THE Debate...to TED or not to TED

I don’t know about .Missouri but here in vi I wouldn’t think of trying to make dry grass hay without a Tedder. Usually ted 2-3 times per hay session.

Discbine with crusher rolls and a tedder are good choices for mixed grass in MO. I put it down in a tall narrow swath and let it sit until next morning when dew is off, then tear those swaths apart with the tedder. Let sit 2nd day and wait for dew to burn off on third morning then rake and bale. Sometimes have to hit it again with tedder just before raking. Least amount of sun bleaching and good drying results too. Makes for very nice green hay.

I’m in southern IL but am close enough to the river I can see MO from here.. I run the same schedule more or less as Ox in my grass hay.. prob have to wait at least a day longer without a Tedder .. doesn’t have to be a fancy one.. mines an older Agco/new idea.. use it when I need it or leave it sit when I don’t

MoMase said:

Hello...Does pretty much everyone agree that investing in a tedder is a good move? I'm in SW Missouri...it's just about time to try to make hay. Mostly fescue...but some orchard grass and clover (both white & red). Also will have some Red River Crabgrass before too long.

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Southwest TN here, in the last 10 years unless the grass was super tall and thick I can count on two hands how many times I’ve tedded hay,but it’s does get 100 degrees here in the summer time. If I was In though Missouri I’d definitely run one a lot more.

Southeast Alabama here plenty of high temps but lots of humidity I wouldn't try it without a tedder in the toolbox. I like the fact that after you scatter it out it's more uniform dry and still greener. I have a really nice 8 basket lely carted and a manual fold 4 basket in case the big one is down.

There has been a tedder on this farm since tedders were built. First tedder I remember was a NH 162. No tedder no dry hay. But if you want a challenge by all means try it without a tedder and let us know how it goes.

I recommend a tedder rake every time. Less time in the sun usually equals a better quality product. Get it down and spread out so it can dry. Let the wind help you.

Here in Michigan I ted 100% of the time. Mainly putting up orchard/alfalfa mix in roughly 60 lb bales. Tough to dry otherwise, at least for the majority of cuttings.

Just be wise in its use. Lots of hay becomes worthless around here due to tedding at the wrong time.

Ted when it's green or with the dew on and youll be fine. If you Ted dried hay it breaks the leaves and seeds right off. I don't run them at 540 pto speed either. I run slow pto speed and a quick ground spèed. When done just right it'll almost stand the hay up. If I see dust behind the tedder things are too dry.

I'd rather have one than not have one. Invaluable when it rains on downed hay

Ox76 said:

Discbine with crusher rolls and a tedder are good choices for mixed grass in MO. I put it down in a tall narrow swath and let it sit until next morning when dew is off, then tear those swaths apart with the tedder. Let sit 2nd day and wait for dew to burn off on third morning then rake and bale. Sometimes have to hit it again with tedder just before raking. Least amount of sun bleaching and good drying results too. Makes for very nice green hay.

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Sw mo here too....almost exactly how we handle our dry small sq horse hay ....

Mow soon as dew off flail conditioner into windrow

2-3pm that same day tedd it out

In good dry weather we can rotary rake it noon next day n bale....or wait till following day and start earlier

If humidity is very high we can toss in another tedder pass if needed in very heavy hay

It depends on conditions.Middle of summer ,hot and dry, windy, light hay-- forget it ! Any other time- a necessity. The sooner the hay is spread out - the faster it will dry. The longer it is exposed to the sun the more it will lose color. Lots of trade offs in life.

I am in northern IL and had just about ready to bale hay and it got rained on. Went and bought a tedder and was able to salvage it all. It lost some green, but I was still able to sell every bale. My neighbor even exclaimed that having the tedder makes better hay and he used to harvest my neighbors field. I am hoping to replace my 5 bar IH35 rake with a rotary rake soon. The gearbox is worn and it quits at times when making a turn. I think the combination of the tedder and RR will make some good hay. The less beating the hay gets, the more leaves stay on.

I consider a tedder maybe the most crucial piece of equipment I use because it allows me to get dry hay faster and by when I need it. When your hay dries faster you can make more hay.

I typically mow day 1, Ted around noon day 2, start raking after dew gone on day 3, then bale.

If I’m trying to push it or like the last two days, I mowed on day 1 around 1, it was going to be 81 and sunny. But the next two days were going to be sunny but high 60’s or low 70’s.

So I Tedded around 4 pm on day one. On day two Tedded again around 1. It was cold but very windy and sunny. By 6 pm day 2 it was dry enough to bale. I raked and baled today on day 3 and it was 9% moisture. This is straight grass.

MoMase said:

Hello...Does pretty much everyone agree that investing in a tedder is a good move? I'm in SW Missouri...it's just about time to try to make hay. Mostly fescue...but some orchard grass and clover (both white & red). Also will have some Red River Crabgrass before too long.

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It all depends.

Haying is an art. If possible, I will try to mow and lay down a windrow depending on the weather, crop density, ground moisture, cutting...and probably a dozen other factors that I can't even remember.

My goals are to get it dry as fast a possible, avoid any extra trips over the field, and preserve as much color as possible.

When it comes to hay, you're going be right and wrong at the same time--it's all about balance.

Ralph