# what is it



## middleTn (Nov 11, 2009)

Hey guys a man by me has this for sale. I am looking at it via picture. so I havent seen it in person

can anyone tell me what model it is and something about it, width of cut, is it chain drive, any good, easy to maintain, He can not tell me really anything. He just bought his farm and this came with so he doesnt need, We know its an international

if it works well or needs alittle something is it worth 700.

and I realize the teeth maybe needing replace

thanks in advance


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## Ridgerunner (Jul 10, 2009)

Definitely 7 ft. Older than an 1190. Probably has steel rollers.


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## CATTLEMAN (Jun 19, 2009)

It looks like an old 990 model. For 700 dollars, you probably can't loose a lot. Check the rolls closely, and make sure bearings are all intact. Good luck !


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## middleTn (Nov 11, 2009)

should metal wheels be better?

also I am stuggling between this type of mower or a disc. I would like a disc as I can put that down banks close to the ponds....but $700 is easy to do compared to a min $3500..........what to do....


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## Ridgerunner (Jul 10, 2009)

I looked at an IH 1190 that is for sale for $600. Tricor rollers in good shape, paint all gone, no major problems.
A JD 1219 haybine sold near me for $650 last weekend at an auction. Paint, rollers, cutter bar, etc. were all good
I just bought an IH 1590 center pivot for $1000. Tricor rollers in good shape, good paint, everything works.
There is also an older JD (similiar looking to the IH 990) with steel roller for sale near me for $600.

So, I think the IH 990 you are looking at is over-priced. I think $300 - $400 would be fair.


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## middleTn (Nov 11, 2009)

forgive me I have never owned or operated a cutter like this, so ai have more questions..I have a ford sickle mower 501 ...but I know its not the same

so based on what you are staying I believe you are correct on price, and this guy maybe open to a lower offer. I am just wondering how this wil compare (except by price) to a disc mower,cutting quality, time,and will it really speed up the drying process..and do I want steel rollers?


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## Ridgerunner (Jul 10, 2009)

Those are all great questions. I am in the same situation, myself. I grew up farming with my dad and he never used conditioning rollers. I have always used a disk mower. I have always made hay from fescue and orchard grass mix.

Last year I planted red clover and orchard grass. Last summer, the orchard grass was less than 15% of the crop, but the red clover did very well. The red clover really added a lot of nitrogen to the soil. However, I do not think I did a great job of curing the clover stems prior to baling and now I am seeing some mold. Could just be due to the wet summer, but I am looking into a haybine to improve the situation next summer.

I also do not understand the difference between rubber on rubber rollers, rubber on steel rollers, steel on steel rollers, tricor rollers, and the old fashioned sprocket looking rollers. I think the old fashioned sprocket style sort of kinked the stems rather than crushing them along the entire length.

I think that rollers are better than flail conditioners for legumes and the flail types are better for grasses (forages that do not lose the leaves easily).

A disk conditioner will usually run $5000 to $12000. The advantage to a disk mower is definitely speed and ease of repairing damaged blades. Disk mowers are more suceptible to serious and expensive breakdowns. Haybines are probably better with rocks, but I can not say from experience.

Steel rollers probably last much longer than some of the rubber rollers, but I have heard tricor rubber rollers last a very long time. I do not know what the advantage is to the modern rubber rollers, unless it is the lobe shapes that they are able to achieve and maybe noise levels.

I would also like to know the amount of tension required on the rollers. I think you are supposed to shim them apart so that they are 1/16" to 1/8" apart.

I bought a Case IH 1490 last week and brought it home yesterday. It is still on the trailer. Originally, I thought it was a 1590 but after measuring it I am sure it is a 1490.

Hope this info gives you some insight.

Good luck.


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## middleTn (Nov 11, 2009)

yes this helps,

i have had my fields for 3 years now, so i keep it pretty clear of tree limbs and rocks, my machine will get close to the tree line, but i am limited to size as my machine is 4x4 55 hp but I think i can go no more than 8 ft disc..

so i am leaning in the direction of a disc..I do have two large ponds and a couple of banked areas so the disc might be better...I dont want to fish that mower/conditioner out of the ponds as it slides down hill.........i want to square bale as that is what I can sell in my area, over the years I tried rolls and just too hard, square is so much easier to move and store.

I am undecided as what to do..., do I stay in the 800 to 1400 range for a 20-30 yr baler and as easy as I hear they are to work on, but are they more prone to break down due to their age?

or do I go with a 3000-5000 for a semi new used pc....only for the idea that this should not break down because I spent so much more money...is this just an illusion..


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## Ridgerunner (Jul 10, 2009)

Couple more things to add to the confusion:

Disk mowers require more HP than sickle. If you are going with a disk mower without conditioning rollers, you should be okay with 55 HP. Conditioning rolls will require more than 55 hp unless you go with a haybine (sickle bar).

Disk mowers are almost always mounted to the 3pt hitch and somewhat difficult to attach. Haybines or discbines are trailed, so they are much quicker to attach/detach. This can be important if you mow, ted, and rake with the same tractor. Just depends on your particular situation.

I don't know anything about square balers. But, I used to run a 45 JD combine that was 30 years old, my tractor is a 1965 JD 4020, and my baler is probably 25 years old. Equipment age doesn't bother me. Design, rust, and damage are all I consider. I enjoy repairing general wear and tear.

I recommend buying an Infra-red (IR) gun. You can usually get one for around $100. I use mine to detect bearings that are running hot long before they start to come apart. Bearings often cost in excess of $50, so it doesn't take long to recoup the cost of the IR gun.


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## middleTn (Nov 11, 2009)

great tip i never thought of a heat gun for that i just may ask santa for that,,,,,,good point my sickle mower is a pain by myself......i like the idea of a mower/conditioner..how fast can i go with this like acres per hour..will it be faster than my 501 sickle bar but slower than a disc?

i do like the idea that i can just hook this up and go


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## Ridgerunner (Jul 10, 2009)

I just bought my first haybine, so I don't know how fast they will cut. I have used a plain sickle bar before and found it difficult. I used to harvest fescue with a 45 JD combine and the reel really helps alot. Combining fescue is alot different than cutting hay because you just clip the heads.

I am expecting the haybine to work well at around 5 mph. Just multiply your cutter width (feet) times ground speed times 5280 ft/mile and devide by 43,560 square feet per acre to determine acres per hour. To be realistic, don't use the full mower width, allow for some overlap.


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## middleTn (Nov 11, 2009)

good tip never knew how to estimate that....... i did the calulation and see what you mean, at 8 ft mower at 5 mph that should be about 4 ac per hour, I can live with that...

i have a 9n i will use to pull hay rake, bar rakes around me are about 600 to 800, if i could find a V for 1000, i would do that but i havent found one for less than 1600...

so i am working on a sq baler and disc mower i like the idea i can hook mower/conditioner up by my self as i will have to use my jd 5205 to cut and bale, so hooking up and off will need to factor into this...

but i knwo from my sickle mower like you it is slow...and time/speed is going to be more important to me


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## Ridgerunner (Jul 10, 2009)

There are some manufacturers who make disc mowers (without conditioning rollers) that are trailed with the drawbar. Kuhn and Vemeer are a couple I know of. There are even some manufacturers who make trailers that will mount a 3 point hitch type disc mower. I have only seen pictures on the internet, I can not name any of the manufacturers.


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## David in Georgia (Aug 30, 2009)

KMC makes one of the disc mower caddy's your referring to and they are $3500+. Their nice, but not nice enough for me to justify spending that much money on.


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