17 replies to this topic

[OldBuzzard]

Since the 'Three hour tour" turned into an 8 day, 5 state road trip, and I had not cut the grass yet because the ground was too wet, I came home to find that with 8 days of nice sunshine, my grass had exploded.

 

I probably could have cut it with the CC with the deck lifted almost all the way up, and then made a 2nd pass,  but I went to "Plan B", and fired up the 1256 with the Haban Sickle-Mo

 

I did the north lot, and will get the south lot tomorrow.  I'll wait a day or two for it to 'cure' and then I'll run the CC over it.

 

I might have gotten the south lot as well, but a fella who saw my tractors when he was taking a detour stopped in.  He has an HT20 with a Johnson loader on it and we chatted for a bit.   But the time we were finished the sun was going down so I called it a day.  That just means that I'll get seat time tomorrow too :D

 

This is the "North 40" after I finished with it. Too bad I don't have a rake and mini-baler, as this looks like a pretty decent 'First cutting" 

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Edited by OldBuzzard, May 09, 2013 - 07:15 PM.

[olcowhand]

Looks like it cut perfectly!  Too bad you don't have one of those "mini-rollers".  

[JD DANNELS]

That looks like mine will by the time it stops raining. Good thing I bought that 6 ft rake for the Ford.I can see I need a manure fork for the 3 point hitch to move a lll the mulch.
Since I use the clipping for garden mulch I do not mind. If I produce more than I can use for mulch, I can alway build up the compost pile. This place could use about 50 tons of compost.

Edited by JD DANNELS, May 09, 2013 - 07:45 PM.

[bread320i]

The Bolens did a great job on that healthy looking grass.

[Arti]

The third picture says it all

 

Fresh cut hay and a great background.

[Texas Deere and Horse]

OB, Looks like a great first cutting. The Bolens did a fantastic job mowing.

[Dieselcubmike]

Looks great

[Lmiller3358]

Job well done OB,,,,you were definately haying !!!

[JDBrian]

It's nice to see the results of using one of the sickle mowers. That would have taxed most mowers for sure and this way you get to use 2 tractors instead of one. Thanks for posting the pics.

[1978murray]

that sickle bar did a good job. u should get a pic or video of the sickle in work

[MailmAn]

Dang, OB!  How tall was the grass that you needed to use the Sickle-Mo?  It looks pretty bad from the pictures.  I just mowed my lawn last week for the first time this season (with a borrowed push mower since none of my Bolens tractors are working right now, lol...) and it was nowhere NEAR that tall yet!  Glad you got some use out of your Sickle-Mo though!  Looks like it did a great job.

[OldBuzzard]

It is kinda interesting using the Sickle-Mo for large areas.  Normally I just use it for the ditch in the front of the house, and for trimming along the tree line.

 

I got to thinking that I probably didn't open up' the field properly. With a rotary, I always run the perimeter with two passes, going in the opposite direction as 'normal', blowing the cut grass into the uncut.  That allows for cutting close to the edge, and gives room for grass discharge on subsequent passes going the 'right' direction.  Basically, two rounds clockwise, and all the rest counter-clockwise.

 

With a sickle mower, your 'normal' path would be opposite.  Also, since the mower is on the side, unlike a mid-mount rotary, on your first pass you WILL be driving on uncut grass and bending it over.

 

Last night I made the first pass with the sickle bar to the outside of the field, basically cutting to the edge, and then reversed direction for the rest of the field.  I'm thinking that it would probably go better if I made the first pass in the normal direction with the tractor to the outside, and then after the field is mowed, make the last pass cutting the grass missed on the first pass.

 

May olecowhand, or one of you other REAL farmers that have used a sickle mower for haying can tell me the 'proper' way of opening up a field.

Edited by OldBuzzard, May 10, 2013 - 09:25 AM.

[HDWildBill]

See that's what happens when you go out of town!  Looks like you got the job done quite well though. 

[skyrydr2]

We go down the middle and then work out, but this is with a cut-ditioner so it kind of wind rows the cuttings so you don't run over it as much. I've seen it done many ways and what you did was one of them.

[OldBuzzard]

Dang, OB!  How tall was the grass that you needed to use the Sickle-Mo?  It looks pretty bad from the pictures. .

 

 

I'll take some pics of the south lot. There are a number of things that worked against me

 

First, I always let the grass get a bit long at the end of the year.  I think that it over-winters better if it's a bit longer. So, that gives it a bit of a head start in the spring.

 

Second is that both of these lots get a LOT of water from the street in front, and the empty lots behind me, and they do not drain well.  Almost every spring it's pretty much 'super-saturated, and takes quite awhile for the ground to be firm enough to drive on.  That gives the grass a good head start.  It's normal for me to have to make two passes with the CC for the first mowing of the year.  First pass with the deck at about 1/2 height, and then the second a day later at normal height.

 

Third, I wasn't SUPPOSED to be gone for an 8 day road trip.  The original plan was to go over to the Pittsburgh area, swap plows, and then come home.  Basically about a 6-7 hour trip.  When the wife found the lift for the motorhome, that changed and we headed for Wisconsin.  That really should have only taken 3 days max, but the tire problems added another 5 days.

 

Fourth, those 8 days here were nice and warm with lots of sunshine.  The grass loved it, and just exploded.

 

Anyway, it did allow me to do something a bit 'different', and after another 'normal' mowing or two, you probably won't be able to tell that the grass was as tall as it got.