mower/disc conditioner rollers or finger combs?

farmerjim · Jul 21, 2005

well finally after all these years of the old jd#7 sickle bar mower and new holland crimper conditioner. we're looking into getting a mower conditioner most likely used as new is way out of our league. plus due to smaller fields we need a model w/ a 7or8ft cut width at the widest, which is making the search a bit harder as these are hard to find used. if i can't find what i'm looking for i may just keep using the old jd as it has worked well for my dad for years and now it should be fine for me. i looked at a used kuhn disc conditioner the other day it had the finger combs instead of rollers. this is new to me but i was wondering which is better fingers or rollers. on 1st cut our grass is usually very stalky a mix of timothy,alfalfa and clover. some of our fields are a bit rocky so i'm thinking a traditional mower conditioner is a better choice than a disc model as it will have more rock protection.

Indydirtfarmer · Jul 21, 2005

You're gonna get a mixed review on the "finger" conditioners. THey are the WRONG THING entirely, if you grow alfalfa. It was claimed at one point they were BETTER for alfalfa. All the manufacturers have backed up on those claims nowdays.

I like a disc mower. Speed is one benifit. Another is the good clean cut you get in ANY conditions.

I still have my old NEw Holland "Haybine" with rollers for a conditioner. I grow about 85 acres of alfalfa. You just can't beat rollers in that crop.

Plan is to bite the bullet and buy a discbine this winter.

art · Jul 21, 2005

There has been a lot of discussions on this subject and it depends on which brand you talk to but Successful Farming had an articale a number of years ago about this. The Sickle will take about 3% less leaves off Alfalfa then a disc cutter. The fingers remove another 3% of the leaves vs the rolls cutting the relative feed value of the product. Now that is on factory adjusted machines not what the average machine is out in the field after three or four years. One of the reasons people have been going away from the rolls is because some companies have had difficulty keeping the rubber on the rolls where they are molded and especially in stony conditions.. The other style, tire segmented rolls work well and have had no problem. The finger machines need about 10 more horsepower then a roll machine will. The stones tell me you would want to run the angle of the head up on a disc cutter to keep them from stoning you and you definitly should have a cab tractor.

HayDR · Jul 21, 2005

We have sold thousands of disc and drum mowers over 23+ years and have yet one customer say they have been hit by a stone. We are in the mountains and rocks do abound here. To be hit by a stone while you are sitting in the tractor seat while using a 3 point mower, you would almost have to purpose to do so by placing your mower in a rock pile.
The Cab tractor myth that OEM glass would protect you from an object moving 200 mph is false. If some one shot at you with a gun it would go through glass. It is always good to use good safety procedures. Should bystanders be a safe distance from a operating machine, most defiantly yes. Having a cab is just moral support. The angle of trajectory to reach someone in the seat is possible but not probable. You have a 1000 times greater chance of being killed in an auto accident. Disc mowers and drum mowers are very safe when used as directed by the manufacturer.

art · Jul 21, 2005

I wish I could say that! We haven't sold thousands but several hundred would be a good guess and we have had back widows broke as well as operators hit in the back of the head with seven stiches needed. I'd take a stone at 20 MPH over 200MPH. They do have far stronger front curtains then before but there are some that still get thru. These people were just on the hay fields that they had been farming for years. Many of the farmers in our area and there are a lot of them are doing a far better job picking stones then ever before because of the benefits of the disc mowers.

HayDR · Jul 21, 2005

Art,
I would say that the majority of units in your area are of the pull-type variety. A pull-type machine is different than the 3 point machine in that they are trailing a greater distance behind and can be pulled to the side of a tractor when turning. The angle of trajectory is more plausible on the pull-type machine than on a 3 point machine. Since this is known about pull-type units, it is a good idea to use a pull-type machine in known fields with operator experience.
Our Vermeer pull-type mowers and mower conditioners have Kevlar curtains to stop thrown objects.

farmerjim · Jul 21, 2005

thanks for the info guys. as i'm a rather small operation, i don't have a cab tractor or a high hp tractor. i use a jd50 and a jd 2010 for the haying although this year i just got a new 790 so i used that for raking/ tedding this year. so as for the newer mower i've been looking for a used new holland 474 or used smaller jd moco. i'm going to look at a used hesston tomorrow, but i'm not sure about that even if its in good shape as parts/dealers are far and few in my area. i have also been seriously considering a new 3pt disc or sickle bar, as the crimper i have is in almost showroom condition and it works excellent far better than the old ih crimper we used to have. around my area i've seen the big farms used the disc cond w/ finger mainly when they are green chopping, when they do bales almost everyone is using discs w/ rollers. i think that is mainly due to the faster dry time by using a roller which will crush the stalks. the disc cutters seem to do a very clean cut as long as they are sharp and you take some time.