The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

Some baling scenes from yesterday. East Penn railroad tracks to the right.
Notice the hay is unraked to the far left? We had possibility of showers at any time, so I did 1/2 hour of raking and then a 1/2 hour of baling. This helps prevent the big mess of an entire field being raked, then rained on.

One pass “inward”. Now we have a bale where the hay once was.

Coming around for another pass. Now I have another bale and a deer.

Heading home at 6:30PM. Long day..

 

[Jason05216]

I'm sure you've answered this somewhere in the previous 173 pages but I don't remember seeing this anywhere, when does hay season end?

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm sure you've answered this somewhere in the previous 173 pages but I don't remember seeing this anywhere, when does hay season end?

It never really ends. You continue after growing season with fertilizing, cleaning up fallen trees, shipping hay and repairing equipment.
But the actual growing season in MY area runs April to October.

 

[Hay Dude]

Today was a dreary day. Of course unfit for baling.
But dampness is great for mowing hay. Keeps dust and chaff out of the engine compartment.

This is a 70 acre field I just started to open up. Up ahead and to the right, you can see stacks of 1st cutting bales.

Here I am at the headland of the field. It’s about 3/4 mile long one end to the other.

Can’t wait for deer season lol

 

[Duds13]

Hay Dude - what's going on in York County? Are you in that county or close by?

 

[Hay Dude]

Hay Dude - what's going on in York County? Are you in that county or close by?

I dunno…. What did you hear?
Thats about 80 miles west of me.
I’m on the PA/DE border.

 

[ning]

I dunno. What did you hear?
Thats about 80 miles west of me.
I’m just some redneck farmer on the PA/DE border.

Good answer

 

[Hay Dude]

Today was one of those days that’ll make a man out of you.
Was cutting hay in some drizzle, then this happened.

The vertical strut connecting the cutterbar to the mower chassis experienced “metal fatigue” and simply broke off.

Called Agriteer/Pottinger parts and they said thats a known problem area and there’s a replacement kit- “only” $631 per side for updated, beefed-up supports. Pottinger offering them to me for 50% off since they have had numerous failures. Service advises replacing both sides, especially since mine are the older/weaker version. Luckily the cutterbar is still ok and the driveshaft, although a little beat-up is probably going to be fine.

THEY have to install it to receive discount of course. And at “only $150/hr. I guess I can’t complain too much.

Another view

Closeup of where the metal fatigue is

Prop shaft seems ok

 

[ning]

seems like a mobile welder may be cheaper than that?

 

[Hay Dude]

seems like a mobile welder may be cheaper than that?

Of course it would, but I’m going to put the new struts on. The struts themselves have broken and been welded before, so they’ve been through a lot.

Once one side broke, the other side won’t be far behind.

When it breaks, it scares the crap out of you because the front tires come very close to running over the spinning blades.

It’s worth the peace of mind.