Advice on kit for small scale hay making please.

[traineefarmer]

Hi and happy(ish) new year to you all.

We are planning to turn a field over to grass and make small hay bales for the local equestrian market. About 2.5 Ha total. We have a baler and handling equipment and a Vicon speeder 300 that's been heavily modified to fluff and aerate straw behind our neighbour's massive rotary combine.

So what else do I need? Mower, tedder and rake? Or will I get away with just a mower then bash it about a bit with our speeder?

Budget is low, so the less I can get away with buying the better. But we do want to make a good job of it. Also we're pretty handy in the workshop so don't mind buying very used and doing it up.

All help and advice appreciated.

 

[Spencer]

As I see your in Norfolk, you'll probably just need a mower. Mow, leave it to dry in your endless summer sunshine then bale when dry, simples!

If however like us, where it rains every day, you'll need a mower conditioner, new tedder (as they get that mush use), twin rake to gather it up asap when fit so you can chase it round the field with the baler! Oh and some whisky to settle the nerves when looking at 30 different weather forecasts online to see which one doesn't have rain in it....

 

[spin cycle]

mower could be contractor as not as time sensitive.....if it was mower conditioner even better....vicon should do tedding job....bitta sunshine.....lotta patience....crack on

 

[7610 super q]

Drum mower, and shock horror, a Haybob. No need for an expensive rake if you've got your own baler. We were all making good hay with this gear 30 years ago.

 

[spin cycle]

mower could be contractor as not as time sensitive.....if it was mower conditioner even better....vicon should do tedding job....bitta sunshine.....lotta patience....crack on

i bought and old tractor mounted straw chopper took stationary knives + fins out.....bit hack here/there and run at low revs is cheap swath wilter

edit...this on ebay

 

[puppet]

Haybob .

Popcorn time.
Mower conditioner, Class volto tedder and twin rake will soon have the hay ready.

On the other hand your haybob will do it in less time than swapping round all that kit.

 

[traineefarmer]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was hoping that we could get away with just a mower conditioner and struggle with what we already have.

If the enterprise works out and the cropped area expands, we can always upgrade kit.

 

[spin cycle]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was hoping that we could get away with just a mower conditioner and struggle with what we already have.

If the enterprise works out and the cropped area expands, we can always upgrade kit.

you will with moco....gotta dent the stem cos making hay without doing that is miserable IME

 

[Still Farming]

All you need plus all you got is THE SUN and preferably a week dry ,with good to moderate Southerly breeze and you cracked it?
Simple.

 

[Flat 10]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was hoping that we could get away with just a mower conditioner and struggle with what we already have.

If the enterprise works out and the cropped area expands, we can always upgrade kit.

For a tiddly bit like that either buy a drum mower or pay someone with a moco don’t buy one. Its not that much of a struggle. I had a drum mower to cut 20acre but was bumpy so very slow and I ended up getting a neighbour with a moco in but you will be fine on a flat 6acres. Then use haybob (only bit of hay making kit I own) and borrow contractors single rotor rake and row it up for him to bale. As you say start cheap

 

[choochter]

Drum mower, and shock horror, a Haybob. No need for an expensive rake if you've got your own baler. We were all making good hay with this gear 30 years ago.

Haybob .

Popcorn time.
Mower conditioner, Class volto tedder and twin rake will soon have the hay ready.

On the other hand your haybob will do it in less time than swapping round all that kit.

You'll need a nip of whisky to go with that popcorn.

Mind, the op is only talking about 6ac annually.
A drum mower and a haybob will be fine.
super q has posted positively and correctly. Happy New Year, super q !

 

[Flat 10]

you will with moco....gotta dent the stem cos making hay without doing that is miserable IME

I used to go to people who had acres and acres of grass to make hay from. Lots of them only used plain mowers. I’d prefer a moco myself but lots of ways to skin a cat....

 

[Flat 10]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was hoping that we could get away with just a mower conditioner and struggle with what we already have.

If the enterprise works out and the cropped area expands, we can always upgrade kit.

Do you deal with horsey people already?

 

[Barleymow]

You need a nice new Holland drum mower that lives indoors

 

[Still Farming]

Do you deal with horsey people already?

They want their head read if true???

 

[bobk]

Hi and happy(ish) new year to you all.

We are planning to turn a field over to grass and make small hay bales for the local equestrian market. About 2.5 Ha total. We have a baler and handling equipment and a Vicon speeder 300 that's been heavily modified to fluff and aerate straw behind our neighbour's massive rotary combine.

So what else do I need? Mower, tedder and rake? Or will I get away with just a mower then bash it about a bit with our speeder?

Budget is low, so the less I can get away with buying the better. But we do want to make a good job of it. Also we're pretty handy in the workshop so don't mind buying very used and doing it up.

All help and advice appreciated.

What baler have you got

 

[Flat 10]

What baler have you got

A proper one

 

[bobk]

A proper one

Bamford

 

[haybob]

Making hay is easy, it's the people skills you need dealing with horse folk! I've just had one texting loads of stupid questions, but try to ring them to properly arrange things they won't answer. Then they send a text saying sorry that they just missed my call ....

 

[bobk]

Making hay is easy, it's the people skills you need dealing with horse folk! I've just had one texting loads of stupid questions, but try to ring them to properly arrange things they won't answer. Then they send a text saying sorry that they just missed my call ....

The skill is culling the bad un's every year , never reply to texts off new time wasters