# 1st time cutting/baling hay!



## Rookie Farmer (May 14, 2010)

I'm new here and don't know much about hay but I'm about to jump in head first. I have a 5320 4x4 john deere and just bought a 605J vermeer baler. I still need to purchase a haybine or disc mower (not sure which one to get) and I will need a hay rake as well. I've seen alot of people with disc mowers and was going to go that route but didn't really want to have to buy a tedder and tedd the hay before raking and baling. With that being said I'm now leaning towards an older haybine with the rubber rollers so that my dry time will be cut down so that I can skip the tedding and just rake the hay and bale it, eliminating the tedder equipment all together. As for the hay rake I was trying to find like a nh 256 model or something similar, but do I want a dolly wheel or is one without a dolly wheel good enough. I will be baling about 40-50 acres in northern ky and as we speak it is about 3-3.5' tall. I want to keep the whole process as simple and efficient (cutting and drying) as possible because I work second shift and won't have much help to do this except for my dad who also works still. What are your suggestions and what are the pros and cons to a disc mower vs. a haybine.


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

Hello welcome to the site. I would still consider a tedder. I live near you sounds like at Falmouth Ky. With the weather we have with a tedder you can save a lot of hay if it gets wet and will speed up your drying time even if it is cut with a mower -conditioner. I used to use a NH56 rake without a dolly wheel and I bought a NH256 with a dolly and I like it better. No lifting to hook up and it gets the rake farther behind the tractor. It makes it easier to hook up and you can rake with a larger tractor if you have to and not worry as much about getting the rear tires of the tractor into the rake at the end of the windrow when you are turning.


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

Like kyfred said , you will still need a tedder even if you cut with a discbine or haybine, The rollers help alot with drying but still need the help of a tedder. By the way , welcome to the site .


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## Rookie Farmer (May 14, 2010)

So will it matter if I get a disc mower vs a haybine then?


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

Rookie Farmer said:


> So will it matter if I get a disc mower vs a haybine then?


I use a Krone 243-S Easy Cut disc mower and our neighbor uses a haybine that has the cycle that cuts the hay it is not a discbine and I can usually cut a lot faster than he can and by using a tedder I can usually bale in the same day he does, if we cut the same day. He will use a tedder to speed things up also. Depends on the type of hay you have also. We have grass hay. Fescue , Orchard grass Brome.with some clover. If you have alfalfa you might want to use a haybine or a discbine to dry a little better. I work nights also and don't have time to do alfalfa right now. Maybe in the future.


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## Rookie Farmer (May 14, 2010)

So you both cut at the same time and you both use the tedder and you both are baling at the same time? If I'm understanding correctly then a haybine doesn't save any drying time, and I will still need the tedder?


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

If you have alfalfa or a lot of clover I think it speeds up drydown time but my hay and his is just about the same type stuff. He uses a cycle bar cut haybine and we use just a disc mower no conditioner just a mower and if we cut the same day we usually bale the same day. If he uses his tedder he can bale before me 1/2 day to a day earlier but if he don't ted I can bale the same day the only thing I have a extra trip in the field running the tedder.


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

If you cut just grass hay,, a disc mower with a tedder is going to be all you need. If you cut any crop that needs the stem crimped such as alfalfa, the discbine or haybine will save you valubale time when it comes to drying your hay down, make sure it has rollers instead of the impellars.


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## Greyhorse (Jun 22, 2009)

Another thing I will add is that you probably shouldn't cut the whole thing your first time out, especially if you are using used equipment. Cut 10 acres or so, ted, rake... etc. and bale it up and make sure everything is working right before you have all your hay on the ground. If everything works fine then cut the rest of it.... if not you can do repairs and only have a small part of your hay crop on the ground burning up or getting rained on.

For grass hay I would think a disc mower and a tedder would be what you want. If you could get a good deal on a discbine it would be better, just more expensive and not totally necessary.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

You have to be careful - kyfred has a disc machine without the conditioner rolls. That's probably a disc machine that fits on the 3pt of his tractor. A haybine and discbine only differ in how they cut the hay - a sickle, or rotating discs. A tedder isn't an absolute necessity, but in many cases you can cut a day off your drying time, and that might mean the difference between garbage hay and good hay.

Rodney


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

Rookie Farmer said:


> I'm new here and don't know much about hay but I'm about to jump in head first. I have a 5320 4x4 john deere and just bought a 605J vermeer baler. I still need to purchase a haybine or disc mower (not sure which one to get) and I will need a hay rake as well. I've seen alot of people with disc mowers and was going to go that route but didn't really want to have to buy a tedder and tedd the hay before raking and baling. With that being said I'm now leaning towards an older haybine with the rubber rollers so that my dry time will be cut down so that I can skip the tedding and just rake the hay and bale it, eliminating the tedder equipment all together. As for the hay rake I was trying to find like a nh 256 model or something similar, but do I want a dolly wheel or is one without a dolly wheel good enough. I will be baling about 40-50 acres in northern ky and as we speak it is about 3-3.5' tall. I want to keep the whole process as simple and efficient (cutting and drying) as possible because I work second shift and won't have much help to do this except for my dad who also works still. What are your suggestions and what are the pros and cons to a disc mower vs. a haybine.


Good example of what a mower conditioner and a tedder will do vs. just a disc mower. Our neighbor has about the same type hay orchard grass fescue brome some clover. We both cut yesterday and he was tedding when I started tedding our hay today he has now raked and getting ready to roll and ours is about 4 or 5 hours of being ready to roll. Which he is going to get his rolled in a couple of hours and our hay will not roll till tomorrow if it don't rain tonight. The only difference is he mowed with a mower conditioner and ours is just a straight disc mower no conditioner both tedded the hay


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

The hay got rained on yesterday. Our neighbor got his rolled. Saved the hay by running the tedder though it twice. Still smells like it never got rained on. Thats what you can do with a tedder. A tedder can get you out of a bind.


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## JD2020 (Apr 14, 2010)

I would go for the tedder,in case the weather throws you a curve......


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## rank (Apr 15, 2009)

Normally I would agree with most of the replies that a tedder is worth considering. But in the OP's case....(40 acres), I not sure he needs one. Shoot, if he can't plan 40 acres around the weather he shouldn't be haying!

Besides, you should always learn the hard way....makes you appreciate things.


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