DiyDave, others - Tell me about your HayMaxx drum mower

Saw your post on the recent Haying thread -

I have a 9ft sickle moco. It puts the hay in a nice wide windrow. I leave it for a day or so, then v-rake 2 or 3 rows into a bigger windrow for the 605H, wait another day then bale. If really hot I can cut in day 1, rake early in day 2 and bale later in the day. No tedding. All grass hay, no alfalfa.

1. If I go to a drum, will I still be able to do this or will I always have to ted the hay, then rake it? In other words, do the 2 windrows dry well or do they need to be spread out?

2. I have a smaller tractor (ford 3cyl 2000) that I am thinking would be perfect for a drum. We only use it to rake now. I have just enough weight/HP for the 190 version but wondering if the 175 is the better choice. Seems like a lot more money for 10in more cut and a lot more weight. I have small fields so maneuverability is important. That 9ft moco is painful in a 1.5 acre field but I also have a few 10 ac fields.

Comments?

A 2000 Ford will have all it can do with a 165. You
will need to tedder the hay to get it up late the
second day. Ken Sweet

Drum mowers leave the grass in a pretty tight swath- best to ted it as soon as you're done mowing, get is spread out so it can dry better. The crushing action of your MoCo helps it dry much faster, so don't expect to gain any time with a drum, just more convenient, almost never plugs, and NO SICKLEBAR to fuss with!

For the record, I prefer a disc mower over a drum, but drum is quite a bit less $$.

I run a 2 drum 165 with a Ford 1920 or an Allis 160, your Ford 2000 would have plenty of PTO Hp, transport mode is where you need front end weight on the tractor but I always haul mine. I cut my grass hay with a 9 foot cut JF 3 drum mower and the 2 drum 165, I ted immediately after cutting with a 910 pequea tedder, I like the reel type tedder because it doesn't kick up near the dirt the rotary tedders do and it makes a solid mat of hay which is good because I rake with a 10 wheel folding rake and don't have to worry with straddling swaths. Normal two days, start cutting at daylight one morning, rolling the following day after 2 P.M. That couple of gallons of diesel spent tedding pays off for me.

Ken,

I too have a Ford 2000, 3 cylinder gas. It's a 1973 year model.

1. Do you have any small drum mowers (preferably used) for sale at you business? I'd like to replace my Ford 501 sickle bar mower.

2. Does the drum mower work well on rough ground? I have some rough spots in my hay fields. My sickle bar rides over them pretty well, but I didn't know if a drum would ride over them okay.

3. Does the drum mower require remote hydraulics to get it up into transport position?

Thanks,

Tom in TN

I cut with a haymaster 165 (5-1/2' cut, if I forgot the mower #), on an Allis Chalmers D-12. I run it with one side weight, on the left, and 5 55 lb Kubota weights, up front. That being said, I also Don't have power steering. Right turns are easy, left turns uphill are durn near impossible if the hill is on the left side of you. The 165 is ALL the mower this tractor wants. Its not the power, its the weight that hurts. I hit a chuck hole last year, and busted a front wheel spindle, last year, but I don't necessarily blame that on the Haymaster. In answer to question 1, I cut early day 1, ted early day 2, and sometimes bale late day 2. Also a 2 drum mower makes 1 half-windrow, the cutter knives on each drum turn so they throw into the middle. Windrow is not so big that it hinders drying, IMHO. In answer to question 2, do some research, here. Look up the weight of a D-12, and compare it to a ford 2000. My tractor does not have ballast in the wheels, and other than the weights discussed earlier, no other weight of note, cept a 275 beer belly behind the steering wheel. I have cut a smooth field in 4 LO, that I could not go faster than 3 HI, with a JD 1207 M/C. Maneuverability is good, with the hill exception, above. Also worth pointing out, is that as you approach the upper gravitational/slope limits of the haymax, it starts to cut higher on one side, than the other, and it'll test the strength of your sway bars. You also do NOT want to try mowing a pond or ditch bank, unless you like bathing in dirty water!

Lots of good info Dave, thanks

My 2000 has power steering and 8 speed trans. - that helps.

PTO HP looks to be equivalent to D12

According to nebraska info, my ford is around 500 lbs more un-ballasted than a D12 un-ballasted.

I have calcium in the front tires that adds about 75lbs per tire. Also, it is an lcg config so lower to the ground. My be good to leave the wide rear tires on it so that it is more stable side to side.

I have all flat fields except one.. that is good.

My Beer Belly is only around 230 so I have work to do there :roll:

I think this will work...

John 8)

You might have a height problem, with those tires, and the geometry of the 3 point hitch, but you will appreciate the extra 500 lbs weight. Still I'd be on the lookout for a set of standard rims, and 12.4 X 28 tires, and at least 1 rear wheel weight.

Tom,

No personal experience, but my understanding from seeing drum mowers is that for transport, you release a latch and manually pivot the mower cutter bar around to the rear and latch it in transport position. Therefore, a significant amount of weight is needed at the front of the tractor. No remotes are needed.

KEH

My neighbor and I went halves on a Haymax 190 drum mower a few years ago. He uses it for 7 acres once a year, and I use it as a back up mower for my Moco. I have used it on several occasions and will honestly say that it is a hay cutting machine for cheap money......however, there are some bad points. Swinging the mower back and forth between mow and transport is a bit of a pain. There"s a pin/bolt welded onto the mower lift frame that holds the mower in place with a safety release for mowing, and a bar for transport that likes to break off. We"ve welded that up twice already. You can"t lift the darn thing up while mowing, you have to mow through your nice windrows (it does make good windrows) to turn into your next run, unless you have circular fields (which I don"t!!). This is ok a couple times, but after a while it likes to chop up the stuff you mow through into little tiny pieces. And lastly, even tipping the mower back a little, it still cuts extremely close to the ground, and the only adjustment is with the top link. I"m not sure how much hay you put up, but if you do a lot, I would consider a disc mower with hydraulic lift. I know they are more expensive, but you get what you pay for. Good luck.

KEH,

Thanks for the info. My 2000 is a little bit light in the front under the best of circumstances. I have two pieces of railroad track that I add onto the front bumper in the winter when/if I have to haul any large round bales on the three-point. I don't really know how much they weigh, but they are very heavy.

Thanks again,

Tom in TN