No special set-up needed on the baler at all as the hay on my bush hog discharges out rather cleanly without getting chopped up into little pieces. I have seen the removable side option on rotary cutters before (even King cutter as a "hayside model" which used to be priced essentially the same as their standard model. Also, many a farmer have made their own version by using a cutting torch. Mine works fine as is and I have no plans to modify it.
You are correct about some hay getting mashed down from the tractor tires and some indeed does not get cut. This issue is further enhanced on my bushhog by the fact that it does not have suction type blades on it - it has simple flat blades lacking the suction ear. (The advantage to these type blades is that there is no extra mulching action of the grass by the blades. The disavantage is that some of the mashed down grass does not get cut). This will be a problem of vary sorts on any brand rotary cutter unless it is offset to the side like the newer drum mowers are, but these drum mowers are way out of my price range for my minimal acreage.
As for haying purists giving me demerits - well I could care less as I am surely not out to please them. If it bothers them that much that I am leaving a little of my hay in my field then they are welcome to come on over and cut it for me. I will certainly let them cut it assuming they are willing to do it for free and be there when it needs to be cut. Or alternatively, if they are willing to give me an expensive attachment that would do a better job, then I would certainly accept that for free as well. Heck if these purists want to give me a bigger nicer tractor for free, then I would certainly accept that too. (note: I love the looks of that new New Holland Boomer 8N retro if any of these purists are willing to be Santa Claus). Until these Santa Claus purists are willing to show up with presents, then I will have to continue to use items that I can afford to pay for myself as I believe in paying my own way in life via both hard work and making smart/sound business decisions.
Overall the bushog is not the best tool for the job, but it can certainly work in a pinch. Another benefit to using the bush hog is that it will also help promote drying by serving as a poor man's conditioner. Grass hay will dry down faster from the bushog as compared to a sickle mower alone as the hay does get mangled some. The downside to using a rotary cutter is there is definitely some yield loss (estimating about 20%-25% in my case, but units that do not discharge the grass well would be even higher). However my 20%-25% loss is not that significant on the measly 4 acres or so that I am playing around on. It would take me years to recoup my costs on an alternative piece of equipment that was in good working condition based on yield savings alone. Another benefit to the bushog is that it is easy for anyone to use and it requires almost zero maintenance and what little maintenance is required is essentially free. I do not think the "green goblin" could handle operating my old sickle bar even if it were ready for use - which it is not. Heck I am still not convinced that any potential yield savings will even pay for my sickle sections as needed on the sickle mower - let alone guards, pitmans, or if anything else breaks. I do hope to try out the old sickle mower on the next cutting, but time has been an issue lately so it may not happen. Regardless, I will continue to use the bushog on those occasions where dry time is critical or when the wife has to do all the tractor seat time like occured this time.
I salute your independent thinking. Keep it up. Nil illegitimi carborundum.
I've been watching the Web for info on your method of mowing a hayfield. Thanks to this thread, I know now that I can use my rotary bush hog as a backup to my sicklebar mowers and still get a good yield.
I have 10 acres of flat pasture with 6-7 acres available for haying. I'm a newby when it comes to hobby haying, which is what I'm into, and I'm definitely not a haying purist. I'm more of a "git er done" type.
Actually, I'm more into the haying machinery than into making $$ selling bales. My hayfield is more a test area for machinery than a farm. Getting and keeping old haying machinery working has turned out to be a real challenge for me.
The first two years on this property I just mowed the weeds with a bush hog. By the third year the pasture was becoming increasingly rougher and needed to be disced and smoothed. I figure if you spend the time and money (fuel) discing, you probably should just go all the way and plant a hay crop (plant in Nov, bale in May). Which is mostly rationalization on my part to justify buying a bunch of used (and, sometimes) abused haying equipment.
You're right about the economics of hobby haying. Continual expense and little or no profit in dollars. I've replaced the sickle sections on my $550 MF-41 sicklebar mower (cost: $30) and need to replace the ledger plates on the guards. TSC sells the guard/ledger assemby for $10 each, so $280 to replace all of them. AgriSupply sells ledger plates for $3 each but the old rivets have to be drilled out and the new ledgers riveted into place. My MF dealer wants $5 each for the ledger plates.
I've looked into small disc and drum mowers (6-7 ft size) that would fit my Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto). Good used ones cost at least $2K; beaters still get $1K or better. I can buy a lot of sickle bar parts for $2K. And I cut hay but once a year in the Spring since my field isn't irrigated. So a disc/drum mower would be a definite luxury for me. Disc mower blades may be cheaper than sicklebar parts, but if the drive mechanism needs replacement parts then $$$$.
My rake is an $800 JD350 side delivery type that hangs on the 3pt hitch and runs off the pto. Works great. One of my better purchases.
My MF-124 baler cost $2000. Working out a problem now with jams in the baling chamber. Focusing attention on the slip clutch (misadjusted?, worn disc pads?). Am learning a lot about the baler troubleshooting one problem at a time.
I noticed that you run your bush hog in the level position.
Question: have you experimented with running your bush hog tilted forward (front down, rear up) to see if it cuts better?
Next Spring when I have another stand of hay, I'll run some tests with my 6ft Hawkline bush hog at various tilts and see what happens.
One more question: is your hayfield natural pasture grass? If not, what equipment do you use for tilling and planting?
