Newbie to haying

   / Newbie to haying #31  
Typically, it rains in May and June. We then get rain in July around the time of the Calgary Stampede each year, which is the perfect time to be taking the hay off. If I had my own equipment, it would be relatively easy to find a weather window. However, when you are relying upon others, they choose to take theirs off at the perfect time, and the rest of then left to get whatever they are given, which is perfectly understandable.

While I am next to useless when it comes to fixing things, I have a friend who can fix anything, he lives close by, so maintenance shouldn't be too much of an issue.


But it probably will be an issue, because you cant wait for things to be fixed. As Haydude mentioned you have very narrow weather windows in many cases to get things done. This stuff isnt going to break before you need it. It is going to break while you are using it. You think it would be easy to find a window....but it just never seems to work out that way. At least not for us in the past.

If you dont want to buy a new tractor you will be into small squares.
 
   / Newbie to haying #32  
My grandparents had 30 milk cows plus 25 pigs and 100 laying hens.

Summers as a kid I loved the hay part because I ran the tractor.

All the hay was cut with sickle mower and turned and placed into rows with a 15 hp single cylinder diesel tractor…

Nothing bailed… all loose in the hay barn and dropped through the floor to the cows below.

The tractor was a huge expense circa 1948 and still on the job on the 80’s 30+ years later.

If you have covered storage and not selling why the need to bail?
Awesome depiction!

How did you get the loose hay into the barn?
 
   / Newbie to haying #33  
I use a Krone 8ft disc mower to cut our hay. These things are FAST! It was $11000 new but I was spending as much time working on my HN haybine as I was actually cutting. To get a discbine (with the rollers) is quite a bit more $ and I reasoned that my Amish neighbors dont have a conditioner when they cut with their sickle mowers and yet still get good hay. I have had decent results overall. A tedder is somewhere near in the future but we do fine for now.
 
   / Newbie to haying #34  
To the OP: Have you considered working with a local hay farmer first, before taking on this venture? I worked with a local guy and ran his haybine and balers back in the day to get an idea of what it’s like. Then I knew exactly what I was in for. I got to experience first hand the ups & downs (mostly downs) of haying.

Its a cheap way to get a window of what you're getting yourself into.

Has anyone ever seen the Vermeer 1410? Its a folding twin disc mower, cuts a 21’ swath, but no conditioners. I’d love to have one of these, but need the conditioning too much.



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   / Newbie to haying
  • Thread Starter
#35  
To the OP: Have you considered working with a local hay farmer first, before taking on this venture? I worked with a local guy and ran his haybine and balers back in the day to get an idea of what it’s like. Then I knew exactly what I was in for. I got to experience first hand the ups & downs (mostly downs) of haying.

Its a cheap way to get a window of what you're getting yourself into.

Has anyone ever seen the Vermeer 1410? Its a folding twin disc mower, cuts a 21’ swath, but no conditioners. I’d love to have one of these, but need the conditioning too much.
They are all very much one man operations that like to keep themselves to themselves. They take a call, let you know when they are coming over, come over, do their stuff to cut, disappear to the next location, come back to tend, disappear, come back to bale, disappear, come back to retrieve their bales.

It sounds like I am deluding myself, but I though that something like this would be perfect for what I need:


 
   / Newbie to haying #36  
They are all very much one man operations that like to keep themselves to themselves. They take a call, let you know when they are coming over, come over, do their stuff to cut, disappear to the next location, come back to tend, disappear, come back to bale, disappear, come back to retrieve their bales.

It sounds like I am deluding myself, but I though that something like this would be perfect for what I need:


It’s out of stock (so is everything else in the “new” world). I would suggest you buy something wider & heavier built.

Like I said, buy a rake & a baler. Wait for your cutter guy to come over. Then rake & bale. See how it goes. Do this a few times then decide to buy a cutter?
If you have enougha money to spend or a rich wife ;) go for it, I’m just suggesting go 1/2 way to see if you even like it.
 
   / Newbie to haying #37  
Well there is part of the puzzle.
 
   / Newbie to haying #38  
As much as I dislike having to stop forward motion of tractor/baler to wrap a 66'' diameter rd bale I can't imagine how frustrated I'd be having to stop at every bale of 19-11/16'' diameter! :devilish:

My rd bales outweigh the weight of that lime green baler in above link
 
   / Newbie to haying #39  
Did yoir grandparents live in Austria? I think I've seen a photo of a European single cylinder diesel tractor. It may have been the one that was started by a shotgun shell.


Yes... no shotgun shell but when cold it required a bunt lit with a match that would glow and quicky screwed into the cylinder head... original glow plug I guess...

Weather always the struggle... summers with lots of rain bad and more than a few hay loft fires from hay being put up before dry enough.

Other years the timing perfect and able to do extra cuttings... life of a farmer.

I lived to drive the tractor haying… I was 4 in this picture and everyday haying was a dream.

Best childhood memories and hooked on tractors ever since…

The wood hay fork in the foreground is here in Oakland but no luck bringing that tractor home…

Sickle Mower Cut, Tedder to Turn, Rake to Windrow, Collect and Transport to Hayloft…
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   / Newbie to haying #40  
They are all very much one man operations that like to keep themselves to themselves. They take a call, let you know when they are coming over, come over, do their stuff to cut, disappear to the next location, come back to tend, disappear, come back to bale, disappear, come back to retrieve their bales.

It sounds like I am deluding myself, but I though that something like this would be perfect for what I need:


I have the same drum mower. Bought it used along with a small tedder. These replaced an old NH haybine. The drum mower and tedder have been reliable and only grease and oil as needed.

That drum mower is awesome. Very simple. But you do need a tedder.The 2 drums on the mower rotate in opposite directions so the hay is pushed into a row between the 2 drums. The tedder really helps dry the hay out faster.
 
 
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