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Mower vs Haybine

B

Big Muddy rancher

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Feb 10, 2005
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Big Muddy valley
I am having problems with my NH1475 with a 2200 series header.
I was thinking of going to a mower like Soapweeds. Does anybody cut alfalfa with a mower?

I see Rowse and Kosch build them. Which is better?

IHC head or New Holland?


PTO or Hydraulic drive?

What do you think?
 
i think you will like the discbine better ,you can cut anything with them as fast as you want to ride the tractor,they are more costly though
 
If you go with the Rowse, you will want to get the IH Heads with the PTO Drive. There are several people in the area who use bar mowers to cut alfalfa and get along fine.

I've never had experience with a Kosch mower, so I can't help you out there.
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
I am having problems with my NH1475 with a 2200 series header.
I was thinking of going to a mower like Soapweeds. Does anybody cut alfalfa with a mower?

I see Rowse and Kosch build them. Which is better?

IHC head or New Holland?


PTO or Hydraulic drive?

What do you think?
Click to expand...

I've had several guys tell me that Kosch mowers are much better than Rowse.
 
I never ran a Rowse or Kosch mower, or NH heads, but spent quite a bit of time on the old IH 1100. Keep the knife pin greased and go.

The vast majority of double mowers in this area are Rowse, I think most with IH heads. Guys seem to like them.

BMR, what about a good ol' Canuck built MacDon moco? :wink: That's what I use. It's a 16' 1000PTO '97 model 5000 I bought at auction in '01. It has been one of the best buys I have made at an auction sale.

Mine has the JD balanced head which is reputed to have problems. So far, so good with mine. The 5000 can be updated with the later MacDon mfg head which is supposed to be more durable.

I saw a 16' 5000 retrofitted with the MacDon sickle drive sell at auction early this summer for $6700. It had been over a lot of ground and needed the cutter parts updated.
 
Thanks for the feed back.

I have been told that disc mowers don't work to good in rocks and we do have a few.

The mower does have a lower power requirement then the haybines and I rake with a 14 wheel V rake anyways.

I wondered about the IHC vs NH as I have used a NH mower and thought they were pretty good but did have lots of wear points.

Why the PTO drive over Hydraulic? Wouldn't the Hydraulic have less moving parts and be smoother?

I did see a Macdon at the dealers today. It has a single 16 foot knife where my NH has two 9 ft blades. I suppose less parts to wear out with one drive but I like the bigger cut.
 
All we have is rocks and rough ground and my discbine is less maintainence $ than the haybines were. I do think that on a smooth field that the double mower would do a nice job on a lot less fuel.

If we could just get civil servants to operate scythes..................
 
I have a Rowse double 9 with New Holland head's pto driven.I can cut about 10 acres an hour if it's not too rough.I have very rocky ground and a disc bine would be junk in one season.Mine is 10 years old now I've replaced all the gaurds 3 season's ago and normally a new drive belt every other year.I rebuilt the head on the leed mower about 2 weeks ago alot of new parts all new bearing's and races one new connecting rod and a new crank $560.00. If you run a 9 ft mower and switch to a double 9 you'll never mow with a 9 ft again.
 
gcreekrch said:
All we have is rocks and rough ground and my discbine is less maintainence $ than the haybines were. I do think that on a smooth field that the double mower would do a nice job on a lot less fuel.

If we could just get civil servants to operate scythes..................
Click to expand...

I run a Macdon 5010 with a 540 pto, and hook it up to my ihc 1486 tractor's 1000 pto shaft and just putter along at about 1100 rpm. A tank of fuel lasts 2 1/2 days at least (I haven't run it out yet to test it and my guage doesnt work). That's pretty economical for conditioned hay.

I wonder how many civil servants would need to stand there to watch one work?
 
Silver, I run my 1000PTO 16' MacDon 5000 with a Ford 8600. PTO is rated @ 1935 engine RPM. The Ford is pretty good on fuel and well matched size and power wise to the MacDon. I don't think it uses near as much fuel as the old 14' gas draper swather used.

I do idle down and run the baler about half speed pulling it with my MF 2775. Never get the engine over 1500 rpm. I baled something over 200 acres (357 bales) on a 87 gal tank of fuel. My guage doesn't work either and it was making me nervous! :wink:
 
John SD said:
Silver, I run my 1000PTO 16' MacDon 5000 with a Ford 8600. PTO is rated @ 1935 engine RPM. The Ford is pretty good on fuel and well matched size and power wise to the MacDon. I don't think it uses near as much fuel as the old 14' gas draper swather used.

I do idle down and run the baler about half speed pulling it with my MF 2775. Never get the engine over 1500 rpm. I baled something over 200 acres (357 bales) on a 87 gal tank of fuel. My guage doesn't work either and it was making me nervous! :wink:
Click to expand...


This year we would be lucky to get 357 bales on 500 acres. :roll:
 

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