type of mower

sandydan

dont know if this is right place or not for this topic . mods please move it if required
had pz 5'6" and haybob for mowing and rowing for big bales silage, both are gone past it, buying second-hand what is best replacement for both? cutting around 35 acres in various lots, in area where you wait till last as bigger acreage is priority. beside baler operators get annoyed if swarth with is not right, thanks in advance

scudster

What size tractor have you and whats your budget.
An 8ft conditioner mower would combine the 2 jobs into one. It would be a hell of alot quicker too!

sandydan

agree with opinion of 8ft mower conditioner
have a mf399. thinking of less than €5k.
old PZ drum mowers were great but are 5'6" and dont know enough about any other brand wider drum mowers.
was told any mower over 7' should be trailed and that would require more cash to be reliable and 35 acres dont justify new in JD KUHN Pottinger ,was going for disc (use for topping as well) and some rower tedder type,not sure of pz 300 haybob see a lot of cracked and damaged rotors locally,maybe too much HP and throttle

scudster

Have mainly used Kuhn mowers recently, in particular 10' FC302. Not a bad mower. Ran it with a Fiat 110-90 mostly and even a 100-90 a few times too so the 399 should be able to handle something of that size.
Used a JF 8' trailed conditioner mower too but that was number of years ago and I cant remember its model number. Also a good mower. I dont have any experierce with other makes of mower but a bit of research should reveal any common issues to check for.
8' mounted could be an option too but I've never used them. Would imagine they'd be cheaper to buy.

sandydan

Thanks for advice, appreciate it.. kuhn are a good brand, the problem a careful user had with 8ft mower mounted on tractor was bottom plate cracked just inside first saucer, he recons over 7ft wide should be trailed, problem i have with buying secondhand without knowing previous user is,users damage mower beds by simply driving wheel into trench or hit solid hump and bed and drives buckle, bed replaced but still not right so trade in is solution and problems in drives etc start 50 acres later,just outside warranty in most cases.seriously considered a JF 8ft drum a while back, not many around this area though but felt i didnt know anything about them to judge.was yours drum or disc bed mower, thanks

Nekarsulm

With a Kuhn or a Deere mo-co, you do at least have the facility to change a bearing or cog in the bed without splitting the whole bed.
Here is a link which may be of interest.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/20/02/2009/114377/what-to-look-for-when-buying-a-second-hand-mower-conditioner.htm

sandydan

that is what i call comprehensive coverage,thanks for that.went to see a pz168 in november ,given usual guff immaculate ,well minded , only cut a few acres every year,etc,etc,so looked at it it looked immaculate. cover and drive cover not freshly sprayed all decals. so stepped on one drum and swung the other almost full circle, just asked him was it in use since Methuselah's time and left. i didn't buy jf 8 ft mower because i thought drums would be easily put out of alignment, even though it is working perfectly.priced €1500
contractor friend told me avoid mowers with new beds on account of transporting and hitting hump damage. his driver got right wheel in gully,stopped him solid.and the mower was never right after fitting new bed, he recons the alignment of mower was out and left tear trails in field and problems with drive alignment to mower bed, dont fully understand. but his verdict, either know mower or buy new some good brand with kuhn bed preferably trailed. sorry for rant just need something bigger than 5'6" and replace haybob for rowing appreciate advice and views

sandydan

just an aside from topic of mowers
met a guy a few days ago whose neighbour purchased a mower that pulley came off shaft and in first field of grass he mowed, rang supplier and was told , no repairs,no refund,selling machinery for another dealer in wherever
so he returned mower,dont know if he got refund or not,and is now looking at pottinger or kuhn 8ft trailed
ive since heard another similar story
is selling equipment in such fashion legal

9935452

sandydan wrote: »

dont know if this is right place or not for this topic . mods please move it if required
had pz 5'6" and haybob for mowing and rowing for big bales silage, both are gone past it, buying second-hand what is best replacement for both? cutting around 35 acres in various lots, in area where you wait till last as bigger acreage is priority. beside baler operators get annoyed if swarth with is not right, thanks in advance

if you can afford it get a 10ft over an 8 ft mower.
A lot of lads here dont like picking small swarths with a baler. A 10 ft leaves a nice swarth for a baler which will make good bales. They will be more saleable as well if you want to move it on.
A neighbour used to run a 1360 on a 699MF so you should have enough power for one.
I would prefer a kuhn over a john deere mower even though they have the same beds. The kuhn sits better behind the tractor in the road, slightly narrower so easier to get into placed, easier driven due to 1000rpm, more grease nipples so stuff wont wear out as quick, less trouble with conditioner shafts/pulleys.

All that said i have a 8ft mounted krone myself for 20acres a year. we use a haybob to put two rows together for a fusion.

sandydan

9935452 wrote: »

if you can afford it get a 10ft over an 8 ft mower.
A lot of lads here dont like picking small swarths with a baler. A 10 ft leaves a nice swarth for a baler which will make good bales. They will be more saleable as well i
I would prefer a kuhn over a john deere mower even though they have the same beds. The kuhn sits better behind the tractor in the road, slightly narrower so easier to get into placed, easier driven due to 1000rpm, more grease nipples so stuff wont wear out as quick, less trouble with conditioner shafts/pulleys.

All that said i have a 8ft mounted krone myself for 20acres a year. we use a haybob to put two rows together for a fusion.

i got no problem with your method of work or mower,in fact the opposite,would pick a pz 5'6" and haybob no problem,my point was the newer cheaper type aren,t a patch on old one, available used secondhand(not new),even compared to the zetor of 90s or maybe its the horse power and trottle used driving them, therefore need alternative type and model and unsure what....,so your advice is appreciated as is others and all views on haymaking/sileage making equipment such as alternatives like wagon silage machinery. contracting costs are soaring,fellas with smaller acreage,with baling last year- costing me €16.50 not including polythene ,seriously need alternative securing Quality of feed supply,timing and mowing cost reduction is one.

9935452

sandydan wrote: »

i got no problem with your choice of words or mower,in fact the opposite,would pick a pz 5'6" and haybob no problem,my point was the newer cheaper type aren,t a patch on old one, available used secondhand(not new),even compared to the zetor of 90s or maybe its the horse power and trottle used driving them, therefore need alternative type and model and unsure what....,so your advice is appreciated as is others and all views on haymaking/sileage making equipment such as alternatives like wagon silage machinery. contracting costs are soaring,fellas with smaller acreage,with baling last year- costing me €16.50 not including polythene ,seriously need alternative securing Quality of feed supply,timing and mowing cost reduction is one.

with regards the older stuff being better quality i would agree. i was told at one stage , rather than buying a new haybob , buy an old one in good nick and put money into it .
Did you ever think about getting a contractor to mow for you or a pay a neighbour.
A good fresh trailer mower jd1350 8ft /kuhn FC250 8 ft will cost around 5 grand.
Pay a contractor 20/25 euros an acre to mow, which is a fiver in diesel, fiver for driver ( assuming he mows a few acres an hour) wear and tear and depreciation, there isnt much money in it to be saved.
You could spend 5 grand on a mower and hit a stone and write off the bed . It would take a good bit of time to save the cost of the mower

sandydan

cost of mowing is not my issue, problems with contractors last year was due to weather a lot of pit men went for bales ,not as many this year,so local contractors went in balers and mowers into those bigger acreage and left 12 acre men (like myself)high and dry .weather broke and 3 weeks later with grass lodged and regrowth up through it came to me.end story, stemmy grass and some amount of mould.verdict a number of unsaleable bales.over €1000 gone west.i had picked up grass in early may last year and booked contractor for end of month.in fairness he told me if i mowed he would row and bale. neighbour has 5'6" mower he purchased a few years ago and is trying hard to trade and is failing.had 2 other mowers over years and said newer is rubbish compared to older previous 2 drum mowers ,not same model. would think id pick on mid mounted mower if going 8ft due to support for end of mower bed on advice so far or 10' trailed. to prevent it bending like banana when lifted.
im fussy about levelling ground and stones are not issue but i take your point.last mower i had 11 years. aren't mowing charges around €35-€40/acre this year

9935452

sandydan wrote: »

cost of mowing is not my issue, problems with contractors last year was due to weather a lot of pit men went for bales ,not as many this year,so local contractors went in balers and mowers into those bigger acreage and left 12 acre men (like myself)high and dry .weather broke and 3 weeks later with grass lodged and regrowth up through it came to me.end story, stemmy grass and some amount of mould.verdict a number of unsaleable bales.over €1000 gone west.i had picked up grass in early may last year and booked contractor for end of month.in fairness he told me if i mowed he would row and bale. neighbour has 5'6" mower he purchased a few years ago and is trying hard to trade and is failing.had 2 other mowers over years and said newer is rubbish compared to older previous 2 drum mowers ,not same model. would think id pick on mid mounted mower if going 8ft due to support for end of mower bed on advice so far or 10' trailed. to prevent it bending like banana when lifted.
im fussy about levelling ground and stones are not issue but i take your point.last mower i had 11 years. aren't mowing charges around €35-€40/acre this year

id still imagine you would be able to get someone passing, a neighbour or contractor to mow it for you and still get your own contractor to bale it. To mow 12 acres with a 10 ft would be 2 to 3 hours. big m would have it done in an hour.
To be fair the old machinery was built better, The old PZ 165 were very good but have gotten old and worn out. but parts are available.
I think part of the reason your neighbour is having trouble trading the mower is in reality not many people are looking for a 5foot 6 drum mower.

if you are worried about a mower bed bending think conditioner mower. i have a 8 ft mounted krone conditioner. as there is a frame/conditioner it lifts the bed from both sides.

Mowing is 25 euros an acre incl vat around here. At 40 you are being overcharged. standard tractor hire is 40/50 euro an hour. You can get 6 or 7 acres cut an hour fairly comfortably with a 10 ft assuming level ground. Thats nearly 300 euro an hour , 50 quid in diesel, 20 for driver.
Assuming you can mow for 10 hours in a day 3 grand,
If i could get that sort of money id quit my job and buy a new tractor and mower or even a big m and go off mowing silage

marzic

my brother bought a secondhand lely 5ft6 disc mower a few years back to cut rushes (and the odd crop of hay), paid 1300 but it was very straight. Its an excellent mower if you were going that size

sandydan

9935452 wrote: »

id still imagine you would be able to get someone passing, a neighbour or contractor to mow it for you and still get your own contractor to bale it. To mow 12 acres with a 10 ft would be 2 to 3 hours. big m would have it done in an hour.

I think part of the reason your neighbour is having trouble trading the mower is in reality not many people are looking for a 5foot 6 drum mower.

if you are worried about a mower bed bending think conditioner mower. i have a 8 ft mounted krone conditioner. as there is a frame/conditioner it lifts the bed from both sides.
,
If i could get that sort of money id quit my job and buy a new tractor and mower or even a big m and go off mowing silage

A few around got big m and got rid.spent time pulling them out,ditto with mower in front and behind, heavy black soil is main problem. behind tractor trailed is main option around here.
reason neighbour is having difficulty trading is price. purchased for €2000 about 2 years ago.was told at time it was same as pz but its not ,bent tip of drum and saucer one day and straightened it with vice grip but recons not right since ,definitely noisier. said he wished he kept old zetor 5'6" .better mower. its all due to quality, he recons if old quality pz were available it would fetch around €4000 no problem and worth it he had 2 pz and 1993 zetor mower and all traded well.

Tail Docker

The steel is just not in them anymore - p,t,o input shafts shattering, bed cogs stripping teeth, pulleys coming off and wreaking havoc. Mowing time has become a pita as there's always some lad who knows we do welding and repairs ringing in for someone to come to a field and weld somthing/get some part that won't move off with the torches - similarily a lad brought in a fairly new round baler that had sheared its main pivot between the chamber halves, again the steel used was thin and soft. Hard to get hard machinery these days.

A contractor I know who does baling and wrapping operates a second tractor by remote control from a console on his lap (yeah, me neither, there you go) - so one driver is using two tractors simultaneously. That outfit costs ridiculous money but he reckoned after three seasons it will be all but clapped and be traded for another new one. As he said himself, the stuff just isn't in them these days.

131spanner

Just said I'd weigh in!

We had a John Deere 1350 mower until a few years ago (8ft trailed). In terms of reliability she was bulletproof, well able to take the crack of a stone or two as well! You'd pick them up for reasonable money now.

We now have a Krone 9ft trailed, and while it's a lovely mower to follow ground and cut clean, it just doesn't have the strength of the JD. Could see us getting a JD next time we make a change.

sandydan

was offered 2 drum fella mower with conditioner taken off by chap today seemed fine and tight no play in drums , fair gap between bottom saucer and drum , but seemed ok otherwise, does anyone have experience of these , heard some where problem with frame or some thing cracking,dirt cheap but wondering is there something , no trial,500e , take away .thanks for info