New Holland 273 Hayliner fluid

I own a 273 Hayliner. I would like to drain and put in new oil (or grease) but do not know how to check it or what type of fluid to replace it with. Thanks!

New Holland 273 Hayliner fluid

Upgrading Equipment

I need to upgrade some of our hay equipment, mainly our round baler and mower.  I currently use a 20+ year old Kuhn GMD700, but would like to go to a center pivot discbine with around a 12 feet cutting width.  The two main models I have been looking at are a New Holland 312 and a Vermeer MC3700.  As for a baler, I am currently running a New Holland 650, the two models that I have been looking at are a Vermeer 504R Signature and a Claas Variant 360/460. 

 

Has any one used any of these machines?  My hope is to get through this year with the equipment we have, then upgrade over the winter and next spring, I'm just trying to start gather information and looking at the cost to do these upgrades.

 

Thanks

Upgrading Equipment

Burn down before planting

How long does Roundup have to stay on before it will kill.
Just say I sprayed and 4 hours later it came a rain will it kill the weeds

Burn down before planting

Vermeer 554xl packing hay on back side of bottom drum & bale ramp

I have a used 554xl with wide pickup & net.  It is plugging with hay between bottom drum and bale ramp, I don't understand how it can even get hay back there.   I have new bearings put in the bottom drum, new teeth, new cam rollers etc...  According to my parts book it shows that there should be two idler rollers on the bottom of the tail gate, with a bar with a 1/4 bar welded to placed further back in the tailgate, but on my baler the bar is at the end of the tailgate, next to the lower drum, my dealer says that's the right way for that bottom bar to put in, and showed me the safety doc. that explained how to install the bar.  Any one have any suggestions on what is going on. and how to stop this issue.  thanks

Vermeer 554xl packing hay on back side of bottom drum & bale ramp

Esh Tedder

Thinking about getting a second Tedder. Going to look at new four star. My question is does anyone own or use the Esch Tedder. I was told they have a working width of almost 22 feet, on a 4-star. Many of the others are barely at 17 feet total working width. With a 13-foot mower that would come in handy.

Esh Tedder

Agratronix BHT-2 vs Hand Held- Inconsistant Results

Late last year I installed a BHT-2 moisture meter in my round baler. I didn't have much time to test it out last year. I used it once.  It calibrates correctly and everything appears correct. I baled this weekend with it in hay that was to be wrapped. My gut says hay was 40-60%. Meter showed a few spots at 30% but most of the time it showed 20-25% moisture. Some even showed "Low" which is think is below 14.5%. I knew there was no way this was accurate so I grabbed my handheld Agratronix and probed a bale. Showed on the handheld 45% which is max it will read. Chances are it was more than 45%.

So how can two probes be that far off? The only thing I can think of is the baler unit really doesn't work well on high moisture and is better at the 14-20% range and doesn't accurately display high moisture levels...

Anybody using the BHT-2 for baleage? Does it work?

 

Agratronix BHT-2 vs Hand Held- Inconsistant Results

BC5080... what is this?

Picked up a baler, it has a triangular pan in the feeder just before the bale chamber. I've only seen flat pans there. Anyone familiar with this setup? What's it trying to correct or improve?

Attached Thumbnails

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BC5080... what is this?

When and how often do you get a soil test?

We bought 20 acres last year that we were told was in hay production prior to land put up for sale.  When we looked at the land, it looked pretty weedy and lots of horse dropping.  Neighbor to the left said to mow it often for a year or two and the hay would come back.  Neighbor to the right said the property hadn't been hayed or mowed in 10-15 years.  If we had known how much we didn't know about hay, we probably would have passed on the sale.  But now it's ours and we have to get it in shape.

 

Is it too late for a soil test this year, or too late to adjust the soil once we get a test?

When and how often do you get a soil test?

WR Long Round Bale Mover.

Regards, Mike

 

WR Long Round Bale Mover.

New Holland 648 net wrap

I know this has been discussed before, I'm at wits end and frustrated. I know I have the net wrap installed the correct way. The problem is it does not wrap to the edge of bale. I've installed new grommets and a new brake pad. It leaves 6" of bale exposed on each side. I stop immediatly when alarm sounds, lower rpm to 500-600. Really upsets me. Local dealer said these parts I installed would fix my problem. Also have black springs installed on each side. Front setting.

New Holland 648 net wrap

Planted Teff

We planted 6 acre of Teff on Sunday broadcast then roll with a flat roller When we spread it we ended up putting out 13Lbs per acre the spreader was closed as far as possible.

 

It is a pull type so was I going to slow?

 

I was shooting for 10Lbs per acre for a good stand.

 

With being so High of a seed rate how with that effect growth?

 

 

John

 

 

Planted Teff

Grease.

From DTN.

 

Regards, Mike

 

https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/equipment-tech/article/2018/04/17/incompatible-greases-lead-costly

Grease.

To spray or not to spray, that is the question?

My 575 came with a spray setup for preservative BUT did not come with any fancy control box. What would be a good reasonable setup to purchase? I'm not afraid of electrical goodies so installing sensors and all is easy enough, but when done I want something that will work automatically based on recommended settings.
I don't want to waste any bales this year! LOL at least this is the dream.

To spray or not to spray, that is the question?

New Holland 640 not reading bale size

Good evening everyone. I picked up a New Holland 640 with bale command over the winter and took it out for the first time a few weeks ago. It runs well and makes good bales, but it will not read the bale size. It never reads above 30. I've done the calibration procedure and it reads what it should on the monitor (240-700 I think), so I don't think it is a broken wire or bad sensor. I also ohm'd the sensor and it reads accordingly up and down as it should. Any help would be appreciated as I'm kind of lost now.

New Holland 640 not reading bale size

640 new holland Baker net wrap problems

We are having problem with the net knife not clearing the net bill.
Any help will be appreciated.

640 new holland Baker net wrap problems

Vermeer 504 I super belt tracking (warped??)

I have a vermeer 504 I super without hydro tension. Been having some issues with belt tracking. The wide belt on the opposite side of twine box seems to be running to the twine box and flipping in half. The rest of the belts seem to be just running to guides on the twine box side. I have replaced any and all bearings that seem to be bad. I noticed when I closed tail gate it is riding to one side (away from twine box). When gate is latched I have about 1/16" slack on one roller and other is in a bind,but latched. The gap on twine box side is probably 1/4" while the other side is tightly closed. Could I have something warped? Would this cause my issue? How do I fix it?

Vermeer 504 I super belt tracking (warped??)

NH 575 baler questions

I just picked up a 575 and was wondering if it should have grease or some kind of lube on the bevel gears and bull gears in front of the knotters? And if they should be tighter mesh or not? The baler runs decent just a tick noisy there.
Im Sure I will habe a ton more soon. Thanks

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NH 575 baler questions

Mixed Grass Hay

As I mentioned in another post, my climax Timothy field has not done very well over the past few years. It is late maturing (vs Clair which I have in other fields) and with that late maturity, does not do a very good job of competing with native grasses - most of which I have to believe are in the legacy seed bed.

So what I see is orchard grass, bluegrass and fescue (to name a few) growing in giving me a mixed grass hay field.

I’ve been asked, “Whats so great about Timothy and why is it better than a mixed grass hay?” I don’t really have an answer or have I found one online. I suppose if there were one negative, it would be the fescue content from a horse breeding standpoint. The other would be - with different grasses, there are different maturing dates and the overall hay quality could be impacted.

However - when we test this mixed grass (predominately Timothy still), it tests about as good as our straight Timothy. Our primary customer base is emerging as one where low ESC+starch (read low sugar), potassium and iron are more important than the hay verity or cutting.

We try to cut early for quality vs late for quantity, so our grass, while first cut stemmy, just doesn’t seem like it’s a broom folded up in a bale.

So my question to my Haytalk brethren is this - anyone making top quality, clean mixed grass hay, able to generate a good margin? It sure is a lot less hassle and lower overhead.

In our case, if we keep a mixed grass field, the goal would be to make it dominately Timothy via annual fall overseeding. We would call it Timothy/mixed grass hay. Like our other fields, it would be limed, fertilized and herbicide treated for clean broad leaf free hay. The “mixed” part of the grass would give us potential for additional cuttings when/if the Timothy goes dormant with the summer heat.

Is there a business case for “high end” mixed grass (no legumes) square bales of hay?

Thanks!
Bill

Mixed Grass Hay

Grease fitting maintenance on running gear

In my spare time created by the rain, I am going over my kicker wagon gear.  Starting to experience zerk failure on tie rod ends and the zerks are the driven type.  So for those of you who do such things, how do you approach repair-I can't use my MAP wrench as it will ruin the tie rod, I was concerned that if I pulled the driven zerk out and tapped it for 1/4-28 I might also mess up the tie rod end.   So what is the solution?  Thanks.

Grease fitting maintenance on running gear

How much 34-0-0 per acre ?

So How many pounds per acre of N on Bermuda pasture for grazing cattle ?

How much 34-0-0 per acre ?

JD Square Baler Issues

Mentioned this in my 3 day hay thread, but wanted to post a thread of it's own here...

 

Made a few square bales the past few days to run-in our equipment before the mother load goes down - IF the rain ever stops....

 

From time to time the knotters would not cycle. The star wheel would rotate, move the trip arm such that the knotters would normally cycle, but the trip dog wouldn't always spring/rotate forward and initiate cycling of the knotters. It would stick at it's home position after the trip arm moved out of the way. Makes me wonder if there is some rust on the shaft the trip dog rotates on causing it to bind. Once "tapped" out of position, it moves freely. Checked the spring that moves it - it's OK and verified by looking at two other 348 balers. Anyone had the trip dog on a JD baler stick causing the knotters not to cycle? What was the fix? 

 

2nd problem was the pan kicker. When it worked, it worked great. I believe the pump or actuator valve might be going south. There are no air leaks. There is a noise at the hydraulic reservoir, heat and given it is an open center system, I'm thinking there is a restriction - maybe at the kicker valve. The trip mechanism that actuates the kicker becomes more stiff (for the lack of a better word) as the system heats-up and the force to actuate it became to great for the bale pushing against to actuate. After some manual tripping, it essentially seized causing us to drop the last 15ish bales on the ground. Later after everything cooled, the kicker would cycle again. Most frustrating. Any suggestions? 

 

Thanks!

Bill

JD Square Baler Issues

Who has the highest bale count round baler on here?

My new holland has 7k+ on it but I know thats nothing. I've seen some people claim 20,000-30,000 +, anyone higher than that? What machine is your highest count, and what has it needed over the years?

Who has the highest bale count round baler on here?

Need Help/Photos - 565A/8465 & Hay Saver Gathering Wheels

Hi everyone, 

I'm looking for some help.  I have acquired a set of Hay Saver gathering wheels with shafts attached, but no brackets.  I would like to mount them onto my Hesston 565A round baler, but no luck tracking down a contact # for the original manufacturer.   

Does anyone have any photos of similar brackets?  I can likely build something, just need help getting a plan in place.

 

Perhaps someone has a contact for Hay Saver??


Thanks a million!

 

 

Wrangler

Need Help/Photos - 565A/8465 & Hay Saver Gathering Wheels

What websites do you use for finding second hand hay equipment in the states?

Ok. Still looking at the steamer option for the 2020 season (depending on weather conditions here). Need to sell next season's hay to fund it first...Done some research and there 365 000 new here (Australia and in Aussie dollars). And the sea freight is reasonable as is customs charges when landed. So looking at second hand ones to import. So what sites other than tractorhouse do you use???

What websites do you use for finding second hand hay equipment in the states?

what is the one added component in your farming operation that has truly been a 'game changer' for you and your operation?

What is the one added component in your farming operation that has truly been a 'game changer' for you and your operation in the last 5 years?

 

A few details would help....

 

Lynn

what is the one added component in your farming operation that has truly been a 'game changer' for you and your operation?

New Holland Baler questions

Howdy y'all.  I just purchased a new to me New Holland BR7060 baler.  It has the bale command, net/twine, etc.  This is by far my newest baler and all of the technology is a little bit concerning to me to be honest.  I just ordered an owners manual for the baler and the monitor so hopefully I can figure most stuff out.  The baler was in real nice shape with only 4100 rolls through it so I am pleased with that. 

 

My biggest concern is coming from the New Holland 640 baler that I have been using the last 6 years all of the technology worries me.  Any tips for hooking up the bale command monitor and where do you guys mount your monitors on your tractors?  I have a John Deere 5100M cab model that I use.

 

Also where is the best place to buy netwrap?  Local JD or New Holland dealer?  Seems like the JD net runs a little less than the New Holland stuff.  Are there better options out there?

 

Thanks in advance for any help or guidance you can offer!

 

Steve

New Holland Baler questions

Baling Hay - short tails

NH 316 bale baling Alfalfa/OG, 50# Bales, ~14% moisture. Short tails, alternate sides, maybe 1 out of 15 tie comes apart. Baling with an Hoelscher Accumulator. Prior to baling made adjustments per manual and Mike10 notes. What causes short tails. Flat spring too tight or too loose?

Baling Hay - short tails

Leaking gasket.

To all,

Since installing the new head assy this RTV900 has been running great. Ample power to climb the hills with no loss of oil or coolant.

Now the next issue....seems that the gasket to the RANGE GEAR ARM is seeping trans fluid. What sort of trouble may I encounter by raising this mechanism to replace the gasket?

It shifts perfectly as is, I prefer not to break something to address the leak.

Its item 15 on the attached pfd.

Attached Files

D21001 RANGE GEAR ARM _ messick's.pdf (91.4 KB)

Leaking gasket.

Best accumulator to fit behind new holland 575

Im getting tired of picking up bales by hand and was wondering what accumulator to get and how it actually attaches to the baler. New holland 575 and tractor only has 2 remotes....4 holes. also the cost

thanks

Best accumulator to fit behind new holland 575

Net Wrap For Krone V180xc baler

     Just purchased a Krone Baler and am new to the net wrap world, this is our first baler with net wrap, always used a twine baler before. The dealer told us to use a good quality net wrap to avoid problems. Pricing seems to vary some from brand to brand (some local John Deere dealers are asking 335 dollars per roll plus tax)......does anyone know what is the best net wrap that will work, not give problems and also a good value for money spent?

Net Wrap For Krone V180xc baler

Vermeer TM800 Drive Cutter Unit

Howdy! Had a lower gearbox seal out on main gearbox. Removed gearbox and double u-joint from gearbox and drive cutter unit. Had play in drive cutter unit and pretty sure it should not be that way. I think the hub is worn. I am going to try and post a photo to see if anyone here has dealt with this before. I was told the shaft had to be pressed out of hub. I removed screws #9 in photo to remove both hubs and gear that was held on by bolt. Looking at the pic how do you think I disassemble? Thanks for all advice!

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Vermeer TM800 Drive Cutter Unit

New Holland BR740 Operators manual?

Got a 2005. Anyone have a manual they can scan or send some pics of?

New Holland BR740 Operators manual?

Glyphosate killed RoundUp Ready alfalfa

I have a tiny field, about five acres, planted in RoundUp Ready alfalfa. This field is getting old. It was planted about 7 or 8 years ago. It sits in an area of my farm that sometimes I just plain and simple forget about. I had my sprayer hooked up and sprayed glyphosate 41% on my fields last year and I simply forgot to spray this tiny field. I irrigated and cut and baled hay from this field and it was a little weedy, but not too bad. This spring I made sure to spray that tiny field with generic RoundUp. Prior to spraying there was grass mixed in with the alfalfa. I went back to check the field and I was shocked to see most of my alfalfa was every bit as dead as the grass. It was brown and crispy. Any thoughts? 

 

I use only one particular tank for glyphosate.. I do not want to have something else (say 2,4d) inadvertently mixed in and improperly rinsed. On our farm I am the only one to spray or mix chemicals in the tank.

Glyphosate killed RoundUp Ready alfalfa

Gramoxone SL 2.0

Has anyone tried this to get crabgrass out of Bermuda?

Results?

Gramoxone SL 2.0

Question on a JD 945 MoCo

I read through the owner's manual for my new-to-me JD 945 mower and it talked about how to mow corners on the headland laps, but said nothing about using the swing function to mow the body of the field.  How many laps should I take on the headlands to have enough room to make the turn when I'm mowing the center of the field?  My mower has the two-point swivel hitch, if that makes a difference.

 

The last center pivot that I ran was a CaseIH 8312 (nice mower) and you had to have 6 laps on the headlands, but that mower had a shorter tongue.

 

Thanks in advance, Josh

Question on a JD 945 MoCo

What can you tell me about this mower?

Dealer near us has this on the lot... I'm not familiar with Massey stuff, so I was wondering what folk's experience has been with it, and what's a fair price...  How do they hold up, how good is the design, are parts available, and what kind of job do they do, how much horsepower would one take (can I pull it with a 70 horse New Holland?).  

 

It's on nearly new straight-axle caddy.  Former owner traded it for a pull-type frame mower (no conditioner).  

 

Later!  OL J R  

 

 

What can you tell me about this mower?

Grazon

If I were to spray grazing on my hay field this week; how what it affect drilling orchard grass this fall?

Would the seed germinate and grow?

Grazon

Does Glyphosate Go Bad?

I had about 1/2 of 2.5 gallon container of glyphosate leftover from last year.  I mixed up a batch to spray the driveway at 2 oz in 3 gallons of water.  It seemed like it had no effect whatsoever!

 

I checked the container and it had a mold around the top at the cap and some in the glphosate itself.  I've never seen this before.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Ralph

 

Does Glyphosate Go Bad?

Planting Bermuda

I have a 15 ac feild I'd like to drill some Bermuda. I got all the rye cleaned up field was pretty clean then we got 6" of rain this weekend and now the goat weed is everywhere! Should I spray first or spray after Bermuda is established?I have grazon next on hand or is there something different I should use?

Planting Bermuda

Netherexe Pacemaker 8 accumulator

I recently purchased a Netherexe Pacemaker 8 hay accumulator/grapple system from another gentlemen and I am in need of an owner's manual or parts manual. It is a mechanically operated system but there are parts and springs that may need to be replaced. This system was manufactured in Canada and I am certain they have gone out of business or been sold to another company. I am hoping someone has some info on this system or may be able to tell me who purchased the company. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

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Netherexe Pacemaker 8 accumulator

1745 Massey/Hesston, or Vermeer 504R

1745 Massey/Hesston, or Vermeer 504R Signature? Which would you choose, and why? What are the main differences, between em? How long would you expect either to last?

1745 Massey/Hesston, or Vermeer 504R

New holland 268 Pickup Rebuild

I am currently trying to rebuild the pickup on my 268 while i was in there looking around i noticed that where the pickup rods ( the shafts the your tines bolt to) had alot of play where they went through the teo hubs. Like 1/8 to a 1/4. No bearing no bushing nothing on in between any of them... hard to believe they would leave it metal on metal there due to the movment of the rods . Does anyone know if there should be bushings or bearings between these spots?

New holland 268 Pickup Rebuild

stinking safety switches

The foot safety switch keeps going out in my Kubota ZTR.  It is a pain.  Planning to hot wire it today.  AIR, the thing has 3 wires.  any reason that it can not be hot wired.  Thinking about doing the seat as well, but that one is not as much of a PITA and I suppose that if you were on a hill and fell or tipped or had a HA, it would be good if the motor quit.  I can not see the need for the foot switch.  Any ideas?  thanks.

stinking safety switches

Kuhn GA6000 Leaving a Trail

Looking for opinions/other ideas. Several years ago the rake got hung up on a fence and ever since if the rake is fully open it will leave a narrow trail of hay in between the rotors. You have to occasionally bump the hydraulics to bring it in and it's annoying to say the least. 2 ideas have been passed back and forth but have not acted on either yet. One is the cylinder got over extended which I can see happening but my argument has been if its over extended then I could not activate the transport lock which requires the rake to be fully folded up.

 

The other thought is the guard is is slightly bent back and I have wondered if bringing it back to straight would alleviate the issues.

 

Any other thoughts or ideas.

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Kuhn GA6000 Leaving a Trail

Italian ryegrass in OG

Ok, the attached is prolific in my new OG stand that was Nuked well and twice last July after first cutting regrowth and then again in late Aug before planting Sept 1.  good kill.  Seeded heavy, at least 25#/ac double drilled at 12-15.  great germination.  So, where does this trash come from?  Also have some stuff that looks like little barley but I don't think it is, a little cheat around the edges of the field, some KYBluegrass.  Just wondering what you have to do to get a really clean field.  Unfortunately, this year we will not get it cut before this ann grass stuff sheds some seed so we will get to look at it next year as well.  Other fields that are 2 or more years old are mostly free of this.

Italian ryegrass in OG

Weighing square bales

I am trying to track more closely what my production is, and what I am selling to my customers as well.  I used to weigh a sample of my small square bales with a hanging scale, but it had a 50 lb capacity.  Now that I am doing mostly legume and legume mix hay, that doesn't help me with bale weights.  What do any of you use for this?  I see digital luggage scales with a 110 lb capacity on amazon.  Is this a viable option, or is there something that works really well? 

 

Thanks. 
Reed

Weighing square bales

Clover grass

Anyone ever planted Durana or Renovation clover.If so did it do good.

Clover grass

harvest tech 464 control box

Does anyone know where I can find a used harvest tech model 464 control box? I bought a used baler with a harvest tech applicator. It has a 464 controller. I couldn't get it to turn the pumps on, it just went to a screen that said unit stopped  press start to resume. I tired pressing start, but nothing happened. I called harvest tech and they thought it had something to do with crop eyes, which my baler doesn't have. He said to check the wiring and make sure it's good. I couldn't find anything. I'm wondering if it's something in the control box. The guy said it's an old model and isn't worth/can't be fixed.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

harvest tech 464 control box

Gehl 2330 disc mower, any good?

I have no idea if these are any
Good or not? My only disc mower was a Kuhn 243. Didnt care much for the 2 point hitch when mounting dis mounting all the time but it sure did mow nice.

Gehl 2330 disc mower, any good?

You never know

https://www.agweb.com/mobile/article/blood-and-dirt-a-farmers-30-year-fight-with-the-feds/

You never know

What’s the best tedder

What’s the best 6 basket Tedder. Been looking at the Vermeer TE 250 . What’s y’alls opinion .

What’s the best tedder

Another rake question

Trying to decide between a galfre 8 wheel like this https://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/24867419/galfre-ag320-8 or a Kuhn speed rake sr108 gii.

I only do 300 rounds a year of grass hay and am trying to decide if the cost of the Kuhn vs galfre/wr20/tonutti/etc is worth it.

I can buy 3 of the cheaper ones to 1 Kuhn.

Another rake question

Krone High Shoes

Thought I’d post a pic of the Krone high shoes on my Krone 2801cv. The arrangement is a little different in that the skid shoes are not outboard on the cutterbar, but installed under the cutter disc next to the hats at each end. The dealer had mistakenly installed them outboard and between the manual and a shout-out/assist to Krone1, I was able to move them inboard in a jiffy! With the spacer, I’m at 5ish inches cutting height.

Special thanks to Krone1 for his help!!!!

Pic of the skid shoes correctly installed...



Pic of a trial cut (also posted in the 2018 photos thread)



I’ll post an in-depth review of this mower after the first cut.

Bill

Krone High Shoes

NH 316 Baler - Twine Disc Timing

Going through the baler getting it field ready using the manual and Mike10’s notes. Made adjustment here and there. Replaced the twine disc pinion and worm gear on both sides. Timed the twine discs with Mike10 notes at 1/4”. Ran the baler pulling on the twine several times and made some bales with old hay. Cannot keep the discs in time per the notes let alone the manual at 1/8”. See pics of my dilemma. Any ideas? The knots have 5/8” tails.

NH 316 Baler - Twine Disc Timing

Rotary Rake - Kuhn, Krone, or Pequea? Decisions, decisions...

Hello All,

 

We're buying a rotary rake this year and probably trading in our wheel wake.  Two reasons for this:  Our new weather patterns in mid to late June for the past 4 years has been at least 29 days of straight rain and the wheel rake just bunches up on 6 foot tall grass.  The other reason is we're grazing all of our hay ground in the late summer now, and I'd like to mow at 4 to 6 inches high.  Our NH Procart can't rake at that height.  Just tears the uncut grass off at that ground.

 

So, I'm looking at the Kuhn 4221, the Pequea HR1140, and the Krone 46t.  Pequea are cheaper, by about $1400 depending on the dealer.   Are they decent?  I heard they were awful, from a former dealer, 5 years ago but I wonder if they have improved.

 

Appreciate the help.

 

Sam

Western Maryland

 

Rotary Rake - Kuhn, Krone, or Pequea? Decisions, decisions...

Question about small square baler theory of operation

What is the knotter to plunger timing relationship on small balers?  Do the needle pass through the plunger when the knotters cycle?  

Question about small square baler theory of operation

teff new seeding

Hi folks, 

I seeded some teff for the first time.  It has been 1 week, and I'm not seeing any emergence.  Should I be worried?

 

I drop-seeded it out the back of my drill, and there are some drag chains to stir it up.  I had intentions of rolling it in, but we had a period of rain immediately (it started to rain as I was finishing seeding), and didn't get it rolled.  I figured the nice 2 inches over a couple days did the work of putting it in for me.  

 

7 days since seeding, good rain, warm weather.

teff new seeding

How long to keep a round baler and other ?'s

So I've had my BR7060 since 8/2012. Has ~9000 bales on it, mostly baled on ROUGH ground.

Feel like it's decision time.

2016 replaced computer box and a few bearings @ about $3,000

2017 replaced actuator arm, about $1,000. Also had to have more bearings to replace because I got a rock caught in rollers.

Not the balers fault. Also replaced both tires. Again not balers fault. Have had "glitchy" duckbill intermittant net wrap issues here and there, too. 

 

My operation was 1,200+ bales per year. This year it should jump to 1,700+/-. The baler looks good, but has had some "surgery". I hate break downs and I really don't have a baler to borrow when the shit hits the fan. 

 

Is it time for a new baler? I damn near bought one end of last year. I'm kind of happy I took pause to reflect on the decision. If I understand other local farmers correctly, they say trading equipment when it still looks/works good is cheaper in the long run, because there's only a 10-15% markup on new equipment sales, but there's a 40% markup on parts.

Meaning the equipment dealers love it when you keep older equipment because more money is made on parts. I'm sure service pays big dividends to dealer as well.

I can probably get a new 450 Roll Belt SS with some extras for about $16K trading in my BR7060. If I don't kick in any cash, thats about $300/mo.

Really wondering if $300/mo buys me enough "security" to be worth that? $3,600/year buys a lot of parts and repairs, but breakdowns from lack of reliability of an older baler are "priceless" with a good baling day lost. I really want a Krone or McHale, but WOW talk about $$$ 

 

Decisions, decisions!

How long to keep a round baler and other ?'s

Vermeer TM850 questions

Hello, new to the forums here, but have a question. Recently purchased a TM850. I've cut with TM800 and it cuts nice and close to the ground. When we got this TM850, it cuts well, but we're having a few issues. For one, I can't get it to cut as low to the ground as the TM800. The 800 probably cut 1/4" or 1/2 off the ground and this 850 seems like its cutting at like 1" or a bit more. I have already messed with the tilt cylinder bushing and currently have it on 5. Also, the mower tends to streak. When we got it the blades were very worn out. The cutter wasn't used much but the owner just didn't change them. I flipped the blades and they seem to be cutting well. I notice the streaking happens then I see a clod of grass come out and it stops. Thanks for the help in advance

Vermeer TM850 questions

New Idea 290 flail mow/ditioner

Picked this up last fall a few miles away for $500 and in mint condition.

Anyone ever used one , just cutting Orchard grass.

New Idea 290 flail mow/ditioner

How Much Are You Paying For NETWRAP?

Local vermeer dealer is $259 for 51" x 9,840 foot rolls. Its $250 if you buy 4 of em. Is this somewhat in line, I just bought my first net wrap machine.

 

I thought it might be helpful if we had a thread about this so we can all see what this stuff is going for and if we're getting a decent deal or not. 

How Much Are You Paying For NETWRAP?

3 Day Humid Hay

Looking at the forecast, continuous thunderstorms, but for the moment, the weather is calling for cloudy skies 4 days in a row later next week - going into Memorial Day weekend.

Thinking about cutting a small patch to run-in my equipment for the larger/later cuts.

Pre-Day 1 - do nothing, let the rain stop and breeze dry things out to the extent possible.

Day 1 - start cutting at daylight. Ted everything about 1pm.

Day 2 - ted everything.

Day 3 - ted late morning, afternoon, rake in front of the baler and bale.

I don’t know - I’ve never had much luck with 3 day hay even in good weather conditions.

Speaking of the humid east, I’m in the mountains of VA. This patch is Timothy mixed grass hay - no legumes. Running the Krone mower conditioner for the first time - not sure what to expect. Impeller machine, probably will have the hood cranked all the way down for max conditioning, 5 inch stubble and wide swath spread for max drying/exposure to the sun. Buffered propionic acid locked and loaded...

What do you think? 3 day humid hay or just park the equipment and grill hot dogs over Memorial Day weekend...

Thanks!
Bill

3 Day Humid Hay

20’ flex wing mowers

I’m looking at the new bush hog 2820 20 foot or the rhino 6200 20 foot. Mostly going to be used for mowing pastures and some brush. The rhino is $1200 more is it worth it what y’alls thoughts.

20’ flex wing mowers

Wheel vs rotary rake?

I was considering a Lely rotary rake but find it hard to justify when you compare cost to the old wheel rake.

Appreciate opinions.

Also if I did go a wheel one does a v rake really do a better windrow to a side delivery? Sitrex here have some good deals for 12 wheel v rakes and 11 or 13 wheel side rakes.

We have an aging 12 wheel v rake that needs enough work that we need to think about a replacement. Will get another season out of it but need to start thinking about what we will consider

Wheel vs rotary rake?

Statite vs Staytuff

Anyone have experience with these field fence brands?

https://50yearfence.com/


http://www.staytuff.com/


Which brand is better?

Thanks,

Mark

Statite vs Staytuff

Weed Identification

A friend in Florida asked me for some help with this weed. Any ideas?

 

 

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Weed Identification

Sheep Herding

New sheep farmer here (also new to this discussion group). I just acquired 5 sheep 5 days ago... 4 females and a male. Here where I live most let their sheep free graze and the shepherd moves them about. Anyone here who is experienced and can tell me how to get ones sheep to listen and move when called? Also do sheep need to eat all day long?

Sheep Herding

Leaking twine pump JD 530

I have been running a JD 530 baler for several years and have noticed a leaking twine pump for awhile.  I have been able to add fluid to it to keep it going with the intent to replace it someday.  I went to bale Sunday for the first time this year and the pump was empty and I ended up having to prime it with a little air pressure (poor wife got covered in fluid  ) and she says it's time to replace the pump! Ag-Pro wants $440 right now for a new one and I really don't want to buy a rebuilt.  I have read about some others using a GM power steering pump as a replacement  - has anyone have any information and experience with that?

Leaking twine pump JD 530

Krone RB250 Tie Mechanism Timing

I have used this baler the two previous years with no big problems. Never had this problem. It has an unusual twin string tie that starts applying twine near the middle of the bale, goes to the right side of the bale(looking at the front of the baler), goes left across the full width of the bale, then returns back to the center where the twine is cut. Normally, as the twine returns to the start position it goes across two fixed knives that cut the string. 

What is happening now is that the string moves through the whole process correctly but when returning back to the middle start position it doesn't travel far enough to move the string across the knives to be cut. It stops 1"-2" before the knife. I have searched the operation manual but found no reference for "timing" the twine feed. Can anyone out there help?

Krone RB250 Tie Mechanism Timing

Pre Triticale straw

Has anyone made Triticale straw pre cut like we do Rye? I have made pre cut rye straw for over 25 years, cutting after heading but before the seed forms. Has anyone tried this with triticale? I have some triticale that I am thinking about trying.

Pre Triticale straw

Panther R 10 bale chaser - anyone used one?

Noticed the Panther Bale chasers are now available in Australia.

 

Has anyone got any knowledge of them?

 

Tried to put a link to a youtube video but not working for some reason.

 

Panther R 10 bale chaser - anyone used one?

Alfalfa/orchard issues... what is going on?

So, there are a number of issues which could simply be set up as "new farmer doesn't know what he is doing", and I recognize this... but that doesn't change what is going on in my field.

 

I purchased 85ac 2 years ago. It had historically (??? several years ago) been tobacco but for quite a while it has been soybean/corn rotation. 2 years ago it was in soybeans. Last year it was in annual rye. Last fall I prepped it and using the worst seeder in the world (Brand new Land Pride NTS 11' - Brillion type) I put in my seed. 

 

Alfalfa 6422Q at 20lbs/ac 

HarveStar at 8lbs/ac

 

I will admit, initially, I dumped 100lbs of seed on about 2.5ac (after calibration) and had to go back and recalibrate which still was dropping heavy so I simply cut it in 1/2 to get a 'field rate' of 20/ac. (this is one of the reasons I hate this seeder). The 40lbs/ac actually looks great! as it should.

 

But, after I finally got a consistent drop of 20lbs, I finished off the field. But now, it is growing extremely strange (to me). It looks striped, so I would guess inconsistent drop rate. Some, as in the pic, looks like there is NO ALFALFA at all. However, when I go out to the field, I can see small anemic looking plants growing all through the area. It is almost like I have strips of 'good' and 'poor' soil. It is growing, but absolutely awfully. The orchard grass (planted at the same time in second box) seems to be growing pretty well with a good distribution.

 

Before I planted anything, I took soil samples and they all came out spot on. I added lime at 2T/ac to bugger it for alfalfa. But otherwise, everything looked good. I have sprayed no chemicals. I do have some weeds (pennycress and chickweed) but it was light and interspersed throughout both good and bad growth areas. 

 

The Rye grew normally and evenly throughout the field last year. 

 

Any thoughts?

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Alfalfa/orchard issues... what is going on?

NH 268 baler pick up sticking

The last couple hay seasons i have been having issues with the pick up sticking on my NH 268 i saw that the two bearings that support the main shaft need replaced. The cam bearing have some play but not much but i will replace them aswell while i am in there. My main question is about the four rods or shafts that the pickup tines are bolted to. There are four rods that go through two hubs , where the rods go through it seems to have alot of play in there . Id say an 1/8 inch on the plunger side and maybe even alittle more on the cam side. There are no bearings or bushing that go in there that incould replace . Any advice here? I am hoping the problem is just the bearings that i am going to replace so i dont have to buy a whole new pickup wheel basically. Any advice would be appreciated !

NH 268 baler pick up sticking

Milkweed

Will 24-D get rid of milkweed

Milkweed

New Holland 1048 super

A very nice 1048 super for sale down the road from me.I make a 14x18 bale using a hesston inline baler.Would this bale wagon work ok if I make a long enough bale say 42-44 inches long.According to the bale wagon specs it should work.The present owner used it for picking up 16x18 90lb bales.Anyone have real world experience using one of these picking up 14x18 55-60 90lb bales?
Thank's Paul

New Holland 1048 super

when to bale johnson grass ??

we have free access to 40 acres of mixed bermuda & a lot of johnson grass. it's gonna be fed for cattle, when do you cut & bale so the johnson grass is not toxic ???

when to bale johnson grass ??

Options for buying new Kubota wheels and tires

I was priced 1700 for new wheels and AG tires for my Grand L 3010 Kubota tractor.

I have been running industrial tires which were easier on the lawn than Ag's would be, but I no longer mow with the tractor and I'm sick of getting stuck so easily with the industrial tires. They pick up mud and turn into slicks way to quickly. I end up stuck or not being able to get to parts of my property that I want to work on.

I have procrastinated long enough. Time to buy a set of AG tires for my girl (aka tractor). Are there other options for buying wheels that will fit my Kubota? I'm sure I could buy the tires elsewhere, but I'd prefer to get tires and wheels at same place and sure would like to get them for a few hundred less than $1700. Any ideas?

Other issue is I would have to have them mounted and filled and I cannot transport my tractor. I pay to have a dealer come and get it. I suppose any tractor dealer might offer that service so I suppose I will call other tractor dealers in the area and see if they can get the wheels and save me any dollars on the set of wheels and tires.

Options for buying new Kubota wheels and tires

RTV 400 ci

have a new RTV 400 and it sits about an inch low on left side. Kubota advised that as the engine etc are on this side that is normal!! As the engine, transmission are attached directly to the chassis and wheels and as they are not attached to the suspension this is not the problem. Have seen other comments on this and looked at other new ones which are the same-anyone have any ideas as Kubotas' only suggestion was to buy a suspension block from them to correct!! We think that it is a design fault and as such should be fixed by Kubota. Does anyone else have this problem, it is easily seen if parked on a flat surface and viewed from rear.

RTV 400 ci

New Holland 660

I have New Holland 660net wrap baler. It was working fine last fall. I pulled it out of the shed today and greased everything up and turned on the pto and the pickup is spinning but the belts are not? Just seeing if anybody had any ideas where to check? I didn’t release the pressure off the belts in the fall

New Holland 660

4440 3pt lift assist cylinder

My JD 4440 3 pt lift assist is leaking. I have removed the bottom pin and removed the top bolt nut but cannot get the bolt out. I cannot figure it unscrews or just is supposed to come out. It has two flat sides on the head of the bolt (or pin). Suggestions appreciated.

4440 3pt lift assist cylinder

Round baler opinions

Hey everybody, last year I picked up an additional 40 acres and had a neighbor bale it. I've only done 20 acres of small squares in the past but would like to round bale this due to my busy work schedule. So I'm looking for some advice on buying a used round baler. Locally for sale that I have found in my current price range are a JD 385, NH 848, Hesston 5510, and NH 847. My budget right now is about $4,000, each of these are around $2,500 or less. Anyone out there have experience with any of these balers or have any suggestions on balers I should look for?

Round baler opinions

Massey 65 auxiliary hydraulic question

The operator manual refers to "external auxiliary hydraulic control valve" supplement or manual that was packages with the manual. Does anyone have a source for this? I seem to have all but this one. Thanks

Massey 65 auxiliary hydraulic question

Tedder Identification

Does anyone know make/model of this Tedder that I'm working on? Thanks!

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Tedder Identification

CLAAS 800TH TEDDER

Hi:

I am thinking about getting different tedder. Was looking real hard at the 6 basket  Claas 800th. Any one use this one or one like it? 

 

How are you handling the tedding operation in respect to the headlands? How does cutting 4 rounds to the headland. Than picking up the two outside baskets so they don't hit the hay. ( Keep going down the 4 row to enter the next set of three rows.) Than keep going like that or cut 6 rounds to the headland? 

 

By the way will be cutting with a 10 foot cut. 

 

Thanks 

CLAAS 800TH TEDDER

Hay Handling And Hauling Trends.

From Progressive Forage Grower and Dennis Hancock. Enjoy your hats fellas.....and many thanks to Editor Lynn Jaynes of PFG who made those hats possible.

 

Regards, Mike

 

https://www.progressiveforage.com/forage-production/equipment/hay-handling-and-hauling-trends

Hay Handling And Hauling Trends.

Hoelshcer 1000 accumulator

Recently purchased a used 575 baler hooked to the hoelshcer 1000. After changing all of the rotten hydraulic lines and realizing it had been hooked up to a closed center hydraulic tractor, redirected line for my open center kubota, I was ready to try it out but the lift arm won't return unless I pull on the all thread hooked to the shuttle valve which is spring return. Spring in valve seems weak. Thinking of adding a helper spring to assist in its resetting the lift arm. All experienced comments welcome.

Hoelshcer 1000 accumulator

New Hay Shed

Well the first step is done, in my quest of getting a new hay shed put up this year. Wait it might be second step, went to FCS and signed paperwork last week for the loan to cover part of the cost (now if they would just tell l don't have to pay it back, I could become more liberal even).   

 









This step took the operator about 7 hours, to break up a little concrete pad that a 36' diameter corn bin use to rest upon. I gave up on growing corn over 30 years ago, when my cost to grow/market/haul was about $2.52 a bushel (and corn was selling at $2.35 a bushel, didn't think more volume was the answer thank God). 

 

The little orange stake in the for ground is the mid-point of this end of the new shed. This pad, was setting towards one end of the newly planed shed.
 
Today, hopefully there will be a funeral for this broken-up concrete (leaving me a little needed back-fill even).  And get the site prep done(leveled), the dozer is already sitting on the sideline.
 
I'm having the Amish build the new shed, hopefully starting next week.
 
Larry

New Hay Shed

Help to ID Machine for this Sickle Bar

Hoping that someone knows what machine (manufacturer and model) this sickle bar goes to.  I greased and lubed it and everything seems to work well.  I assume that it was part of a walk-behind machine.

 

Thanks for any help you can give on this.

 

 

Help to ID Machine for this Sickle Bar

JD 328 Square Baler problem

Hey folks I am having trouble with the plunger slides getting very hot while baling. I took it to my JD dealer and was told I am keeping it too clean. So I quit cleaning it so good at the end of the season and started applying grease to the surface of the slide I don’t see any grease fittings to lube the slides so I am only applying it to the direct surfaces. It is still getting hot Any tips or suggestions to address this problem. Thanks for any help.

JD 328 Square Baler problem

Interseeding alfalfa under corn

I read this article with great interest:

 

https://www.progressiveforage.com/forage-types/alfalfa/workable-and-profitable-corn-interseeded-alfalfa-production-systems?utm_source=E-newsletters&utm_campaign=e2da918d01-050818_PF_Extra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ce73e33a7d-e2da918d01-87098881

 

I have interseeded orchard grass under wheat (80% planting rate) and love it!  Effectively, I got three crops the first year.  First, wheat, wheat straw and a cattle grade cutting of orchard grass.  That was one of my more profitable yields.

 

I have also planted corn after alfalfa with good success.  The alfalfa loosens the soil and gives a little extra kick of N.

 

Ralph

 

 

 

Interseeding alfalfa under corn

Tift 85 Heading Out

Sprigged t-85 a couple of years ago and appear to have a good stand. I'm seeing lots of seed heads now similar to common Bermuda with a bigger stem. Not sure if it's the tift 85 or not but appears to be so. Could this be the case? I may have to post some pictures for more help. Thanks

Tift 85 Heading Out

Twine Arm seems very complex, NH BR7050

Hello,

 

This twine arm mechanism seems very complex to me.

Is there any reason for having all the chains and gears?

2008 was the first model year for this baler, is there 

some reason a jack screw wasn't used or some type 

of linear actuator? The gears look to be identical reflections,

so I don't think this is changing speed.

 

I'm just curious, I don't understand this.

 

I don't think there are any great forces on the twine

as it unwinds freely around the bales.

 

 

The only thing I can see it doing is transfering the

motion of the motor laterally, over to the arm.

 

NH BR7050

 

But even this seems like kinda over doing it.

Twine Arm seems very complex, NH BR7050

found trv

Im on a job right now and they have 5 trs newer models .I made a deal with them that if they let me come here to get measurements and make parts that I will give them 1 of every part I make .

found trv

Tractor will not start

I have 2640 John Deere. I just bought a new battery and installed. It will not start. The battery checks out good. Am told that it may be the starter solenoid starter. How difficult is it to get this replaced? Thanks

Tractor will not start

Vermeer bale shape

So used my new to me rancher 665 a few times now. And i am still not sure how exactly the bale shape on the monitoris spose to work. As the baler fills are both spose to rise to nearly the top? Also I question if my sensors are reading accuratly seems like the left(drivers side) reads higher than it should. Infact if weaving by looking and bale shape on the monitor it will make a poor lopsided bale. If i just weave back and forth evenly I have much better success. So first question how is thebale shape bars suppose to operate. And second what is the proper way to verify calibration/operation of the bale shape sensors.

Vermeer bale shape

How to control sandburs !!! i've done it.

Guys, after about ten years of trial and error i and a few neighbors have mastered the art of controlling sandburs so i wanted to share my EXPERIENCE with you all. FIRST. this is being done on established bermuda grass in Oklahoma. i can only speak for bermuda pasture. I have almost eradicated my heavy infestation on my 30 acres. I will be short and to the point with my FACTS.   RULE ONE,  dont let them grow !!  if they are growing, do something with them before they get a mature seed head, spray, mow, graze, disc, burn, ect.

2.  it's still time to use some of these methods and yes they will reduce your stand. but it will also get rid of sandburs.  use prowl H2O at a rate of 1 quart per acre BUT only if rain is coming within 1 week ! better to be late with a prowl application and have rain with it. prowl will NOT work without at least some rain. i put it down in the end of march in my area if possible. you can also do a follow up 6 weeks later WITH RAIN !   if your bermuda was still dormant throw in some roundup as a tank mix for other weeds.  when prowl works you will almost not need to spray again ! that is broad leaves and grass weeds.

3.Fertilizer !  the better your stand of grass the less sandburs.

4. this will scare some of you, but it is the most important,  when they do start growing later in june / july / august, and they will, spray roundup at 12 to 16 ounces per acre on infested areas. only do this once per year and after most have germinated. i use 16 oz. of generic tomahawk per acre with surfactant on infested area's.  some use prowl later in the summer again but i dont.

5. i dont do hay, only pasture, but if you hay, use pastora.  all of these things in combo are needed to put the hurt to them.

6. MSMA works great on sandburs for bar ditches. follow the label !

7. walk your fields and spot spray with roundup if possible.

8. dont drive thru infested area's unless necessary, stop spreading the seeds. fertilize & spray infested area's last.

 

LAST.  know your sprayer and calibration. i only use flat fan tips. so when i say i use 16 oz. per acre that means 16 not 20 ! i will recommend you try test area's when doing the roundup until you get the results needed. my field will barely hurt the bermuda for a few weeks , then it comes back strong minus the burrs.  also, spraying is all about timing and temp. weeds have to be actively growing.  and i always make my brush piles for burning on top of an infested area.  but now i dont have infested area's, just some burrs here and there .   yes, it is costly and time consuming but it works for me AND others !  that's all. GOOD LUCK !!

How to control sandburs !!! i've done it.

Grass ID

Seeing a bit of this at the edge of one of my fields, about 6-12 inches tall, thin stem and heading out. I’m thinking bluegrass or is it fescue or purple top (grease grass) or something else?

Thanks!
Bill





Grass ID

X1100C front mower with K Connect

my wify was at a major convention today and she called me to say"there is a huge Kubota display here". i asked her to ask the factory guys if KTC had any plans to make a front mount mower for the X1100C with K connect? she said they were thinking about it and it would be several years. BOOOO:14_6_12:

X1100C front mower with K Connect

When's Your First Cutting This Year?

How far are those of you in northern climates behind this year? When are you hoping to start cutting hay? Has anyone in a warmer climate done it, yet? 

When's Your First Cutting This Year?

Too late to broadcast Red Clover into orchard grass stand?

In Rhode Island? OG is doing nicely at 5-6" with typical bare spots. These are small field of an acre or less, so I don't mind risking a few dollars, unless it is an absolute waste of time. Ph and fertility both good.

Too late to broadcast Red Clover into orchard grass stand?

Rock Block

Getting one of these installed on my cutter.Actually won it in a drawing!

https://therockblock.net

Rock Block

Crabgrass, soybeans or other options?

I have about 13 acres that was reseeded last fall, came up but got dry and lost most of the stand. Maybe 10% stand, but lots of buttercup. Ground was prepared with a disc. Would like to seed something to get a hay crop this year. I just have  disc mower and tedder so no conditioning can be done.

 

Would like to follow it up with a permanent seeding this fall. What is one of the most fool proof options out there?

 

I here of people talking about multiple cuttings of the crabgrass, have one friend trying it this year so no knowledge of it personally.  People talk beans of beans and millet. Hear it is hard to dry down. Kentucky area.

Crabgrass, soybeans or other options?

So, what are you seeing as hay season begins?

Just curious what the rest of you are seeing as you scout fields to prepare for hay season.  We have been behind the moisture curve since at least October and were behind then.  Got within about an inch of normal for April but were way short for Jan and Feb and had the worst wind this year that I can remember.  Had March winds in November, then December, Jan, Feb and of course March and they continued into April.  Dry as a bone right now in the top inch or two so newly planted OG is suffering.  Supposed to land about 1/2" tonight but we will see, then wind on Monday again.

 

The real deal is that established hay fields are thin and short due to lack of water and the cold spring.  Many are still feeding hay and I am still getting horse hay calls but sold out long ago.  This does not bode well for hay volume this season at least here.  The one anomaly is the field I planted in september-it is thick which I suspect is due to the fertilizer I put on 60-60-60 on the first of September.  Making me rethink the fall fertilizer thing again.  What do things look like in  NY, PA, NC and VA?

So, what are you seeing as hay season begins?

Hello from North Caroline

Just joined and already found a thread that I think will help me. I have a Kubota RTV 900 that is stuck in a forward gear. Thanks for the site and looks like a great resource.

Hello from North Caroline

How to control Foxtail Barley in Timothy/Brome Grass Fields?

I have some Foxtail Barley that has blown into my Timothy/Brome/Orchard Grass/Clover  grass hay fields.  Every year it spreads a bit more.  I used to just cut around the patches, but now it has expanded to the point where I need to kill it ......without killing the Timothy/Brome grass hay.

 

So far, I've tried Plateau ...............with great success on killing the Foxtail Barley...............but it also kills the Timothy.  

 

Other discussions in this forum suggest using Prowl H2O as a pre-emergent for controlling Giant Foxtail, Yellow Foxtail, Bristly Foxtail, and Green Foxtail................but all of these varieties of Foxtail are Annual weeds. 

 

Foxtail Barley is a Perennial ...................and Foxtail Barley is not listed on the Prowl H2O label.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

 

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How to control Foxtail Barley in Timothy/Brome Grass Fields?

Batteries for JD 4230 diesel.

I getting some new batteries for my JD 4230 and was looking for a little help as far as getting the correct size and cranking amps.  The tractor has already been converted from two 6 volt batteries in series to two 12 volts batteries in parallel, but I can't find the size or amps listed on the batteries I pulled out.  I think the battery size I need is 30H based on what the JD parts website says for the gasoline batteries.  Anyone able to confirm that?  I'm going to stop in at the local parts store during lunch, but want to know as much as possible in case I get the parts guy that doesn't know anything (I'm sure we've all had that fun    ).

Batteries for JD 4230 diesel.

Selling Our Flock of Sheep Today

Sad day...the cattle dealer is coming today to get our remaining flock of sheep.

 

We owe money for property taxes, and while we had 70 acres of our wood lot clear cut to make more grazing acres, and use the money from the wood to pay our taxes, the logger cut the wood and never paid us for it. His equipment is littered throughout the county, all waiting for the bank to take it back. I even have a Cat 525 skidder sitting on my land, the logger checking it every day to see if it has been repossessed yet. He is in essence, out of business.

 

Under Maine law he has 45 days to pay me, but that has since passed and no money, and honestly I doubt he has the $15,000 or so I am owed. We will ultimately get our money as it is outright theft and our attorneys, the Maine Forest Service and District Attorney's Office all said I will get my money, but it will take a few years for it to go through court (1 year), then a few years for the restitution payments to be made.

 

....

 

Selling the flock is sad, we have had sheep here since 1746, and actually go back to the Mayflower Days, and while the Mayflower did not have sheep on it, 3 years later a deed showed a barter for land they listed a flock of sheep as collateral. A tailor by trade, it only makes sense that we had sheep in those days, and records show we had the first sheep shearing shed in New England. Considering how cold it is here, and the need for woolen items, it makes sense.

 

...

 

But all is not bad, Katie went back to work and loves her new job. She is a banker and gets commissions, but serves high end clients. Some days she is moving $200k, so her quarterly bonuses will ultimately be nice. We are hoping to use one of those this fall to buy a new flock of sheep; maybe whole new genetics will be a good thing. My cattle dealer will go anywhere in the country so we can bring in some sheep, and buying them in the fall is the time to buy sheep.

 

We can also use her bonuses to pay our property taxes, not to mention investing in the farm so we can actually make money on some house rentals and stuff. So we know this will probably be the low point of farming, but thankfully the bible gives us direction on everything, even selling sheep.

 

Habakkuk 3:17-18

 

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 

 

Selling Our Flock of Sheep Today

Wagons & a JD running gear

I considered a lot of options as far as hay racks or wagons for the last year or so. Being I am going back into producing small square bales. My old wagons, need to be rebuilt and/or lengthen to better accumulate my grapple system. 14’ and 16’ long decks 7’ wide worked ok with hand stacking back in the day (100 to 130 bales per wagon). But with a 6’ x 9’ grapple grab……….ah, never mind.

Unfortunately, it seems that hay chaff and wooden wagon parts don’t seem to like to co-exist for long in my neck of the woods. Treated lumber, tar paper, tar, you can just about name it and I’ve try it while re-building wagon decks. I have to admit, the longest lasting ones were from the olden days of creosote pressure treating.

 

As I have mentioned before, I made a little trip to Louisville KY, to the NFMS, back in mid-February. While I was there I made a hands-on inspection of a Life Time wagon. I even had my grandson see if he could pick up the tongue (somebody has to in order to hook it up, why not him, he’s younger than me ). Well seems a couple of the Life Time wagons somehow followed me home (although, the boss won a trip to Alaska, from same checking account ). There seems to be some assembly is required, also.

 

The longer one is a 25-footer, setting on a 15-ton running gear. The shorter one is a 20-footer that I plan on placing on a John Deere running gear that I have. Maybe TxJim (or someone with a better memory than mine) can tell me the tonnage capacity of this JD 1065 running gear (adjustable tongue, no dual rear axle), I’m thinking it’s 8 or 10 ton running gear IDRC.  It use to have a JD 216 forage box on it's back (yea, it's old).

 

The back racks need to be installed, the two shorter racks will only be utilized when hauling RB and the rear hitch installed on the 20-footer. The running gear on the 25-footer is a little over-kill, but it was thrown in as part of the deal, was getting only a 12-tonner, but that wagon followed someone from Georgia home it seems (maybe dawg or one of his neighbors??).

 

BTW, I’m looking a hauling 360-420 bales (10-12 ton) on the 25-footer and 270-315 bales (8-9 ton) on the 20-footer. And with an open flooring, leaving hay stacked on the wagon shouldn’t be as big as problem, as far as spoilage is concerned.

 

I don’t know if I’m going to have time this weekend to get started on the assembly process or not.  I think I got about a month yet before I can load any of THIS years crop on them anyhow.

 

Larry

 

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Wagons & a JD running gear

Krone kr151

I have a krone kr 151 that was made by M and W and was wondering what the model # it would be in a M and W.

 

Krone kr151

Vertical Tillage For Hay Field Prep

Have any of you used a vertical tillage tool to prep a field for a new seeding of hay? We will be drilling an orchardgrass timothy mix this fall behind corn and I am looking at ways to knock the stalks down and get a good seed bed to drill into. The farmer that has it planted in corn now has a Case 330 VT that I can probably rent to run over the stalks if would work. Just looking for feedback on a vt tool for this application.

Vertical Tillage For Hay Field Prep

Tedder tines

Looking to replace some tines (about 10) on the new tedder and the local agco dealer is quoting $17 a pop, which is pretty pricey. Can you guys recommend any locations for buying them and not paying an arm and a leg?

Tedder tines

So I Messed up

Here is what I done. Disked up our field put on fertilizer broadcasted seed 6 acres of orchard grass ran a harrow over to cover got nothing to grow but weeds and wild onions. we finished planting mid Sept.

 

Done the same thing but planted fecue and clover mix on 10 acres and didn't get much better results.

 

Not for sure what when wrong.

 

Other that seed when to deep maybe or wait to late in the year?

 

Do I mow it and spray with round up, Will that kill off the onions?

 

Found a no till drill to rent for reseed so as not to get seed as deep am I thinking wrong if so tell what my other options are.

 

 

 

 

So I Messed up

1st Bobcat Skidsteer

A interesting read from Machinery Pete......AgWeb.

 

Regards, Mike

 

https://www.agweb.com/blog/machinery-pete/1st-bobcat-skid-steer/

1st Bobcat Skidsteer

Would this bale spear work for Bale Bandit bundles?

I picked up a Deere 7320 in Oklahoma.  Trying to work out the trucking now, but wondering if the bale spear that is coming with the tractor would be adequate for handling Bale Bandit bundles?

 

 

Would this bale spear work for Bale Bandit bundles?