Windrower vs Swather vs Haybine

[Ivan1547]

Can anyone explain the differences between all of these?

I am looking at purchasing a Massey Ferguson Windrower 785. Is is good for cutting down orchard grass for hay?

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I think the terms are pretty interchangeable. Those wide machines make big windrows. You need very good drying weather for them to work out well for dry hay.

 

[art]

The windrower and swather will cut and lay it down. The haybine type machine normally has rolls or flails to condition the hay to enhance drying.

 

[D7E]

They will do it but as said usually too much material in a windrow to dry properly , With a bat reel will not cut as tight or feed very well in certain grass .
The MF is one of the better older machines , Very simple and parts still available as the NH is the same machine (I had both) Only problem i had was they had a tendancy to snap front axle shafts .

 

[flusher]

Can anyone explain the differences between all of these?

I am looking at purchasing a Massey Ferguson Windrower 785. Is is good for cutting down orchard grass for hay?

My neighbor has a MF 44 windrower and that 785 looks similar--sicklebar with a draper head. Don't know why it wouldn't work OK on orchard grass. Hope you're experienced with maintaining 10-15 ft sicklebars. They can be touchy.

 

[Ivan1547]

Thanks for the replys.

I thought a windrower/swather was basically the same thing, but I was not positively sure.

I will be going out to look at it on Monday, right now the condition is unknown to me, the asking price is $2500, it has a cab and a 15' header. The photos look like it is in good condition, but it seems too cheap to be in good condition.

One other question...it is about 40 miles away, how do you transport a swather that is 15' wide? Is it legal to put it on a flatbed and just use wide load signage?

Thanks,

Ivan

 

[Ivan1547]

My neighbor has a MF 44 windrower and that 785 looks similar--sicklebar with a draper head. Don't know why it wouldn't work OK on orchard grass. Hope you're experienced with maintaining 10-15 ft sicklebars. They can be touchy.

Is there any tricks to maintaining a 15' sickle bar?

 

[flusher]

Is there any tricks to maintaining a 15' sickle bar?

You may luck out and that swather will have a sicklebar in cherry condition--but I wouldn't bet the ranch on that.

Getting old, used, worn sicklebars back into working condition takes a good deal of effort and know-how (new sickle sections, new guards/ledger plates, etc). You won't know how much time and money you'll have to invest in the sicklebar until you take a good look at that swather and determine how delapidated it is.

Just remember, that sicklebar is the key element in that machine--if it's not working properly, you won't be able to mow correctly until you fix it. If you've never worked on a large sicklebar mower before, you can expect to spend several days, possibly longer, getting it right.

Also be sure the seller has one or more spare sicklebar assemblies (the part that carries the triangular sections) for that swather. You should always have a spare sicklebar assembly available in case the one in the machine stops working properly (wear, busted section). If the seller doesn't have spare(s), you'll have to figure out how to get one. You may be able to buy one for that mower from an MF dealer, but expect to pay through the nose. It may be more cost effective to build that assembly from scratch.

 

[D7E]

Thanks for the replys.

I thought a windrower/swather was basically the same thing, but I was not positively sure.

I will be going out to look at it on Monday, right now the condition is unknown to me, the asking price is $2500, it has a cab and a 15' header. The photos look like it is in good condition, but it seems too cheap to be in good condition.

One other question...it is about 40 miles away, how do you transport a swather that is 15' wide? Is it legal to put it on a flatbed and just use wide load signage?

Thanks,

Ivan

I would'nt call it cheap as i sold my two in the last 2 years 1 with cab rough paint 18ft but mechanically good with new knife and tyres for $1700 and one cabless 18ft mint cond for $1200

Did'nt go far towards this for $23'000
Even this is'nt very good in grass and hangs up where the double knife drives meet so still keep an old 495 NH haybine for the hay .

 

[mooseracing]

One other question...it is about 40 miles away, how do you transport a swather that is 15' wide? Is it legal to put it on a flatbed and just use wide load signage?

Thanks,

Ivan

Around here you need permits from the road commission. Otherwise if you get pulled over your equipment will become county property for awhile.

Having not seen one of these up close, are they like a combine, in that the head can come off?