# Acres/Hour???



## Hokelund Farm

I'm trying to get a ballpark estimate for fuel usage as I might be custom haying this year.
I understand it all depends on the field (shape, condition, yield, and so on). Just a ball park is fine.

I have an Oliver rake and pull it with a farmall 460. I can usually rake about 2.5 acres an hour.
My question is for cutting. I have a Gehl 9' haybine. We have only ever done our own small fields so I've never really paid close attention to acres per hour.
Anyone have a guess?
Same question would be for small square baling with either a 24t or 275 hayliner (stacking on wagon)and 1st crop ~ 70 bales per acre, 2nd ~ 50/acre and 3rd ~ 30 per acre (45-50 lb bales).
Any guesses would be appreciated!


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## deadmoose

9' cut 6" overlap at 4 mph: 8.5*5280*4/43560=4.12 ac/hr. Adjust speed and number adjusts as well. The smaller the field the less efficient you will be.


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## deadmoose

Gas or diesel? Usage per hour?


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## MT hayer

I would say between 3 and 4 acres an hour? Maybe a little less in a small patch? Depends on the roughness. I can't say about your baling though


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## barnrope

When I had a 9' Gehl I was running around 3 to 4 acres per hour more or less.

Square baling really depends on how fast you want to push the guy stacking on the rack, how many racks you have, and how fast you can unload them.


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## mlappin

On the flip side, mowed 25 acres the other day in two hours. Almost a square field but not quite.


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## shortrow

mlappin said:


> On the flip side, mowed 25 acres the other day in two hours. Almost a square field but not quite.


Wow, that is movin' on.


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## rjmoses

"Square field"?

What's that? Could you post some pictures? Is that some new technological development? I bet it was even flat!

Ralph


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## haybaler101

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=600511356713420&id=100002636832349. Click on the this link for a brief video of my NH H7450 pulled with a NH 8670. This was first cutting running 14th gear pto speed and 11.5 mph. That will get you around 12 acres/hour. Marty has the same size mower.


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## Stuckey1

I don't see how you guys can make a profit using side cutters I turn down jobs some times if I have to use mine!


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## haybaler101

Stuckey1 said:


> I don't see how you guys can make a profit using side cutters I turn down jobs some times if I have to use mine!


side cutters yes, but center pivots I think I can give your self propelled a run for its money. Anyway, not going to by another diesel power train when I have tractors on the farm. If all I did was hay, I would consider dropping a tractor for a SP.


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## Stuckey1

I'm not knocking a center pivot! It's just them side cutters! My sp would run laps around 3 of them! I'm thinking about buying a center pivot if I could find a good deal. It's getting pretty wild around here with these damn weather men and their lies!


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## shortrow

mlappin said:


> On the flip side, mowed 25 acres the other day in two hours. Almost a square field but not quite.


You watch out, you'll get a speedin' ticket.


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## slowzuki

Depends what you're doing. Big open spaces with straight lines and rough fields I can't imagine 10-13 mph in a sp feels better than a mfwd tractor. I'm sure cleaning up at the end is nicer in the sp. Around here a 10 ft cut is about all you can use for the roads and access.



Stuckey1 said:


> I'm not knocking a center pivot! It's just them side cutters! My sp would run laps around 3 of them! I'm thinking about buying a center pivot if I could find a good deal. It's getting pretty wild around here with these damn weather men and their lies!


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## Lewis Ranch

I have found in the few short weeks I have had my sp I can run faster than I could in the tractor. They are better balanced and sure enough rides a lot smother, and no I have not sacrificed cut quality. If anything I think it does a better job as I do not run over any hay.


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## Stuckey1

I am with you on that Lewis! The suspension on my 2013 R450 is amazing! If I can't fit through a gate around here they either get a bigger gate, take down fence, or I don't do it! They normally make something work. As for the roads I load it up on my trailer and people tend to get out of the way! TX has a law ag equipment have right a way from 6am to 6pm.... But I've moved it all times of the day or night. It does get stressful though!


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## Lewis Ranch

Bolt cutters are a necessity. I'm debating on building a trailer to haul it on, I think that will be this winters project.


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## Stuckey1

Have fun with that! It's a pain. I couldn't find it in my pocket to spend 15000 to just haul it! I found an old combine trailer and mad modifications to it


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## mlappin

If I need to worry about suspension as the fields getting too rough, it's getting no-tilled to corn next year. I don't deal with rough fields, no need to as when they do start to get rough they are about done anyways.

Burn down in the fall, do another burn down in the spring, no-till to corn, no-till to beans, replant hay.


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## mlappin

Want to see some real ground covered, I've run our 25 foot v rake at 10mph, usually run a tad slower as it makes a cleaner row then.


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## Lewis Ranch

Stuckey1 said:


> Have fun with that! It's a pain. I couldn't find it in my pocket to spend 15000 to just haul it! I found an old combine trailer and mad modifications to it


Actually after reading up on transport rules this morning and seeing yours on the trailer I made a few calls and bought one, now trying to find somebody to pick it up. Should save me lots of time and hours on the machine.


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## Stuckey1

I haul mine 60 mph


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## Stuckey1

What kind did you get Lewis?


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## haybaler101

Mowed 83 acres in eight hours today with 30 minutes road time between two fields.


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## Lewis Ranch

Stuckey1 said:


> What kind did you get Lewis?


Its an older combine trailer, 24' long I might do some minor modifications to it but should work well. Will know more when I get it in. I normally don't run more than 1o miles between fields but it will be nice having a truck handy as well.


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## Stuckey1

Must be nice I have some fields 50 miles apart trailer is a must!


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## Hokelund Farm

How big of a jump in capactiy is it from a JD 24T to a NH 273?


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## slowzuki

Wouldn't fit well around here, pavement is 18-20 wide total with yellow line in middle, 0-1.5 ft of soft gravel shoulders with mailboxes every 100 ft, deep ditches, blind hills and turns. I had a hard time moving our NH489 as its so wide and had to do a lot of chainsaw work on roads to get it into fields.

Do old swathers have suspension? The old Hesston's I've seen didn't appear to.



Stuckey1 said:


> I am with you on that Lewis! The suspension on my 2013 R450 is amazing! If I can't fit through a gate around here they either get a bigger gate, take down fence, or I don't do it! They normally make something work. As for the roads I load it up on my trailer and people tend to get out of the way! TX has a law ag equipment have right a way from 6am to 6pm.... But I've moved it all times of the day or night. It does get stressful though!


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## panhandle9400

I swathed a 125 circle the other day in 5hrs and 35 minutes with 1 r450 with 16' disc head. Nice smooth circle ran 13 to 15mph. Alfalfa was about 1.5 ton per acre.


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## Lewis Ranch

panhandle9400 said:


> I swathed a 125 circle the other day in 5hrs and 35 minutes with 1 r450 with 16' disc head. Nice smooth circle ran 13 to 15mph. Alfalfa was about 1.5 ton per acre.


Wish I had that kind of ground here.


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## barnrope

Hokelund Farm said:


> How big of a jump in capactiy is it from a JD 24T to a NH 273?


I don't think there will be a big change in capacity.


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