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powerwagon78 
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Joined: 26 Feb 2013
Location: Union Star, MO
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 Topic: Square baling opinions needed please
Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 6:51am |
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Good morning,
I have an opinion question on square baling for you guys. It hasn't rained here since Friday night (been a fairly wet spring), and has been mid to uppers 80's and breezy ever since, and is supposed to continue to be that way until Thursday, when the rain starts again (forecasted to rain for a week it looks like now). My question is (especially to people from this area that know what the weather has been like this spring) would it be ok to mow my hay tonight with my mower/conditioner, and then rake and bale it on Wednesday? The hay is thick, and it is just grass hay, no alfalfa. I'm just not sure that's enough dry time for it after it's cut, and I don't want to mow it and then have it get rained on for a week. On the flip side, I'm starting to wonder if my WD45 is going to be able to handle mowing it if it gets much thicker also. I guess my main question is for those of you that square bale, how long do you typically let it dry after you mow it before you rake and bale it?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm self-teaching myself a lot of this as I go, but don't want to screw up too bad, because I do have a few animals that have to eat through the winter; so any tips/tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Jeremy
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Allis Chalmers WD45 NF
Hesston PT10 Hay Mower
New Holland 269 Square Baler
Semper Fi
USMC 2001-2005 OIF I VET
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Johnwilson_osf
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Joined: 29 Jul 2012
Location: Mount Bethel PA
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 7:01am |
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Jeremy,
Although I am not in your area, I feel your pain. Judging the weather for making hay is a constant worry. We mowed last Wednesday, and picked up the hay yesterday. It got a small shower on it on Thursday night. I finished baling last night at 9:00, something I usually never go, as it starts to get tough that late. But I knew rain was coming, and sure enough as I sit and type this, it is raining.
If you have three drying days, you should be fine. If you have a tedder, lift the hay once or twice to assist the drying. If not, rake it a few times to keep turning it over to get it dry.
John
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Allis Express: Eastern PA on Rt 80
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DougS
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 8:58am |
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Why wouldn't you want to mow it this morning and give it the extra day of sunshine?
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Don(MO)
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Location: Bates City MO.
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 9:16am |
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I will not say mow it and it will be OK but I have done just what you are asking. lol
If the old WD45 will not handle a full 9' just set the mower over let's say say to the 7' mark and go for it.
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3 WD45's with power steering,G,D15 fork lift,D19, W-Speed Patrol, "A" Gleaner with a 330 corn head,"66" combine,roto-baler, and lots of Snap Coupler implements to make them work for their keep.
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powerwagon78
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 11:56am |
 DougS wrote:
Why wouldn't you want to mow it this morning and give it the extra day of sunshine?
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I had to work a half day today, and I have to put a drive belt on my mower still. If I'm going to try it I will mow it as early as I can today. I'm starting to have more and more doubts about trying to rush it though...it would be great to get it done before this next rain, but I don't want to lose all of it either if something goes wrong... Jeremy
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Allis Chalmers WD45 NF
Hesston PT10 Hay Mower
New Holland 269 Square Baler
Semper Fi
USMC 2001-2005 OIF I VET
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DiyDave
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 6:53pm |
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Cut half of it, then...
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Tim NH
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Location: Lancaster NH
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 7:11pm |
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At the back of the haybine, open the forming shields as wide as they will go. This will make a wider windrow to give more drying area. It will be a challenge w/out a tedder, but doable. Tim
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1950 WD 1959 D14 1955 WD45 1976 7000 B 207
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powerwagon78
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 8:15pm |
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Well, when I went to put my new belt on my mower today, both the tensioner and idler bearings have some play in them, so I don't know if I should put the belt on it and run it to hay my 11 acres, and then replace the bearings before the next time, or just get the bearings and replace them while I have it apart....I guess the lesson I learned today is don't pull a 45 year old hay mower that you paid $800 for out of the shed on the same day you want to use it.....
Jeremy
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Allis Chalmers WD45 NF
Hesston PT10 Hay Mower
New Holland 269 Square Baler
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USMC 2001-2005 OIF I VET
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AllisFreak MN
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 9:31pm |
An old farmer in my neighborhood used to say "you can't make hay if you don't cut it". 
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'49 A-C WD, '51 A-C WD, '63 A-C D17 Series III, 1968 A-C One-Seventy, '82 A-C 6060, '75 A-C 7040, A-C #3 sickle mower, 2 A-C 701 wagons, '78 Gleaner M2
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powerwagon78
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Posted: 08 Jun 2015 at 11:24pm |
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Yeah, it just keeps getting better...it looks like, by AGCOs part website, that you have to buy the pulley and the bearing as one piece...I'm sure they ain't giving them away either...I think there's enough life in them bearings to cut my hay, I just don't know if it will be enough time for it to dry now that I couldn't get it cut tonight....
Jeremy
Edited by powerwagon78 - 08 Jun 2015 at 11:25pm
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Allis Chalmers WD45 NF
Hesston PT10 Hay Mower
New Holland 269 Square Baler
Semper Fi
USMC 2001-2005 OIF I VET
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LionelinKY
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Posted: 09 Jun 2015 at 12:53am |
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Upstate NY with 9' NH haybine set to discharge widest swath possible Dad would always mow after morning milking and then we would rake and bale the following afternoon. Maybe allow/need another day this early in the season but I would think would be ready by 2 days after cutting to bale it up regardless of thickness.
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"My name is Lionel and I'm an Allisoholic"
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wekracer
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Posted: 09 Jun 2015 at 6:07am |
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I'm in your area. There was a four day window last week and a lot of people cut hay and got it rained on when a pop up storm came through. There is a week of rain after Thursday. If you cut and don't get it up for some reason it will be trash. Dad always says when Mother Nature is on a roll best to let her get done rolling. This is Missouri. If you don't like the weather wait a day. We don't get in a hurry to cut hay and rarely get any wet.
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AC7060IL
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Posted: 09 Jun 2015 at 7:16am |
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Now is a good time to repair your mower. Take time to go over mower thoroughly for other potential problems. The weather forecast is not that great for hay.
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powerwagon78
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Posted: 09 Jun 2015 at 11:51am |
Agreed, I ended up waiting, and probably will be glad I did. Wish I was a more patient person sometimes lol. I did also find that you can buy just the bearings from AGCO instead of the whole assembly for the idler and tensioner, so I will get them and replace them while I wait for the weather to get better. Thanks for all the advice everyone, much appreciated. Jeremy
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Allis Chalmers WD45 NF
Hesston PT10 Hay Mower
New Holland 269 Square Baler
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USMC 2001-2005 OIF I VET
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Allis dave
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Posted: 11 Jun 2015 at 1:04pm |
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I'm up in Indiana and have 40 acres need cut. Not looking good here either.
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