Sickle Bar Vs. Haybine

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killingtime

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Trying to decide between buying a used sickle bar or a haybine for mowing hay. I want to be able to run either with my 40hp tractor, in case my other one is down.

Like the haybine for the crimping, but It is pretty much for mowing hay only.

If I go with the sickle bar I can use it to mow banks and around ponds and will also be alot easier to trailer. Do most people who mow hay with a sickle run a crimper behind it?

I'll probably go with a 7ft cut either way or possible a 9ft sickle.

What do ya'll think about the two? How do you think 40 horses will pull them?
 
40 hp tractor on a 9 foot haybine might be pushing it a bit, especially in wet ground. 7 foot haybine may work. Very few people run a crimper behind the mower, unless they are actually serious in making their hay that way. We have a trailing mower and crimper, but while the mower will get used occasionally each summer (roadsides, etc.), the crimper hasn't been used in 30 odd years. I would go with a 7' mower. Takes a little longer to dry hay, but if you ever want to sell or feed what you cut, livestock prefer mowed hay over conditioned hay. :cowboy:
 
Aaron":30lstvz9 said:
40 hp tractor on a 9 foot haybine might be pushing it a bit, especially in wet ground. 7 foot haybine may work. Very few people run a crimper behind the mower, unless they are actually serious in making their hay that way. We have a trailing mower and crimper, but while the mower will get used occasionally each summer (roadsides, etc.), the crimper hasn't been used in 30 odd years. I would go with a 7' mower. Takes a little longer to dry hay, but if you ever want to sell or feed what you cut, livestock prefer mowed hay over conditioned hay. :cowboy:
:?:
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I'm with Aaron on the 40 horse being close to small for a 9-ft haybine, expecially if speed is a must or you are wanting to cut something like millet or haygrazer that is 5 ft tall. I don't know where his statment that livestock prefer mowed hay over condidtioned came from, but I know I'd rather rake hay that has been cut with a mo-co and take advantage of the faster drying time. Main thing I'd think about is the economics of your purchase.
 
Aaron,

I agree and I'll probably go with a 7ft sickle, I was never considering a 9ft haybine, but maybe a 9ft sickle.

Can you explain why the livestock would prefer mowed hay over conditioned hay? I would say 95% of the people in my area run conditioners.
 
Mowed hay must retain sugars better than conditioned hay. Don't know for sure. All I know is that if you make two bales, one of mowed hay and one of conditioned hay, your cows will eat the mowed hay first, every time. :cowboy:
 
KMacGinley":t7xubiz5 said:
I would go with a drum mower or a disc mower. I did that this year and it is night and day difference.
I had a sickle mower. Moved up to disk. Wish I had kept the cycle and still had the disk. The sickle seemed to run through the cane type hay a lot better. I like the disk for Bermudas and getting through those dang fire ant beds.
As far as the crimper is concerned it really depends on the weather in your area. If you have the time there is no need to crimp. When you have storms on the way you will sure be glad to have one.
I just acquired an old haybine. Guy said the gear box was out and not worth fixing. All it really needs is a few bushings. :banana:
 
Aaron":12n447yg said:
Takes a little longer to dry hay, but if you ever want to sell or feed what you cut, livestock prefer mowed hay over conditioned hay. :cowboy:

This may be like children going for chocolate versus good vegetables though. Everything I've ever read shows that conditioned hay holds nutrient better due to faster dry down. 'Course I haven't bothered to read much on it, since mowing, tedding and raking is three steps versus just one swipe with the mower/conditioner.

Diesel fuel costs too much to let the cows be picky on their chow. :)

Rod
 
novatech":2x1umvn6 said:
KMacGinley":2x1umvn6 said:
I would go with a drum mower or a disc mower. I did that this year and it is night and day difference.
I had a sickle mower. Moved up to disk. Wish I had kept the cycle and still had the disk. The sickle seemed to run through the cane type hay a lot better. I like the disk for Bermudas and getting through those dang fire ant beds.
As far as the crimper is concerned it really depends on the weather in your area. If you have the time there is no need to crimp. When you have storms on the way you will sure be glad to have one.
I just acquired an old haybine. Guy said the gear box was out and not worth fixing. All it really needs is a few bushings. :banana:

I've always heard that disc mowers take more power to operate. Is that true? I didn't think 40 horses would pull one.
 
DiamondSCattleCo":2zjn3lm9 said:
The conditioner has shields behind it that form the windrows. AFAIK, every mower conditioner ever built windrows.

I would agree that conditioner's put the hay in a pretty good winrow, but we always raked several of them into to one so we spent less time baling.
 
killingtime":2tydcfzn said:
I would agree that conditioner's put the hay in a pretty good winrow, but we always raked several of them into to one so we spent less time baling.

Guess it all depends on what you're baling. I have nothing but alfalfa, so raking loses more leaf than I prefer. Besides, I rake at 5mph and bale at 10mph. I'd have to toss three windrows into one before it would pay off in time or diesel fuel. And the last thing I'd want is three of my 3 ton/acre windrows raked into one. I'd just get going and have to stop again :D

Rod
 
DiamondSCattleCo":263y3vmo said:
killingtime":263y3vmo said:
I would agree that conditioner's put the hay in a pretty good winrow, but we always raked several of them into to one so we spent less time baling.

Guess it all depends on what you're baling. I have nothing but alfalfa, so raking loses more leaf than I prefer. Besides, I rake at 5mph and bale at 10mph. I'd have to toss three windrows into one before it would pay off in time or diesel fuel. And the last thing I'd want is three of my 3 ton/acre windrows raked into one. I'd just get going and have to stop again :D

Rod
Ok, foul...I've got a cousin that rakes two swaths together. (single pass) I rake 3 together. (single pass) We both rake the same size area. If I used a 7 foot cutter I'd rake 4 together. (single pass) And of course it isn't alfalfa.

10 mph baling speed. Must have some smooth fields. Don't have many of those down here.
 
1982vett":3n27xmnu said:
Ok, foul...I've got a cousin that rakes two swaths together. (single pass) I rake 3 together. (single pass) We both rake the same size area. If I used a 7 foot cutter I'd rake 4 together. (single pass) And of course it isn't alfalfa.

10 mph baling speed. Must have some smooth fields. Don't have many of those down here.

I run 16 feet though, so three swathes together would be 48 feet. On 3 ton/acre, that'd be about 10 bales on the 1/2 mile. Too much stopping, too much windrow into the baler.

As for the 10 mph, its all about the tractor. My 1135 wouldn't do 10 on my dirt, because the operator couldn't handle it. The seat sits in front of the axle, and you get too much front axle chop. My 970 job security tractor gained me a couple mph on almost all ground, except for stuff with really big axle breaking holes mainly because of seat location.

Rod
 
killingtime":3q9jeu80 said:
novatech":3q9jeu80 said:
KMacGinley":3q9jeu80 said:
I would go with a drum mower or a disc mower. I did that this year and it is night and day difference.
I had a sickle mower. Moved up to disk. Wish I had kept the cycle and still had the disk. The sickle seemed to run through the cane type hay a lot better. I like the disk for Bermudas and getting through those dang fire ant beds.
As far as the crimper is concerned it really depends on the weather in your area. If you have the time there is no need to crimp. When you have storms on the way you will sure be glad to have one.
I just acquired an old haybine. Guy said the gear box was out and not worth fixing. All it really needs is a few bushings. :banana:

I've always heard that disc mowers take more power to operate. Is that true? I didn't think 40 horses would pull one.

Those CCM Drum mowers take lower horsepower.
 
All this may come down to cost. I can run a sickle mower on a low HP tractor. That converts to lower expense (fuel and equipment). Same with square vs. round bales. I run my disc on a 45 HP tractor. A mower conditioner will take more power and fuel. So it may just depend on the size of your operation and what to can economically justify.
Actually I think if I could buy good hay at $100 per ton it may be cheaper. Just scarred to put a pencil to it. ;-)
 
novatech":24pqpchb said:
All this may come down to cost. I can run a sickle mower on a low HP tractor. That converts to lower expense (fuel and equipment). Same with square vs. round bales. I run my disc on a 45 HP tractor. A mower conditioner will take more power and fuel. So it may just depend on the size of your operation and what to can economically justify.
Actually I think if I could buy good hay at $100 per ton it may be cheaper. Just scarred to put a pencil to it. ;-)


It is pretty easy for the pencil to show buying hay is cheaper in most cases, especially if you don't account for buying in years like this one and the last one when you have to haul it in from hundreds of miles away. Wonder what it would have cost if diesel were $4 a gallon this year? Another $20 a roll or so? :p
 
I run a 9 foot international 1300. I bought it for $750 and have rebuilt the gear box and new guards and things. Two new blades. Now have about $1500 in it. I think if I did not have a sickle mower then the international 1300 or the New Holland would be the choice I would look at. Why do you want a seven foot one go with the 9 foot. These are the only two I would look at. THere are some double action mowers that come from Italy. Sitrex, Gibralty, tonutti to name a few. Pardon my spelling. Webbs sickle service is a good place for the cutting parts for the sickle mowers.
 
hurleyjd":c9ts9047 said:
I run a 9 foot international 1300. I bought it for $750 and have rebuilt the gear box and new guards and things. Two new blades. Now have about $1500 in it. I think if I did not have a sickle mower then the international 1300 or the New Holland would be the choice I would look at. Why do you want a seven foot one go with the 9 foot. These are the only two I would look at. THere are some double action mowers that come from Italy. Sitrex, Gibralty, tonutti to name a few. Pardon my spelling. Webbs sickle service is a good place for the cutting parts for the sickle mowers.

I thought the 7 footer would be better if I was using the cutter for other thing than mowing hay, such as mowing roadways and ditches. How much power does it take to pull a 9ft sickle? I want something that isn't going to strain my tractor too bad and I prefer to use my smaller tractor-40 hp- for mowing the roads and such.
 

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