serf
Member
- Location
- warwickshire
That 390 is smart
Classics Earning their keep.
- Thread starter Tha Ulsterscot
- Start date
d williams
Member
serf
Member
- Location
- warwickshire
I'd settle for the 390 , less to go wrong
d williams
Member
Yes a much safer bet he’s worked so hard today it’s his treatI'd settle for the 390 , less to go wrong
Happy hillbily
Member
- Location
- Uwchaled, North Wales
Tractor and me sweating a bit today 
sticky
Member
- Location
- Near Stratford upon Avon
Is the air a bit thinner up there then?
cotswold farmer 1977
Member
borderterribles
Member
- Location
- South Shropshire
674's were fabulous handy, gutsy tractors, but you hardly ever hear anyone say so!Forget about the sprayer,what about the tractorIs it a 674? They were great in the day,pocket rockets!The first with Q cabs,and great power to weight ratio.
- Location
- Suffolk
On this week's episode of "have-a-go weekend farming".
I was going to wait till later on to drop our 2 acres of hay, but some "peer pressure" got the better of me. This small grass field was last made for hay quite a few years ago but now I've got the gear (and no idea) I thought we'd have a go. We normally buy in hay for the ponies anyway so anything made ourselves is a bonus. Next year we may have nearer 25ac to do too so this year was a trial run to figure everything out.
So out came the finger bar mower. This was last used by my late father in law and we think hasn't been touched for at least 20 years. I hooked it up, gave it a bit of run up and then off we went. Took a bit of figuring out that speed is my friend to some extent to get it to fall backwards nicely, too slow and it just falls forwards and bunches up. My main problems were in angled ends where I was overlapping with already cut grass where it was snagging up before than going into the crop and becoming a mess. Any tips? Its a bit like when combining and dropping the straw, you get the same thing on angled headlands.
Also this field hasn't been rolled/harrowed for a long time and is very rough. Anyone know how to install front suspension on a 35X?
Gave it a turn yesterday evening trying out my new to me haybob. Not sure I've got the technique just yet, I think the PTO peed needs to be higher as it's not spreading it wide enough to cover all of the ground. However the rev-o-meter on the tractor is broken so it's a bit of a guessing game. One on the list to fix.
Is any of this interesting enough for some kind of regular thing? Maybe youtube, a blog, or thread on here?
I was going to wait till later on to drop our 2 acres of hay, but some "peer pressure" got the better of me. This small grass field was last made for hay quite a few years ago but now I've got the gear (and no idea) I thought we'd have a go. We normally buy in hay for the ponies anyway so anything made ourselves is a bonus. Next year we may have nearer 25ac to do too so this year was a trial run to figure everything out.
So out came the finger bar mower. This was last used by my late father in law and we think hasn't been touched for at least 20 years. I hooked it up, gave it a bit of run up and then off we went. Took a bit of figuring out that speed is my friend to some extent to get it to fall backwards nicely, too slow and it just falls forwards and bunches up. My main problems were in angled ends where I was overlapping with already cut grass where it was snagging up before than going into the crop and becoming a mess. Any tips? Its a bit like when combining and dropping the straw, you get the same thing on angled headlands.
Also this field hasn't been rolled/harrowed for a long time and is very rough. Anyone know how to install front suspension on a 35X?
Gave it a turn yesterday evening trying out my new to me haybob. Not sure I've got the technique just yet, I think the PTO peed needs to be higher as it's not spreading it wide enough to cover all of the ground. However the rev-o-meter on the tractor is broken so it's a bit of a guessing game. One on the list to fix.
Is any of this interesting enough for some kind of regular thing? Maybe youtube, a blog, or thread on here?
Attachments
Impressed you managed with finger mower most went to drum for a reason, personally I would invest in one before I did 25ac….
Next year you will roll the grass in the spring! I feel your pain re bumpy grass it’s horrible. Rd pto it doesn’t need to go too fast go online and read a manual about how to set it up ie tines/ wheels in the right position
- Location
- Suffolk
Yeah I will be changing mowers I think, just didn't think it was worth it for this year with buying the haybob and baler too.
The 25ac went in 4 years ago into an arable field as a ley so was nice and flat to begin with!
I did manage to find the manual for the Fransgard and have set it up as per the instructions; top link short enough so that the tines just graze the stubble at the front and springs in the right position etc. It says PTO at 400-540 RPM but that's a little difficult as I said with not having a rev counter. That's going to be at the top end of things though so I might just try going a little higher this evening when I turn it. Every day's a school day!
forward speed makes a difference too. Fixing a rev counter is probably just a broken cable? My stab in the dark is 400rpm is throttle bit over half open
- Location
- Suffolk
Yeah it is I've had it apart, just need to get around to ordering one. Thanks for the tip I'll give that a go
oakleaf
Member
- Location
- South coast of Ireland
Watching that vid of the 35 and fingerbar transported me straight back to my early teenage years when l mowed our hay meadows with a 35 and IH fingerbar.
The sound of the mower and the sight of the grass rhythmically falling back off the knife with the scent of newly mown hay on a summers day is one of my more pleasant memories.
Nowadays like most everyone else l use a disc mower which is ultra efficient at the job but yet leaves no pleasurable feeling on completion of a field.
A strange thing, time.
- Location
- Suffolk
My dad said the same about taking him back.
Don't get me wrong, it's great fun for the hour or so it took me to do 2 acres, but I think a disc/drum mower might be the way forward for the 25ac we'll have next year
oakleaf
Member
- Location
- South coast of Ireland
Oh definitely get a rotary for doing 25 acres
New Puritan
Member
- Location
- East Sussex
Definitely! Or just keep updating this thread - there's a good many of us still using "classic" kit for everyday purposes and it's always nice to see others doing the same. Sorry to be nosy but what's the background to you starting up then - with the MF30 etc.? (Speaking as another MF30 user!).
