# sickle rake vs haybine vs cutter etc



## jamesntexas (Mar 7, 2012)

I know these are stupid newbie questions but i need to know them.....Can someone tell why i want one over the other ones? I dont really know how they work out in the real world. Will be used on rye and bermuda.

Whats a good price for each one in good working order?....doesnt have to be pretty just working and in solid condition --thanks


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

James,

It depends on where you are and how many acres you are cutting. I'm NW of Houston and I have done 40-60 acres for years using a sickle mower (NH-456) it does a good job, lays the grass down, and I usually bale on the third day. Once in a while, I get a new field that's been shreaded or really heavy growth and it chokes the sickle. I just borrow a disk mower or get someone to cut it for me. An inconvenience but nothing more. I just bought a disk mower, mainly because the price was too good to pass up. It will solve the occational inconvenience and I'm looking forward to using it.

Last fall, I planted a field of ryegrass hoping it would give me something in the spring. With the rain we've had it was thick and butt deep. I had to get a friend with a mower/conditioner to cut it or it never would have dried. We baled it last week.

To answer your question....there is no perfect answer because conditions change. You get what you need most of the time.

Sickle Mower.......Cheap. Usually less than $6K new. Requires little HP. Works great for small fields. Bermuda, Bahia, etc
Disc Mower......... More Expensive. Usually about $10K new, needs more HP. Works for larger fields because you can run faster.
Mower/Conditioners.......Much More Expensive. Usually $20K+, Need bigger tractors because they are heavier. They are mowers that also condition the grass to speed drying. One type uses flails which works best on grass, the other type uses rollers to crush the stems of Alfalfa or grass
A haybine usually cuts with a sickle, a diskbine cuts with a disc

Look on tractorhouse ( Used Tractors For Sale at TractorHouse.com: John Deere Tractors, used farm tractors and farm equipment, tractors for sale, Case IH, New Holland, Agco, Kubota ) or Fastline ( Used Tractors and Farm Machinery for sale by Fastline ) Typically those are dealer prices, you can usually find equipment at auctions or from individuals for less. If you are not in a hurry, there are a lot of good deals out there.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Once you make up your mind what you want, & figure out a good price, I use search tempest to watch craigs list, along with the local classifieds. But be careful, & look it over close for bearings, frame rust, or any other damage or wear.


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## jamesntexas (Mar 7, 2012)

Ok cool. Thank you guys.

On craigslist there is a jd 7ft for $1500 its excellent condition and comes with a 2nd one for parts/fix up etc and 3 knife bars.......from what i can tell that is fair eneough i think......right?
will a haybine cut better than a regular sickle bar cutter even though it uses a sickle bar to?
Also a question about rakes----it doesnt look like much can go wrong with one....Can i go wrong in buying an older one?Am i missing something?--thanks for the input.

edit--ok i just did some reading and as i understand it replacing the bearings on rakes can get pricey.


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## 12251hd (Jan 28, 2012)

We cut and bale about 45 ac each year for our herd and want to keep our costs in check. We used a Ford 501 pitman mower for several years; still keep it as a back-up. We bought a JD 1209 MOCO a few years ago, and it does a good job for us. Last year, I bought a tedder for a good price on e-bay, which takes a day or so off drying time. An old reliable NH bar rake completes the preparation. We keep everything in good maintenance and take our time. As with most things, I find the longer I work a piece of machinery, the smarter it gets. Good luck.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Personally, I think $1500 for a 7' JD sickle mower is a bit high. The scrap one would only take up space as there's likely not much you can get off of it. The only things that will wear out are the blades (sections) and the wear clips. I only changed the hold-down clips when I switched from rivets to screws and the guards are probably 10-15 years old. Look at Sickle Service ( Home page Webb's Sickle Service ) to get an idea about prices for parts. I've always used a 9' bar.....the extra 2' makes a lot of difference. My view is that a sickle is a sickle and I can't see that a haybine would cut better.....it will likely be wider so it will cut more. You'll also need a bigger tractor to drag around the heavier weight.

I rake with a NH 256 with the dolly wheels in front. It's probably older than you are. Every year I replace a half a dozen teeth, a few years ago I replaced some bearings, and I had the yoke bust off the drive gear once. It never has cost me much and I could pull it with almost everything. I'd like to get a Krone rotary rake or a Vermeer R-23A, but I'm too cheap to spend the money for it.

Nothing wrong with old equipment.....you just need to know what you are looking at before you buy it.


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## HWooldridge (Oct 13, 2010)

I do small squares for myself and the neighbors. Depending on the rain, I may do 1000-1500 bales annually. I have a NH 467 7 ft haybine, a 9 ft JD traction rake and a JD 346 baler - all behind a JD 2640 tractor . This combination will cut and bale any type of coastal grass, oats, sudan, etc. Of course, I cannot cut as quickly as the man with the 100 hp tractor and 12' disc mower but I can plug away and still get the job done in a reasonable time. Over the past week, I mowed, raked and baled 274 bales of oat hay for a neighbor - took me 7 hrs total tractor time. My contract work tends to pay for my personal expenses so my own hay costs me almost nothing and whatever I get for it is profit.  I bought all used equipment and including the tractor, have about $13K invested over 15 years.

I have also run a plain sickle and believe that a haybine doesn't clog as often because it pulls the grass thru with the rollers but like anything, it may simply be what you get used to.


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