Front-Mount Mower Speeds Up Haying

Front-Mount Mower Speeds Up Haying HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Mowers (38) 20-3-23 John Bahl needed a way to cut hay faster but he couldn't justify spending the money for a new swather. The Sherrill, Iowa, farmer solved the problem by modifying a used New Holland 499 12-ft. Haybine and mounting it on front of his Deere 4450 MFWD tractor. Bahl pulls another New Holland 499 12-ft. Haybine behind the tractor. "It works as good as a self-propelled swather but cost only about one third as much," says Bahl. He paid $4,850 for the used Haybine. He removed the tongue and wheels and used 3 by 5-in. steel tubing to build a subframe on back that hooks up to quick-each loader mounting brackets on the tractor - two over the front axle and two between the front and rear wheels, The suhfratue is equipped with leg stands made from 2 by 6-in. steel tubing that make hookup easy. The sicklebars on both cutting units were originally designed to be powered by a pro-driven hydraulic pump_ Bahl made an oil-bathed chain drive gearbox that's powered by the tractor pto and is used to drive two hydraulic pumps. one for each Haybine. "It lets as cut hay twice as fast as we would before but with only half the fuel and labor that would he required with two pull-type swathers," says Bahl, who made the conversion with help from his son Rusty. "We spent a total of about $7,000 including about $2,000 to build the suhframe and gear-box and to modify the hydraulics. We've used it for six years and have cut about 1,000 acres per year with no problems, At first it's difficult trying to watch both units at the same time but after a while you get used to it. We mounted extra mirrors inside the tractor cab to make it easier to see the rear unit without having to turn around. "We didn't modify the original drive components or lift mechanism at all. We use three remote outlets on the tractor - one to raise or lower the front unit, one to raise or lower the rear unit, and one to swing the rear unit front side to side. One man can hook up both cutters in only about 15 minutes. "It takes about 60 hp to operate each unit so our 130 hp 4450 has all it can handle', especially because we have hilly land. The front wheel assist really comes in handy. especially on the first cutting when the ground is usually soft. One advantage of using a front-mount mower is that we don't drive over any hay when opening the field or when cutting next to terraces. We make two rounds around the outside of the field so that it's easier to turn at the end of the field. Then we cut straight hack and forth across the field. We hooked two 9 ill-fr rakes together so that we can rake every-thing in the same direction that we cut which seems to help the rakes pick up the hay bet-ter. "We swath all our hay instead of wind-rowing it because we cut hay at 40% moisture for haylage and want it to dry as quickly as possible. We store the haylage in bottom-unload silos or silo bags." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup. John Bahl, 18820 Riegler Road, Sherrill. Iowa 52073 (ph 319 552-2342).

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