# Drying time Disc Mower vs Discbine



## jr in va (Apr 15, 2015)

As the name implies,I'm wondering.I've had people tell me when using a tedder(which I do )you don't need a discbine to get hay dry.A disc mower will do just about as well.One of my neighbors cut some early hay last year,tedded it, then baled it a day sooner than I thought he could.Never heard anything about spoiled hay.

I would like to hear from someone else with more experience


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

We started with a sickle mower. Laid the grass out flat, not unlike a disc mower. Took forever to dry.

Added a tedder, goodly improvement, but the tedder does not (IMHO) condition hay.

Replaced the sickle mower with a mower conditioner (Hesston 1110), HUGE difference in dry down time. Still use the tedder to spread out the hay and fluff it up for drying, but the conditioning by the Hesston, for us, was a game changer.

YMMV

Bill


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I have mowed with a disc mower and tedded the hay....and yes it works fine and does not take much longer if drying conditions are good.....maybe a 1/2 a day longer at worse....here.

Regards, Mike


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## Circle MC Farms LLC (Jul 22, 2011)

Use both and cut your drying time by two days instead of one. Have cut in the am after the dew, tedded late in the afternoon and baled late the next day. Was low humidity and hot but I couldn't have done it without conditioning and tedding.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

The first year I started out I was using a disc mower and a Tedder. After the first year I sold the disc mower and bought a haybine. I still used the Tedder after the haybine as well. I gained up to a full day in dry down by switching to a haybine. That is in first cut grass hay.....second cut I didn't see a lot of difference in dry down. In alfalfa you can about forget about getting it dry with out conditioning here.

I wouldn't go back to using a disc mower without conditioning here. My next move is a disc mower conditioner.....best of both worlds.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

I run a disc mower and a sickle mower conditioner. I had the conditioner first and "upgraded" to the disc mower and I am glad to have it. I use the conditioner any time that I can as it does help with dry down especially with my clover. Can't tell whether or not tedding after disc mower or merely conditioning is faster or slower because I ted after each mower; conditioner plus tedding will gain a day on most of my fields or 2 days on really heavy hay.
The disc mower is the bee's knees for lodged crops or oddly shaped small fields as it doesn't clog in tangled vegetation or on point-rows etc.
A disc mower conditioner is on the short list of wants.

73, Mark


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## TJ Hendren (May 12, 2017)

I've done both with in the last year. It is a noticeable difference. I've gone to growing mostly crabgrass for hay and it is notorious for being tough to dry down, here in my part of the world with 95 degree days it took 5 with just a mower and tedder. After the conditioner came home it was down to 3. Mow after the dew is gone and placed in somewhat of narrow windrow to let the ground in between dry, ted the next morning the wait another day then rake and let it finish drying in the windrow and bale. The hay feels softer after it is conditioned, enough my cattle notice it. Yes they are more expensive to buy and operate, however it's well worth it, I won't be without another one. Now unless you are growing alfalfa look for a fail machine somewhat less money to buy and less repair cost. Rolls are 5K up to replace, I checked this out when I was shopping. My mind set has changed somewhat, I know what i'm going to spend to buy it, the big question is what will it cost to fix it. HAPPY HUNTING!


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I did an unexpected experiment last year. A bearing went on my rolls and took the shaft out. Didnt have time to fix it right at that moment so just took rolls out. Also the last few years I have been running with out the swath forming sheilds on my discbine so it lays a 9 foot swath behind a 10 foot machine.

What I noticed in my area with varied crops, it really didnt make much difference. I was able to bale within an hour of what I could do with the rolls in. But I also use a rotary rake. No tedder as of yet. What I noticed is if I raked at same time after cutting the non conditioned hay was wetter. But with out the kinks in the stems it was raked into a more fluffy windrow and it didnt start to settle near as fast letting the wind blow through. Without the rotary rake I think the conditioned stuff would dry faster but with the use of it there really was not any difference. That is my experience in my area with my crops and equipment. Your results may vary.


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## reckelhoff1000 (Jul 15, 2016)

We ran two mowers this year. One a mower conditioner and one disc mower. Each saw the tedder the same number of times to get it fit to bale (3). No difference in dry time. Fescue/timothy/OG


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

HERE I would say conditioning will take 1/2 a day to a full day off drying time if drying conditions are good, 2 days if drying conditions are poor. Conditioning improves alfalfa dry down more than grass. As a side benefit, I have noticed that a conditioned crop makes a nicer windrow when it is raked.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Gearclash said:


> HERE I would say conditioning will take 1/2 a day to a full day off drying time if drying conditions are good, 2 days if drying conditions are poor. Conditioning improves alfalfa dry down more than grass. As a side benefit, I have noticed that a conditioned crop makes a nicer windrow when it is raked.


Diito

Larry


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

It depends upon the type of conditioner.....a flail conditioner will allow grass to be baled before a roll conditioner in grass.......I use a flail conditioner on my alfalfa and I am not sure if there is any noticeable difference versus a roll machine in alfalfa.....maybe slightly to the rolls but I just am not sure. I still have a NH roll machine but have not used it in sometime.

Regards, Mike


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