Hay season 2021

[cfpinz]

The 310/312 may be more up your alley if you do not want the shear protection. Seems that they have suspension built into the cutterbar itself that allows it to move independently from the whole header.

I think there should be fittings on the wheel lift pivots, and on the heim joints in the header suspension arms. Both of which the New Holland has.

We've got a Vermeer 604 Pro baler, seems like they have gone to extreme lengths to hide the grease fittings, it will test your vocabulary. Has probably 30 in total, most of which are easy, but there's a couple in the driveline that are next to impossible to get at, you need to unbolt the side shields to get at the main pickup shaft bearings, and there are four on the door hinge mechanism that you need to crawl on top of the baler to reach, PLUS you get to do it twice, since you can only reach two with the gate closed, gotta open it, crawl back up, and get the other two.

I also forgot to mention, Vermeer seems to be pretty behind times with parts availability. There are no parts or diagrams available online, the only way to get parts is through a local dealer, which is about 50 miles away for me. Half the time they don't have what I need, so you gotta wait for that, then you need to go get it. I can get parts for Kubota, Case, New Holland, JD, whatever from many online dealers and have it on my doorstep in three days.

Their Haydoc service is excellent, but the guy that services our area is stretched pretty thin.

If NH used their normal cutterbar on the 310/312, it would be perfect for me. I've just never been keen on the continuous oil bath, gear driven cutterbars. Heard too many horror stories from the old 411 models as well as the JD cutterbars. Individual, shaft-driven pods make so much more sense to me.

I'm with you on the lack of grease fittings on those heim joints and pivots, and find myself soaking them down with spray on lithium grease every time I turn around.

I wonder who makes the Pro balers, they look like a European design to me.

We had an excellent Vermeer dealer about 45 minutes from my house, the main reason I started buying their equipment. He retired last year and another local outfit took over the dealership, they don't have the knowledge base or parts inventory as of yet but time will tell. I haven't looked online, but the books that Vermeer sends with their equipment have all of the part numbers and such in them for everything I've owned. I have a list of part #'s ready to go before I call the dealer, try to make their lives as easy as I can.

 

[Atimm693]

If NH used their normal cutterbar on the 310/312, it would be perfect for me. I've just never been keen on the continuous oil bath, gear driven cutterbars. Heard too many horror stories from the old 411 models as well as the JD cutterbars. Individual, shaft-driven pods make so much more sense to me.

I'm with you on the lack of grease fittings on those heim joints and pivots, and find myself soaking them down with spray on lithium grease every time I turn around.

I wonder who makes the Pro balers, they look like a European design to me.

We had an excellent Vermeer dealer about 45 minutes from my house, the main reason I started buying their equipment. He retired last year and another local outfit took over the dealership, they don't have the knowledge base or parts inventory as of yet but time will tell. I haven't looked online, but the books that Vermeer sends with their equipment have all of the part numbers and such in them for everything I've owned. I have a list of part #'s ready to go before I call the dealer, try to make their lives as easy as I can.

Vermeer and Lely/Welger have some kind of partnership or involvement. The Pro balers and a lot of the Vermeer mowers have a lot of Lely components.

 

[Oldtimer]

OT you are still alive. I was wondering it has been a long time since you have been here.

Oh yeah still kicking! Just been busy! Still working some on the ranch- running registered angus - although my arthritis and spinal stenosis has slowed that down a lot. Wife and daughter talked me into buying a Restaurant, Bar and Casino a few years back that takes up some of my time too . If you're ever in the area stop into DB's Casino, Bar and Grille !

 

[Lisagrantb]

Not one blade of grass has been cut in the entire area. We can't plant, a tractor hasn't been in a field in 7 weeks. Just got through with one entire week of rain every day. I haven't gotten less than an inch a day this last week. What little corn that was planted about 2 months ago is looking pretty bad, nothing else is planted anywhere

 

[Atimm693]

Not one blade of grass has been cut in the entire area. We can't plant, a tractor hasn't been in a field in 7 weeks. Just got through with one entire week of rain every day. I haven't gotten less than an inch a day this last week. What little corn that was planted about 2 months ago is looking pretty bad, nothing else is planted anywhere

Same here although we haven't gotten quite as much rain, but it's rained every day this week.

Fields are looking like marsh paddys right now, and it looks like next week is more of the same.

 

[Silver]

A long ways from putting up hay in these parts. I'm still planting things, photo evidence by my wife and our drone taken today.

 

[Rydero]

A long ways from putting up hay in these parts. I'm still planting things, photo evidence by my wife and our drone taken today.
View attachment 4539

Neat pic. Looking good.

 

[wbvs58]

Looks like she keeps a bit of an eye on you with that drone Silver, no slacking off now or you will have to answer to her. I think I would pull the batteries when you go out.

Ken

 

[coachg]

532 rye grass rolls ; now to our fescue/ orchard grass hay . First field is going to be short . About half what we normally make . As wet a spring as we had we only got 2 good rains after we fertilized . Not satisfied with our fertilizer. Not enough or not right mix for what we are doing ? Even with this the Lord has blessed us so I think we will reach our goal for the season.

 

[Peace]

I'm curious about the northern plains. Are they finally getting some rain and is it greening up or is it still dry and parched. I feel for them if it's still dry as the Sahara....

 

[JParrott]

Hasn't stopped raining here long enough to do anything yet. Red clover just bloomed a few days ago. Fescue has headed out but still green. Still got another week or so of a window before quality becomes a real problem. That said, rain doesn't look like it's going anywhere for another week or ten days.

I should buy a silage baler and wrapper. That'd dry things up pretty quick.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Here in Upstate NY, if you don't put up haylage or baleage, you play heck putting up decent quality hay. On our "normal" years, you are hard pressed to go 3 days without some rain. But, the ground here is "needing" to be watered every 3-5 days or it gets too dry. We can get 1" of rain, and some of the farmers are out in the fields the next day - without a bit of problem. Obviously, some ground won't let you, but it is amazing how quickly it dries.

 

[shaz]

First cutting of 147 rolls is done and in the barn. My left leg is sore from pushing the clutch so much.

 

[skyhightree1]

My cattle pasture I could cut bale same day almost it's so dry

 

[Richnm]

First cutting Triticale SlickTrit 2 variety. Should yield 7 tons of dry hay per acre.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Had a warm dry spring until a week ago we finially got some moisture. Now a frost/freeze advisory for the next 2 nights will knock the hay crop back even more.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Hasn't stopped raining here long enough to do anything yet. Red clover just bloomed a few days ago. Fescue has headed out but still green. Still got another week or so of a window before quality becomes a real problem. That said, rain doesn't look like it's going anywhere for another week or ten days.

I should buy a silage baler and wrapper. That'd dry things up pretty quick.

Same down here in the southern part of the state. Every day I look at my grass and weep, seed heads are weighing it down and no clear days for cutting or drying in the next 7 days! We had a horrible drought last fall, went on hay in September (around Christmas is normal here) because the rain shut off and never came back, and had to buy 300 rounds to get us through, so I hate to complain about the moisture. Pastures are a marsh, never able to dry. Cattle are stomping more grass into the ground than eating. We keep watching for a 4 day window to get it cut, dried, and put up!

 

[JParrott]

Same down here in the southern part of the state. Every day I look at my grass and weep, seed heads are weighing it down and no clear days for cutting or drying in the next 7 days! We had a horrible drought last fall, went on hay in September (around Christmas is normal here) because the rain shut off and never came back, and had to buy 300 rounds to get us through, so I hate to complain about the moisture. Pastures are a marsh, never able to dry. Cattle are stomping more grass into the ground than eating. We keep watching for a 4 day window to get it cut, dried, and put up!

We're just 60-80 miles northeast of you up the interstate. If it wasn't storming like crazy right now I'd lay it down tomorrow and take my chances baling on Sunday.

 

[Lisagrantb]

Just getting dry enough to start thinking about getting in the fields and here it comes again starting tomorrow
T 60% W 80% T 80% F 60% S 60%. That just about does it for any crops and hay fields look like crap. I only know of one farmer that put up 1200 rolls of silage, he said by this time he usually has 2500-3000 up and another 1-2000 of dry hay.

 

[JParrott]

Thinking I'm going to try and cut tomorrow mid-day and bale on Saturday.