# Gonna have to buy a mower/conditioner this year - Vermeer MC3700?



## rockyridgefarm (Feb 17, 2015)

Hey all,

I've never owned any sort of mower/conditioner. My dad had a NH 469, then a Vicon POS when I was under his wing, now a NH 1411. The 1411 is a decent enough rig. I hate the pin hitch setup - you can turn in a LOOOOOONG way, but will run the drawbar up on the tire if you swerve out even a little ways. I'm in pretty hilly ground in SW Wisconsin. I've been using the 1411 on a 4430 and wouldn't want any less of a tractor running it. I've also pulled a 5209 New Idea and liked it, but never had to work on it. Sounds like they have big issues if something goes wrong in the cutterbar. I've also pulled a 1525 deere sickle unit and that thing is just a horror. It might be fine on a tabletop, but it had ZERO tolerance for rough ground, rocks, hills, or heavy crop.

I've had my eyes peeled for a good, used, affordable Disc MoCo, but they're a rare bird to find. Even 5209s bring 10K in good condition - and they can be 20 years old! Anything I've seen at consignment sales are thrashed out and ready for the junker, and they still bring 3K.

This is the first year I'm gonna be growing hay. I'm only gonna have 21 acres this year, but will have more like 80 acres from here on out. All the hay will be 50% or better alfalfa and will be round baled into 6X5 bales. As mentioned before, there's no good deals in used mower/conditioners, so I'm toying with just buying a new one to keep forever. No problems, no secrets, no unknown prior abuse.... But a BIG cost. The Vermeer MC3700 really has my interest. Dealer's talking $34,000.

So, do I mortage my firstborn and buy a new mower to keep forever, or do I keep up the hunt for a good, used rig? Any ideas on what ones I should look for or avoid? Mowers without conditioners aren't an option, nor are sickle mower/conditioners. My rough, hilly, rocky ground takes them out. I'm partial to hydroswing, but not stuck on it.

Thanks for any advice.


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

I've rented Vermeer mowers in the past - two different models. If making tight turns is a concern, Vermeer may not be the best choice. You can turn to the right OK but you need an acre to make a U-turn to the left. Used Vermeers on Tractor House show tire scuff marks on their tongues.

I have several odd-shaped fields that require lots of tight turns. So because of this issue, I bought a Kuhn. Kuhn trailed mowers & mower-conditioners allow very tight turns. The angle between tractor & mower can be less than 90° with the blades still engaged - no driveline chatter, no tractor tires contacting the mower.

I've not regretted the purchase.

Gary


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## gradyjohn (Jul 17, 2012)

I have a JD946. They are center pivot. I would imagine they are right up there in price. Don't know it 80 acres justifies the cost but it should last a long time.


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## rockyridgefarm (Feb 17, 2015)

Hey Gary,

The one I got quoted is a swivel hitch. I forgot to mention the DCX131 I pulled last year for a neighbor. It had a swivel hitch and you couldn't hit the drawbar unless you were trying...

I'll have to take a peek at Kuhn as well. They bought Knight in Brodhead, WI a couple years back, so they're *kind of* a local manufacturer, but not really.

How many acres would you say it would take to justify a $34,000 discbine?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Are you mechanically inclined and do you like a good winter project? If so, buy one of the $3k units and learn what the guts of one looks like. And make sure it has a swivel hitch.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

They'll never be another DiscBine here without a swivel hitch, either drawbar or 2 point. Everyone misses the Kuhn Gyrodine 2 point here.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Kubota has some new offerings!!!!!!!!!!


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Not sure if you would be getting a Vicon or a Kverneland from Kubota.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

They've been trying pretty hard to get me to trade my 1030 Vermeer but I don't want to go from 13'4' down to 12' 3700.Sounds like a 15' maybe comeing out soon??I like the features of the 3700.Larger turtles require less rpm's to get tip speed the same.Break away hubs.Pneumatic susspension.


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

Don't forget Krone. A swivel ain't optional, it's standard.


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## discbinedr (Mar 4, 2013)

In rough, rocky ground my preference would be NH or Deere. In that kind of terrain your going to want some kind of shear protection and IMO the NH or Deere have the better systems out there. That being said I haven't had any experience with the Krone system or the new Vermeers. The Kuhn shear protection never seemed to work that well in MY experience. You won't find a swivel hitch(which is definitely desirable) on a NH 1411 (they were available on the 411 but no shear protection there)and the current model (7230) will be spendy although I think significantly less than a new Vermeer, in this area at least. A NH 1431 center pivot will be too big for your 4430 if the 1411 made it grunt and a Deere 946 even worse. A Deere 730 or 830 would likely fit your needs quite well and can be had with a swivel hitch and are center pivot. They will cost you more $$$$ than the NH if you have cutterbar issues , way more. The NI 5209 while not a bad little machine, is prolly too light in your situation.

P.S. The NH 1411 and 1431 will NOT have shear protection unless they were updated or are of the last ones made .


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## gradyjohn (Jul 17, 2012)

My JD 946 has shear hubs ... if you shear one it doesn't destroy the gears. Also the cutter bar is made up of sections containing each disc. If you by chance mess on up they or you can take it off and repair or replace. You do not have to remove the whole cutter bar. Don't know about the NH's. I use to carry a couple of hubs in case. Remove the disc (4bolts). Remove the bolt and hub. Remove the sheared splines and line up new hub. Reverse the procedure. Takes about 15 minutes.


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## discbinedr (Mar 4, 2013)

Its kind of disingenuous how Deere advertises that bar. Its still a common sump and if a bearing or gear fails you still have to disassemble and clean out the entire bar to fix it right. The only gain is if you crack a housing or catch a bearing before it fails. New Holland on the other hand has a true modular bar that's sealed at each disc.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Never mind.


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## wildcat (Oct 20, 2012)

I would agree with everyone else on the swivel hitch especially if you have smaller fields. If you do buy new I would recommend buying one with good dealer support. Nothing worse than breaking down and not able to find parts or support. I have personally pull a JD 835 for the last two years in hilly and rocky ground with little to no trouble.


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## gradyjohn (Jul 17, 2012)

swmnhay said:


> They've been trying pretty hard to get me to trade my 1030 Vermeer but I don't want to go from 13'4' down to 12' 3700.Sounds like a 15' maybe comeing out soon??I like the features of the 3700.Larger turtles require less rpm's to get tip speed the same.Break away hubs.Pneumatic susspension.


15 would be good but not so good on terraces. Flat and level they are great.


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## rockyridgefarm (Feb 17, 2015)

Thanks for all the replies so far. I went to a local consignment sale yesterday and about wept at the prices. a Completely shook NH 1411 went for $2500. we're talking SHOOK - the cutterbar didn't have any of its driveshaft present, not even in a box. Plaint looked like it'd never spent a day inside, every piece of sheet metal destroyed. That thing was almost too poor to make a parts machine. The good looking rigs brought better than 10K. I'm really hesitant to buy from a consignment sale, anyway.

Search continues - slowly.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

We were at a Massey and Kubota dealer one county from here yesterday and they had a Kubota trailed disc mower with flail conditioners setup. I didn't look at it too long, too cold to really get down to get a good look. I will say this without getting down and dirty, it looks like it built like a brick sh!thouse. The dang tires look like they were 16-18" wide, lots of heavy steel in the frame and a nice looking 2 point swivel hitch. Sales guy came out while I was glancing over it and made no bones about it that it was a Vicon, figured that by the 3 blades per Turtle. Looked like about a 9' cut. He said it was available with rollers. I'm thinking it was probably the DMC8028T.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Grateful11 said:


> We were at a Massey and Kubota dealer one county from here yesterday and they had a Kubota trailed disc mower with flail conditioners setup. I didn't look at it too long, too cold to really get down to get a good look. I will say this without getting down and dirty, it looks like it built like a brick sh!thouse. The dang tires look like they were 16-18" wide, lots of heavy steel in the frame and a nice looking 2 point swivel hitch. Sales guy came out while I was glancing over it and made no bones about it that it was a Vicon, figured that by the 3 blades per Turtle. Looked like about a 9' cut. He said it was available with rollers. I'm thinking it was probably the DMC8028T.


Did you happen to get a price? I'm 90% I'm going to trades my haybine in for a disk this year. Local NH dealer has given me a good price on a H7220,


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