Mounted mower conditioner

[Marmite Mac]

I am planning on getting a wider mower, with a conditioner, for hay, wide enough to be wider than the tractor!
Looking at a 2.4m JD 328a. Would an 80hp MF 390 4WD handle this weight of mounted mower?
Thoughts appreciated.

 

[Dave W]

That model swings round the back. Could be just enough weight for a 390 in transport.
vertical fold might be better

 

[Marmite Mac]

That's a good call, although the weight hanging out the side might be as much of a limiting factor as well.
Having a loader on the tractor might be a help?

What are the equivalent vertical fold models?

 

[DrDunc]

That's a good call, although the weight hanging out the side might be as much of a limiting factor as well.
Having a loader on the tractor might be a help?

What are the equivalent vertical fold models?

How steep are your fields?

I used to run a 2.8m Kuhn, then heavier 2.8m Krone, both with conditioners, on an 80hp Renault Ceres 4wd (though the pump had been tweaked)

Needed a set of weights on the front when transporting (both vertical fold) Tyre next the the mower needed to be blown up to 24psi, and on headland turns the mower was ALWAYS uphill on my hill farm ground

Though the outside rear wheel did lift occasionaly when turning, I'd have cut well over a thousand acres with that tractor before buying something bigger. My fields are steep!

Krone have metal conditioner tines and "robust" cutting bed, which make them heavy. However they cut well and are usually still in good nick when a few years old

Lely are lightweight, belt driven, and have a hexagonal shaft the length of the bed which twists if you hit an obstacles, then requires oxy acetylene to remove. They are best avoided!

Older Claas cut very well, but were very power hungry to drive. I don't have experience of the newer models

Kuhn used to be vertical fold, and I believe the new models are again this sensible transport position. They used to all have plastic conditioner tines which reduce weight, though I think the new ones are now metal. Like most things Kuhn, they do the job well. Deere are Kuhn painted green

Don't go near a Mchale. They are ludicrously heavy even on a 150hp six cylinder

I've heard good words said of pottinger, but have had no personal experience



However, if I was still running an 80hp tractor, I'd look to buy a 3.2m plain mower, and a preferably 8 rotor tedder. A conditioner undoubtedly speeds up drying, but the time saved with a bigger mower will more than cover the time for the first tedder pass. Subsequent tedder passes would then vastly increase wilting over mower conditioner alone (apologies, don't know your circumstances, just my tuppence worth)

 

[Boohoo]

A 328A is 2.8m cut, a 324A is 2.4m cut.
The 324A weighs a ton, which I'd say is too much for a 390.
Is there a reason you can't have a trailed mower?

 

[Marmite Mac]

Thanks DrDunc and BooHoo.
This is super helpful wisdom, especially around the alternate options to reduce drying time. Mostly our ground isn't too steep but there are some steep bits. Key issue for us is that we have a lot of small fields and paddocks. So we lose much of the benefit of bigger machines, and making fewer passes overall is a good thing.
Hence the idea of the switch to a mower with a conditioner to speed up the drying, we use a drum mower just now.
It looks like the vertical fold MoCo machines might be mostly the larger ones, over 3m?
We'll potentially add a larger tractor within the next 6 months, but I wasn't planning to go over 2.4m for the mower, due to the small fields and paddocks, which makes a bigger outfit all the more more difficult to manoeuvre.

I have spotted a JF-Stoll 2.4m, which looks like it has plastic conditioner tines and may also fold vertically. Anyone had experience of these?

 

[Dave W]

Thanks DrDunc and BooHoo.
This is super helpful wisdom, especially around the alternate options to reduce drying time. Mostly our ground isn't too steep but there are some steep bits. Key issue for us is that we have a lot of small fields and paddocks. So we lose much of the benefit of bigger machines, and making fewer passes overall is a good thing.
Hence the idea of the switch to a mower with a conditioner to speed up the drying, we use a drum mower just now.
It looks like the vertical fold MoCo machines might be mostly the larger ones, over 3m?
We'll potentially add a larger tractor within the next 6 months, but I wasn't planning to go over 2.4m for the mower, due to the small fields and paddocks, which makes a bigger outfit all the more more difficult to manoeuvre.

I have spotted a JF-Stoll 2.4m, which looks like it has plastic conditioner tines and may also fold vertically. Anyone had experience of these?

Be wary of the conditioner tines if they are worn. Should have a square edge on. If they are rounded then leave alone as they are super expensive

 

[Sharpy]

Condensed version is any mower conditioner with plastic tines really just moves the grass away from the cutter bar once worn a bit. Better than a plain mower though.
Steel v tines held by a rubber block like Class amongst others is much more aggressive but heavier, free swinging v tines like john deere are the most aggressive but the most weight.

 

[tr250]

I know you’ve asked about a mounted but is a trailed an option? We had a tarrup 307 that we used to pull with a 390 and it went well probably 10k plus at whatever a 307 was but 9 or 10 feet so could cover a bit of ground. From what I remember a 390s linkage was a bit of a light duty affair and probably wouldn’t like too much twisting plus a trailed mower will last probably twice as long as a mounted and make a better job just a bit more of a faff in the corners if your in small fields

 

[KB6930]

Claas are built very well but don't seem to be as heavy as others .

 

[DrDunc]

I know you’ve asked about a mounted but is a trailed an option? We had a tarrup 307 that we used to pull with a 390 and it went well probably 10k plus at whatever a 307 was but 9 or 10 feet so could cover a bit of ground. From what I remember a 390s linkage was a bit of a light duty affair and probably wouldn’t like too much twisting plus a trailed mower will last probably twice as long as a mounted and make a better job just a bit more of a faff in the corners if your in small fields

You're spot on. Output from a trailed moco like a tarrup 307 is far greater than an equivalent sized mounted

Used to be able to keep in front of a local contractors 200hp donkey engined chopper cutting with an 80hp case 844 on a tarrup 307. Been so many years ago I'd forgotten

The pivoting drawbar allows access into tight corners, even on wee paddocks

 

[Boohoo]

Plenty of small fields here, took this picture in the smallest field we have, it's exactly an acre.

This Taarup 336 is 2.4m, is on the drawbar so is short and has wide angles at both ends of the pto so can run behind the tractor for taking an extra sweep in the corners and mowing through gateways. I can cut more with it than I could cut with a mounted mower

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

I am planning on getting a wider mower, with a conditioner, for hay, wide enough to be wider than the tractor!
Looking at a 2.4m JD 328a. Would an 80hp MF 390 4WD handle this weight of mounted mower?
Thoughts appreciated.

We have a 2.8m JD 328A on a JD 6220.
This is a bigger heavier tractor than an MF390. As long as we fit the loader and a bucket it is well balanced. We have tried it without the loader but it is a bit of a handful. The overhang to the side or rear is plain to see. It makes a great job of cutting and we like it.
I think the MF might be too light even for flat ground.

 

[Dave W]

Plenty of small fields here, took this picture in the smallest field we have, it's exactly an acre.
View attachment 1156619
This Taarup 336 is 2.4m, is on the drawbar so is short and has wide angles at both ends of the pto so can run behind the tractor for taking an extra sweep in the corners and mowing through gateways. I can cut more with it than I could cut with a mounted mower

Surely that’s photoshopped. Everyone knows you need 120hp on that

 

[Farmer_Joe]

I’m no fan of trailed mowers but as other have said you need a fair linkage for mounted, an old tarrup trailed is a good call

 

[Boohoo]

Surely that’s photoshopped. Everyone knows you need 120hp on that

I use the 844 in stupidly heavy crops and steep or wet fields but the 996 copes perfectly with a sensible crop in a dry, level field.

 

[Dave W]

I use the 844 in stupidly heavy crops and steep or wet fields but the 996 copes perfectly with a sensible crop in a dry, level field.

I know. I’m a big advocate of using the correct size tractor for a machine.
There’s countless threads on here where a machines been branded scrap having had 150hp through it when in reality it was originally designed in 1980’s for for 80hp

 

[tr250]

Just seen this advertised on Facebook so thought I’d screenshot it and put on here. It’s a 390 linkage and no way would I want to put any size mower conditioner on it looks even lighter than I remember them to be

 

[Dave W]

I am planning on getting a wider mower, with a conditioner, for hay, wide enough to be wider than the tractor!
Looking at a 2.4m JD 328a. Would an 80hp MF 390 4WD handle this weight of mounted mower?
Thoughts appreciated.

You will struggle to beat a vicon DMP series mower if you’re wanting quality lightweight. Really good mowers.
I’ve sold dozens of them and would suit a 390 well.
Doddle to work on.

 

[IOW91]

I agree with what others have said, if it's workable for you, a trailed mower for a 390 would be alot kinder to it in the long run. As has been said an Tarrup. Or maybe a JD 1355 if you could find one.

If it has to be a mounted Mow Co, then I would go for a 2.4m just for the tractors sake. The cross shafts will thank you.