Disc mowers ??? opinions

180doug · Mar 30, 2011

Looking for opinions on older disc mowers ; prefer NH but any other brands are welcome too ; Either 7 or 9 ft cut ; whats some good ones and bad ones ; also interested in buying one !!!

Bill Lisbon · Mar 30, 2011

If repair are needed it could run into BIG BUCKS. Check each pod, try to turn it while holding the one next to it. If you can move it more than a few degrees, you have a lot of wear.

RodinNS · Mar 30, 2011

In the older line... the NH was made by Kuhn. Kuhn also supplied the same basic mowers to Deere... so all three are basically interchangeable. I think I'd limit my choices to those three... or mabey Claas.
Make sure the discs do not have any slop in the bearings, everything turns free, the breakaway latch is not worn out... and no holes worn through on the bottom of the bar. A good set of shoes would be a bonus... but they are a pretty common wear item on those mowers.

Rod

thurlow · Mar 30, 2011

Have owned Taarup, Bush Hog and John Deere; wouldn't hesitate to buy either one again. JD was the best of the lot.......

JMS/.MN · Mar 30, 2011

Bought a new New Idea 5209 in 1990, used it until 2000 on 140 acres, 3 cuts per year. Son bought it a couple years later on limited acreage, used it until last year. Couple changes on the 5209...heavier slip clutch, like went from 3 to 4 plates, and a bit more protection on the castings that the "turtlebacks" mount to. Two basic drive designs back then- NI used a hex shaft running through units, others used gear to gear drive across the cutter bar. Hex shaft was replaced after I sold it...replacing all gears in the other style would be spendy.

TGIN · Mar 31, 2011

I am the odd man on this . I bought a new one [NH] when they first came to the area . They are heavy and can be a pain to hookup by yourself . I can drive as fast as I want to go with a haybine and it conditions the hay , pulls better corners better and as far as I am conserned the haybine is a overall better machine . You can buy a $500 haybine , put a new sycle in it and a few rock gaurds and your ready to mow hay , cant do that with a diskmower . You wont find many good used ones .

Doversix · Mar 31, 2011

I bought a used Vermeer RC7120 works great, simple design. will never use a sickle type mower again!

Vernon in Ks · Mar 31, 2011

I fell for the hype about how much faster I could go with the disc mower. Not completely true. Most fields will only let you go so fast and stay in the seat. I purchased the best one on the market. A Kuhn 9ft HD. I liked it well enough but it didn"t get me any extra time when I had to come back and rake. The only real advantage to the disc is you can start earlier and go later in the day when moisture is on. As Rod said a haybine with GOOD guards and sickle will run really well.

RodinNS · Mar 31, 2011

Afraid that was one of the others that said that....
You won't see me with a Haybine, ever.
Those old Kuhn disc mowers can flatten hay a 12-15 mph and it's been done here, many times.
Haybines work OK if they're in good condition...
That's a big IF.

Rod

cannonball · Mar 31, 2011

kuhn is the best one....

Vernon in Ks · Mar 31, 2011

Sorry Rod I did get you confused with someone else. You are correct, I have run that fast with a Kuhn, but most fields wont allow that speed and had to slow for corners.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 31, 2011

have ran a Claas 290 for 5 years, not a problem so far.

Ken Macfarlane · Mar 31, 2011

I've got a 10 or 15 year old 10 ft Pottinger mounted disc mower conditioner. I won't go back to a haybine if I can help it. It does use more fuel per acre but my time is worth something too.

For me vs the NH 489 mower conditioner, its cut my mowing time in half, and my maintenance time and costs in half. I know I'll eat the difference when it finally blows up but I hate working on haybines. From wobble boxes, to ujoints, to bent cutter beds, to changing guards and sickles to all the hard to get to zerks on the 489, I dislike it all!

Ken Sweet · Mar 31, 2011

Over the last 15 years or so, we have sold almost 1000 Fort disc mowers. You can pick up a nice used, Fort, Morra, Panorama, First Choice, Yellow Jacket. Farm-max, Long, etc for 2000-2500. We stock all moving parts for these mowers new. All used parts at 1/2 price of new. Ken Sweet

showcrop · Mar 31, 2011

You will have the capability to get twice as much hay rained on with a disc Moco compared to sickle. You will save a lot on grease, needs only maybe 1/8 as much. I'll add to what Bill Lisbon said, any more than 1/8 inch play up-down, side to side at the disc tip means probably a bad bearing.

RodinNS · Mar 31, 2011

I'd argue the fuel thing... It takes a lot more tractor to run... but most haybines I see seem to run in the 3-4 mph range if they're lucky. Most discbines around here get run in the 8-12 mph range... so even if the tractor burns twice the fuel per hour it's still doing 2-3 times the work...
There is the odd haybine that's in tune well enough to run in the 5-6 mph range but those seem to be the odd ones...

Rod

495man · Apr 1, 2011

Assuming you have enough power:

Pull type Disc-mower conditioner = mow as fast as you can stay in the tractor seat.

Mounted (3pt) Disc-mower = mow as fast as you can stay in the seat AND not have the break away kick out.

Sickle machine = mow until you slug, then stop, unplug, mow some more, plug again.

I can easily mow 3 times faster with a disc mower than a sickle.

Ken Macfarlane · Apr 1, 2011

I didn't write down my numbers but I found the discbine takes at least 25% more fuel per acre. Makes sense as a haybine doesn't make much heat when running well vs the discbine gear boxes and cutter bed soaking up a lot of power turning it to heat.

Of course a haybine uses a lot of fuel when its plugging and can barely cut and is being lifted and run to try to clear it.

The shaft drive mocos use a lot less fuel than the gear bed models though, much closer to sickle moco's.

Roy in UK · Apr 1, 2011

I had a Vicon 8 foot disc mower then later on an 8 foot Lely disc MoCo.( Sold over there as Vermeer? ) Both were excellent machines . A sickle mower, whats that? haha . You are probably sick of hearing me saying this but I have not seen a sickle mower working over here for YEARS.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 1, 2011

I bought a JF Stoll new and I love it. I will never go back to any kind of sickle bar.

charles todd · Apr 6, 2011

PZ drum mower. Better than any disc mower I've used. Doesn't flatten the grass in turns. I think PZ may be Vicon now.

CT

Disc mowers ??? opinions

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads