Buying a tedder

Super Steve · Jun 12, 2014

Anyone ever buy a hay tedder then regret it? Or is it one of those things that you cant figure out how you got along without it for so many years?

I cant think of anyone in this area that uses one but with the way haying went last year and the way its shaping up this year, I wouldn't mind being able to get hay baled faster.

Now, can you folks educate me on how and when to use one?

We mostly have grass hay but have planted a few fields on timothy alfalfa lately.

Charlie M · Jun 12, 2014

You can buy one and regret it if its used and worn out but other wise most people I've heard from, including myself don't how we made hay without one. They make a big difference on drying time no matter where you live. They also spread out any wads of hay that may have happened when cutting.

bison · Jun 12, 2014

I prefer to cut and leave it in the swath and bale when ready.
I have no tedder and no rake although i did use them in the past. IMO a tedder is only good to spread fresh cut hay, in dryer hay it acts like a combine,..all you have left is stalks
If the crop gets rained on i use a combine pickup on wheels behind the tractor to lift the swaths to fluff it up and lay it back down again. I can do that a few times if need be and still have mostly green hay.

In my experience once hay is raked together you are hooped when it gets rained on before it can be baled.
I been making hay for 40 odd years.
I lost a hay crop only twice to bad weather,..one was red clover, the other one a sec cut alfalfa

my 2 c

mkirsch · Jun 12, 2014

Basket tedders are best when the hay has been laying out for about a day.

Reel tedders are pretty much worthless in my book. We tried one but really couldn't see that it did anything unless you drove in 1st year with the tractor revved up.

Tom in TN · Jun 12, 2014

Steve,

I bale grass hay (fescue, orchard grass, some clover, some weeds) and I find my tedder to be very valuable.

I cut my hay with a sickle bar and ted it with my Tonutti brand, two basket tedder. The tedder generally shortens drying time by one day.

Tom in TN

donjr · Jun 12, 2014

Find one in good shape, first. The newer the better. And, don't try to cheapshot it. A good tedder can save it's cost in hay in just a few short days.

I cut with a discbine in the morning and start tedding as soon as I finish. In really humid weather, I may tedd again the next morning, but I often can rake and bale the next afternoon.

Pair-a-dice farm · Jun 12, 2014

I fall into the "I don't know how I ever got by without one" group. I cut one day tedder the next and can usually bale the next. In heavy hay you can bale at least one day sooner. This year has been wet and a tedder let me bale one field that I probably never would have gotten baled. Also I have an old wheel rake and it rakes much better if I tedder the hay first. The only thing I regret about buying mine is that I bought a 2 basket, next year I hope to trade it for a new 4 basket.

Leroy · Jun 12, 2014

When they are ground driven? A lot comming around because they cannot find the old New Idea combination rake-tedders anymore. And that is draft horse speed, not driving horse speed.

Part Time Pete · Jun 12, 2014

Where I live (central NY)it's tough to get hay dry without one. Unless it's really dry, I mow day one, ted it out day two, ted it out again, rake it and bale it day three. I have a side rake - if I had a rotary I could probably get by only tedding it once.
My tedder is a Deutz - Fahr. It does a nice job, but I wouldn't recommend one. Parts are expensive, and it's impossible to haul down the road
Pete

Bruce from Can. · Jun 12, 2014

I have a New Holland rake tedder. When I made a lot of dry alfalfa hay , a tedder was a must. I like the NH rake/tedder because the one machine could preform both jobs. Less capital cost, and less shed space to store. It will lightly ted or aggressively ted, or through it all over h@lls half acre. Then the rake will expand out to rake in 13.5 feet of width ,to windrow hay for the baler. Downside of this machine is that it has many moving parts, and you must be diligent about replacing worn parts in the rotor drive cam. I have had mine for over 15 years now , and rake 2 into 1 for dry hay Monday. It is like any other piece of equipment, care storage and maintenance will increase life of the unit. Bruce

wilamayb · Jun 12, 2014

If I could have a tedder or a mower conditioner I'd take the mower conditioner. If I could have both I'd take both.

picassomcp · Jun 12, 2014

I don't doubt a bit that a tedder helps dry hay faster because of the way it spreads the hay out, which gives it more exposure to the sun, what I can't imagine is that there are any leaves left after tedding, especially if it is tedded a day or more after cutting and partially dried. The you tube videos that I have watched show the tedder throwing the hay quite aggressively, looks like a hay storm behind you. Again, I'm sure the way the tedder spreads the hay out allows it to dry quickly, but I just don't think the leaves are hanging on for the ride.

JD Seller · Jun 12, 2014

Most people DO not know how to operate a rotary tedder. They go out and try to run the PTO at 540 RPM and beat the hay to death or throw it into the next county. You just run the PTO fast enough to lift and spread the hay out. I use a JD 4020 or JD 5210. On the JD 4020 I run in 6th gear at about 1300-1400 RPM. So a faster ground speed with a lower PTO speed.

Also ted the hay while it is still green or when there is some dew on the hay. If you are dry enough to not have any dew you don't need to ted the hay anyway.

I usually mow the hay early one day. I then ted the next morning. I then rake when the hay is dry. In Grass hay that can be later the second day if there are good drying conditions.

Some things I have found over the years about tedding hay:

1) Hay tedded will allow rain water to go through it better than untedded hay. So even if I know it is going to rain before I can bale the hay as dry hay I ted it. Then I ted it as soon as I can get back into the field without leaving any tracks. Many time the hay will not so any damage from the rain. Wet hay deterietes in the windrow before guys can get it dry.

2) Tedding hay gets rid of most clumps that will cause spoilage in the bale. When I sold a lot of horse hay I every single acre was tedded to prevent clumps.

The bar type tedders are cheaper but also do not spread the hay very well. They kind of fluff the hay up but do not spread it out much at all.

I would hate to try to make dry hay without a tedder.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 12, 2014

I ted soon as I finish mowing if Dad mows I ted at same time I have cut early and bale the next day.

Lazy WP · Jun 12, 2014

Very informative, now I have a different question. Why not just use a bar mower and leave it lay until dry?

Greg1959 · Jun 12, 2014

Because it won't break the stems and allow moisture to escape. Also. it helps to breaks u 'clumps' of grass piled in from the sickle mower.

Greg1959 · Jun 12, 2014

BTW, JDSeller is correct (in my opinion).

Some want to run the RPM'S up to 540. To me. this throws the hay out 15 to 30 feet.

I think, with a tedder, you only need to turn it enough to twist and bread break the stem. Thus, allowing moisture to escape therefore, allowing the stem to dry.

showcrop · Jun 12, 2014

Here in the northeast we are usually dealing with a fair amount of moisture in the ground. Everyone I know that makes dry hay mows it into a narrow swath in order to cut down on driving on the cut grass and pressing it down into the wet ground. We then ted it out wide after 4-8 hours drying time, then usually again after another 4-6 hours. The second pass with the tedder is way before the hay is dry enough to start shattering leaves. On the first pass, due to the moisture the grass has enough mass that it will get flung much further at the same RPM than it will be tossed on the second pass. Here we mow with our mowers, then we ted with our tedders and then after raking we bale with our balers.

Zachary Hoyt · Jun 12, 2014

I have never had a tedder but when I got a haybine with crimping rolls it cut a lot of drying time off what used to be required when I just cut with a sicklebar. My haybine was old and worn out when I got it and the doors in back were missing so the grass gets spread out full width instead of narrowed in. I am in northern NY and sometimes in good dry hot weather I have been able to cut a field one morning and rake and bale it the following afternoon. This almost never happened when I used the sickle mower. I would like to try a tedder someday, if I find one at the right price.
Zach

Formerly PaMike · Jun 12, 2014

I understand what you are saying but one of the advantages to running higher rpms is to get more tedder teeth across a given area. That makes sure you get the hay the whole way at the bottom. Too low of an rpm and too high of a ground speed in thick hay and you wont get all the hay. The bottom stuff that gets missed stays green and causes issues.

Bradiniowa · Jun 12, 2014

Where I work they have been selling like crazy to the point that few are available now. Due to wet conditions last two years they have become very popular. My advice would be if you want one get it bought soon.

RodinNS · Jun 13, 2014

PTO speed would be somewhat dependant on the tedder. I've had some that worked fine at 400 (PTO) rpm. The present one... I run much closer to 540 most of the time. When you're running at higher ground speeds you've got to turn it fast enough to stay ahead...

Rod

Bret4207 · Jun 13, 2014

I love my tedder. Run it aggressively after mowing, run it easier the next day to reduce shattering on what hay may be drier. Greatest thing since sliced bread. But, I'm in the cool, wet northeast. Some one in a very dry, warm region might never need one.

Lazy WP · Jun 13, 2014

Thanks. Here, most of the time, I can mow in the morning and bale it in the afternoon. Not happening this week. I have a meadow I mowed on Tuesday that still isn't ready.

xfarma · Jun 13, 2014

JD has it right, both ground speed and PTO speed are important. To answer your last ?, a tedder lifts the hay off the ground and fluffs it so air will move through it better and help dry it faster. It also throws the greener heavier hay off the bottom further which means it lands on top of dryer hay helping the wetter hay to dry faster.

NEBeef · Jun 13, 2014

Around here (middle New England) you would have a real hard time making good quality dry hay without a good tedder.

There certainly is some technique to using a tedder. You can be pretty aggressive when the hay is green - usually you're trying to spread the hay out right after cutting/conditioning. As the hay dries it needs to be tedded more gently, so the RPMs should go down and/or ground speed goes up.

To those who ask why not just let it dry? Well, (again around here) that might be several weeks, lol. There's simply not long enough weather windows to use that approach - if you can't bale it up within three high humidity days chances are you're going to lose it.

I find this regional difference quite interesting, I'm always watching the way folks make hay when I travel...

Buying a tedder

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