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It didn't take NH long to get the design right, within the inherent limits of the technology. There were only 3 generations of the standard machine: the 460-461, the 469, and the 489. I mention only the 9 foot machines because 7 foot machines weren't sold in Australia. So in 3 design generations over about 15 years they got the mechanical systems,the header flotation and the material flow right. Then for 40 years the basic design didn't change. Yes, there was centre pull, hydraulic drive and the rolareel, but the basics were sorted out quite early. Rolabar rakes are the same: not much has changed in the basic design of the standard rake since the Super 56 more than 50 years ago.

My 461 has not done a lot of work, and I don't use it often, but I think I will keep it in the shed just in case.

NH engineers are probably proud they invented the Haybine instead of buying the original design and developing it, as they did with the automatic pickup baler and the bale wagon.

Roger

 

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Yes, haybines are quite mesmerising to run. The push bar gently laying the crop down, the reel chasing you down the field, the chatter of the knife, the rumble of the rollers, the swoosh of the crop hitting the deflectors and dropping gently to the ground. It's almost poetic, the closest most hay producers come these days to the experience of working a reaper and binder. You can hear and feel all this because unlike when straining to drive a discbine the tractor is not working hard. I run my 461 haybine on my 100 hp NH TS100 tractor in economy PTO mode, at only 1100 engine rpm. The haybine is way more relaxing to operate than my Taarup disc mower-conditioner, which needs all the tractor's power.

Roger