Tedders

We switched to disc mowers with impeller conditioning a few years back, and I can honestly say they don't throw any more debris than the ones with roller conditioning. However, if you collect a relatively large stone the impeller will actually bat it out ahead of the mower, giving you a chance to raise and stop the machine before you do any more damage to the knives and pans. The roller versions we had wouldn't do that, so rocks would get passed around between the pans until you stopped or one of the pans finally managed to kick it out.

We usually cut and windrow the hay narrow so the tractor and mower won't run over the crop so much when we're driving around the field. Also, we try to expose as much of the field surface to the sun as possible, so it dries out. The next morning we hit it with the tedder and scatter it out in a uniform blanket over the now dried field. After a day of baking like that, we rake it up and can usually bale within a couple hours of raking. We're currently using a Claas Volto 1050. It folds up into a neat little semi-mount package, but unfolds into a monster tedder that that will catch 4 windrows at a time (we're using 11.5' moco's).

When used on wet hay they also provide the above advantages but also add a conditioning action. Water can only leave a plant 2 places, the cut stem and the leaf stomates. When the plant wilts after cutting the stomates close and evaporation is very slow. The bruising and breaking action of a tedder on wilted hay opens the stem to allow for faster evaporation. My drying time of a disc mower followed by a tedder equals my drying time of hay cut with a mower/conditioner. Results are not dissimilar to hay cut with an impeller type conditioner. I heard it and I still didnt believe it, bought my first and saw it work but still didnt believe it. Been using one now for 5 years and still cant hardly believe it. Easily takes a day of curing. I ted 4 hours after cutting in alfalfa. Grass hay I may wait and ted the next day.

Must be some set of conditions that tedders are not popular 'here'.

--->Paul

So (seed planted) I was brousing thru an ASC catalog and presto, there is one for sale. Now I know what I saw. Bought one. Does as hayman said.

My grass problem is that my field is triangular shaped. The point always had hay pile up and just couldn't get it to cure out. Not any more.

On swather (sickle bar with stem smasher)usage, maybe that is more convenient. For guys that have to run 15 miles to the hay patch, don't want to make many trips. With a swather you can make it in 3: Cut/windrow, bale, transport product.

Also, I wouldn't use my tedder on long stemmy forage. Just feel that it would overload it. Course the swather is made for just that.

Mark

Around here, I am in the minority using the disc mower tedder system. Most still use a conditioner and a few folks have bought disc conditioners. Were it not for hearing about using a tedder 4 hours after mowing at the National Alfalfa Conference (part of the AFGC annula meeting, last year that it was in KY, but I do try to go every year, that's how I got up to your neck of the woods) a few years ago I would have never thought to try it. I was the second person in the county to go with it, now probably a dozen of us. I'm kind of used to that, though. My dad's place is right on a major N/S 4 lane highway, US127. Every year I make a commitment to try one new thing to either increase production, decrease cost, or save time while holding cost and production constant. Some things work and some flop. We had the second round baler in '76, I had the 3rd NH bale wagon in 3 counties in '96, turnips for a tobacco cover crop (wow, that got some looks) and then grazing them (there go that crazy fellow running his cows in is tobacco patch).

Regards,
David

Do you know a 'Hay' (Bill I think) Wilson from Texas, he attends all the alfalfa meetings too, always talks about them over on the>Link

Rocks - oh yes. Many, & lots. I tear off a sickle section about every 10 acres on my 1209....

--->Paul

I'll be the rocks are the problem. We have a ot but they are flagstone (6" accross and flat). Dont make projectiles. I could see those round stones going through a cab window (had a tedder arm and tooth this year get my side window).

I may have met him, cant place him though. Lots of folks there. I used to try to make all the commodoty meetings that I had interest in. Now about all I make are the forage meeting (KFGC and AFGC).

Thanks for the compliment, I learn a lot from your posts, too.

Regards,
David