Hay mowers, rakes and tedders: swath, drying evidence and collection
Hay mowers, rakes and tedders perform different operations in a harvest sequence: cutting, managing the drying swath and gathering crop for collection. Select the sequence for the crop and intended storage method, then match the machines to that plan. A wider mower does not guarantee a wider drying swath, and another handling pass does not guarantee better forage. University of Wisconsin guidance recommends spreading cut crop over at least 70% of the cut area; at an assumed 10-foot cut, that means a 7-foot swath. University of Minnesota research also found that tedding changed moisture and nutrient concentrations, so drying speed alone cannot settle the purchase. Compare the tractor connection and power requirements, actual cut and swath widths, rake or merger pickup, crop condition at handling and the next machine’s feed requirements. Use measured moisture and the applicable storage guidance to choose the collection time rather than a fixed number of hours after mowing.
Hay mowers, rakes and tedders: measure the deposited swath
| Swath width | Share of cut width | What this establishes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 feet | 30% | Width ratio only |
| 7 feet | 70% | Width ratio only, not a drying-time guarantee |
How do the mower, conditioner, tedder and rake differ?
A mower severs the crop; a conditioner acts on it to support drying, while a tedder lifts and spreads cut material and a rake gathers it into a windrow. Cutting, spreading and gathering are separate operations. Plan the required crop flow through collection and storage before deciding that every machine or every pass belongs in the sequence.
Why does the width left behind the mower matter?
Wisconsin Extension’s drying guidance recommends an initial swath covering at least 70% of the cut area. The exposed crop can lose leaf moisture rapidly, while conditioning becomes more useful in later stem drying.
Measure the deposited swath in the field. Check the settings; mower cutting width cannot establish it.
What does a swath-width calculation show for a 10-foot mower?
Using an assumed 10-foot cut, 70% coverage gives 7 feet; a 3-foot windrow covers only 30% of that cut width. Increasing the deposited width from 3 to 7 feet changes the proportion of field covered, but it does not predict a certain number of drying hours. The width ratio cannot predict drying time.
Does conditioning guarantee the same benefit at every drying stage?
Wisconsin’s guidance separates initial moisture loss through leaves from the later loss through stems. Conditioning cannot replace initial wide-swath management.
Set the conditioner for the crop and machine. Greater aggression cannot resolve every slow-drying narrow swath.
Read tedding results with their crop and harvest conditions
What did the Minnesota alfalfa tedding study measure?
The Minnesota Extension summary of a Wisconsin–River Falls study reports three 2018 cuttings of early-bud alfalfa. Tedding reduced harvest moisture at all three cuttings, but crude-protein concentration also fell while water-soluble carbohydrates rose.
The study used defined alfalfa-silage treatments. Its equipment and timing cannot guarantee the same response for every hay crop.
How large was the first-cut moisture difference in that trial?
The first-cut treatment means were 69% wet-basis moisture without tedding and 58% with tedding, an 11-percentage-point difference. Keep percentage points separate from relative change.
Relative reduction is about 15.9%, calculated as 11 ÷ 69 × 100. Neither calculation predicts tomorrow’s moisture on another farm: the trial covered early-bud alfalfa harvested under defined 2018 treatments, whereas another crop, weather window or handling time can produce a different response.
Should a tedder be selected solely for the quickest drying result?
Include the added pass, labor, fuel and ownership or contractor cost, as well as the crop-quality consequence. The study reports drying and nutrient changes. Compare the proposed operation against the available harvest window and storage plan, rather than assigning an economic benefit to faster drying without measuring the other outcomes.
Choose collection equipment without ignoring soil pickup
Can rake type change contamination as well as windrow shape?
Minnesota’s multi-state rake study summary reports greater ash after wheel raking and less with a merger or sidebar rake under its tested conditions. Plant mineral content and soil contamination differ. Match and adjust the actual rake to the field; do not infer that all ash is dirt or that a rake label guarantees the same result everywhere.
Check the tractor and the complete harvest sequence
What are the historical R240 mower’s stated connection details?
Deere’s January 2022 ordering reference, PDF page 113, identifies the R240 as a six-disc mower with a 7-foot 11-inch cut, Category 2 three-point hitch, 540 rpm PTO drive and hydraulic lift. The R240 entry describes that historical configuration. It does not supply a universal tractor horsepower requirement or prove another mower fits the same installation.
How should the cutting machine be matched to the collecting machine?
Check the deposited swath’s width and position against the next tool’s actual gathering arrangement, then confirm the resulting windrow suits the baler or harvester pickup. Match field capacity and labor to the harvest window.
The next operation can limit completed daily area. A wider mower alone cannot remove that limit.
Why is handling moisture a crop-specific decision?
Maryland Extension’s drying guidance distinguishes pliable forage from material that loses leaves during dry handling, and gives different raking-moisture guidance for legumes and grasses. Measure moisture for the intended forage product. A fixed instruction to rake or ted a set number of hours after rain cannot establish the condition of every swath.
Which equipment details should be checked before servicing a hay machine?
Identify the mower’s rotating tools, the driveline, conditioner rolls or tines, and any raised component that needs support under its instructions. Stop, isolate and wait for movement to cease before approaching a blockage or adjustment; stopped tractor travel is not proof that every driven part has stopped.
Follow the machine’s procedure and guarding requirements. Keep hands out of moving crop-handling components.
For the following harvest stages, review balers and swathers and farm equipment timing and costs. Keep grain combine headers separate from this forage sequence, or return to Attachments: attachment selection.