Anyone mow hay yet?

[buckeyefarmer]

CW would be from days of sicklebar mowers.
There was discussion recently regarding rotary mowing direction, and people seems to think CCW gives better cut. I can’t tell any difference and go the direction that seems safer for the hillside I’m on.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Apparently front mowers are relatively expensive and need to be ordered, BUT a right side mower is the proverbial "dime a dozen" AND they are often in stock at a dealer, so replacing one is fairly quick and they are cheaper than a front mower to replace.

The front mower is a little more expensive, but not all that much because the side mower has a complicated 3 point hitch hydraulic raise/lower suspension apparatus. I do mow counterclockwise to open up the field, then mow in straightest lines I can across it.

CW would be from days of sicklebar mowers.
There was discussion recently regarding rotary mowing direction, and people seems to think CCW gives better cut. I can’t tell any difference and go the direction that seems safer for the hillside I’m on.

It's amazing what a guy learns just reading this thread. Many thanks to you all who take time to share your experience.

And the respect shown between @Hay Dude and others shows what good people we have here. Thank you again for taking the time.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

also, almost all offset mowers are to the right side of the tractor, probably out of habit or custom. Even the lane shark I think only offsets to the right side. Also right side for mowing along roads in direction of traffic flow.

 

[redman135]

Most offset mowers etc are on the right side as most people are right handed so that is the side the controls are on. Also as 2/3 of the world keeps right ,it makes sense to have offset machines on the berm side of the road as opposed to the cetreline in keep left countries. Mowers make a huge blind spot on the centre line of the road in keep left countries. You can easily loose a car.

 

[CH4Ohio]

This is a little off-topic but someone in this "hay group" likely knows the answer . . .

I was looking for baler parts on the JD site. Happened to land on the small square baler overview page and noticed that one of the headline features of the JD 348 baler is "Automatic Lockout". I can't find any explanation or reference to this on the linked pages. Does anyone know what the "Automatic Lockout" feature is??

Thanks in advance!

 

[New property]

Hay taken off my field last week . Western Pa.

 

[Hay Dude]

Im still mowing hay and will be for another 10 days +

 

[oosik]

Down south about 80 miles - June 21. A couple of fields of alfalfa hay had been cut.

 

[cat fever]

I'm a little late here but I've been busy. Around here we had to cut early because it froze 2 nights in a row and the alfalfa just stops growing. Last year first cut I got 91 bales (3x4s) this year I got 45 because of cutting early. 2nd cut is not looking to good probably another 35-40 bales.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I did my small bales for the year... I got a sudden memory of why I was so happy as a kid when we stop making hay...

99 degree F... yes it gets hot in Northern Ontario as well

 

[Rockbadchild]

This is a section of the field I worked and seeded early last year, it is very healthy, notice how long the hay is and how close the bales are from each other. I am very happy with the results, it pays to put fertilizer!

 

[Hay Dude]

This is a section of the field I worked and seeded early last year, it is very healthy, notice how long the hay is and how close the bales are from each other. I am very happy with the results, it pays to put fertilizer!

View attachment 881842

Nice tonnage per acre!
Still has some color in it.
I don’t know how you guys do the rainy/cool weather.
I complain about rain/clouds. Nothing compared to my friends from Canada.

 

[EddieWalker]

Do you just cut and bale small areas at a time? Then pick them up as quickly as possible? Is that because of rain?

 

[Rockbadchild]

Nice tonnage per acre!
Still has some color in it.
I don’t know how you guys do the rainy/cool weather.
I complain about rain/clouds. Nothing compared to my friends from Canada.

I am not home so not sure what are the exact condition are right now my dad is doing it, but we make sure there is no rain in the forecast we usually get a few solid stretch of a week of hot weather and no rain so we wait for that window some years is easier then other and we wait for a heavy dew within that window which is a good indication that it won't rain. But ya rain extend the process and add a few cycle of raking.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Do you just cut and bale small areas at a time? Then pick them up as quickly as possible? Is that because of rain?

It depends but yes, you don't want to bite more then you can chew... and yes if it rains on it then you have to rake it many times to dry it off and there is a risk to ruin it, then if you cut and bale more then you can pick up and if it rain on it you ruin all these bales, separating the field minimize that risk. The issue is you have to rake it once around 9 to 10 am you can't do it too early because the humidity from the night need to be evaporated then once the row has been rotated you give it enough time for the humidity of the hay that was in contact with the ground to evaporate as well, then you can bale. So realistically it is 2-3pm by the time you start baling, you can leave them there after but it can't rain on it... any humidity in your bale cause the hay to heat up and rot causing lungs issues to both animals and humans.

 

[Hay Dude]

We never rake too far ahead of the baler if rain is in the area.
Made that mistake a few times. Painful to get that fixed.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Nice tonnage per acre!
Still has some color in it.
I don’t know how you guys do the rainy/cool weather.
I complain about rain/clouds. Nothing compared to my friends from Canada.

my dad figures we have 400 smalls square bales in that 3.7 acres area