Any trick to using the NH 477 conditioner on corners?

Shealray

Member
New Holland 477 7' conditioner how do I turn corners in small 3 acre field?
All I know is how to use a Ford 7' sickle in the small fields.
Eventually I will have to turn a right corner in the small field.
Any trick to using the NH 477 conditioner on corners?

All comments welcome
Thanks
 
Well I can not say what the trick other than simply mowing just like it is a plain ole sickle mower.

I mow with a 9' sickle mower conditioner very similar to your 7' model sickle based mower conditioner. I do not even use a hydraulic cylinder but a manual ratchet. I lower it once when I enter the field and raise it once when I exit.

I mow 2 rounds around the perimeter of the field turning left. Then I simply mow roundy round towards the center of the field always turning right just like outlined in any old sickle mower operator manual. You soon learn just when to make your turn on ends so that you cut all the hay without crossing over already been cut hay which is no a no with a sickle.

If you are using a cylinder to raise and lower then you will have more room for err.
 
Not much to it till you get in close and then you have to raise it up and turn left so you can get a good square turn to the right. It does help if your running a trike tractor since they will turn a whole lot sharper then a wide from does. I have done a good many years with a NH460 which is about the same machine just a bit older
 
(quoted from post at 08:11:58 05/24/15) Well I can not say what the trick other than simply mowing just like it is a plain ole sickle mower.

I mow with a 9' sickle mower conditioner very similar to your 7' model sickle based mower conditioner. I do not even use a hydraulic cylinder but a manual ratchet. I lower it once when I enter the field and raise it once when I exit.

I mow 2 rounds around the perimeter of the field turning left. Then I simply mow roundy round towards the center of the field always turning right just like outlined in any old sickle mower operator manual. You soon learn just when to make your turn on ends so that you cut all the hay without crossing over already been cut hay which is no a no with a sickle.

If you are using a cylinder to raise and lower then you will have more room for err.

With the sickle I go one round counter clock wise and the rest clock wise. With the sickle I use a Old ford 850 no power steering at corner picked the sickle up and used clutch. With the conditioner I will use a ford 500 and conditioner has hydraulic cylinder. So at corners I will raise bar with cylinder to miss cut grass. Since I have power steering tuning be easier.
Any other tips you care to share?
Thanks
 

I am using the ford 5000 tractor with wide frontend not sure how the corners will be.

So going into grass what gear for my tractor. I am thinking
3rd 3/4 throttle.
 
I always run 1st gear but then I do not like to push an old machine hard. I pull mine with an Oliver 77 with the trike front end. Live PTO and live hyds are real good things to have also
 

SUPER My ford 5000 tractor has live pto and hydraulic.

1st gear it is.

Back of my 477 condition has adjustments for the grass shoot I am calling it. If I lower it will the grass come out in a smaller row. Will I have to rake?
 
My NH460 does not have the windrow shields on it so I get a wide area covered with hay. I have never likes to try and bale with out using a rake to turn it over even with windrow shields. The grass on the bottom always takes a lot longer to dry if you do not rake it at least once
 
Yes it does help hay dry faster because it works like the old ringer washing machines and rings the moisture out of the hay. Stuff with big stems get dryer a whole lot faster
 

Good thing faster drying. Had a lot of rain last year and this year looks to be the same. My little hay fields are thick and at least 3' TALL.

I will be putting up squares this year should have a lot.

Know anyone who would share a copy of the manual for my
NH 477?

Thanks for the help.
Farmer are the best
 
The conditioner will help things dry better.

I do use a trike tractor to cut with but I think I could do the same with a wide front as well. (Farmall M, Farmall h, or John Deere A are my cutting tractors pulling the mower conditioner).

I do not raise my cutter at all on the turns. I simply time it just right so I can make the 90 deg turn so I cut all the hay but also do not run already been cut hay with the sickle.

Now if I had a hydraulic cylinder hooked up then I would have more options on my cut pattern but I do not so the way I do it works with my limitations on equipment.

There is such a thing as cutting too slow with any sickle based cutter. I mostly cut at 4.25 mph which is 3rd gear on the Farmall M or Farmall H. Sometimes I do have to drop back to 2nd when using the ole Farmall h due to lack of horsepower when cutting really heavy or really damp hay or even cutting in the rain on occasion 2nd gear on the Farmalls is 3.5 mph.

In my opinion you want to be at 3.0 mph minimum speed and 6.5 mph is about the absolute max of any sickle base cutter which is faster than I want to go anyway. Usually 4.0 to 4.5 mph is ideal. Do not know what gear that will be on your Ford 5000 but 1st gear will be way too slooooow.
 
Well assuming your 5000 is the standard run of the mill one with stock size tires, 8 speed tranny (NOT selecto speed), and with the throttle set at 1900 engine rpm to achieve 540 PTO rpm:

1st gear will be about 1.4 mph (way too slow)

2nd gear will be about 1.8 mph (still too slow but I might use this gear to do the first counter clockwise round the field perimeter next to the fence).

3rd gear will be 3.2 mph (useable speed that will work well especially if your knives and guards are not in tip top shape).

4th gear will be about 4.3 mph (most likely where I would cut majority of my time when in open areas of field).

5th gear will be about 5.1 (still within the cutting capability of the machine but faster than I probably would wanna go and your sections and guards will need to be in very good shape).

6th gear will be about 6.3 mph (also still with the upper cutting capability of the machine but your are pretty much approaching its max limit. Way faster than I wanna go and your sections and guards will need to be in nearly new condition).

Your tractor is way better than anything I use with lots more hp too. My Farmall M is about 36 hp, My Deere model A about 35 hp, and My Farmall h is maybe 27 hp if I am lucky. You have live power more gear choices etc.
 
Last I knew you can still buy those manuals from a New Holland dealer. That is how I got a manual form my NH850 round baler and probably should try to pick up a manual for the NH271 square baler I have.
As for rain yep know how it goes. My hay is about ready to cut and bale but it is raining here right now and they are calling for rain for about the whole next week
 
I run a 5000 diesel , 492 haybine . Usually take 3 or 4 rounds then turn and go around
outside . Then start back in . U can pick up and go left to square it off , u won't knock
as much over or if it's long. and narrow just keep mowing long sides. I usually mow
grass in third , little below pto speed. Have run in fourth when it's dry . Swath it wide
and if it's thick Ted it the next morning , gains quite a bit of drying time.
 
A lot depends on hay condition as to how fast one can or cannot go. I have some stuff in my fields that is super thick so I have to go slow or stop and unclog the machine which is not fun to do
 
The NEB. test list the HP of the 5000 depending on what it is from 56HP up to 67HP
 
(quoted from post at 19:22:23 05/24/15)
SUPER My ford 5000 tractor has live pto and hydraulic.

1st gear it is.

Back of my 477 condition has adjustments for the grass shoot I am calling it. If I lower it will the grass come out in a smaller row. Will I have to rake?
If you want your hay to dry for baling you will run your windrow as wide as possible. Have always removed the "wings" on our machines ( 460 & 467).

And a conditioner does not "wring" the moisture out of the hay, it cracks the stems to allow faster drying
 
Rich, just picked up a bunch of books from dealer closing. Saw a bunch of baler books so will look for you. If interested my e-mail is open.
 
Cutting hay in first gear? How are you going to get anything done? Those machines are made to run at 540 pto, 4-6 mph. Turning left at each corner is more wasted time...leave the head on the ground, turn right and go. Will take a few tries to find the sweet spot for turning, giving you a clean cut and square corner without plugging. On larger fields, open the field and then cut in lands, like plowing.
 
JMS said it best. Turn towards the reel and cutter
bar. That's the way it's made to turn. You'll take the
driveline out turning left. Check your roll condition
spacing. You want it to crimp a double piece of ton
foil without ripping it.
 
On only 3 acres you could just drive off one side and make an arc and go down the other. No big headland on that size field. As for speed, you go whatever speed conditions dictate. Depends on how heavy the crop is, moisture, etc. Don't try to get too fancy on older equipment. A lot of it is tired and things break if you turn fast or drive to fast. Take it easy. You only got the equivalent of a large yard.
 
Not familiar with that MOCO but have had a NH and JDs. JD and JD balers of the era came with a drawbar extension of about 15-18"
putting the tongue connector of the implement out even with (roughly), or slightly past, the rear of the drive tires. With this rig you
could cut a perfectly square corner (and more) with no problems and very little if any vibration. There were 2 reasons:

1. The added length gave you room to make a tight turn and not get the tongue wrapped up on the rear tires.
2. The added length gave you equal spacing, aka 45 degrees on each U joint making it liken to a constant velocity joint (unit),
balancing out the speed of both the drive and receiving shafts and making for a pretty much vibrationless turn.

I picked up one of mine at a used equipment dealer that had been in business for many years and had a lot of "junk" sitting around for
$50. It has a pin in it to fit the JD equip, but you can easily cut it out and make it ready for more conventional hookups.
 
(quoted from post at 12:25:37 05/24/15) Well assuming your 5000 is the standard run of the mill one with stock size tires, 8 speed tranny (NOT selecto speed), and with the throttle set at 1900 engine rpm to achieve 540 PTO rpm:

1st gear will be about 1.4 mph (way too slow)

2nd gear will be about 1.8 mph (still too slow but I might use this gear to do the first counter clockwise round the field perimeter next to the fence).

3rd gear will be 3.2 mph (useable speed that will work well especially if your knives and guards are not in tip top shape).

4th gear will be about 4.3 mph (most likely where I would cut majority of my time when in open areas of field).

5th gear will be about 5.1 (still within the cutting capability of the machine but faster than I probably would wanna go and your sections and guards will need to be in very good shape).

6th gear will be about 6.3 mph (also still with the upper cutting capability of the machine but your are pretty much approaching its max limit. Way faster than I wanna go and your sections and guards will need to be in nearly new condition).

Your tractor is way better than anything I use with lots more hp too. My Farmall M is about 36 hp, My Deere model A about 35 hp, and My Farmall h is maybe 27 hp if I am lucky. You have live power more gear choices etc.

Thanks
I am excited about having the conditioner should make cutting grass easier.
 

We will being most hay this year in squares. About storing it we have a high tunnel 32' x 20 ' x 12 ' high. I am older now and want the bales lighter around 30 lbs. I know the bales have to have air to breath. The high tunnel can get real hot air tight. I can let air in from the north and south door. Do you have any idea how many bales I can store? Will the high tunnel be OK to use for storing squares?

Thanks
 
Over the thirty years of mowing I gradually refined what worked good for me. I start out going clockwise, and I round my corners a little so that I can go around five times without lifting the mower. Then I start going back and forth raising the mower at the end and, coming around, and dropping it again. I don't back swath until at least five times around when I have room to make the left turn at the end. I usually make an extra pass at each corner where I rounded them off. This method allows you to keep moving at the same speed, without needing to stop or even slow down until you are pretty close to the middle.
 

I have done as you said cut one side do a u and cut other side with the sickle. It appears cutting with a sickle is similar to that of a condition. Do not have to worry about the end of the cutting bar dragging.

So no break away bar to worry about I did not see one the conditioner?
 

If I start clockwise their will be the width of the tractor not mowed.
So you go in a circle as best you can until you almost meet in the middle then clean that up.

So I make a circle cut from a small square field. I like this how do I clean up the uncut grass without hitting the cut grass?

Going against the cut grass will it not clog up the conditioner?
 
I always start counterclockwise. I make 2 rounds around the perimeter CCW. First round as close to the fence as I am comfortable getting so I may use slow gear to do that. Tractor is always riding in not been cut yet grass when going CCW but no big deal the pick up reel will easily take care of anything you mash down. And the 4 corners you can only get a big machine so far in there so if you truly want that little bit of hay you can cut it by hand with a hand scythe and hand rake it out of the corner.

After 2 rounds CCW. I start going clockwise and mow roundy roundy towards the middle. The tractor is now always riding in already been cut grass. I am always mowing and never raise the cutter. I time the turns just right so as to cut all the grass yet stay off the already been cut grass with the mower. It is amazing how you can make a 90 degree turn with the mowing machine due to the long tongue. The mowing machine makes a 90 degree turn but the tractor makes a different arcing degree turn to make the machine make the 90 degree turn.

With no live power on my tractors for me I can not push in clutch so I like a speed that I can feel comfortable with making the turn. 4.3 mph is no problem making a turn with for me. People that run blazin fast on the straightways usually have some type of powershift tranny in their tractor that they can use to slow down with for the turns. We have none of that unless your tractor is equipped with the dual power tranny option.

The conditioner will help in grassey crops but will by far do the most good in stemmy leafy crops (like alfalfa or clover).

Running the conditioner over already been cut hay is most likely to plug the sickle but a big windrow slug can plug the conditioner too.

Regardless, You are running a hydraulic cylinder on your machine so you can raise the machine and drive over already been cut hay at any time so no problem. You easily can alter your mowing pattern at any time due to having the hydraulic cylinder. I can not do this because I do not use a hydraulic cylinder at all. Many people who cut prefer to lay out in lands but you will be raising the machine at every straightaway end if you pick this alternate mowing pattern.
 
When you find the right spot to turn the wheel and hit the brake you will not think about even turning to the left and raising the bar, you will wonder why did I ever think that was the way to go. Get that timing correct and there will be no hay left standing. That is the way they are designed or at least were befor a lot started just mowing back and forth and running empty on the ends and wasting time.
 
I have never had to use the turning brake with a long tongued haybine, moco, mower conditioner, etc. The long tongue allows the tractor to make a gentle arcing turn yet the mowing machine makes a 90 degree sharp turn when you do it properly.

That said, using the turning brake would certainly be very helpful with a tractor mounted sickle mower only.
 
(quoted from post at 05:32:47 05/25/15)
If I start clockwise their will be the width of the tractor not mowed.
So you go in a circle as best you can until you almost meet in the middle then clean that up.

So I make a circle cut from a small square field. I like this how do I clean up the uncut grass without hitting the cut grass?

Going against the cut grass will it not clog up the conditioner?

You don't cut a circle, you just round the corners off a little. Whichever way you start out you are making a pass over uncut grass. When you back swath after a number of times around you are just driving the tractor beside the uncut grass as you do all the rest of the time, just going CCW rather than CW.
 
Falls down AND out and to the ground. A MOCO or Hay bine has big rollers that crimp the hay so that in turn rings the hay out
 
I can not say how many you can store but it will be a good number of them. I can store around 100 in my hay loft and it is no where near that big. If you have a floor that is dirt you may want to find some pallets to set down on the ground to help air flow. That is how I store my round bales
 
I pull a NH 488 (9ft haybine) with either a 5000 or a 3 cyl diesel 4000.

I Run 540 PTO speed (18-1900 engine rpm). I'll run 4th or 5th gear, depending on the hay. Tall, stemmy and dry
cuts easier, so I can get away with the faster gear without leaving the field all ragged looking

Fred

PS....first time typing a reply on a tablet...what a pita...think I'll stick with my desktop for this stuff
 
(quoted from post at 19:47:50 05/26/15) I pull a NH 488 (9ft haybine) with either a 5000 or a 3 cyl diesel 4000.

I Run 540 PTO speed (18-1900 engine rpm). I'll run 4th or 5th gear, depending on the hay. Tall, stemmy and dry
cuts easier, so I can get away with the faster gear without leaving the field all ragged looking

Fred

PS....first time typing a reply on a tablet...what a pita...think I'll stick with my desktop for this stuff

THAKS
 

I can not wait to try out the conditioner. As you said the longer PTO shaft should allow my tractor to arc and make a corner easier.

We measured our grass is very thick and 3' TALL.

Rain has to stop and temperature get above 80 degrees sooner or later.

Kind of everyone to help out the newbie even if I am a women.

THANKS

Farmers are the best.
 

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