Baling etiquette

Anyway, just wondering if it is better to go clockwise or counterclockwise.

Sam

Personally, I've switched to doing long windrows up and down the length of the field, and NOT having any crossways windrows on the end. Much better for us that way. The kicker throws less into the weeds.

Squares. Usually grass. Use a bush hog type cutter. May tedder. Rake is side discharge to the left so my first pass is perimeter ccw. Then depending upon the mass, may come back again. Then I will move over 1 or 2 rows (again depending on the mass) and come back the other way. Once this windrow is finished I will start a second just like the first; ccw first.

Rounds. This is usually 5-6 ft dense forage with thick stems. Use side cutting swather (mower conditioner. If I know the field and it is clean around the perimeter I go cw as that puts the cutter on the swather into grass untouched by the tractor tires.

If unknown, may start with a ccw round putting the tractor at the edge of the field thus cutting over about 7' from the edge. This allows a look see at the obstructions. Second and subsequent rounds are cw. May or may not rake. If raking may rake all rows ccw or if not too dense, may make 1 wind row out of 2 by finishing a loop and reversing the tractor and coming back the other way. Continuing this pattern till finished.

Square bales are nice for a 12 animal herd as you can control their forage. Rounds work good for large operations and require less attention once placed.

Mark

Are you drunk?

We always have a contractor come in and cut our 15 odd acres with a disc mower, but we do have a 'bushhog' (called a topper more commonly over here) and if we could use that it would save some money!

Oh, by the way, its a 5 foot topper, and we only have a MF 135, will it get a bit bogged?

Thanks

Ben

I run a 5' on a MF35 Perkins 3/152 (which should be the predecessor to yours) and it doesn't even know it's back there. Run a 6' on a Ford 2000 (about 30 or so PTO HP) which I take to be less HP than the Perkins and it stays with it.

You'd be surprised how much quality hay you can capture after a "hogging" of a hay patch.

Remember, horses are 1 time thru the system. the finer you can make the forage, the easier their digestion and the better performance you get for your food $$$ (or LLL) whichever is the case.

Mark

Now if you're cutting a weed patch, all bets are off.

Mark

Additionally, if I tried to go any speed at all, it would skip over the grass. I'm talking about small stem soft, supple grass, not fibrous stemmy grass (use a swather for that....sickle/conditioner/windrower).

I have several mowers that are adequate. Tail is about 2" off ground with front about 1". Nothing special but do have the back open so that hay can readily exit (took all the chains and stuff off). They are fast, cut clean, right behind tractor so don't have to worry about where is the end of the sickle, can turn corners without a big hay pile up and best of all, it cuts the grass into little pieces so that it cures in a day. Don't need the extra trip of teddering. Not a problem per se baling. May loose a little raking but for the convenience I'll take it.

Also, my horse customers love it (have one that drives 65 miles to get my hay). Price is right, her horses get fat, and no colic.

Mark

Am i just being an ejit?

Like crushing oats used in horse feed. Makes it easier to digest.

Mark

I've got an ancient New Holland 66. Anyway, the manual, recommends baling clockwise. In fact, they say to rake once going clockwise corkscrew fashion going in toward the middle of the field. Then rake a second time going counterclockwise, which moves the hay away from the edges of the field and leaves room for your tractor and baler to then go clockwise all the way to the middle.

Don't know if that's right, but that's how I've been doing it and it works ok.

Tom A

On square baling, don't know if it matters as the hay gets a right smart tossing in the preload chamber before it is crammed into the smacker.

Mark

Ken

Mark