The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Runner]

Next time Hay Dude breaks down you get to go help him fix it.

I'm a pretty good operator, not so much on the mechanic side...

 

[scootr]

Operators forced to make their own repairs are usually easier on the equipment.

 

[deserteagle71]

Sad but that is progress... My brother told me not to go back, all the farms around where we lived were cut up and built out. I remember it as it was a half a century ago

Same with the area where I grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania. Used to be a small town every few miles but everything else was farms. Now all the farms are subdivided into parcels with homes built on them...but I don't know if I would call that "progress". Almost no farms left in the area. Small farm I grew up on now has 6 homes on it.

 

[scootr]

Same with the area where I grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania. Used to be a small town every few miles but everything else was farms. Now all the farms are subdivided into parcels with homes built on them...but I don't know if I would call that "progress". Almost no farms left in the area. Small farm I grew up on now has 6 homes on it.

It's happening all across America. The small farm is disappearing from the American landscape.
Has been for 50 yrs. Very sad. Those of us that grew up on those farms were privileged. Today's kids can only play farm life games on their cell phone - poor little f***ers.
I was lucky enough to hang onto a plow behind a horse when I was I was boy. I barely weighed enough to keep it in the ground

 

[Molalla1]

It's happening all across America. The small farm is disappearing from the American landscape.
Has been for 50 yrs. Very sad. Those of us that grew up on those farms were privileged. Today's kids can only play farm life games on their cell phone - poor little f***ers.
I was lucky enough to hang onto a plow behind a horse when I was I was boy. I barely weighed enough to keep it in the ground

We still have an "old time farm/cattle" place, but you are right they are going away fast . . .

 

[LouNY]

Still a few small dairy's around, with small being under a hundred head of milkers. A few Thirty to Forty cow dairy's try and get started every year and a couple make it. Usually in niche market.
And there are several small beef operations trying to make a go of it, many of those having off farm income to support it at times. A few of those will produce quality beef but many of them selling six to a dozen beef a year are not producing high quality beef. It is likely better for people then the super market beef but it's not real high quality tender well marbled meat.

And Scootr I'm not sure I say anything lucky about plowing behind a horse, I was fortunate enough that the horses were gone when I started doing chores and field work.

 

[deserteagle71]

I was lucky enough to hang onto a plow behind a horse when I was I was boy. I barely weighed enough to keep it in the ground

I was lucky...my Dad had a "modern" plow in 1950. It was on wheels so no need to hang onto plow handles....although it looks like my Dad had to hold hard onto that team of eager horses.

 

[Molalla1]

I was lucky...my Dad had a "modern" plow in 1950. It was on wheels so no need to hang onto plow handles....although it looks like my Dad had to hold hard onto that team of eager horses.
View attachment 879238

Which one of the kids are you working the field?

 

[Hay Dude]

I was lucky...my Dad had a "modern" plow in 1950. It was on wheels so no need to hang onto plow handles....although it looks like my Dad had to hold hard onto that team of eager horses.
View attachment 879238

Great picture. I really like your family’s story.
It’s an American Story.

 

[BackRoad]

I was lucky...my Dad had a "modern" plow in 1950. It was on wheels so no need to hang onto plow handles....although it looks like my Dad had to hold hard onto that team of eager horses.
View attachment 879238

Mr. DesertEagle, were you from Halstead as mentioned with the photo?

My wife was from there...New Milford, Halstead - Blue Ridge High School...

 

[deserteagle71]

Which one of the kids are you working the field?

Not sure if I'm in the pic. In 1950 I was only 3 years old so its possible I might be the brat on the right!

 

[Willman]

Same with the area where I grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania. Used to be a small town every few miles but everything else was farms. Now all the farms are subdivided into parcels with homes built on them...but I don't know if I would call that "progress". Almost no farms left in the area. Small farm I grew up on now has 6 homes on it.

When my wife and I see a new housing development going up on what was previous farm land, we comment that they spread house manure there

 

[Hay Dude]

Been a rough week. Nonstop haying & mowing every day. We had a tiny bit of rain on Friday, but last 5 days have been hot as blazes.
Equipment is starting to show some wear. #2 knotter got me good today. Lots of ripped twine right at the knotting cycle.
We are still managing to get by with a lot of temporary repairs. Bale count is a little low and bale weights are down with the dry weather.

Here’s some of today’s action. Zack opening up a headland.

Now coming at me while raking.

Hay is very nice here. Plenty of green color. Amazing drying weather, but overall too dry.

Decent bale weights, but 1,400 is my minimum desired weight. 1,500 is good.
Really like 1,600LB or more.

Looks like East Penn is going to be replacing some ties!
A few of our roads are closed. They are filming a movie in our area on the PA/DE border.

Heading home….
with a plugged air filter element warning light.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

What is the benefit of cutting and bailing back and forth instead of round and round? I would think with the big train you are operating it would be less efficient to make tight 180 turns?

 

[Hay Dude]

What is the benefit of cutting and bailing back and forth instead of round and round? I would think with the big train you are operating it would be less efficient to make tight 180 turns?

Many times we do use the “racetrack” method.
If the field is rectangular, you do the headlands or end zones first.
Then when you go lengthwise, you can “skip” rows so your turns aren’t so tight.

 

[LouNY]

Also in my experience doing a "racetrack" pattern the corners get to tight after several rounds and the pto drivelines and rakes don't manage to keep the corners and there starts to be a lot of missed forage.

 

[number two]

Nothing like seeing hard-working American independent business men doing their thing!
Afraid this business model is in danger!
Good going Hay Dude!
(Hay Jude)remember that post?

 

[Hay Dude]

Here’s some scenes from today.
It’s been so dry, the radiators are clogging up with hay chaff. Spent a few hours flooding the radiators until they were flowing clean.
Headed over to cut some pretty rough flood plain that actually makes some nice hay. This is Reeds Canary grass.
Here we are after a few swipes

Heres a look at the 302 on the side

Even with lots of poles, I was able to get this little 15 acre field cut in a little over an hour.

When we exit the field, we have to cross over East Penn’s RR tracks

Down the road and back to the shop

Back at the farm & parked for the day

 

[EddieWalker]

15 acres in one hour is impressive!!!!! How fast are you going? In my tractor, just mowing with the batwing, I'm uncomfortable when I'm going faster then 3 mph!!!!

 

[workinonit]

I mow grass with my 21' batwing at 5 to 6 mph.