spots to stack. If the bales are even on a 2-3 degree angle, when you return, they may have tumbled over.

Here’s a stack ready to truck out.

One last look back at this small lightly productive field.
It’s about 10 acres and made (12) 2,000lb bales Or about 1&1/4 tons per acre.

 

[mrmikey]

I will say HD, you do a nice job on the fields.

 

[Hay Dude]

Thanks! I try!

I’ll get some bale trucking and winter maintenance photos going

 

[FriendwithTractor]

Just a curiosity question: In my area, it's variable sized round bales as opposed to large squares. What was the deciding factor for you? What customers want/trucking/stacking ease?

Loving the thread and the pictures, keep it up!

 

[Hay Dude]

Just a curiosity question: In my area, it's variable sized round bales as opposed to large squares. What was the deciding factor for you? What customers want/trucking/stacking ease?

Loving the thread and the pictures, keep it up!

I did round bales for 15+ years. They are a viable option because you can make them with a smaller tractor and the baler itself is less expensive. However, the process of round baling is slower, the bales are smaller and they are much harder to stack on the trucks.

I made 4x5 round bales that average about 900 pounds. With a square baler, I can make 4x4x8’s at 2,000lbs. I can also make shorter square bales like 5 feet long and about 1,000 pounds, and sell to my feed hay customers.

Another big reason for me is in MY area square bales are more widely accepted. Generally speaking though, they are faster to bale and easier to haul & stack. That saves a lot of time and of course, time is money.

 

[Molalla1]

I did round bales for 15+ years. They are a viable option because you can make them with a smaller tractor and the baler itself is less expensive. However, the process of round baling is slower, the bales are smaller and they are much harder to stack on the trucks.

I made 4x5 round bales that average about 900 pounds. With a square baler, I can make 4x4x8’s at 2,000lbs. I can also make shorter square bales like 5 feet long and about 1,000 pounds, and sell to my feed hay customers.

Another big reason for me is in MY area square bales are more widely accepted. Generally speaking though, they are faster to bale and easier to haul & stack. That saves a lot of time and of course, time is money.

My friend you are a professional . . .

 

[Hay Dude]

I caught this little guy hanging out at field’s edge while gathering up some bales.

 

[MoKelly]

I caught this little guy hanging out at field’s edge while gathering up some bales.

View attachment 828535

Good eyes! I could easily have missed it.

 

[Hay Dude]

Good eyes! I could easily have missed it.

I was an avid of a bowhunter back in the day. I could spot deer where others couldn’t see them.

 

[Hay Dude]

Caught this guy crossing the field shortly after sunrise this morning While carrying a bale with the tractor.

He is heading up to the old railroad berm that was abandoned about the same time all the industry dried up and left the once great state of Pennsylvania. Once the envy of the nation in manufacturing. Now just a rust belt state, hollowed out by foreign manufacturing, unions, greed and corruption.

 

[dodge man]

Wow, you read a lot into seeing that deer!

 

[Hay Dude]

Wow, you read a lot into seeing that deer!

Yeah, it just hits me sometimes, you know? We have lost so much. I wish we could go back to being that center of industry again…

 

[pmsmechanic]

Yeah, it just hits me sometimes, you know? We have lost so much. I wish we could go back to being that center of industry again…

The UAW just put another nail in that coffin.

 

[Hay Dude]

We basically have ONE industry still puttering along, the Lenape Forge. They make things like aluminum castings, tubes, etc for the department of defense (torpedo tubes, rocket tubes, fuselages, etc.). Other than that, what we made here is all now made in China.

 

[Hay Dude]

Excuse me for that small rant.

Yesterday and the last 5-6days we did a lot of weed wacking. Our customers farm has a pond and stream that cuts through about 1000’ of the property. Each year we cut around all that at the end of growing season.
In the background you can see where the once mighty B&O railroad tracks & berm is. The long trail of weeds left uncut in the small stream. At the base of the berm you see 2 yellow steel posts (water company pipeline markers). In between them is a tunnel with a long 6’ diameter pipe under the railroad berm for the stream to run through. The workmanship on the tunnels they built back in 1900’s was amazing. It will long outlive any of us. We used to build things to last seemingly forever.

I have since finished cutting the weeds in the stream. Needed my waterproof boots for that part.

Not very glamorous work, but it really gives you time to appreciate what you have, think about what we have lost. Think about the 100’s of years of sweat poured into this farm by the family that preceded me.…
This is the most beautifully haunting place to me. On a hot sunny day it feels full of life. On a cold cloudy day, the emptiness of no livestock, the fields dormant, nobody living here can send a chill up your spine.

I almost feel like I was put here to take over the work and to make sure this place continues to be farmed & maintained. I ain’t getting any younger. Who will take over from me?

Nobody lives here on the farm anymore. The house stands as a “museum” of sorts. It represents the work ethic of a German immigrant family that gave it everything they had and succeeded. It was sold to a Conservancy in the 90’s. They are a blessing to our community. They have preserved much farm land from the ravages ox urban sprawl and ugly vinyl box houses.

 

[workinonit]

I like the way you think. The answer is, some young farmer will come along with an old soul that is as passionate as you are and willing to do the work. Or maybe not. Maybe it will grow up and return to nature. The good news is one of your last thoughts will be your memory of the work you did. I sometimes fear for the new generations. There may came a day when they don't have anyone that even knows how to grow food to feed them. God bless the farmers of this country.

 

[tradosaurus]

I enjoy reading your posts. Concerning the weed wacking have you thought about buying a wheeled string trimmer?