The drum mower is like a disk mower in that it uses rotating knives - but on 3 foot diameter disks. They counter rotate so that the hay is almost windrowed (could probably bale it as mowed) - I can straddle it on next pass, so wheels don't crush it down like a sickle. This I see as an advantage. Hay itself isn't beat up much, or crushed like a conditioner, or a flail mower. Unnerving is that the hay is thrown out base (stem) first. So the mowing itself doesn't probably speed up the drying. Heavy hay gets laid out pretty much linear, lighter hay comes out more randomly like your lawn mower. I have been raking it when about half dry to fluff up to speed drying. Last field, I combined two passes into one windrow. Fluffed up nicely = dried very fast, cut one evening, baled next evening, Can't beat that. Kuhn sells a tedder for the back of their disk mowers. Don't think I'll bite for one. I'll say this, it can cut faster than I want to ride. Doesn't clog. Goes right through mole hills, but may throw small stones. I'm gonna put a plexiglass shield on the tractor fender as soon as I get a chance to find that piece of strapiron I misplaced. Blades are similar to disk mower, on pivot so flip back on contact with solid objects. If I wasn't running into stones and dirt so much, they'd probably last quite a while. A set of blades cost $10 at TSC, takes about 15 minutes to change. Double sided, can be swapped left to right, for more life.
Learning curve still pretty steep, but very impressed so far. Good match for my wife's MF180.
I have the MINOSagra 190 which is the same unit as the CCM 190 that has been posted on here. Google "drum mower" and it will come right up. Red with yellow skirt.
Learning curve still pretty steep, but very impressed so far. Good match for my wife's MF180.
I have the MINOSagra 190 which is the same unit as the CCM 190 that has been posted on here. Google "drum mower" and it will come right up. Red with yellow skirt.