Grimm Tedder VS Rotary Kuhn Style

Hey Ed:

I started with a Grimm (still have it) and then purchased a Fahr (similar to Kuhn).  There is no comparison in the performance of these two tedders.  A decent pto tedder will generally cut a day off your drying time compared with a Grimm.  Moreover, if your windrows get rained on you are out of luck with a Grimm as there is no way to spread them back out to dry.  If you have a light second crop and decent weather, the Grimm will do a good job.  I have not had good luck with first cut hay.  We try to put down our first cut early as possible for dairy quality hay and the moisture in the stems is a challenge.

Your choice in tedders might also be a function of how much hay you are producing.  On a small scale (<500 bales), the investment in a pto tedder might not make a lot of sense. I bought mine for $500 which included a parts tedder.  Prior to that, the cheapest I could find was around $2000 for anything decent (i.e. somewhat field ready).

Good luck.

George

I have used a Nicholson, which was an European model similar to the Grimm. I have long wished I had a rotary tedder, but have made hay successfully for over 20 years with it. I never have more than 100 bales on the ground at a time, and have figured out ways to criss-cross the swaths, etc. to make it more effective. I can usually get good hay in 2.5-3 days. The trick usually comes down to having time to roll your windrows over a second time before baling, or picking up the hay.

Carl

So Carl, you rake twice? Once after tedding then again to flip the windrow and just before baling? When you flip the windrow do you go the opposite direction?

Sometimes, especially in heavy hay. When the hay is raked it is often a bit green, especially with the straight-bar tedders. The windrow has a lot of air in it and the hay can dry fast, and rolling it over again about an hour before baling can get the moist sections up off the ground. I find it is less time to run the rake around with better coverage than the tedder, but the hay cannot be too green.

This is another place where the art creeps in. Some fields have to be managed differently, each crop can be different, as well as the weather. I don’t think you can get stuck in a set pattern. I just have a bunch of tools that I use to my best advantage given the situation at the time.

Carl

Unrelated question:

Carl, how to you reply with a quote in this new system (besides copying and pasting)?

Thanks.

George

Carl, how to you reply with a quote in this new system (besides copying and pasting)?

George, I copy the quoted text, then click the ” in the menu above the text box, paste the text, hit return, click the ” again, then type my own reply.

You can also copy, paste, then highlight the text, then click the “.

Carl

George, I copy the quoted text, then click the ” in the menu above the text box, paste the text, hit return, click the ” again, then type my own reply.

Thanks.