# Mowing Speed for Alfalfa



## seanb02 (Sep 11, 2016)

Hi, I'm new here, and kind of new to agriculture as well. What kind of ground speed do you travel at with a discbine? Seems as though it cuts great no matter how fast I go as long as my body can handle it. Our mowing tractor is a JD 4430 cab tractor, mow at WOT. Learning the machine I started out in B 1-2, and gradually increased speed as I found comfortable with making the corners at the end of the row.

For those not familiar with these tractors, the gearing is A 1-2, A 3-4, B 1-2, C 1-2, B 3-4, D 1-2, C 3-4, and D 3-4 in progressive order of ground speed. I got up to C 3-4 whereas my boss only ever tried as fast as B 3-4. Beats me up quite a bit even with a quite level field, but it sure makes quick work. Cut is clean once I put new blades on all the heads, but it skips when it hits the gopher mounds as would be expected no matter the speed. C 4 I am guessing is probably 12 mph maybe a hair more.

Seems to me as though the cut isn't quite as clean if I slow the ground speed down. Is it better to beat myself up a bit in the cab and go as fast as I can for the cleanest cut or is that hurting the machine to push it that far?


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

My JD2030 doesn't even go that fast lol....

Can't give a for sure answer but a clean cut is important, and not beating my equipment up is just as important to me if not more..

It's your equipment & body, treat it how ever you can afford but I wouldn't be running my tractor WOT for any reason...

I cut with a disc and my max speed is around 4mph and it's a rough ride for both of us.....


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Well if your beating yourself up in the cab you are beating up your eq.Run where ever you are comfortable at and your eq isn't getting beat up.Conditions are different in different fields.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

If you notice a ragged cut at lower ground speeds then throttle back a bit, the turtles and conditioning rolls cause quite a bit of turbulence under the hood, reducing your PTO RPM helps reduce the turbulence so it doesn't blow the crop over or lean it over enough that its not cutting clean.


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## Redbaler (Jun 10, 2011)

I run c2 in my 4240 most of the time. Have been in b3 or 4 in long windrows and a really smooth field.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

I've been getting more comfortable with the NH 1411 discbine behind at 4040. I usually run PTO speed. At first I just ran B2 on the straights, and dropped to B1 to make the corners. I still do that, but now I shift up to B3 on the straights and sometimes hit B4 in a lighter crop. If I don't downshift to B1 for corners, it just tears up too much for my liking. The fields I'm in are smooth enough that B3/B4 isn't rough in the seat. If it were, I would drop back speed to protect the equipment.


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## seanb02 (Sep 11, 2016)

Mowing orchard grass final cutting today I did a little experimenting. The field is a bit rough mainly due to the clumps of grass. Cut the first five rows in at C 2 on the straights and C1 on the corners, then cut the outside edge in B 1 and 2 in order to be slow enough to get around any obstacles that were there. Then starting playing with it a bit. B 2 and 3 were good, D 1 and 2 were okay, and damn near killed myself in C 3 and 4. Cut was fine no matter the speed. Everything done at WOT. mower bounced some, but the springs compensated and kept the height just fine throughout the cut. Compared one row mowed slow versus one row mowed fast, and they turned out exactly the same.

As for those that say not to run the tractor WOT, I have to ask why? I've only been working here about 4 months, and that's the way it has always been done long before I got here. We've had this tractor since the 70's, and it is still going strong with probably around 30,000 hours on it. There is a governor on the engine for a reason, you aren't going to hurt it to run wide open all day long.

It's also a lot easier that way on the corners when there is a lot to do in a very short time period. My system consists of slap shifting down, raise the deck, chop the throttle, pivot the mower, get in line with the next row, slam the throttle home again, then drop the deck and finally slap shift back to the higher gear. It's a lot to make happen in the 6 outside windrows that have been cut in when slowing from traveling at speeds anywhere from 8-14 mph.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I mow at 10MPH, smooth fields, if you are bouncing (and the equipment), IMHO you are going to fast, but it's not MY equipment.

As for WOT, where is 540 rpm or 1000 rpm on the tractor, what the equipment was designed for in my eyes.

Larry


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

seanb02 said:


> As for those that say not to run the tractor WOT, I have to ask why? I've only been working here about 4 months, and that's the way it has always been done long before I got here. We've had this tractor since the 70's, and it is still going strong with probably around 30,000 hours on it. There is a governor on the engine for a reason, you aren't going to hurt it to run wide open all day long.


Throttling down is for when you're getting a ragged cut, is especially bad in late cuttings on an alfalfa stand that is getting thin. Idling down some reduces the amount the discs and conditioning rolls blows the alfalfa over. Idle down but shift up so you maintain the ground speed, just idling down and driving slower usually makes a ragged cut worse.


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