[Onthayman]

I remember being 14 in the late seventies and running if I can remember right a Hesston center pull 12 footer. We had some boney land and never got all the rocks pick. We ran the larger thicker rock guards and at least once a day you would look around and see that dreadful stripe of uncut hay. Down you go with your hammer/chisel and wrenches and the neat little tool that would push out the rivets and squeeze the new rivets !
I don’t miss those days for sure.
I was working in England in the summer of ‘86
for my buddy who had a dairy farm. They were using a Vicon drum mower. I had never seen anything like it.
I went to work for a custom operator for a few months. One day he said this dairy guy was short of help and was putting me out on his farm to run his mower. It was the first proper discbine I had ever seen or run. It was unbelievable. Fast , no broken knives . Cut down hay. I called my dad and told him about this new mower and to see if he could find one from a local dealer. By chance he found one at our Gehl dealer. The dealer brought it over to demo and he tried it on a downed piece of hay. It never left the farm!
Best investment ever!!
Europe always seemed to be a head of the curve when it comes to certain hay making equipment.