cutting alfalfa with a sickle mower

bobin wayne · May 28, 2015

I am using a John deere #10 sickle mower to cut first cutting alfalfa. The field is mature and has lodged. What is the correct angle of the blade to pickup the fallen hay. I have the cutter bar level but am riding over and leaving a lot. Should the cutter bar be angled up or down and how much?

01gentdc · May 28, 2015

try a variety of settings , mainly angle down, if it will clearoff .. and wait til the dew is gone AND DRY ,is all I can tell you ,,,straight standing alfalfa is probably the easiest crop to cut with a sikle bar ,, I used a Dearborn mower on a vac case , and could cut very well in 3rd gear ,, that was a lot of fun in perfect conditions..

paul · May 28, 2015

Need to cut one way, into the lean, not with the lean.

Paul

jCarroll · May 28, 2015

How high do you have the inner and outer shoe set?

Set the bar as low as ground conditions permit.

Billy NY · May 28, 2015

I'm not sure if it applies to this, but for downed grain crops, I have installed spring loaded guard extensions on the grain head, it really helps picking up the stalks. Go into the lean not with it like was said. We used to have a mid mount sickle, 7 acres in alfalfa we used to bale and sometimes it did get away from us before it was cut, similar situation, but recovered well when cut, was not long after we started cutting it with a mower conditioner, helped with dry time, but raking was interesting so as not to knock off all the leaf.

James Howell · May 28, 2015

Take a look at the diagram below.

Note the subsole with outer shoe bracket (Key 28) and inner shoe sole (Key 48).

You might consider lowering both to lower the cutter bar.

You can adjust the tilt of the cutter bar downward, but make sure the cut grass falls off the back of the cutter bar.

If the grass "bunches" on top of the cutter bar, then you really have problems.

Hope this helps.

Northvale - PA · May 28, 2015

I mowed a grass / alfalfa field which has areas of mostly alfalfa, with a NI 5209 discbine. It was down too and did not suck up much at all

farmerwithmutt · May 28, 2015

The Amish have a neat trick before they cut with a mower they drag a pipe through the field and that tips the hay into the mower now that works with a horse and doesn't knock much hay down

fixerupper · May 28, 2015

Like the guys said tip it forward, get it down close to the ground and go one way. Not a fun situation. The cutter bar mught plug on every little dirt mound it shaves off. Plan on getting off the tractor many times. Makes for a slow tiring frustrating day but that is the only way to get it all.

cutting alfalfa with a sickle mower

bobin wayne

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01gentdc

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paul

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jCarroll

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Billy NY

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James Howell

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Northvale - PA

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fixerupper

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