Sickle bar mowing a hay field?
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=180906
Printed Date: 11 Aug 2025 at 12:08pm
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Topic: Sickle bar mowing a hay field?
Posted By: Hunt4Allis
Subject: Sickle bar mowing a hay field?
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 5:13am
| Hi all, I have a trailer type sickle bar mower that I've only used once to cut our Hayfield and I forget what is the best way to drive it? (Bar sticks off to the right when sitting on the tractor) I feel like I made the first cut with the bar out to the furthest most point going around our hay field next to our fence first.? But I'm not even sure on that, it's been a couple years. Do you drive on the cut row of hay with the tractor on each pass, so after the first pass I would turn the tractor around and cut driving on the freshly cut hay or driving in the field the whole way around that hasn't been cut yet? I guess either way will work but I feel like there was a topic on this that it was answered to me but I can't find it... Thanks Matt |
Replies:
Posted By: kjs
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 5:22am
| Drive on the cut hay. If you drive on uncut you will have tracks around the field. |
Posted By: allisbred
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 5:50am
| After your first pass, stay on cut hay. If you choose not to do this, you will play hell getting it dry as it is hard to cut mashed down hay from tire marks. I always do the back cut last, most chances of tree branches, garbage etc... around the perimeter and gives a little time for it to stand back up. |
Posted By: Jim.ME
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 5:50am
| First pass, drive with the fence line on your left going clockwise around the field. Continue cutting clockwise, traveling on the mowed hay. When you have the field mowed, turn around and mow the back swath going counterclockwise. Obstacles are more likely to be hit in the back swath. Leaving the back swath until last, lessens the chance of hitting something and shutting you down for repairs. |
Posted By: Hunt4Allis
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 6:23am
| Thanks for info! |
Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 6:28am
|
I agree with above. If it is a very wide field, "split it" after making three or four rounds by driving straight up the (approximate) middle of the field to lessen the time going around the ends. You can also turn left after making your split to further lessen time on the ends.
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Posted By: Hunt4Allis
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 7:35am
| It's about 300' wide by 600' long I think |
Posted By: allisbred
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 7:57am
| I would box cut working from outside in until the ends are short depending on if you plan to use a Tedder. On heavy hay, drying consistency is very important and I prefer long rows using a tedder. If are just going to rake, it is more forgiving. Without trying to confuse you, just start your plan from the baling process, then rake, ted, mow. It makes it all a little easier. Best of luck! |
Posted By: Hunt4Allis
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 8:14am
No Tedder, just will cut let dry a couple days, rake, let dry some more, most likely round bale but I may just small square bale it depending on farmers availability ( I have sickle bar, and just bought a international harvester hay rake- old but seams to operate ok- was barn stored-
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Posted By: BraedonAllisB
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 11:08am
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so I think usally you drive so that your mower is next to the fence row, then you do a full loop and then turn your tractor around and drive over what you previously had cut. hopefully this helps, kinda hard to explain without pictures or in person this might help or show what I was talking about. Im not to sure though but this guy usally has some good and helpful videos...could always skip around. https://youtu.be/7_8qtjOBLyg " rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/7_8qtjOBLyg ;
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Posted By: Ky.Allis
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 2:22pm
| When I first read this post I laughed (I'm sure I was not the only one) but I have mowing hay for 50+ years and sometimes if you don't know it's best to just ask. Then I started thinking about all the different ways people around here mow a field. Some will mow in sections or "lands" as my dad called it and raise mower up across ends. I know 1 guy who mows in circles then goes back and mows the corners out. I like to start with tractor against the fence and mow about 6 rounds and then mow the back swath(against fence) to give it max curing time because it will probably be raked first. Then mow the rest of the field going around entire field making "square" corners. In other words the mower is always cutting with no lost time driving across the ends. I'm not saying it's the best method it's just how my dad taught me. It's like about anything else on a farm---There's many ways to do it but the end result is the same. |
Posted By: Jim.ME
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 2:25pm
| Sorry to disagree BraedonAllisB and here is why. If you mow next to the fence line first, you have the greatest risk of hitting something in that area (Downed Limbs, down fence, fallen posts, etc.). This can lead to having to do a repair, possible serious repair, first thing. Mow the fence row last and reduce that risk. With the field mowed and hitting something half way around the fence row swath as you finish up, has a minimal impact on making the hay compared to having to stop and make repairs right out of the gate. JMHO |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 2:35pm
Exactly as I was taught in the 70's!
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Ky.Allis wrote:Posted By: allisbred
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 5:37pm
| Exactly what I was thinking, about a year or so ago someone had posted a field that was cut, but the knife had a tremendous amount of skippers and it was a little late to help then. I was pretty lucky the first time I mowed a field, had my father there to guide me through all the things I was doing wrong. Things like cutting too close to the prior row and hanging up under the mower, knife skipping because I didn’t recognize a tooth plugged. As a group, i think it is important to help those starting out. Growing up, our Allis Tractors were likely the most trouble free equipment on the farm(except a D19 we had for a short time) so I never really learned anything on how to work on them. That’s when I found this group and really appreciate any help I get! |