# Do You Pick Up a Disc Mower When Turning?



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I was cutting today with our 9'2" Krone disc mower. Our fields are pretty much terraced so a field is broken down into small "fields" dictated by the lay of the land. When we get to the end we have to turn and go back. Probably more than those who hay flat land.

Do you pick up a disc mower when you tire around or let it ride on the ground over the cut hay?

I see it done both ways here with our grass hay.

Just curious.


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## ANewman (Sep 20, 2012)

I usually round off the corners with the mower down, then come back and clean them up at the end. If it ain't cutting hay I raise it up with the hydraulics. I have seen some people raise with the 3pt, which I do not understand.


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## Troy Farmer (Jul 31, 2011)

I leave my Krone 7' 9" down. My dealer told me when I bought it to put it on the ground and leave it until I got ready to leave the field. My only regret with the Krone is that I didn't buy the 9' 2". The Krone has been a great machine!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

My disc mower has a conditioner and is centre suspended bed type so the 3 point is carrying a huge load. When lifted it locks out the springs and makes it hard mounted to the hitch so I try not to lift it when travelling.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

It depends....

In thin hay, I usually leave it down. In thick hay, I will usually pick it up slightly with the hydraulics if I am turning left. If turning to the right, I pick it up with the 3 pt.

The reason I pick it up with the 3pt when turning to the right is that if you raise it with the hydraulics just enough to clear the downed hay and turn right, the shoe will dig into the ground.

When backing up, I always pick it up with the 3pt.

I probably make things a lot more complicated than they need to be....


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## jescoag (May 17, 2010)

I leave it down all the time, unless the crop is wet. When it is wet I pick it up on the ends or it seems to stack up under the the inside shoe and make a large pile! I use a NH 617


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

I try not to cut precut grass a second time if I can help it. My thinking, it'll cut a bunch of short pieces off it that will not be baled.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

urednecku said:


> I try not to cut precut grass a second time if I can help it. My thinking, it'll cut a bunch of short pieces off it that will not be baled.


 When I was running a disc mower I thought the same, if I left I down going over already cut hay it seemed to grind it up a bit more and I was afraid the small pieces would not all get baled. It was not that hard to just lift the hydraulics when I needed to turn over already cut hay.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

> It was not that hard to just lift the hydraulics when I needed to turn over already cut hay.


I always thought that's what the hydraulics was for,....to use when needed.


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## jturbo10 (Feb 28, 2011)

Depends...common sense dictates.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Depends on the mower as well, mowers like kuhn tend to dig because of the positioning of the pivot, machines like NH, claas don't seem to have the same problem. I subscribe to the theory that I don't want my hay cut twice, I only use the hydraulics, never the three point as mine are on caddies.....


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## Richardin52 (Aug 14, 2011)

I have a N.H. 3pt hitch disc mower and I use my 3 pt hitch to lift the cutterbar on corners. My tractor has a switch on the right fender right by my hand that will lift the 3 pt hitch to a pre set height and then put it down the next time I hit it to the same height it was. Takes about 3 seconds to raise and lower, much faster than hydraulics.


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## Hay Roller (Aug 5, 2013)

I use a 7 foot Vicon. I agree with the theory to not cut it again if it's already laying on the ground. If I find myself having to make a big turn or having to travel across cut hay to get back to the standing hay, I pull the hydraulics and let it float a foot or so off the ground. If not, it changes the orientation of my hay and wads it up, and there's a huge chance that it will grab the hay and make a HUGE pile. Those piles are no fun at all when it comes to spreading them out with a pitchfork or your hand.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

> Those piles are no fun at all when it comes to spreading them out with a pitchfork or your hand.


Tedder does a great job. Saturday I was square baling some WET hay...er...grass. Heavy enough several bales busted the strings. A couple slow passes with the tedder & even those busted bales were spread out real loose.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

My concern with lifting the cutter bar off the ground is the bouncing. I know the newer mowers are heavier built than the old ones and can probably take more of a bounce. I have begun to leave mine on the ground more and more. I cut with my bar pretty much level and it rides over the cut grass.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Tim/South said:


> My concern with lifting the cutter bar off the ground is the bouncing. I know the newer mowers are heavier built than the old ones and can probably take more of a bounce. I have begun to leave mine on the ground more and more. I cut with my bar pretty much level and it rides over the cut grass.


In light hay I leave it down ( I try not to cut light hay), heavy hay I pull it up to keep from gettin clogged under dolly wheel, like you I don't like the bounce, that's why I like smooth fields, of which one of mine is not....gotta get that done this winter


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## hayward (Jan 26, 2012)

In thick hay it's hard on your swather board when turning around, at a good speed. Also swather board will make a big pile to. I don't raise it making corners, but turning completely around or traveling any distance I raise it with hyds, my vicon 323 will lift 1 1/2 foot off ground. If its rough ground I slow down when raised.


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