Roller that mounts on my loader

[theleverbeef]

Hi, just curious if anyone has any ideas on a good way to build a loader mounted roller. I sometimes have trouble with dragging hay under the tractor when baling thick windrows. I normally keep the bucket on to partially flatten the hay; but do have some trouble with that. Thanks

 

[mwb]

Would it be easier to mount a light sheet metal 'skid plate' to the underside of your tractor? You probably only need a small one to cover whatever the lowest point or the snag is. The snag is probably where your drawbar is pinned to the tractor? Maybe even a piece of mylar - like a kids 'crazy carpet' sled thing.

 

[RickB]

Would it be easier to mount a light sheet metal 'skid plate' to the underside of your tractor? You probably only need a small one to cover whatever the lowest point or the snag is. The snag is probably where your drawbar is pinned to the tractor? Maybe even a piece of mylar - like a kids 'crazy carpet' sled thing.

Conveyor belting is used, too. Fasten the front in a manner that hay won't catch; let the rest drag. Very, very common fix for the problem.

 

[theleverbeef]

Thanks for the ideas; I have considered something like a skid plate of some sort. I have some small odd shaped fields I hay and wonder if this would cause grief when backing up. I run a Heston center feed. I only get one cutting and often have a waist tall windrow.

 

[blueriver]

Thanks for the ideas; I have considered something like a skid plate of some sort. I have some small odd shaped fields I hay and wonder if this would cause grief when backing up. I run a Heston center feed. I only get one cutting and often have a waist tall windrow.

Why not just make the windrows smaller?

 

[theleverbeef]

My tedder rake is not adjustable and taking less hay on a pass either picks up hay from the previous pass or puts the windrows too close together, I have baled the first couple rounds, picked it up, then offset the swathboards and p/u a little less hay raking. This is a bugger though and time consuming.

 

[zzvyb6]

Put a top canvas on the swathboard of the tedder/rale. I have a Kuhn combo rake and sometimes run with a shield on top of the the swather arm that slopes downward to bash the top of the windrow down. I just use a blue plastic tarp with some broom handles to hold it. It looks like a square funnel when its attached for triple windrow compression.

 

[theleverbeef]

That sounds like a good idea, I'll have to try that; it might be just enough to keep hay from balling up under the tractor. Thanks

 

[RickB]

If your hay needs to finish drying after raking (like much of the hay in humid areas does, especially legumes) compressing the windrow at raking will negate some of the wonderful advantage of a tall, fluffy windrow that a rotary rake gives.

 

[theleverbeef]

Good point, I was thinking once the hay is dry, I'd follow the rake with the baler.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I tried this with dads LS. I often pull my mini baler with it the loaders sub frame tends to drag a bit. I had a big plastic yard roller that I made a mount for the forks on. Alot of my hay ground is mixed and my big rake some times makes a taller windrow ometimes. The pick up is really shallow and it takes a real uniform windrow. I kinda cought this by accident as I was baling late one evening and ran over another windrow. I rolled it right avter and theh bales baled tighter and neater. I plan on making a more permanet set up for the loader tractor and my Yanmar.

 

[theleverbeef]

Let me know what you come up with, I am getting some great ideas. A roller might be a little expensive, but come in handy for other things around the farm making it a worthy attachment to build.