Which make and model Mower conditioner?

[jdg]

Greetings all-

I'm in the market this winter for a new or slightly used mower conditioner for hybrid bermuda, ryegrass, and millet baleage (and some hay).
I'm leaning towards the JD 830 or 835 center pivot Moco, but heard recently New Holland's machine had a shaft and joint set up that would give less problems over the long haul. My only caveat is that we have a JD dealership close by, and they offer good service. NH dealer is 45 minutes, but a reputable operation. Any experience out there to shine some light?

thanks,
dan

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have ran the NHs and have covered lots of acres with them from the rocky hills of Mo to the black dirt in the delta and I think they are a good reliable machine
I have ran 1 JD a little bit and had no problems
I also had a Hesston that I ran for 5yrs and it was a good machine
What Hp tractor are you using the NH Center pivot has a 13'6" cut will take atleast 120PTO hp and you actuially need a little more
the Hesston center pivot you can get a 11' 4" cut and it taes about 100pto hp to pull it
I am not sure about the JDs
the NH does pull harder than any of the others but IMO it also has the BEST cutter bar design on the market

 

[hurleyjd]

You leave out a lot of information as what you want it for. Also do you want a disc type cutter bar or a sickle bar. Also what size tractor do you plan to use. I have a 488 New Holland that I have used for several seasons. It will need repair this year. It does a good job for me. I think that the 499 New Holland would be a good choice. The 499 cuts 12 foot wide and the 488 cuts 9 foot. I think that you could bale right from the windrow created by the 499 and say the raking step. Both of the New Holland conditioners are sickle type and require lower horsepower than the disc-bines.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I don't know what model you would want. but i can tell you that Hesston makes a very good mowing machine.

 

[LaneFarms]

I have a new JD 630 that is 9.5' and with a 100hp tractor it will flat out cut some hay. In good smooth fields I can run 10 mph and it does a good job. I am very pleased.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have a new JD 630 that is 9.5' and with a 100hp tractor it will flat out cut some hay. In good smooth fields I can run 10 mph and it does a good job. I am very pleased.

with a 9.5' cut I would say you have plenty of HP left I ran a 7230NH which is the same size and on the hills in Mo ran 7 +mph no problem could of ran faster but ground wouldn't handle it

 

[1982vett]

Greetings all-

I'm in the market this winter for a new or slightly used mower conditioner for hybrid bermuda, ryegrass, and millet baleage (and some hay).
I'm leaning towards the JD 830 or 835 center pivot Moco, but heard recently New Holland's machine had a shaft and joint set up that would give less problems over the long haul. My only caveat is that we have a JD dealership close by, and they offer good service. NH dealer is 45 minutes, but a reputable operation. Any experience out there to shine some light?

thanks,
dan

Pretty much about the service AFTER you buy

 

[jdg]

sorry for the lack of info....i presently bale with a JD 7330 premium, which i think is 150 hp at the tractor, can't recall pto, maybe 135hp or so. I am use to a discbine cutter, and would prefer to not rake if possible, but was also leaning toward the smaller cutter (say around 10'), to negotiate lanes and gates and for road travel. what's the consensus (or lack thereof) on disc vs. cutterbar?

I was also considering let the row crop operation use the 7330 next year and sizing down to a 100-125 hp tractor for the hay operation, but wasn't sure a smaller tractor could handle the 10' jd 1590 no-till drill, and or whatever mower conditioner i bought.

 

[dun]

what's the consensus (or lack thereof) on disc vs. cutterbar?

Disc! It will cut faster in thick stuff and sharpening the blades is a snap. I have a 10 foot New Idea. Takes about 10 minutes to take off the blades 10 minutes to sharpen, 10 minutes to put them back on. I always carry a 9/16 rachet and a couple of spare sharpened blades in case I wack a rock. Takes 2-3 minutes to change the blade. Keep it lubed and it will last for years . You may have to adjust the timing on the turtles every couple of years. That's the only time consuming thing that needs to be done occasioanally, and it will only take an hour or so once you get the hang of it.

 

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

I bought a new JD 830 MoCo two seasons ago. I pull it behind a JD5093E which is 93HP, 75@PTO HP. It does a great job. I mow from 12MPH to 16MPH depending on crop conditions. The mower is a fine piece of machinery. I really have enjoyed it immensely.

You have to have 1000 RPM PTO for the JD835. A 100HP tractor would handle an 835 fine. My tractor only has 540 RPM PTO, so the 830 was as big as I could go. In hindsight, the 830 is the right cutter for my tractor and going any larger probably would have been a bad choice.

I've pulled a John Deere 16' No Till drill behind my tractor with ease. Don't let the no till drill worry you about the smaller tractor.

 

[Stocker Steve]

The big 14' used disc bines have not been selling well around here. About $4 to $6 grand. Are they that clumsy, or just too big for most hobby farm tractors, or both?

 

[1wlimo]

The big 14' used disc bines have not been selling well around here. About $4 to $6 grand. Are they that clumsy, or just too big for most hobby farm tractors, or both?

I would think they have a lot of acres on them and are fairly worn up, they need a few more ponies than 10' as well.