Anyone made any hay yet?

[Goweresque]

How has the backup been? Are you far from the dealer / importer?

Backup has been, shall we say, 'interesting' the importer is based up Hereford way, so while not a million miles from me, not round the corner either. There were only two issues, one knotter was playing up, so I got my local agricultural engineer to send his man out and a few adjustments fixed that. The other issue was a leaking valve on the rear bale chute (hence why the chute is at an angle in the second picture), a replacement is on order from the factory. It was supposed to have been PDI'd at the factory, I suspect it wasn't, not fully anyway

Its a solid bit of kit, I wouldn't be surprised to find that the frame is the same as their bigger chamber balers, its a good bit heavier than my old Hesston. Its also almost entirely mechanical, there's about 3 sensors on it, and they're just counters rather than involved in the baling process in any way. The bale chamber pressure system is probably the most electronic part, and I bet even that could be made to work manually if needed.

 

[Mark C]

Are they norms Heston double knotters or Rasspe knotters ?

 

[Goweresque]

Are they norms Heston double knotters or Rasspe knotters ?

Rasspe ones.

 

[glasshouse]

The new baler hay been getting a few run outs:View attachment 818060
View attachment 818062
After a few teething problems, now ironed out, its running pretty impressively. A considerable increase in output over the old one, at least 50% faster I'd say.

Quite a contrast between new baler and tractor

 

[Goweresque]

Quite a contrast between new baler and tractor

The hay coming out the back wouldn't make any more money with a more expensive tractor on the front..................I love my 5140, I'd buy a new one, if someone made them!

 

[Pan mixer]

still tedding timothy.

and cutting some very thick ryegrass - PRG for a change.

 

[teslacoils]

Baler just gone so that's everything mown now baled. Phew.

 

[rob1]

still tedding timothy.

View attachment 818368
and cutting some very thick ryegrass - PRG for a change.

View attachment 818370

blimey that PRG is going to take a while to dry out, some crop there

 

[Pan mixer]

blimey that PRG is going to take a while to dry out, some crop there

A fortnight at least I reckon, only going to be cattle grub by then though.

 

[rob1]

A fortnight at least I reckon, only going to be cattle grub by then though.

Baled some second cut westerwold that had some BG coming into head so cut earlier than I wanted and was pretty thin but still took a week to dry it( well I think its dry)

 

[DrWazzock]

A fortnight at least I reckon, only going to be cattle grub by then though.

You might be surprised. We mowed some thick PRG (so thick it burnt the novacat belts off) and thought it would never dry but being a bit more mature it only took 7 days. Tedded spread full width every day for first 3 days with Stabilo then every other day. Last day just rowed it up and baled. Driest we made this year.

 

[glasshouse]

The hay coming out the back wouldn't make any more money with a more expensive tractor on the front..................I love my 5140, I'd buy a new one, if someone made them!

Its newer than my 1455

 

[Devil's advocate]

I'm finding it a difficult hay season.

Jumped the gun with earliest cutting & had to re bale some because it was starting to warm a little.

So then onto haylage which went well.

Then Sunday it forecasted a dry but dull day followed by a bright Monday. So went leading wrapped haylage bales. Today baled 1,100 lovely dry timorthy bales finished just as it started to drizzle. Loaded 350 on to trailers & put the other into blocks of 160 in the field. Hay not tragic but damp, plan to spread them out if we can get 3 hours of sun, If,IF,IF! Will rebale the top bales (just cut bands and spread out & haybob it has worked well in the past.) The 350 on trailers most likely will stack one layer hay one layer straw. If we get time weather, may take them out in the field & make tripods of them. Only drizzle but it can spoil hay.

 

[Still Farming]

Think most hay all finished these parts.

 

[bobk]

Another 2 weeks here . taking some making , drizzled last night .

 

[RhysT]

Our first load of English hay arrived this morning. Bloody lovely stuff. All to be sold on

 

[David.]

I think that there will have been plenty of hay baled too soon in that hot sun last Thursday. 3" of rain a fortnight ago means that a lot of grass was mown at a point when it was growing better than early in the season, and accordingly the stems were very green and sappy.
I baled Friday, grass cut previous Saturday, and it needed all that time to get the PRG in it fit.

 

[oakleaf]

Still mowing meadows here today

 

[Pan mixer]

Spreading out some mown yesterday following a bit of drizzle and with lowering skies.

 

[zetor-man]

still tedding timothy.

View attachment 818368
and cutting some very thick ryegrass - PRG for a change.

View attachment 818370

Do you mow all your grass without conditioning it for hay ?

zm