Hay Making Equipment

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Hay Making Equipment

Haymaking involves a multiple-step process: cutting, drying or "curing", raking, processing, and storing. After cutting, the hay is allowed to lie spread out in the field until it is dry, then raked into rows for processing into bales afterward. The drying process is usually sped up by turning the cut hay over with a hay rake or spreading it out with a tedder. If it rains while the hay is drying, turning the windrow can also allow it to dry faster. Once hay is cut, dried, and raked into windrows, it is usually gathered into bales or bundles ready for storing and using when needed. Getting the right equipment for hay making is essential.

Drum Mower

• A drum mower cuts grass for haymaking. As the drum mower moves through the field, the drums are rotating toward each other, which causes the cut crop to pass between the drums and be dropped in a windrow behind the machine, ready to be spread out with a tedder or rake. The tractor drum mower provides a fast, efficient, clean-cut result, getting the hay ready for baling.

Finger Bar Mower

• Finger bar mowers have a horizontal bar, with slotted spikes, or fingers, through which the vibratory knives of mowing and reaping machines play. This type of mower is very effective for cutting grass that will dry into hay and be harvested for bailing afterward.

Hay Tedder

• Tedders help to distribute the cut grass evenly to speed up drying. These tractor attachments are used for fluffing and turning the hay after cutting and before windrowing, to help dry the hay better.

​Hay Rakes

• Hay rakes are ideal for rowing up before bailing and also spread freshly mown grass to aid fast drying. The raking action produces uniform grass windrows that will dry evenly and can be picked up by a baler. Types of rakes include the wheel (circular) rakes, being popular due to their low cost of purchase and maintenance, and the rotary rakes which create more uniform and fluffy windrows which allow hay to dry faster. These rakes come in a variety of sizes to suit different-sized tractors.

Hay Balers

• These tractor attachments are ideal for baling hay from windrows and making neat, small round bales.

Call us on 0333 880 6654 for more information or a quotation.