Someone is selling a IH 210 swather for $750.00 near me and I am trying to decide if it would be worth picking it up. I am planting regular oats, buff oats, wheat, millet and field peas this year and don't want what happened last year to be repeated. Last year the rains delayed the harvest so long the weeds shot up and made the combining a mess. I was told if I had a windrower I could have avoided some of the moisture problems by letting it dry in the field. My question is, is getting a windrower worth the expense and is this too much for an old windrower that has new drapers and all new belts.
- Thread starter jlhill
- Start date
Brokenwrench
Member
One thing to consider is, if you are currently straight combining your grain, you will need to get a pickup head for your combine.
I have no idea what swathers are going for, but I would think with new canvas, and belts that should be in the ballpark..
I have no idea what swathers are going for, but I would think with new canvas, and belts that should be in the ballpark..
Dave Sherburne NY
Well-known Member
If the rains delayed the harvest, how would putting it in a windrow help? Used to work for a guy who windrowed his grain it seemed like it never got dry in the windrow, but "thats the way we've always done it". Around here grains are combined just low enough to get all the grain, then it is mowed with a discbine to get the stalks for bedding. Less wear and tear on the combine, and it moves a lot faster.
Allan in NE
Well-known Member
Yes Sir,
Depends where ya live, I guess. In this country I wouldn't even try to combine oats without first windrowing.
They ripen just as those green weeds are getting their legs. Really makes a mess in the tank to direct cut.
Allan
Depends where ya live, I guess. In this country I wouldn't even try to combine oats without first windrowing.
They ripen just as those green weeds are getting their legs. Really makes a mess in the tank to direct cut.
Allan
Allan, what happens, the weeds get tall enough to mix in, so you have to cut sooner before they're a problem, then let em finish drying/ripening in the swath, tryin to figure that one out, seems with spraying or dense population, this don't happen here, but again, I'm no expert on neither oats or wheat anyway.
Allan in NE
Well-known Member
When the folage is heavy and lush, there is no problem as the canopy shades and keeps the weeds back.
Just as soon as the ripening process starts tho, the sun gets thru and the weeds start coming like gangbusters.
Some of the weeds have seed pods that are almost "fluid". Combine just absolutely filles up with mud.
Lettin' 'em lay in the windrow for a week will dry all the weeds out enough so that they are blown out of the rear of the machine.
Allan
Just as soon as the ripening process starts tho, the sun gets thru and the weeds start coming like gangbusters.
Some of the weeds have seed pods that are almost "fluid". Combine just absolutely filles up with mud.
Lettin' 'em lay in the windrow for a week will dry all the weeds out enough so that they are blown out of the rear of the machine.
Allan
No kidding, I remember last year, right about when those oats were turning, and for a bit after we got lots of rain, could not harvest, till things dried a bit, but the spray must have kept em at bay. Even without spray, I thought the population density would keep em from ever coming up, meanwhile they're just waiting for an opportunity once that sun gets through, I would imagine if that rain kept him out long enough, same would happen here if it was not sprayed, not sure what in heck he uses, but it seems like nasty stuff, checked it out after he sprayed, area just reeked like chemicals.
Allan in NE
Well-known Member
We've got a nasty little weed out in this country that is called Black Nightshade.
Ya let that joker get in your beans and it will flat ruin a combine. Just takes the flights right off the augers.
Allan
Ya let that joker get in your beans and it will flat ruin a combine. Just takes the flights right off the augers.
Allan
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
I have cut thousands of acres of wheat and oats and never used a windrower. 1) If the crop is any good you won't have weeds. The last oats I cut made 120 bushel per acre and there wasn't a weed in the field. If you have weeds you can spray. 2) Windrows and rain are horrific as the windrows won't dry and turning windrows of ripe grain will thresh most of the seed on the ground. 3) When you combine a windrow you are digesting the whole plant rather than just cutting off the heads of standing grain. Windrows place a lot more stress on the combine and make for slow going as you have to drive in low gear unless you have a humongous combine.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
I have cut thousands of acres of wheat and oats and never used a windrower. 1) If the crop is any good you won't have weeds. The last oats I cut made 120 bushel per acre and there wasn't a weed in the field. If you have weeds you can spray. 2) Windrows and rain are horrific as the windrows won't dry and turning windrows of ripe grain will thresh most of the seed on the ground. 3) When you combine a windrow you are digesting the whole plant rather than just cutting off the heads of standing grain. Windrows place a lot more stress on the combine and make for slow going as you have to drive in low gear unless you have a humongous combine.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
The answer to your question is, "it depends where you are." I know lots of people in Manitoba that own a combine and the only head they have for it is a pickup head. Most (or at least the ones with the most acres) own both a straight header and a pickip header. However I also cannot think of any grain farmer that does not own a windrower (swather to me). I like to straight combine when I can. Crops that straight combine well here are: wheat, peas, flax, barley. It is rare to see anybody have any success straight combining oats or canola (although there is a high tech method for canola). Rule of thumb here is if you're going to straight combine, have lots of bins with good aeration.
I forgot to mention that these are all grown organically. I could hardly give away conventional grain right now, unless it was soybeans.
If the harvest is delayed the weeds go crazy. My combine is only a John Deere 3300. That's the largest combine that I can get to these fields. (Long narrow roads to the tops of hills) That's why I was thinking about a small windrower, just in case or just to help with the drying.
If the harvest is delayed the weeds go crazy. My combine is only a John Deere 3300. That's the largest combine that I can get to these fields. (Long narrow roads to the tops of hills) That's why I was thinking about a small windrower, just in case or just to help with the drying.
For an organic crop, where you do not have the luxary of using glyphosate to ripen the grain and kill / dry the weeds, a swather and windrow pickup makes good sense.
I do not know what the conditions in your area may be, but in my area of central ND, windrowing grain to dry the grain and weeds is a good common practice for unusual weed conditions or grain harvested for seed.(grain seeds sprayed with glyphosate when a little too green, may have poor germination and vigor.)
You cut the grain as high as possible to limit the amount of material that has to go through the combine, and allows a stiff mat of plant stems to support the windrow off the ground for good air circulation for initial and after a rain dry down.
If you cut too high, the long stubble will kink over from the weight of the windrow and allow the heavy windrow to lay on the ground.
If you cut too low, the stubble is not tall enough to support the windrow off the ground and the combine has to process excess straw.
BTW, that model swather was a good one if parts are still avalible.
I do not know what the conditions in your area may be, but in my area of central ND, windrowing grain to dry the grain and weeds is a good common practice for unusual weed conditions or grain harvested for seed.(grain seeds sprayed with glyphosate when a little too green, may have poor germination and vigor.)
You cut the grain as high as possible to limit the amount of material that has to go through the combine, and allows a stiff mat of plant stems to support the windrow off the ground for good air circulation for initial and after a rain dry down.
If you cut too high, the long stubble will kink over from the weight of the windrow and allow the heavy windrow to lay on the ground.
If you cut too low, the stubble is not tall enough to support the windrow off the ground and the combine has to process excess straw.
BTW, that model swather was a good one if parts are still avalible.
We plant alfalfa with out oats and that's one of the reason's we need to swath it. We gotta coordibate a little with the guys that combine for us, so sometimes the oats stands a little longer than it should.
We also like getting all the straw from it so we like to cut it low.
Donovan from Wisconsin
We also like getting all the straw from it so we like to cut it low.
Donovan from Wisconsin
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