# Mowing with a shredder



## doylemc (Jul 24, 2012)

I own a Kubota tractor (50 hp) and 6' Bush Hog shredder. Have about 20 acres I'd like
to begin using for hay. Is the shredder sufficient for hay mowing. I do have an old hay rake,
and plan on purchasing a used small square baler in the next year. Pasture is sand land in
Central Texas.....Bahia grass.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I've heard of people doing it after they cut the side out of the shredder to keep it from chopping too fine, but I wouldn't advise it. Bahia is tough on blades but it makes decent hay. Look around for an old sickle mower. With agressive teeth it does just fine....I used one for years and still have it. Otherwise, spend a little more money and get a disc mower. It's faster, but on 20 acres you really won't pick up that much time. It will however, cut stuff that would choke a sickle. Once the field is clean though, a sickle is fine.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Personally I think the term 'shredder' would be your answer. For hay you want the grass to be together in long enough stems to get picked up by the tines on the rake and baler. Bush Hog would cut it down then keep cutting it (shredding) until it's out from under the mower. A 'hay cutter' cuts it down, and the blades don't touch the grass again, leaving it full length.
Yes, you would get some baled, but I'd guess closer to 50% of the crop than 100%.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Being that it will be chopped really fine, I don't know how it would bale. Might be hard to keep a good tight bale. I would look into getting someone to cut it for you until you get a disc mower or sickle bar. Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> Being that it will be chopped really fine, I don't know how it would bale. Might be hard to keep a good tight bale. I would look into getting someone to cut it for you until you get a disc mower or sickle bar. Mike


Not to mention a bush hog pulls a LOT more HP than a sickle.


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

Interesting answers. I am sorta in this potential environment. I ran MOCO's for years with Sorghum/Sudan hay and needed the crimper for the stalks.

I retired and got a drum mower thinking I was going to just run grasses and wouldn't need to crimp/condition.

Well turns out that for what I want to plant I will need to crimp.

I had thought about cutting with the drum and then following at rather high speed with a shredder to split the stalks up on this proposed crop to reduce the drying time since there is some grass mixed with it and last season by the time I got the stalks dry without crimping, I was dragging a dust bowl behind me.

Thanks for your inputs,
Mark


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