1000 Bale Hay and Straw Marathon! (2024)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- 1022 bales in six days, including almost 300 bales of straw for Natural Roots! No better way to wrap up May and kick off June.
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(We are a 53-acre haying operation in Conway, MA - making all small square bales for the local food, fiber, and livestock community. Learn more about our farm at windrowfarmconway.com, or connect with us on instagram @windrow.farm)
Equipment List:
Massey Ferguson 275 Tractor
Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor
Massey Ferguson 135 Tractor
Vermeer TM610 disc mower
Vicon RS410T Tedder
Kuhn GA4101 GTH rotary rake
New Holland 256 hay rake
Massey Ferguson 124 baler (with New Holland 70 bale thrower)
Four kicker wagons
Delmhorst FX-2000 Hay Moisture Meter
Sundown Fertilizer Spreader
![[Live] ศึกมหึมันส์มวยไทยสังเวียนเดือด เวทีมวยชั่วคราวสวนสยาม | จันทร์ 30 กันยายน 2567](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pM1k6f7JXUc/mqdefault.jpg)
I was balers Messi
That Vermeer discbine has to be the quietest operating discbine i have ever heard, impressive machine !!
I agree! Though there’s no conditioner on it, so that is probably a solid part of the quietness. Also the cutterbar is shaft drive rather than a host of intermeshing horizontal gears, which I imagine is quieter too? Thanks for watching!
I like how you're bending your head I think it's very neat and it's cool and you're a good man keep up the good work
Good job in the hay, keep it up.
Regarding your rake adjustments, I'd suggest you obtain a manual and follow their adjustment recommendations. For my brand of rake there are height bolts on the axles to lift or lower the frame. The recommendation is to set tines one inch from the ground, side across from the curtain, or lowest point in the revolution. Level the rake with the front slightly lower than the rear. Set the curtain height to where the bottom about touchs the cut grass. These are the recommendations for my rake brand, could be different for yours. Of course replace broken tines for best performance. Last thing from my manual is ground speed is recommended at 6 mph with PTO at 350 RPMs. And they suggest to always operate the rake at the lowest RPMs possible at your ground speed. I rake in 4th gear low range, fastest low gear on my tractor (MPH are unknown), and RPMs set at 350. Does a great job of raking and much better than my old roll bar rake. Manual also says to grease the gearbox stub shafts else the arms could rust to the shafts, and to store the rake with arms in transport position .Good luck with things and hope this helps.
Thanks for this! I did download the manual, but it says "so that the tines just brush the ground". I think I'm doing that, though the slightly uneven tines makes that a little difficult. I'll continue to play with it - and I agree, sometimes a slower forward speed really helps. Appreciated though, comparing notes really is helpful. Thanks for watching!
It warms my heart to see somebody using old hay equipment and tractors knocking out hundreds of bales. So many “big time” farmers using $250,000 set ups for just hay…..
Keep on rockin the old school set up!
Thanks!! I really appreciate that
The hay looks great. We have fawn issues here too. I agree the rotary rake is probably more suited for flat ground. I’d be inclined to lower the tines and rely on the tine coil springs giving way to prevent damage on ground contact. All of our wagons are 8x16. That’s some amazing dry down. Epic video…👍
Thanks! Yeah, trying to figure out what forgiveness I have between the tines, arms, and cam/roller (😅). The removable arms are pretty key for my road travel and a lot of small field entrances, but there is a *lot* of wear and tear where the outer arms clip to the inners from previous owners/use. I worry they’re a weak point, so trying to feel out what I can get away with on ground contact.
I appreciate it, as always! Sorry you struggle with fawns too - an unfortunate hazard of the business.
I like how you're bailing hay it looks neat and greatly done
@@tomborton7451 thanks so much!
Love the Scientist Hay Farmer...he's so good! I have a similar Kuhn rotary rake...also rakes to the left. I do find that it leaves hay in the "valleys" of small undulations in a field. I have learned to live with it! Other that that I love it and my JD 336 baler loves the big fluffy windrows I make. Great week last week in central VT. Can't remember such perfect weather in recent history. Polar opposite from last year. I'm still going to therapy for my PTSD from last year!!
Thanks!! That’s helpful to hear. Do you find the re-rake helps too? I’ll keep playing with mine.
Glad you had a good stretch too!! I was saying the same thing about the weather during this stretch - and I’m right with you about last year, I’m still ready for things to change at the drop of a hat 😅
@@windrowfarm We're on hold right now...seems like better weather starting Mon/Tues. The other thing about my rake is that it needs a new "curtain". Mine is old and "holey"! They are so expensive though....like $300!
@@andyrobinson339 yep, on hold here too. Watching the same mon/tues, maybe get a jump on something after rain Sunday AM? We’ll see.
The curtain on mine is pretty rough too - I got some super thick waterproof gorilla tape, which seemed to help!
@@windrowfarm Ha...I'm already past that stage and now my gorilla tape has holes!
@@andyrobinson339 😂
I would love to be on that wagon neatly stacking the bales.
😂. Yep, I get that a lot. I can bale so much faster without someone stacking, and no labor/liability to boot. Plus overall wagon weight is usually my concern on these hilly fields, so I’m not sure I’d want to drag around a stacked wagon’s weight in bales anyway 😊. I just prefer more wagons and keeping bales flying as fast as possible.
Thanks for watching!
Looks like ocean waves coming from the tedder
Haha, right? That’s one of my favorite things to see.
A rotary rake's tines follow an elevation line from the bottom of the rake's wheels to the tractor hitch with whatever offset you choose. If there is a dip in between those two points, some hay will be missed. A wheel rake will follow the ground, followed by a side delivery rake, to a lesser extent, due to the rigid nature across the raked path and the trailing wheels being behind the tines.
Wow very good
@@EngineeringImport thanks!!
I want balers to Thailand
Thanks for the video brother 🤙 have you thought about lowering the air pressure in your right side tires on your rotary rake by like 5lb ? Have a good day
Oh, that’s a good idea! I think it crossed my mind back in March when I was trying to get the rake adjusted in my driveway, but then it left the ole noggin. I’ll try it! Much appreciated.
Sad thing hitting a fawn, i had a schoolmate, who is in some fawn rescuing group,they use drones to fly over fields and look for them
Hitting fawns on 1st cut is nearly unavoidable. We’ve hit 3 this year in hay and one bush-hogging. I know it seems gruesome but if I wound one and don’t kill it I usually swing around and finish it off with the mower. Fortunately I’ve saved more than I’ve hit this year. Your hay looks to be producing very nicely. I square baled just over 800 in one day several years back, that was pushing it. Those Massey balers have the best knotters in the business. Glad things are going great for you! Take care!
Thanks, I appreciate that! I usually do the same thing - either with the mower again or the tractor tire, depending - every time up until now it's just been so instant, I do that just to be sure. This was the first one where it was sitting upright, alert, and looking at me. It must have gone *under* the cutterbar, and while the blades injured it too much to survive (not to mention injury from the cutterbar going over it 😔), it was by all accounts very much alive. I just couldn't bring myself to swing the mower back in again. It was tough.
I'm glad to hear you saved some this year! Any tips on how you managed that? Just seeing it in time to stop and chase it out? I've tried mowing fields middle-out, and I've hit just as many. At least up here, this time of year they're so small they just don't move for anything. It used to be a good evolutionary strategy, before mowers...
Anyway, thanks! I appreciate you, and glad to see you're getting so much done! (And I agree on Massey Knotters - I broke one bale out of 1200 this year. Jinx alert!)
It's to bad, but part of it. I hit 2 12 hr old or less this past week. Buzzards took care of everything within the hour.
@@richardlawson6668 yeah, it’s all food for someone, ultimately!
Thanks for the shout out. Very beautiful area with those mountains in the background. Thanks for the cage explanation too. Helpful and very similar to what I had in mind.
I really really want one of those Vermeers. Had my eyes on one in Ohio in really nice shape for $8400 but I’m also residing my house and building a new shop this summer so $$$$
It’s hard to escape hitting the fawns. I’ve started scouting fields with my drone now first but when the grass is as thick as it is they tuck in so well.
Thanks!! And glad that was helpful. I totally hear you on the $$ budgeting calculus - house projects and all. I hope that issue with your haybine was a fluke and that it can be back to normal as ole reliable, and you can keep your eye out for a disc mower (Vermeer or otherwise) for when the timing is right. And a shop is important, I wish I had one!
Good idea on fawn scouting from above. I’d like to make the drone plunge at some point… that could be a justification.
Anyway, appreciate our youtube hay community support group!
Love that MF baler! Does a fantastic job!
Thanks, I couldn’t agree more! So reliable, and with so much character.
That is Pretty rank looking growth. But the Northern Variety of Cool Season , tend to exhibit that trait,, Our Southern Hot season main grass with long slender leaves and stems tends to not grow as high, because of the 42 day harvest cycle. This first cut was about 100 4x5s less... because of Night time temps below 65 degrees.... We use Wheel rakes, they tend to leave a "dusting" of the shorter stems..... But You can see where the Krone Baler pickup run by the clean area
Yeah, the regional variation is pretty wild! I wish I knew more about warm season grasses. A 42 day cycle is impressive!
A Hybrid Coastal is a Hot season grass, It grows best on sandy soil, and i likes Conditions that also favor Cotton, Hot and Dry.... Cool season Buncn grasses, will grow in the Upstate, nu the Sun burns the up here
Missing tines will leave hay behind especially with a rotary rake but that is true of any rake, and they are sensitive to uneven ground. If you really want to rake close to the ground a wheel rake is the best
They will pick up every bit of grass, all the little sticks and stones and everything else not rooted down.😢
That makes sense, I think it’s proven itself enough now to earn some new tines. Really not too many wheel rakes in these parts though - too many rocks and uneven and wet ground, though I know a few people still use them. Funny how rake choice really varies around the country like that. Thanks for tuning in!
need to check to see if tines are wore off
@@dallasdavis3246 oh they’re definitely worn. And I’ve discovered there are actually two slightly different tine types already on it. Both meant for this model, but there is a serial # split that changes which tine it’s supposed to have. So I’ll need to make it an earnest project to either replace a lot of them (💸) or measure/trim 😅.
Thanks for watching!
Videonuzu yeni keşfettim. Harika görüntüler. Maalesef Türkçe altyazı olmadığından sizi anlayamadım. Islerinizde başarılar diliyorum. Türkiyeden selamlar.
Hi, thanks so much! That's sad that there are no Tuskish subtitles. TH-cam just helped me translate your comment, so I hope it can do the same for you here. Let me know if you have any questions! Thank you for watching.
@@windrowfarm ilginize teşekkürler.
Congratulations on a nice stretch! Fun to do some straw. Not much chance for that in New England. Good luck with the next session after a few days' break.
Thanks!! The straw definitely was fun. Getting a little R&R, but hoping to hop back to it asap! How are you doing?
Ok, the horses raking hay was pretty dang cool...something you don't see every day.
Right?? They’re an awesome farm. Working on the first of their hay now (that was straw in this video 🙃). They come fetch the kicker wagons with their team, it’s pretty cool 🐴💪🏻
Talking about those strips the mower sometimes leaves behind especially in thick or difficult conditions. Now that I've been running my TM700 for a couple of years, I think I've finally figured out what's happening. It seems like a wad of grass will get caught under the first and/or second skid shoe (actually visible in your video at 7:30) and walk down a strip of grass before it gets to the blades. Best prevention I've found for this is to be very diligent about keeping your rear tire walking down the edge of the windrow from the previous cut while keeping the mower out of the windrow as much as possible.
Hey, that's great advice, thanks! I'll try to watch for that (I've certainly seen it happen) - good point about using the tractor tire to help compact that edge of the previous pass. I did install the swath board kit to help with a bigger space between swaths. I'm actually not sure I'm seeing a correlation with mine between the times the hay bunches under the shoe and the strip, but I'll try to watch for it more carefully. My fields have so many twists and turns it's hard to avoid it (usually happens on a right-hand turn) - I often just slightly pick up and set down the mower again to clear it.
@@windrowfarmIt took me a long time to make that connection too. I think when it bunches up where it causes the problem, you can't actually see it without stopping and lifting the flap, but seeing it tells you the conditions are right. I am fortunate to have several 40+ acre fields, so it's not uncommon for me to start mowing at daylight when it's as wet as if it had just rained, and still be mowing in the same field in the afternoon. I've seen the problem appear out of nowhere and disappear again while mowing in the same field. It seems like it appears when the grass is just barely almost dry and doesn't go away until it's super dry. Also adjusting the float pressure to the lightest you can seems to help too and makes your guards and shoes last longer. Also, the guard that got hit by the blade. I've had that happen a lot. Have someone with a welder patch it up. I've gone as far as welding an extra layer on the bottom of mine in that area. Believe it or not, it CAN cut all the way though that guard and into the bar itself. You don't want that! I love watching your videos! I'm always intrigued by the art and science you use to overcome the weather!
@@jamesholden3049 thanks so much for all of this!! Unbelievably helpful.
Love Massey's
Have you ever bailed a snake we did
A rotary will pick up hay better than rollabar. Your marking and trimming tines is exactly what you do.
I park mine on my paved driveway, set my foot down and measure the length of the tines based on which ones touch my foot or which ones are way too long.
Depending how much you’ve driven over it will smash the hay down and then your rake won’t pick it up.
I rake at full PTO rpm in 6th gear, which is about 6 mph. I send it lol.
I also don’t rake until just before I bale.
I also make sure all my tines are in place. If one tine is there and the other is broken off, it makes it more likely for the remaining time to break off since the one tine has to do all the work.
Slow down a gear give it more RPMs and it’ll sweep it clean used to have one😊
Thanks, that's helpful! Was feeling eccentric for even considering tine trimming (though I've had to trim the couple of new tines I've gotten so far anyway - they're almost 2" too long). I think I'll take the plunge for new tines at this point, so thanks for the encouragement!
Guess I should keep playing around with RPM's and gear. A rotary rake at full 540 always just seemed really rough on the hay to me (and I worry about it throwing something at me in an open-station tractor - don't feel like yet another shield😅), but it's good to hear you're not having issues with that. I guess the sweeping motion is a lot different than counter-rotating heads on a tedder. re: roughness on the hay (and even then, I'm the one saying "don't worry about tedding grass hay" - so hypocrisy abounds!)
I'm guessing our gearing between Fords/Masseys are still somewhat similar, as vestiges of the Ford-Ferguson days? 6th gear meaning High range, 2? No idea how the mph compares, but that's what I usually rake in. High-range 1 (5th) just felt painfully slow, though did have a little better results.
Yeah, the "rake once" vesus "rake the day before and re-rake day of baling" is such a personal preference thing, multiplied by region, I think. With the wet ground and heavy dews, I always prefer to get it up in windrows the PM before, and then flop them over day of baling. (Unless I slam something in in two days). So I'm pleasantly surprised with how nice the re-rake has been coming out, but I know as summer goes on I'll have some 30-32 hour hay to try and will want to perfect the initial rake.
Anyhow, writing a novel. Thanks, as always!