Can you combine two alfalfa windrows when baling with a small baler?

[svenlylethor]

I have NH 570 and MF 1840 balers I'm wondering if either of them would be able to handle baling 2 windrows at a time. I have a 12 ft rotor and am thinking about raking alfalfa from two windrows together and baling them up, though I've never tried. I'd assume you just go a little slower and make sure you don't plug the baler.

A neighbor tried doing this once and said his baler couldn't handle it but I think he tried to combine 3 windrows, not 2. I just thought I'd ask one of you guys to see if you have gotten this to work. I have a NH rake but it doesn't merge. Thought I'd test this with a small field and if it works, buy a larger rake that would combine 2 windrows.

 

[Halftrack]

Your neighbor's issue was probably that his tractor would not go slow enough in that situation with the double windrows. So the main question is whether your tractor is geared low enough to feed the double windrow and still have 14 to 17 plunger strokes per bale. There have been times in heavy hay that I have been at bottom gear and less than 1 mph to get uniform bales. Below 13 strokes, I lose consistency and the bales want to banana.

 

[flusher]

My neighbor did this all the time when he had a 25-acre alfalfa field (it's now a plum orchard for prunes--more money in prunes than in hay). He combined rows near the end of the mowing season when the windrows made by his swather became thinner.

Good luck.

 

[svenlylethor]

Your neighbor's issue was probably that his tractor would not go slow enough in that situation with the double windrows. So the main question is whether your tractor is geared low enough to feed the double windrow and still have 14 to 17 plunger strokes per bale. There have been times in heavy hay that I have been at bottom gear and less than 1 mph to get uniform bales. Below 13 strokes, I lose consistency and the bales want to banana.

I have new John Deeres and they are definitely geared to go fast or slow so that shouldn't be a problem. We've gotten a few banana bales from the NH in the past but after reading up on that, it can also be because the windrow is too small.

 

[svenlylethor]

My neighbor did this all the time when he had a 25-acre alfalfa field (it's now a plum orchard for prunes--more money in prunes than in hay). He combined rows near the end of the mowing season when the windrows made by his swather became thinner.

Good luck.

That's a good point. We typically get 2 ton/acre for the first crop and about 1 ton/acre for the second and third crops. Maybe I'll try this for second crop hay first and see how that goes.

 

[Trillium Farm]

If you have a rotary rake the 1840 will swallow the windrow with no banana bales and you'll be dropping bricks like you'd not believe, you may have to adjust the speed to suit.
Don't know about the 570, but NH makes good balers so probably will be able to handle it as well.

 

[zzvyb6]

All I EVER do is double rake mostly because its easier and more efficient to operate my Stackliner when picking them up (more bales per foot of travel. Alfalfa is actually easier to bale because it shears better in the bale case. Grass is harder for me to get punched through because plunger knife clearance and knife sharpness is more critical. Now I sharpen every season by touching them up with a die grinder wheel without removing them.

You can actually do 1-1/2 rows if your rake trails eaily. Just bite one in half.

 

[svenlylethor]

All I EVER do is double rake mostly because its easier and more efficient to operate my Stackliner when picking them up (more bales per foot of travel. Alfalfa is actually easier to bale because it shears better in the bale case. Grass is harder for me to get punched through because plunger knife clearance and knife sharpness is more critical. Now I sharpen every season by touching them up with a die grinder wheel without removing them.

You can actually do 1-1/2 rows if your rake trails eaily. Just bite one in half.

What do you use for a rake on your alfalfa? We have a basic side delivery rake but I'm thinking about getting an 8 wheel v rake. Do you check the moisture before raking?

We havea 1036 stackliner as well. It'll be another good reason to start raking. I bet raking cuts the drying time down a lot and then it makes the stacking even quicker. As long as you rake it early, you shouldn't have a significant leaf loss either. Seems like a win-win if you get it just right.

 

[powerscol]

From what little I know the 1840 show handle any windrow you throw at it, depending on your tractor HP and speed. Several are in use around me and they have been combining several windrows to the width of the pickup and probably 3 to 4 feet high, but they are using tractors in the 150 HP range and they move along quickly. This is in grass/ alfalfa mix.

Is there anything in your 180 owners manual that might help. My Hesston 4550 manual makes recommendations for mine, but I had to go lighter with more plunger strokes due to my HP limit.

 

[svenlylethor]

Is there anything in your 180 owners manual that might help. My Hesston 4550 manual makes recommendations for mine, but I had to go lighter with more plunger strokes due to my HP limit.

I'll have to check that out. John Deere offers many of its manuals for free from their website but it looks like AGCO doesn't.

I'm thinking I shouldn't have any troubles with 2 windrows though.