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Does anyone have experience with these machines? Considering getting one, but they are pricey.

Newbie

 

[JD3430]

It is a fascinating, albeit unorthodox, looking way to dry hay.

 

[RCF]

Really depends on what you are looking to accomplish and what crop your looking to run through it. We have one and run it a lot some years and sometimes it just sets. Hard to answer your question without more details.

 

[Mglr]

RCF, would you care to elaborate more? I too have been curious but would not have a clue how to figure out how much good they would me. I am south of you some but a similar environment.
Thanks.

 

[RCF]

We use it mainly in two areas to dry grasses out in the spring time and on Tifton 85. In the springtime we will merge 30 ft. together and run this machine through it as soon as the top dries. This will allow us to chop faster while also allowing the ground to dry around the windrow. Also prevents raking which puts a lot of dirt in the windrow. In Tifton 85 we mow the grass with a mower conditioner and put it in a windrow that the recon will pick up. Then we either run the machine right behind the mower or preferrably the next day. Time constraints dictate which we do since it does take some time to get over the ground doing dry hay since you are only taking one mower swath at a time. Plus side is you can run flat out. Some downsides is that the machine does not pick up everything. The stuff it leaves is minimal but, some customers still don't like it cuz of that and so it is hard to use the fins to move the windrow. It will invert the crop if so desired but it takes some fine tuning.

Negatives are that one side doesnt lift up when the machine is lifted and that side tends to plug up and slip the clutch. It will leave some of the crop on the bottom. Another pass through the field with a tractor.

We find that in dry hay it is useful in a good thick crop and it will save a day of drying too. It also seems to make the hay softer to the touch too. Anything else just ask.

 

[Mglr]

RCF, Does the "softness" make the hay better or liked by livestock better? Does it help keep a better color of green in the hay? Do your customers like the recon hay better?
Gdavid, sorry to hijack your thread here.

 

[dirtball08]

I have the 300. Had it for 5 yrs and have only 1complaint about them. If your using it in alfafa, you will notice the leaf lose. It doesn't matter if your recrimping 3-4 hrs after you cut or the next day, you'll see the green leaves collect on the machine.
Does it crimp the stock every 1/12- 2 inches, yes. Does it dry the swath faster, yes. It definitely does as advertised. It sped up drying time 1/12-2 days over just a disc-conditioner in my situation.
Was considering selling it when i bought my dual conditioner machine, but decided to keep it for the wet yrs. Now my wifes cousin has used it more than I have.
Hope this helps.