Cutter Bar Length

[Does’ Leap]

I am planning on putting up hay for the first time this summer. I will be using a MD #9. What do folks use for a cutter bar length? Seems like there are 4, 5 and 6 foot bars. I am pretty sure I don’t want a 4 footer. Is a 6 too much draft? Our hay land is quite rolling in places.

Thanks.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi George, I have used 4 1/2 foot bars, 5 foot bars, now a 6 foot bar. There are several factors to consider as to which one you might want. As is often repeated when talking about mowers, how sweetly the machine is set up is so important to the draft. A perfect machine with sharp knives and perfect lead and timing with the knife just resting on the guards will help a lot regardless of the bar length. Having said that the six foot bar may slow some teams down when mowing a heavy first cutting. That will depend on the terrain, the size and condition of the horses, The stage and density of the crop also. On some days the 5 foot bar might mow less than the 6 foot, but it is probably a more versatile bar length. Halflingers may not mow quite as many acres or hours as a bigger team but they can work with a 5 foot bar. With a good mower and a 5 foot bar bigger teams should be able to work in relative comfort regardless of short up hills and down, or how thick the crop is. I love the six foot bar for clipping pasture and second cutting hay, but I have two mowers to chose from. Other folks with more experience with the six foot bar might say they have had no problems pulling it. Donn

[416Jonny]

George,

I would say more of a concern in choosing bar length than the land being hilly is how smooth it is. Few things are more frustrating in mowing than finding every bump and ant hill along the way. It’s pretty unsettling when doing first cut with the horses and having that bar catch a bump and find yourself suddenly moving not so much forward as turning sideways.

I’d bet your horses are more than capable to pull a 6 foot bar. Just keep ‘er sharp. Grandpa used to carry a can of used engine oil around to drip on the knife bar while he was working. You could use straight veggie oil for a more friendly lube if you wanted.

How you set up your field to cut can have a lot to do with how well it can be cut. Marking out your fields to minimize having to go back over a sliver of uncut grass is a big help. Giving the horses a nice straight line to follow really lets them lean into their work.

Let me know when you’ll be planning on cutting hay, I’ll be wanting to help out. There isn’t anyother activity for horses that puts as big of a smile on my face as mowing.

Jonny

[Does’ Leap]

Thanks for the input. Jonny, I’ll be in touch when the grass is ready!

George

[416Jonny]

Hey George, check your messages on this site when you get the chance. 🙂

Jonny

[near horse]

I know this is an old thread but I’m getting all excited about cutting hay as well. I can see the ground for the first time in many months – Ooohhhh boy!

I did want to add that you can adjust the floatation of the cutter bar as well as the pitch (angle forward) on your mower so that some of those humps and ant hills (gophers and ground squirrels here) don’t spin your team around.

Just as an aside, once I was mowing with a 7’sickle behind an 8N tractor and went right over a deer fawn hiding in the grass. It screamed and ran off with me thinking I’d hurt it pretty badly. I hunted around and finally noticed it hiding right by my feet in already mowed ground. It was unscathed. The fawn had been curled up against a “clump” of orchardgrass and my bar had just floated right over its back:) Lucky.

Happy mowing George.

[Does’ Leap]

Thanks Geoff. After searching for months, I finally found a reasonably priced #9 in good working order. I am going to look at it next week. Excited to mow!

George

[near horse]

Congrats George. After some serious looking I also bought an IH mower that is neither in working order or identifiable (yet). Gotta get to work.

[Rick H.]

I used a 5′ bar on a #7 for years and rarely had any problems on fairly hilly ground in central PA. My horses while not real big were always very stout and walked smooth with that size bar in all kinds of grass and clover. As already stated, machine condition and adjustment makes things work smoother and is probably the more important thing. My experience with the 5 footer was very good though.

[ngcmcn]

I mowed for years with a single horse 4′ cutter bar with older mid size Belgians and they did fine on moderatly hilly ground with a sweet running mower, so when i got a #7 with a 6′ bar the power of a team was a step up and we got a lot more grass down. With a good running mower even a mid size team should be able to handle heavy grass, its kind’ve like the the old wood choppers, for all day chopping with an axe they went for the lighter ones.

neal

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