Hay turning advice

[Beefsmith]

Having been continuously let down by a contractor the last two years we’ve decided to do our 40ac of hay ourselves. We’ve tractors from our arable and drivers.
With regards to turning and rowing up we want one used machine to do both jobs. Two cuts per year so 80ac work and possibly the odd bit of straw work in a wet harvest. What should we be looking for please?

 

[davieh3350]

Go for two separate machines. They make a better job than a multi purpose one and someone can be turning a field whilst someone else rows up.

 

[Beefsmith]

Go for two separate machines. They make a better job than a multi purpose one and someone can be turning a field whilst someone else rows up.

As said one machine only and it needs to be used due to the low amount of work. We don’t like collecting equipment.

 

[Fendt516profi]

Get a haybob then, you'll have plenty of time to regret your decision and wish you'd gone separate tedder and rake

 

[davieh3350]

Haybob then.

You'll be cursing when the rains on its way and you're taking a wee bout in.

If you're handy with a welder you can knock up a vee rake out of a couple of acrobats, a landy wheel and a couple of rear springs from a Sierra and a few other odds and ends.

 

[farmerm]

I don't drop more than 6 or 7ac at a time and I curse the haybob, it does both tedding and rowing but it does neither job well enough... something that teds better would dry the hay a day quicker, when you have hay on the ground a day can be the difference between excellent hay and a pile of crap.

 

[Fendt516profi]

What about a haybob 360 at least can put 2or3 into 1

 

[Tomr10]

Heybob is to small for that amount of land. You can start with one however wont be long until you get a rake for turning.

 

[Goweresque]

Lely 6m Combi. Only machine that does both jobs reasonably well and covers a decent amount of ground per hour. In practical output it does the job of two haybobs working side by side, but with the advantage of the Lely hooked tines which are far superior to haybob ones. And has the Stabilo headstock that allows the machine to follow the tractor round corners nicely. Lely have stopped making them I think, since the AGCO takeover but there will be plenty of secondhand ones about, maybe even still some new ones sat in dealers yards.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Lely 6m Combi. Only machine that does both jobs reasonably well and covers a decent amount of ground per hour. In practical output it does the job of two haybobs working side by side, but with the advantage of the Lely hooked tines which are far superior to haybob ones. And has the Stabilo headstock that allows the machine to follow the tractor round corners nicely. Lely have stopped making them I think, since the AGCO takeover but there will be plenty of secondhand ones about, maybe even still some new ones sat in dealers yards.

6m combi? Never realised they did 1, certainly never seen 1. Presume that makes 3 rows?
Uncle had a 300, which made 2 rows. Served a purpose and would suit the op if adamant not to have 2 machines, but still a compromise.

 

[Sheepfog]

Having been continuously let down by a contractor the last two years we’ve decided to do our 40ac of hay ourselves. We’ve tractors from our arable and drivers.
With regards to turning and rowing up we want one used machine to do both jobs. Two cuts per year so 80ac work and possibly the odd bit of straw work in a wet harvest. What should we be looking for please?

As @Goweresque suggested for one machine a Lely Lotus Stabilo 600 Combi will turn and also row up in two 3m rows.

 

[Goweresque]

6m combi? Never realised they did 1, certainly never seen 1. Presume that makes 3 rows?
Uncle had a 300, which made 2 rows. Served a purpose and would suit the op if adamant not to have 2 machines, but still a compromise.

Lely 300 is like a haybob, 2 rotors, makes one row. 600 Combi is 4 rotor, makes two rows. Its basically two 300 machines stuck together.

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Lely is a far better machine the tine set up is brilliant they spread fantastic . Forget gay bob go Lely combi every time biggest problem will be finding one now ... no- lets them go .

 

[puppet]

Having been continuously let down by a contractor the last two years we’ve decided to do our 40ac of hay ourselves. We’ve tractors from our arable and drivers.
With regards to turning and rowing up we want one used machine to do both jobs. Two cuts per year so 80ac work and possibly the odd bit of straw work in a wet harvest. What should we be looking for please?

You should be looking to make hay in June or July not worrying too much about the brand.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Lely 300 is like a haybob, 2 rotors, makes one row. 600 Combi is 4 rotor, makes two rows. Its basically two 300 machines stuck together.

Uncle's was 4 rotors and made 2 rows.
Was that 6m working width?

 

[PaulNix]

We got a haybob, luckily I also got a 76 yr old father who loves to work feel useful and spreading hay is an awesome way to achieve this as if the truth be known he not really up to a lot of the other jobs a couple of years ago he could do without any worry, if i didn't have him I would get a tedder and do the job better and faster. We don't rake up with it anymore though as we used a single rotor rake once when we rushed and now the baler driver won't let me use anything else.

 

[Goweresque]

Uncle's was 4 rotors and made 2 rows.
Was that 6m working width?

Yes, 4 rotors of 1.5m each. 600 model, ie 6m wide.

 

[Boohoo]

Don't think I could go back to a haybob and I'm doing less than 20 acres a year in 2 cuts.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Yes, 4 rotors of 1.5m each. 600 model, ie 6m wide.

So over 10' wide in transport ? No wonder he grumbled about getting around with it.

 

[Goweresque]

So over 10' wide in transport ? No wonder he grumbled about getting around with it.

Yes you do have to watch when taking it out on the road, I have to admit I wouldn't want to drive one around those Devon lanes......