# Discbine Rolls or Flail Conditioning



## pengs68 (Jul 3, 2009)

I'm looking at trading my NH 488 Haybine for a new Discbine. I've always had the rubber rolls. Whats everyone's opinion on which is better? I do mostly grass hay. Thanks!


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

We've beaten this dead horse many times before. It seems flails work much better in mostly grass applications, rubber rolls work best for alfalfa. I have no experience with flails so take it for what it's worth, as I only do alfalfa/red clover.


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## Widairy (Jan 1, 2016)

On a cut job basis the flails are best. Had a Deere 936 with flails, would do a beautiful cut job anywhere. Traded it in on a Holland 313 with rolls. I mainly do cut legumes. It will do an acceptable job but you have to play with it, varying ground speed and rpm. For grass I'd recommend just going with flails.


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## Brncntry112 (Jun 8, 2015)

I going to be selling/trading in my Kuhn FC302 after this season. It has the finger/comb conditioner and has been bullet proof. Our previous mower was a NH with rubber rolls. The rubber eventually delaminated from the steel, which they were known for at the time. Sounded like a bomb going off behind me when that happened, and it caused major damage to the rest of the machine. To answer your question, after having both, the finger/comb definitely dries grass hay faster than the rubber rollers. We used to mow some alfalfa with it, and as long as you back the adjustment off, it's not too bad on leaf loss, but not as good as the rollers. So just like others have said, for grass hay, I would go with tines, for alfalfa, go with rollers.


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

Not to hi jack but I've been contemplating on whether my next machine will have rolls or flails as well and have been told the flails take more power to run than rolls. My question is how much more power do they take? I'd be looking at used 9 footers to pull behind a 70 hp tractor.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Orchard6 said:


> My question is how much more power do they take? I'd be looking at used 9 footers to pull behind a 70 hp tractor.


According to NH 70 PTO for both 9 foot, JD 70 for roll, 80 for flail, this is PTO horse. My 70HP engine horses, can be working pretty hard in heavy 1st cutting, with a 5 degree grade at 5 MPH. You are probably going to be marginal at 70H, IMHO. I run my 9 foot w/rolls usually with a 115 HP (98PTO) and I can make it work at 10 MPH on a small grade.
Larry


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## Bruce Hopf (Jun 29, 2016)

When you talk about Flail, are you talking about Steel Rollers? Thanks. Bruce.


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

r82230 said:


> According to NH 70 PTO for both 9 foot, JD 70 for roll, 80 for flail, this is PTO horse. My 70HP engine horses, can be working pretty hard in heavy 1st cutting, with a 5 degree grade at 5 MPH. You are probably going to be marginal at 70H, IMHO. I run my 9 foot w/rolls usually with a 115 HP (98PTO) and I can make it work at 10 MPH on a small grade.
> Larry


Thank you! I should've stated 70 pto hp (Farmall 706). My fields are flat as pancakes so hopefully it doesn't struggle too much if I decide to go with flails.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Bruce Hopf said:


> When you talk about Flail, are you talking about Steel Rollers? Thanks. Bruce.


No, flails are different than roll conditioning. For example; a New Holland 1412 has flails, and a New Holland 1411 has rolls (rubber or steel). Here is a pic of flails on a 1412. They simply batter the crop as it passes through rather than crimp it.


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## Bruce Hopf (Jun 29, 2016)

paoutdoorsman said:


> No, flails are different than roll conditioning. For example; a New Holland 1412 has flails, and a New Holland 1411 has rolls (rubber or steel). Here is a pic of flails on a 1412. They simply batter the crop as it passes through rather than crimp it.


So I take it, that the fails, will fluff up, the hay more, when you mow it.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Bruce Hopf said:


> So I take it, that the fails, will fluff up, the hay more, when you mow it.


Bruce, here is a JD picture of flails, the idea is to 'scrub' the outside (removing some wax) against a dimpled surface (on some models anyhow), therefore are considered better for grass type crop verses crushing the stem (better on legumes). Is my understanding of the differences.

Larry


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Started with rubber rolls then went to flails. Flails dry grass quickly. Machine is cheaper to buy, too.


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

A lot of flail machines have adjustable flail shaft RPM. The flail shaft on my Taarup 305 disc-flail machine can be set to 600 or 900 rpm, so you can slow it down for legumes or speed it up for grass. You can also adjust the clearance between the flails and the baffle plate. So there is a lot off adjustment for the severity of the conditioning action. For heavy ryegrass I want as much conditioning as I can get.

But if I want to cut a tall stalky crop like oats or peas I go to the yonks-old NH 461 sickle-rubber roll haybine.

Roger


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## Redbaler (Jun 10, 2011)

Went to flails 12 years ago and I'm never going back. Don't have a tester but my hay will bale the same day as my neighbors roll machine with all crops.


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## pengs68 (Jul 3, 2009)

Thanks for all the feedback! I'm going with the flail conditioning.


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