# Mowing patterns



## allamericancowboy86 (Jul 15, 2013)

Hey yall, I recently returned from the Military and began working on our farm that has been inoperational for several years due to my father developing dimensia. When I left for the Army I had done a lot of raking and bailing but hadnt cut much hay. We have a disc mower that is offset to the right of the tractor and I have noticed that It is nearly impossible to make clean turns. Due to the mental state of my father and grandfather they cant help much. I know some people go back and forth but I know that when I was younger my Grandpa said that running over uncut hay was a cardinal sin. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

Unless you want to tear up grass on corners by holding right side brake there is no way to clean up your corners with that kind of mower. Now if you use a caddy to pull that mower it can be done with a little practice! You grandpa was right!!!


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

1st, thanks for your service!

2nd, welcome to the forum.

3rd, to try to answer your question; I first go left around the field, running the tractor next to the outside for 4 or 5 rounds, then reverse & catch the outside. (Generally, the outside has the least hay/most weeds to drive over.) Then I'll go in a ways, (maybe middle of the field, depending on the size of the field.) & cut straight across, turn around with the tractor over what I just cut thru the field, & make that strip wider until I'm about 1/2 way to the next edge. Then take that uncut patch & cut the outside edges of it until it's cut out.

Tedding and raking, I start with the long straight rows, then the outside 5 or 6 rows, so that the outside edge -that you have been driving over to turn around- is the last thing tedded or raked. Then bale starting with the outside so you don't have to turn around on those wind rows.

Clear as *mud?*


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

bluefarmer said:


> Unless you want to tear up grass on corners by holding right side brake there is no way to clean up your corners with that kind of mower. Now if you use a caddy to pull that mower it can be done with a little practice! You grandpa was right!!!


Roundy round will still have the front tires at least of the tractor running over the hay every corner anyways.

Round and round used to be the way to mow in the days of horse drawn sickle mowers as the bar wouldn't raise enough to clear the cut hay. New mowers raise more than enough to clear cut hay.

Tough spots in the field will almost always be found in the corners where it's near impossible to rake em correctly.

Take five or six off the outsides then mow back and forth and save the wear and tear on all your u-joints. I rarely notice the ends being any wetter than the rest of the field, if so there usually isn't enough difference to matter.

In other words mow it like you plant corn or soybeans, or plow, or work ground.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

OH YEA, as for the "clean turns", if you have too much left on the turn, I just make a swipe from middle to the corner to clean them up.


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## longmeadow farm (Jun 26, 2009)

As was previously mentioned..making clean turns with a mower will usually tear up your sod and take time. I've found that the best way is to make sharp/clean turns and leave as little as possible..mowing around the field in question. I then (using a disk mower-conditioner mow the diagonal where some uncut grass is left. This works if you have stub guards on your sickle or use a disk unit. It doesn't work very well in typically moderate to heavy hay using an old style sickle.


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## foz682 (Jan 10, 2013)

I've always made 3 trips around clockwise, then back and forth on the longest run. During the trips around I size things up and plan on how to eliminate hateful triangle patches.

I mow the back swath last so that if I get tangled up in a fence or hit something laying in the grass along the woods, at least I have the field mowed already.

I custom mow for a few guys who make small squares and they want it mowed round and round, turns get harder with every one you make.

I've found I can mow a lot faster going back and forth rather than round and round, mainly because I'm not messing around trying to get the corners right; also, our round baler doesn't like feeding on corners that much.

As far as running over uncut hay, most disk mowers should pick it up no problem if you cut in the opposite direction, provided it's just run over once.


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## allamericancowboy86 (Jul 15, 2013)

Thanks, yall. I will put your advice to practice and see what works the best for me.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

allamericancowboy86 said:


> Thanks, yall. I will put your advice to practice and see what works the best for me.


Smart thinkin'! Remembering what works in this field might not work in that one. I also find sometimes it doesn't work the same way in this field next time.


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## allamericancowboy86 (Jul 15, 2013)

One more thing, I have a roller bar that I need to get recovered with rubber. I found a place in Minessota that will do it for around $500. Anybody know of anywere closer to southern Illinois? NH doesnt make the bar anymore and a call to a dealership left them nearly as surprised as me that they do not have a replacement part available. therefore, ordering a new one is not possible.


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## jasper1 (Jul 18, 2013)

I was taught to mow in circles all the way to the center of the field . This reduces soil compaction and less mowing time. thats the waqy we have always done it here on a 400 acre dariy farm. Having said that ,now a days they have different styles of equipment ,which has changed how you bale and so forth. but even so the back and forth over the ends of the field is where your getting soil compaction. So I guess mow it how ever you learned it, it really dont matter. THANKS


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

From my experience if the soil is wet enough to worry about compaction then it's more than likely wet enough to be damaging the crowns of the alfalfa.


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