(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

Do conditioner rolls really work?

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Im looking to buy a disc-bind. I bought a 499 NH years ago. Three years ago I put new conditioning rolls in, but the hay never seems to dry very fast. I have the tension as tight as I can get it. This hay bind mows a 12 foot path and the widest I can make the windrow is like 8 foot. The hay bind works great, but I was looking at disc binds when I found a Vermeer 18 foot disc mower. I never used a disc bind let alone a disc mower. It makes a 18 foot windrow, seems like it would dry to me! If anyone has any answers, that would be great! I'm in southwest Wisconsin if that helps, cutting alfalfa!
 
Thats the problem with 14 ft - 18 ft machines more hay in an 8 ft swath equals slower drying time. I have never heard of an 18ft pull type discbine, not to say they are not out there but my 956 Deere 14ft cut takes 180 hp and will push the 7220 2wd around a bit. Once you go to a discbine you wont go back. Most haybines/discbines can only lay it out around 8ft or less, so the bigger the cut the more hay in the swath. If you get a center pull discbine get the 3 point hook up, it enables you to turn right around on a dime and the pto shaft is always straight. Hope this helps.
 
I use a NH 411 DiscbinE. Occasionally I will pick up some mown hay an check for crimps in the stems, mine makes them about every three inches. You can't ask it to do anymore than crimp. I lay the hay down in a swath about three feet wide so that the tractor can straddle it, then tedd it out after about four hours allowing the ground to dry. I find that if I drive on the hay it gets pressed down enough into the moist ground that the tedder cannot lift it so bunches don't come up until I rake.
 
Alfalfa needs to "cure" in the windrow. If you spread it out flat sure, the leaves will dry fast but the stems will still be tough. To bale alfalfa the stems need to be dry as sticks, then you bale when the evening dew makes it tough so you don't loose the leaves. I like to bale in the morning but some guys bale at nite when I'm sleeping. I put alfalfa in the windrow and don't look at it for a week. I don't think you can put up alfalfa in WI. I would recommend you sell your place there. Or grow timothy that matures later in the summer when it's warmer and dryer.
 
Sometimes too tight will cause the rolls and shafts to bend in the middle. The result is less overall conditioning.
Depends on you are of the country. Is your land irrigated and the hay can safely lay for a week without getting spoiled by rain.
Around here we often cut hay when it's raining with hopes of getting 3 good drying days before the next rain storm.
We almost always had to rake the hay on the 2nd day to allow the bottom half of the windrow to cure.
Rare to bale late in the evening or even before 10:30 in the morning. The evening dew would make the hay too tough.
A 9 or 10 foot mower/condiitoner or a crimper equiped swather was the max for square or round bales.
A 12ft or wider cut was usually used for haylage as the windrow couldn't be dried in time.
 
I used a JD 1219 MOCO for yrs with the same results as you have had . I then bought a New Holland disc mower and a 4 basket tedder and got along a lot better than I ever did before .Mow one day ,next AM ted while still limp so you don't knock leaves off ,bale the next day
 
When I was a kid on the ranch, we started using a swather with a conditioner on our mixed grass/mostly alfalfa. We found that the alfalfa dried much faster with the stems flattened, and even more significant, our hay waste went down to almost zero. The cattle cleaned up the flattened stems, while they had been turning up their noses at some of the uncrushed stems in our previous hay.

Would I buy a machine without a conditioner? Maybe, but at least for alfalfa, I would sure rather have a machine that crimped the stems. Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Gehl disc mower conditioner
Replies
16
Views
761
Pig
P
F
First Runup Krone AM283s Mower
Replies
9
Views
680
wildwes
W
D
Old Hay Conditioner Roll Mod's
Replies
4
Views
680
lastcowboy32
L
B
Haying with H Farmall
Replies
13
Views
1K
Janicholson
Janicholson
jon f mn
Planning is done
Replies
10
Views
701
JMOR
J
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top