# what is 'best' mower conditioner make



## tarrquinn (Jul 5, 2014)

looking for peoples knowledge on moco's and preference

Here in Queensland Ausralia I'm [email protected] paying around $22000 used newholland haybine up to 10 year old or can get new for around $36000 [10 foot cut]

krone disc moco new $36000 [9ft cut] but has a roll pin system as shear pins to save damage on rocks which will b my main obstacle or $41000 10ft cut ,I like the look of that feature as im sure to hit the odd rock but is it worth paying the extra for it

Also there is a lely moco I dont no if you guys get them over there as most of our stuff seems to be european ,this moco operates on individual modules instead of inter meshing gears by running a flexi shaft in between discs so each disc can be removed individualy if damaged $44000 10ft cut

I will be cutting alfalfa predominantly, have the odd floating rock which will pop up,tractor is 155 hp so size not a problem (i know way to big)

So i guess im looking to hear on your guys experience with same or smiliar mowers, im on tight budget so if i go new moco i have to go older small square baler for 1st couple of years looking to knock out about 35000 small squares a year

thanks


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Not sure their is a best, a lot depends on dealer support and parts availability. I run NH because I have three dealers within an hour depending which direction you head.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Spend money on a baler first. Then decide on mower.

If you have the best mower and your baler breaks you lose lots of money potentially. But if mower breaks hay still standing degrades much more slowly than hay on the ground.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

deadmoose said:


> Spend money on a baler first. Then decide on mower.
> 
> If you have the best mower and your baler breaks you lose lots of money potentially. But if mower breaks hay still standing degrades much more slowly than hay on the ground.


I agree with Moose-if you are going to be pumping out 35K bales a year, I would be looking for a new NH or JD baler that would last me for a long time. Unfortunately, new does not mean flawless as you have to wear the paint off for 1-2K bales before everything is just right. I would guess you would be looking at a NH 5070 or 5080 depending on desired bale size-don't know the JD #s. You said used haybine, I assume you meant discbine- you couldn't give me a haybine anymore but you couldn't buy my discbine from me. You would be able to easily find a NH 1409 or 1411 here used for a decent price, don't know how the used market is there. However, as mlappin says, dealer support is really important so I would be influenced in my implement paint color by which color has good support around you.


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## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

Just to throw it in the ring I personally would suggest a HESSTON?MASSEY baler . especially with ALFALFA , the center line design SAVES LEAVES . Just check it out . Common sence will prevail .


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## tarrquinn (Jul 5, 2014)

No was meaning haybine , one dealer told me they would deal with the rocks better .

The only reason ive started leaning to a new mower is it seems the new mowers have more saftey features built in to limit damage with breakages , feel free to let me know if that's not correct

As for color i have no preference and my nearest dealer is 1.30 hr away either direction

I went out to look at the potenger moco and nh moco today, dealer was trying hard to sell the new holland ,it was drawbar tow not swivel hitch he said very simple machine and the conditioner not as hard on alfalfa as potenger conditioner as tread on that is deeper

potenger looked a beta machine to me but the cutterbar didn't seem to have any shear pin system

At what age does a moco start falling apart , i would assume that when they get traded things are starting to break ?


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## tarrquinn (Jul 5, 2014)

the new price was for a disc mower used price a haybine sorry
Also in small fields what moco system is most manuvable as i have sprinklers every 27 yards and fields range from 4 acres to 10 acres as in swivel hitch , centre tow , side tow


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## tarrquinn (Jul 5, 2014)

was just reading another thread and they said a new baler $20 k ... is that all they cost over there [usa]....
looking at US $43000 for a new holland here


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

deadmoose said:


> Spend money on a baler first. Then decide on mower.
> 
> If you have the best mower and your baler breaks you lose lots of money potentially. But if mower breaks hay still standing degrades much more slowly than hay on the ground.


That sounds like my wife's logic. She says what ever they can put on the ground can be gotten up as long as you have a rake and good baler but what's not cut can be usually put off until tomorrow. She's keeping the old 478 Haybine as a backup to the New Holland H7220.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

tarrquinn said:


> was just reading another thread and they said a new baler $20 k ... is that all they cost over there [usa]....
> looking at US $43000 for a new holland here


You can get a NH 450 for less than $20K or JD 449 for around $20K. You can get a 4x5 MF for around $17-18K


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

can't speak to other brands but the NH set in up position of tilt glides over most rocks. All now come with sacrifice rotors so they do not blow up the machine if you really take on something you should not. the sacrifice part is easy to replace and saves the turtle drive gears and it works. Know from experience. Mentioned in a current thread is high stubble shoe kit that would raise the cutter bar more but not sure if you want that. As for manuverablility, I use a 1409 with ease around lots of obsticles. Almost sounds like a self propelled would be better for you but that is much more $. What type of rocks do you have-bedrock outcrops, or gravel, or cobbles in the surface?


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

One thing we like about the NH over the Kuhn we had is that each cutter, ours has 7, has a skid shoe so it has 7 skid shoes. If there's a slight high spot in the center of the cutterbar it doesn't scalp the ground. The Kuhn only had one on each end. One other thing is the NH even though it cuts 14" more width than the Kuhn it's pretty obvious that pulls less load on the tractor than the Kuhn. Everyone still misses the swivel hitch though.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

I've never owned anything other than NH. Started with a 477, now pulling a 2010 model 488. Good dealer support locally if I need parts fast. Messick's if I have a couple of days to wait for parts.


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## tarrquinn (Jul 5, 2014)

thr rocks are granite floaters all the ground has been cleaned but the odd one still turns up range rom 3-4-4 to6-8-8 inches and the odd couple of foot one just to keep me in on my toes grrr lol


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## tarrquinn (Jul 5, 2014)

Are those new price machines grateful 11 if so we getting so robbed


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

tarrquinn said:


> Are those new price machines grateful 11 if so we getting so robbed


Yep. A MF 1745 round baler starts at $17K MSRP. A JD 449 starts at $21K MSRP. All are US prices.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

My new holland 450 with all the options except net was $18000.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

hog987 said:


> My new holland 450 with all the options except net was $18000.


How do you like your 450 so far?


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I like the baler. Its fast and has a huge appetite. Now that I have a bigger tractor I can feed it to the max.(too bad its been dry so yields are down about 30%) In heavy hay doubled raked can kick out a bale with twine about every minute. Just don't have enough thick hay this year except in the low spots. It looks a bit cheap but is really built heavy. I bought a couple of bearings for the idle rolls to have as spare just incase. They are big heavy bearings. These idle bearings are heavier than the main bottom roll bearings on the gehl balers. In the 2 years I have had it have put about 4500 bales through it with min problems.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

tarrquinn said:


> thr rocks are granite floaters all the ground has been cleaned but the odd one still turns up range rom 3-4-4 to6-8-8 inches and the odd couple of foot one just to keep me in on my toes grrr lol


so the ones that show up on top of the ground or just sticking out of the soil. Seems like anything on top of the ground that was over 4 inches would wreak havic on either a sickle or disc mower conditioner. those would make having a rock basket on your tractor a must-guess that is what a FEL bucket is for.


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