Discbine story

I was reading a number of comments on the site about Haybines versus discbine. I started doing hay at the lowest cost possible, like most of us have to. I ran a NH 461 for years, then a NH 469 that I rebuilt basically 100%, for another 10 years. I only do 25 acres, but, generally am mowing late in the evening after work. I was cutting dew damp hay regularly and I generally loathed going out on the fields knowing it would be a battle with plugging. And I had these things sharp and well tuned too. So, getting a discbine was my long time goal. 6 years ago I bought a NI 5209, used. Said to be field ready, was not. I disassembled the cutter bar, replaced bearings, a bad disc, all the blades, etc. Now, it runs like new. Here is the point: I can get home, literally as it is getting dark, go out on the tractor to mow hay, and set my watch by when I will finish. That piece of mind and zero frustration level is simply priceless. My wife still asks the question when I come in from mowing: 'how did it go'? And my answer now is always the same: perfect, no problems. It was worth every penny to spend the extra money.
 
Yup...discbines make cutting hay fun.I pull a 8 footer and a 9 footer with 75 hp tractors.Going to 100 hp next year,in my experience the discbines I have and the heavy crop works the 75 hp tractors too hard.
Paul
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I know what you mean - I cover 75 acres or so every year with an IH 990. Good old, simple machine - but I'd love to have one that I don't need to be always looking back to watch for plugging.
If my 16 year old stays interested in doing hay, I may make the leap to a discbine - a rotary rake would be mighty nice as well...
Pete
 
What model is your 75 HP IH? I was thinking of getting a IH 666 or 686 to try to pull a small discbine, but it may not be enough.
 

That NI 5209 was a good choice, their a very dependable machine, there where several in my area at one time but have been replaced by larger 10 ft models. I like a 9 ft machine as their easier to transport on local roads.
I'd like to have one but just don't have the tractor to handle one properly.
Biggest tractor I've got is 72 hp and that's the one I bale with, I use trailed disc mowers behind my 50-60 hp tractors followed with a tedder.
 
I bought a new 5209, ran it 11 years, 140 acres 3x per year. Never plugged once. Point rows, etc.- anything going in the front comes out the rear as a new windrow. Usually pulled mine with the 4430, but my son bought the machine and used his 3020 on it. Once I cut barley with it...opened the rolls and cut when the dew was on it...very little grain loss.
 
That's a triple six pulling an 8 footer.That field is second gear t/a forward doing about 3-4 mph.I do 200 acres of hay so time is a factor for me.If your doing 100 acres or less you will get by with one of those tractors.I need to speed up my cutting time.Got a good deal on a 886 a while back their rated around 95 hp at the pto should be enough for now.All depend's on your circumstances.
Paul
 

I used to pull a NH 411 with a 96 HP Ford, and all 96 of the horses worked hard on an uphill pull. I used to do a lot of my mowing in the evening too, besides the time availability mowing in the evening means that the hay is starting to dry when the first rays of sun come over the horizon, and grass has its highest sugar content at sunset.
 

It's nice being able to mow after dark or in the rain. Disc machines extend your working hours for sure.
 
Another discbine story. We had a field way down over the hill 8 acres. Used to dread mowing it with the 7 ft sickle bar. Start before the dew was off and still late for lunch by finish time. Nearly four hours. Fast forward 10 years: 9 ft sickle hyaline, go back over the hill and mow the field in two hours. Fast forward 10 more years. 9 ft discbine, went back and mowed the field and was back in the shed uncoupling and dad walked over and said "break down?". Seems I had mowed it in an hour or a little more.
 
I don't know why, but different discbines require a lot different amounts of power requirements. I had a NH 411 for about 10 years, it was a mowing fool but it needed 80-90 hp. Got a 1320 Hesston I've mowed heavy stuff with a couple different tractors with 55 and 57 hp. My 684 with 61 hp plays with it. Usually use a 92 hp 826 for the weight on these hills but more hp than needed.
 

Power requirements are the big thing keeping me away from discbines. That and the crazy number of gears and bearings that can go bad. Sure would be nice though.
 
(quoted from post at 05:01:48 10/13/17)
Power requirements are the big thing keeping me away from discbines. That and the crazy number of gears and bearings that can go bad. Sure would be nice though.

Remember you don't have to pull one at 9 MPH, I'd rather being mowing steady at 3 MPH with discbine and a slightly too small tractor than 3 MPH with a same width sickle machine.
 
I use a 4020 and mow in 4th gear on 1st cutting and 5th gear on later cuttings. I want to keep the machine in excellent condition. I looked hard
for 2 years of one not beat up. Has lots of hours on it, but not beat up.
 
I will say this, I spent a fair amount of time and money on knife sections, tines, belts, chains, unjoints, knife bushings and bearings on my
haybines. So far, in 5 years all I have done on the discbine was grease the bearings and sharpen the blades. I believe a discbine has fewer
moving parts. I plan to pull the cutter bar apart this winter entirely and check all internal bearings. My fields are disked very smooth and I picked
up the rocks. No obstructions out there.
 
You ever keep track of fuel consumed per acre? Some guys on here claim huge differences in fuel per acre reel and sickle versus disc. One guy tried to claim 25 gallons versus 100 gallons, but I think his fuel tank had a leak. That, or his brain... I've never kept track because I've never owned a reel and sickle. Last one I pulled was a 488 for my grandpa in the late 90's and the one before that was a 469 for my dad in the early 90's.

I wouldn't go back to a reel and sickle machine if you paid me.
 
(quoted from post at 06:24:25 10/15/17) You ever keep track of fuel consumed per acre? Some guys on here claim huge differences in fuel per acre reel and sickle versus disc. One guy tried to claim 25 gallons versus 100 gallons, but I think his fuel tank had a leak. That, or his brain... I've never kept track because I've never owned a reel and sickle. Last one I pulled was a 488 for my grandpa in the late 90's and the one before that was a 469 for my dad in the early 90's.

I wouldn't go back to a reel and sickle machine if you paid me.

Going from a nine foot International 990 to a 10 ft NH 411, It was very apparent that my fuel per hour increased dramatically, but the acres per hour increased by significantly more, so I would have to say that there was a significant fuel savings. I used to say that the newer mower paid for itself just in savings on grease.
 

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