Cutting, Raking, and Baling this week - YouTube Videos

[chetlenox]

Why didn't you swing the baler out so you wouldn't have to run over your windrow?

It's a Case in-line baler, it's supposed to run that way. I believe it's actually a Heston design sold by Case, but I'm not sure on that one. This particular one is ~10-15 years old.

Chet.

 

[chetlenox]

With the high cost of fuel these days, single roller-bar rakes like a NH 256 may become less desirable. That entire field could have been raked in less than one hour by a V rake (wheel or hydraulic) or double rotary rake. These larger rakes will rake 10-20 acres per hour easy. A new Vermeer 20' rake sells for $3,100 in our market.

Yep. I've seen the results of both on the same field, and it's my opinion that the hay is cleaner with a Rolabar than a wheel-rake. But I can't argue the time factor, that is definitely true. I've also cut with both sickle-bar vs disc cutters, and prefer the sickle-bar for basically the same reason (although I pay the same speed penalty for that choice). Remember, I'm only doing my little 14 acres, so 30 minutes or an hour here or there just doesn't make that much difference.

Call me old-fashioned, I guess.

Chet.

 

[slowzuki]

Double hitching a pair of old roll-a-bars can help a bit with the speed.

 

[chetlenox]

Double hitching a pair of old roll-a-bars can help a bit with the speed.

Sure seems like it would. The old 256 that we rebuilt and is shown in the videos has the extension welded onto it for just that purpose. It has two positions, one directly behind the rake for transport and another offset left for raking. I think it would be cool to give that a shot, but I'm afraid I just don't need it now...

Chet.