The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: littleacorn on July 22, 2014, 01:08:46 pm

Title: problems haymaking with a drum mower
Post by: littleacorn on July 22, 2014, 01:08:46 pm

OH is currently having problems with cutting our hay.  The grass is long and has fallen over quite a lot due to the recent rain and the mower keeps getting clumps stuck in the middle of the 2 drums causing it to stop.  It is an old Rasspe mower.  We did have a little of this problem last year (our first year) but the hay was a lot more upright, and less of it, and then it just seemed to start cutting better with no idea why.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.   ;D

Title: Re: problems haymaking with a drum mower
Post by: brickyard on July 22, 2014, 10:44:39 pm

What tractor do you have? Plenty of revs and power, keep it slow and let the mower work. Drive so you're going against the way the grass is lay, go with it and the mower will skid over it. Be prepared for it to take longer than you would like.
 Also keep the blades sharp, you can usually resharpen them a couple of times. 

Title: Re: problems haymaking with a drum mower
Post by: littleacorn on July 24, 2014, 08:53:12 am

Hi Brickyard
Thanks very much for the reply. 
We spoke to one of our neighbours and he said that the belts probably needed tightening which OH did, he also went a lot slower in a low gear with high revs and it has now cut perfectly.
Thanks again ;D

Title: Re: problems haymaking with a drum mower
Post by: stufe35 on August 12, 2014, 09:22:01 pm

Also check top link length, shorten it to get the blades pointing down to get under the crop.