# Am I equipped right for my operation?



## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

I am running close to 100 acres of alfalfa and 100 acres of grass hay and am cutting with a NH H7230 10'4" cut. got a kuhn rotary rake and an old 10 wheel v rake. We bale witha BB 9060 big square baler. We custom bale seveal acres as well Where do we get to the point we need a larger mower or more rakes bigger ect... just wonder how we line up with some of the other operation out there. Thanks


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

A good 10 wheel v rake should keep ahead of your bb 9060 shouldn't it? I'm guessing the kuhn if a single rotor is not even close to keeping up.

The mower, it depends. If your fields are smooth, you can get good speeds and work rates. I'm doing 100 acres of very rough ground with a 10 ft pottinger disc mower, but only 2 cuts at most. I think my work rate averages to 4 or 5 acres per hour but with small squares I can't handle more than about 10 acres a day baling (3-4 hours max baling window usually).


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Ya I either need to run two rotatys or update my wheel rake. Be lucky if it last this year. I can comfortably run about 7 mph mowing and been looking at some bigger 14 wheel rakes to help with my lighter cuttings.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

With that much hay ground, I think I'd be looking at a 13' mower first, then a 12 wheel V-rake.

Every time I'm mowing, I'm sittin' there going "Now, if I had a 13' moco, I'd have only ... trips to go." 2.5' doesn't sound like much, but 3 trips with a 13' vs 4 trips with a 10' starts to add up.

And a larger wheel rake makes for bigger windrows which means you can bale faster, especially on later cuttings. Last year, I had to make 3 trips with a 12 wheel rake to get a decent windrow on my last cutting.

Ralph


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I have to ted here so you don't really have to match rake size to your mower but that could be an issue changing mower first.

I'm generally under little pressure mowing vs there never seems to be enough time to rake and bale. If your rake is getting worn out its probably the place to start.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Bad thing is I just bought my mower new last fall. I put a wide thin kit on it so it is pretty much tedded when I mow its a great attachment only touch it once. I may have access to a secone mower a 1411 my buddy uses he knly does 25 acres so it will have some down time. The bigger v rake ought to help a ton.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Its probably just me, but I would get a self propelled disc swather. Especially if you are going to expand further. A lot of guys on here like the PT mowers,but in my area rarely are they in use. Unfortunately even the used SP disc swathers are going up in price due to the crazy high prices of the new ones.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Bad thing is I just bought my mower new last fall. I put a wide thin kit on it so it is pretty much tedded when I mow its a great attachment only touch it once. I may have access to a secone mower a 1411 my buddy uses he knly does 25 acres so it will have some down time. The bigger v rake ought to help a ton.


 I guess it would make a difference to me if I were making payments on the mower or owned it outright. I usually try to match what I'm cutting with in relation to what I'm baling with. I partner with another guy who does alot of baleage. We cover a lot of ground with that big baler. General rule of thumb for us is we want to drop the hay at the same rate as it will be baled. On the baleage ground it will be mowed with the 956 and a 9' 216 to be able to keep a consistent moisture. In dry hay ground I usually just mow with 9' in first and heavy second and switch to the 15' for third. We do a combined 350 acres and that setup works well for us. Our next investment will be a larger capacity rake as we are pushing the moisture window with the single rotor. I would suggest the rake investment for now if the mower is paid off. If making payments on the mower I'd work the numbers on a larger mower and rake as those BB's will eat alot of hay.

Just my opinion however, you gitta do what fits your operating plan and best benefits your bottom line now and projected for 3-5 years out.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

rjmoses said:


> With that much hay ground, I think I'd be looking at a 13' mower first, then a 12 wheel V-rake.
> 
> Every time I'm mowing, I'm sittin' there going "Now, if I had a 13' moco, I'd have only ... trips to go." 2.5' doesn't sound like much, but 3 trips with a 13' vs 4 trips with a 10' starts to add up.
> 
> ...


Not only fewer trips, but with a 13' you have a center pivot machine that is so much more efficient than a side pull. You will be turned around on the headland going back the other way before the side pull is even close to going the other way.


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## dbergh (Jun 3, 2010)

That's plenty for your mower but having said that it is generally not that hard to make good progress with what ever mower you have. Just a matter of staying in the seat enough hours. We cut 500 acres 3 to 4 times with two PT 14 footers and we can make good progress. Where i see guys getting into trouble is getting more hay on the ground than they can rake and bale in a timely manner. You can make more money on the baling end of things by having more capacity there than on the front end. Baling opportunities can be very limited during certain times of the year and having extra capacity can mean the difference between pretty green hay in the stack and bleached out junk still laying in the field. We have two Allen Rollerbar rakes, two big square balers and two small square balers to gather everything up. Mind you these are far from new and were priced accordingly. I find with two of everything at baling time we can always get across the acres even if something gives us some mechanical issues somewhere in the process. There is just too much money laying out there by the time you grow, cut and cure each cutting to lose it to a lack of equipment at that stage of the game. Just my thoughts.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Bad thing is I just bought my mower new last fall. I put a wide thin kit on it so it is pretty much tedded when I mow its a great attachment only touch it once. I may have access to a secone mower a 1411 my buddy uses he knly does 25 acres so it will have some down time. The bigger v rake ought to help a ton.


Is that the kit where you remove doors and put the fins on the back hood?
I was offered that on my discbine. Havent finalized deal yet, but sounds like a way to reduce tedding/trips through field? Although dealer told me if you cut & spread thin, tedder wont move it around as well if it does need tedding.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

I am at 220 acres of grass may have another 40 this year. Using Vermeer MC1030 13'4" discbine PT an Ogden 12 wheel V rake a Vermeer 605 SJ. have a Hesston 1160 haybine for back up and Alfalfa if I were to find some to put up and a rolla bar rake that is gathering up dust. JD 4430 and Ford 7700 to pull it with. This is about the limit for me due to time constraints primarily a one man show. If I was to get bigger would want a newer baler and a new fangled rake that doesn't ground drive the wheels lol.

And yes If it weren't for the price I would have a SP discbine and JD3430's new purdy tractor. Martin


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## askinner (Nov 15, 2010)

JD3430 said:


> Is that the kit where you remove doors and put the fins on the back hood?
> I was offered that on my discbine. Havent finalized deal yet, but sounds like a way to reduce tedding/trips through field? Although dealer told me if you cut & spread thin, tedder wont move it around as well if it does need tedding.


I would like some info on the wide thin kit also from anyone with experience?


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Nitram said:


> I am at 220 acres of grass may have another 40 this year. Using Vermeer MC1030 13'4" discbine PT an Ogden 12 wheel V rake a Vermeer 605 SJ. have a Hesston 1160 haybine for back up and Alfalfa if I were to find some to put up and a rolla bar rake that is gathering up dust. JD 4430 and Ford 7700 to pull it with. This is about the limit for me due to time constraints primarily a one man show. If I was to get bigger would want a newer baler and a new fangled rake that doesn't ground drive the wheels lol.
> 
> And yes If it weren't for the price I would have a SP discbine and JD3430's new purdy tractor. Martin


Well.....technically....it's been rented for 110 hours. Someone else got the pleasure of being first to fart in the operator's seat. lol


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

If I remember correctly Hay Wilson had a link to a youtube video about them I think you are correct it spreads the hay out to 90+ % coverage. Can't remember the tread it was on.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

JD3430 said:


> Is that the kit where you remove doors and put the fins on the back hood?
> I was offered that on my discbine. Havent finalized deal yet, but sounds like a way to reduce tedding/trips through field? Although dealer told me if you cut & spread thin, tedder wont move it around as well if it does need tedding.


yes cost me $200 bucks and works awesome if it saves me an extra pass and some hours one my tractor should pay itself off in on cut. Bad thing u run the hay over from the previous pass. But last time I check u run it over doing head lands and u prolly loose less leaves running it over than tedding worth trying.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Teslan said:


> Its probably just me, but I would get a self propelled disc swather. Especially if you are going to expand further. A lot of guys on here like the PT mowers,but in my area rarely are they in use. Unfortunately even the used SP disc swathers are going up in price due to the crazy high prices of the new ones.


I hate to trade a mower that had five acres run through it and cost me 10k with my trade for a mower that would cost me 60k + to stay as updated as I want not really wanting to go back in time if u know what I mean. I just bought a new tracked 75hp skid steer jn hope this will improve the efficiencey in unloading and putting my BB in storage. I would though cosider a SP mo co in a few yrs if the operation continuses to grow.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

My pottinger has the equivalent of the widespread kit. It works well except you end up driving on forage. I've aimed it away from the standing grass to leave one clear strip so only one tire runs on cut material and the throw fills in the previous strip.

The tedder picks it all up fine except where the tire presses it into the ground in short crops. I run my tedder fairly high though as my ground is really really rough.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Bad thing is I just bought my mower new last fall. I put a wide thin kit on it so it is pretty much tedded when I mow its a great attachment only touch it once. I may have access to a secone mower a 1411 my buddy uses he knly does 25 acres so it will have some down time. The bigger v rake ought to help a ton.


You can easy get your hay cut with the H7230 .


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

endrow said:


> You can easy get your hay cut with the H7230 .


those are amy thoughts as well bigger would be nice but dont wanna knock to much down at one 7 mph cut speed can get a lot of hay layn flat.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Hope I'm not hijackin, but on the widespread kit, does it speed up dry down?


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

I have not got to test. That yet but it literally looks like you ran a tedder behind the mower I dont see how it cant speed it up


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Looks like it would throw hay into uncut hay or under fences, onto lawns, etc. I think I will leave mine as is and try to set my windrows at 9' on center for my Tedder.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

With the widespread kit wouldn't the hay lying in the tire tracks almost be lying on the ground instead of sitting up on the stubble? It looks like you would still need to ted to shift the hay around that's really close to the ground.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Grateful11 said:


> With the widespread kit wouldn't the hay lying in the tire tracks almost be lying on the ground instead of sitting up on the stubble? It looks like you would still need to ted to shift the hay around that's really close to the ground.


ya gonna have to see how it works. never owned a tedder hoping to keep it that way but may not have a choice. Will post a thread this summer on how it works


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## cmsc (Feb 14, 2010)

You should be able to pull your disc bine faster then 7mph. I use to pull my 1411 at 10 to 12 all the time. Then I switched to a self propelled and will never go back to a pt. 3 sec on end at most and going back the other way. I can knock 40 acres down in a couple hours. I'd say you'll be fine with what you got don't know about loading bales in field with skid steer tears too much up if wrong person runs one in field. I love skid in shed for putting hay away. I look into a tedder I've got one and it's saved my butt several times on getting hay dried out and saving hay after being rained on since il weather forecasters can never get it right. Had alfalfa get 2 inches on it tended it and amazingly didn't loose much green.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

cmsc said:


> You should be able to pull your disc bine faster then 7mph. I use to pull my 1411 at 10 to 12 all the time. Then I switched to a self propelled and will never go back to a pt. 3 sec on end at most and going back the other way. I can knock 40 acres down in a couple hours. I'd say you'll be fine with what you got don't know about loading bales in field with skid steer tears too much up if wrong person runs one in field. I love skid in shed for putting hay away. I look into a tedder I've got one and it's saved my butt several times on getting hay dried out and saving hay after being rained on since il weather forecasters can never get it right. Had alfalfa get 2 inches on it tended it and amazingly didn't loose much green.


 ya back on loadn bales they say the tracks r better than wheels in the field but you still cant be a cowboy thats why dad bales and I move. Lol


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

If rained on soon after cut I've had great luck with retaining quality. Right before baling, not so much!



cmsc said:


> Had alfalfa get 2 inches on it tended it and amazingly didn't loose much green.


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