Cut hay Sunday

grandpa Love · Jun 1, 2020

Git to the field and gate was 12 ft. Haybine is nearly 13 ft. Lady says there's another gate. Ok good! It's 14 ft and on a steep hill with a shed 12 or so feet inside. Well we got in the field, but I really don't think i can make turn going up hill around the barn to get out. Grrrrr. May do some free fence work. Starting cutting. Great grass. Thick! Plugged the haybine......... Got it unplugged. Made one full round and started on second. Found a wet spot and got stuck!!! Home to get other tractor. Got unstuck. Plugged haybine a couple more times. Hay didn't get cut last years due to death in the family. I finally loosened the rollers a couple rounds and started cutting about 6-7 inches high. Thickest grass I ever cut. Got 5 done before dark. Got 15+ acres total there. Will finish cutting tomorrow. Free hay. Can't complain.

David G · Jun 1, 2020

Never get your biggest tractor stuck.

Ah the struggles of making hay, but the thrills of doing it too.

stevob671 · Jun 1, 2020

If you have the discharge plate down to spread in a wide swath, that can "help" to plug up as the thicker hay is close to the rollers. Raising the plate up some for a narrower swath drops the hay farther back from the rollers and chance of plugging is reduced. Trade off is possible slower drying with a heavier swath.

SVcummins · Jun 1, 2020

May have to come borrow my hesston

caterpillar guy · Jun 2, 2020

Either the knife is shot or your trying to go to fast if your having trouble with it not cutting off at the ground. Plugging a haybine /mower conditioner is something I have not done in many years. After things get polished up it should work smoother.

Traditional Farmer · Jun 2, 2020

Yep you need to correct the error of your ways find another Oliver with 38" rear wheels will take you right thru those wet spots,climb those hills.etc (LOL)

47fivewindow · Jun 2, 2020

Yup, you have to have two tractors and two chainsaws for when you get one stuck.

rockyridgefarm · Jun 2, 2020

Ah, plugging. Yet another perk of reel and sickle machines.

SHALER · Jun 2, 2020

Grandpa, I believe you have a NH488? I do too. Funniest thing- over the years the haybine has actually trained me not to plug it. Im sure as your haybine spends more time with you, yours will do the same...

JimB2 · Jun 2, 2020

You can usually back a haybine or baler through a narrow gate if there is room to drive past parallel to the gate at angle so part of the pickup/cutter head goes through the gate then reverse turning sharply so the rest of the machine goes thru the gate then drive forward until pickup/cutter hear almost touches the fence then reverse turning so tractor can now get through the gate. I had to do this at my Uncle's farm as all his gates had been built for horse and buggy days.

CenTex Farmall · Jun 2, 2020

I had trouble cutting rye this year. It was a field I haven't cut in a while. Kept hitting tall fire ant nests and also crawfish mounds. You couldn't see them for the thick grass. Black clay sticks to everything and first thing it does is cover the end of the guard and then pushes the incoming grass down. Knife makes a path in the clay and keeps going but never sees the grass. You're constantly looking back to see when it starts skipping. Hard to spot when the skip is under the windrow. Second thing that happens is the clay sticks to the rollers and then the mushed clay starts collecting cut grass.

I got to take a bunch of little breaks to scrape and dig clay out of things. Made a lot of hay though.

Cut hay Sunday

grandpa Love

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David G

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stevob671

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SVcummins

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caterpillar guy

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Traditional Farmer

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47fivewindow

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rockyridgefarm

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SHALER

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JimB2

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CenTex Farmall

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