Suggestions To Get Haybine To Cut Better

[SkylineAcres16]

I am looking for suggestions anyone may have to help make my New Holland 474 haybine cut better. The main problem I have is that we have wiry thin grass that likes to fall over and mat up. I know this is not a good combination for haybines but I am wondering if I am missing something. I have replaced the guards, put new under-serrated sections on, and put adjustable hold-downs on. All of that helped but I still have to go very slow and then still get clogs. If anyone has any ideas it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[LouNY]

I can't remember which haybines had adjustment on the reels to set them closer to the sickle bar and still sweep the hay up for the conditioner.
Some times the discbines will do a better job but not always.
How close to the ground is your head going, can you lower it anymore by adjusting the shoes.
And also the flatter the cutter head is to the ground will help.

 

[5030]

Increase your reel speed as well. I have a backup JD MoCo and the reel speed is adjustable via a cam casting on the drive side. Not the actual speed, but the speed the tines are travelling when they sweep over the cutter bar. I have the same deal (on first cut as you do) even with my NH Discbine. With the discbine, I lay the cutterhead as flat as possible to the ground but I still leave some uncut grass and I always have to go over a field with the chopper after first cut.

 

[Hay Dude]

Get a small discbine-even an older cheap one and you will never regret it. I had a SP haybine and switched to a discbine and cant ever imagine going back.....
The worst discbine will mow faster and cleaner than the best haybine.

 

[SkylineAcres16]

Thanks for the replies guys. One other thing I am wondering is if the under-serrated sections are what is giving me problems as well. I have found quite a bit of information on the web stating to use smooth sections for fine, wiry grass. However, I have also seen people suggest the exact opposite!

 

[Hay Dude]

Another issue is if the crop is lodged. You obviously want to cut when its dry up top and down low for a cleaner cut. Make sure the haybine or the wind isnt blowing the crop forward when cutting

 

[zzvyb6]

Your 474 has a variable speed reel drive pulley, set to a rotation speed to have the tines sweep the grass across the cutter bar. The reel height above the cutter bar is also an adjustment. Also, set the header down so its closer to the ground. Any missing reel teeth need to be added, and make sure they are the correct ones.

Set the header springs to a heavier setting (to keep it from bouncing). Maybe slow down your ground speed, too. Run the mower at full 540 pto rpm. You can outrun the cutter knife velocity. BTW, if the wobble drive belt is loose, it may slip and the knive can stall once in a while.

I have the 9' version (479) and can cut my lawn with this mower. When mine is in high "Q", there is a cross hatch pattern in the grass.

If you are planning to bale this grass, set the back wings to full windrow which will help your rake do a better job of accumulating it.

 

[5030]

Nice thing about a disc machine versus a sickle machine is lower maintenance. The downside is a rocky field and shock load on the cutter heads. Knives are easier to change out and cheap, I change mine every year, after 1st. cut. Rocks in the field can be bad on cutter heads and drivetrain and expensive to repair and disc machines do require more input power as the have more power hungry parts.

One thing about a disc machine that is nice and that is, you can mow as fast as you can stay in the seat, under ideal conditions, in fact, faster the ground speed, the better the cut.

 

[SkylineAcres16]

I am going to try the suggestions on here and see how it goes. I was looking at the manual today and it looks like my haybine is set-up how it came from the factory. It doesn't look like anyone has adjusted anything (cutterbar angle, reel cam timing, reel speed via a sheave on the belt, etc). One day I would like to get a small 3 pt discbine. Thanks!

 

[5030]

My suggestion is forget a 3 point mount disc mower. Never seen one with roll conditioning of any kind (rubber or metal). Mounted disc mowers are for mowing around ponds and ditches.

You want a drawbar pulled disc mower with roll conditioning and your MX5800 has plenty of oomph to pull a 9 foot wide side mounted (not center mount) discbine.