Mower Settings for Lodged Hay

Scythe ??

No, It is designed like a vertical revolving Christmas tree, The grass would make it spin, I like the wheel rake idea also, I will have to think about that if mine doesn’t work. I had it half finished last winter, but it got shelved as there was no way to test it. Now there is no time to mess with it! Until I feel a need. While I think Scything is a beautiful art, and I use one to clean under fences; I would take a plugged mower and an old horse over a scythe for mowing hay. No offense I hope.

I a few things I thought of adding above but I imagine George is well aware of. First there is a ton of technique in mowing. As I teach lots of mowing I watch folks plugging for every possible reason in every possible condition. Each time they master a certain level of skill, the conditions get a little harder and they start plugging again. We can switch teams or switch mowers, but in most cases (but not all!) I am plugging one tenth or less than they are.

In the heaviest worst cutting, You need some momentum, still walking but a big confident walk. This can be hard if you can’t see where to go. At some point you learn to guess that spot amongst the wind blown hay. There are many tricks to the foot pedal. Knowing just when to give it a poke to keep you going. Bumping it through a patch of vetch, bedstraw. if I can get it down to one stop every 1,000 feet, then I will just chalk it up to resting the horses. Good Luck. I can’t decide whether to mow more hay today or go and try tedding the hay that has been laying on the ground for a week. Forecast only so, so. Donn

I don’t know how everyone else make hay plans, but I create imaginary scenarios on paper that I adjust slightly ever time in come in for a meal and check the forecast. How many days to mow? ted once? twice? How many days until this batch dries? I need to plan baling around the farmer’s market, the day job, and preferably when there might be a little help to move bales. This week lots of hay seems to want to be baled on Saturday. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to make friends on FB! I will likely be here alone that day. My current plan if the hay dries as I expect it to (drying a lot tomorrow, but just not enough to bale) I will use the tedder in the afternoon to make a loose windrow. This way I might be able to keep the quality while the hay waits until Sunday to be baled. I could go ahead and rake it the rest of the way on Sat if it looks ready, or I could leave that for Sunday if it is still drying. It is a bit of an experiment, but something I have wanted to try with a rotary tedder.

I will keep you posted.

I agree with you Mark. In years past it seemed I never even had a wrench on my mowers and took every problem back to the shop. Today during a little horse rest, I was able to tighten a couple hold downs just a couple quarter turns. The adjustable hold downs are great for this. By tapping on the hold down while adjusting it is easy to make sure you don’t over tighten it. Then just turn the pitman a few revs to make sure it is all still free.

Lately I have been using a couple of super seven knives; these have a larger serrations (almost teeth) on the top. They have worked well with both haybine guards (218 RS) and old style with good ledger plates. I am into my second or third year with the same knives with out sharpening (self sharpening?). I do tune up the haybine guard as you suggest. Not that often but maybe twice a year.

In the last couple days we have really put the new lugs on the wheels to the test with wet ground and mowing the day after an inch of rain. Those wheels are great. No doubt about it. I just tried to weld a rod from the old style kicker tedder. not real optimistic, but maybe they will finish the hay they have down.

I just noticed the question about the tedder. I am using a four start rotary tedder that has two spline shafts on it. One is for half speed which is supposed to be a rake. For baling puroses I think it makes a poor rake, but for making a loose windrow it should be great. I am also using a home made forecart that has four speeds to the PTO shaft, so I can really make the tedder go eight different speeds!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Donn Hewes.

The plan for loose windrows would have worked great except! I raked and baled it yesterday. What perfect drying weather, and nice horse conditions, and green hay. Hoping to mow and rake today. Bale tomorrow and Monday.

George I am impressed with how many acres you have down. I will mow about the same by the end of today, but that is with two teams and seven foot bars. I only spending about two hours mowing each time I go out. That is a lot of mowing. Glad the mowers are working well. I have hit some heavy hay in spots, but nothing really lodged. I guess I could see how lowering shoes in those conditions would help. I sure would hate to do it though. When you lower them, what hole is the inner shoe on ( I think there are four)? I like to work in the third hole from the bottom, Up high. We were mowing on a windy day the other day and this can make finding you way a little tricky. This is were stub guards really help. If you believe in your line and keep going the stub guards will cut the grass laying where you clear space was supposed to be.

Not sure what that inner stick is called! It takes hay that will be cut and directs it over the bar instead of falling any where Like a grass board for the inside.

Keep up the good work everyone.

George,
I was going to try to get a picture of my process for sharpening haybine guards but have not done so. Will try words.
The side of each “tooth” of the guard has a slim , fairly vertical but concave profile. With the knife removed, you can check the edge of the ledger surface of the tooth. If it is a shiny line, like a dull chisel, ax, scissor or any other cutting edge, it can be improved by sharpening. I use a 4″ angle grinder w cutoff wheel. I use the concave tooth profile as a guide both visually and to some degree, physically. I use short , regular strokes, standing in front of the cutterbar and working the sharpening process on each tooth from front to back, taking as little as possible to make the shiny line go away. I do not try to get the very back, as there is some impediment I cannot now recall. I do the outsides w the cutter bar vertical, the insides w it horizontal in lifted position.
Hope this helps.

Will be interested to hear how removing the inner grass stick works. I think you reasoning is sound.

I also usually mow about 2 hrs at a stretch, w a 5′ bar and walk up the worst hills. My team is mature but not in particularly good shape.

M

Here are two late cents from Europe.

Lodged hay is also a problem here, in Germany there are a few examples of converting a sickle bar mower to a “double blades” bar.

In other words its like the I&J “precision cutting sickle”; but then on an old double blades bar on an old mower.

Added is a picture where a double blade bar (Fendt brand) is being built on a mower. The mower is a Mc Cormick D-10 (which I believe is a European model built after the #9).

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Jelmer.