Discbine or Haybine

Hello, I am starting a new topic and here it is Discbine or Haybine. I am really torn between what to do here. I have around 25 acres of Red Clover/Orchard grass mix for dairy use, and I want to trade in the old mower for a newer used mower, but I do t know what to go for I really like the New Holland 488 Haybines and their 1411 Discbines, as well as New Idea's 5409 cutditioner discbine. What should I trade in for?!? Opinions please I use a 185 as the power unit.

I second DanWi, if I had to go back to a sickle mower, I'd quit making hay.  Disk mowers are soooo much better.  Years ago my cousin was having trouble cutting some thick grass hay with his NH haybine, called the dealer to bring out a New Idea diskbine, after making one round he told the salesman to tow the haybine away.

If you fertilize that grass, you will be glad to have the discbine. I do about the same acres of hay in alfalfa and grass. 1st cutting grass can be brutal when it goes down (fescue is worse). We modified (2) NH haybines and they still only are fair at best in thick down wet grass hay (standing hay, they do great). JMO

I'd recommend a disc mower conditioner for speed and ability to run in down grass and thatch that plugs a sickle. They help you stay on schedule mowing and drying due to higher ground speed. I expect the tractor will burn a bit more fuel per hour but per acre it probably balances out.

I will say this— about 5 years ago we had a 12 acre field of fertilized 1st cutting fesque that was lodged terrible. Started with the 489 and was all the way down to 1st on the 185. We tried our old MC rotary scythe until it wrapped up and Burt a bearing. Neighbor came in with 150hp tractor and a JD MoCo and dropped about 5 acres before burning up the clutch. He wasn’t cutting much faster toward the end and made a heck of a mess with it just pushing over the grass. Went back to the 489 NH and finished. Had a cleaner cut with the 489.

Discbine makes cutting hay fun again!

I can shove enough hay into it to make a 8030 talk.

The disk thingies seam to be the most used around here, BUT as already stated, they expensive, ALSO expensive to run! Last hay I did was in 1999 and I used a jd I dont remember the model, but it was 9' and at the time I only had the ih 560 to work with. Yes they plug a lot, but so do sickle mowers, and combines!--anything with a sickle will plug. I would still vote for the haybine! --- LOTS cheaper to buy and run!


Edited by ac fleet - 18 Dec 2019 at 1:00pm

Few things to consider. Are you a patient easy going guy. Are you going to want to cut the whole 25 acres at once. Gues what I mean. I see guys around here buy cheap haybines but have more on there plate then can handle and fly around and destroy them. But if your going to go out and take it easy and mow to what your haybine can handle. I started doing hay with sickle bar then haybine and now discbine and I personally don't think I'd go back.
No matter what you choose your gana want to look at cutter bar and roller condition. If you go with discbine the newer the better for the fact that over the years they've done a lot of changes for the better. I think the new idea has one shaft driving all the turtles where the new Hollands each one is separate which saves you a little, if you hit something it only busts that one. Prolly wouldn't hurt to check the oil in each one of the little gear boxes for metal.

I have a 488 New Holland that dad bought new in 1977. It still cuts great. I rebuilt the wobble box when I got it over 20 years ago. I have replaced all the guards once and replaced all the sections with serrated chromed sections two times. I put regular guards on it, not the more expensive ones. It has cut hundreds of acres of hay for me and cut many hundreds of acres of hay for dad. I did replace the real drive belt on it last year. I believe the one I took off was the original belt. This machine has set outside since it was new. Yes it will plug up once in a great while. Would I buy another? YES I would not be afraid to buy another. I pull mine with a series 4 D17 diesel.

Edited by HD6GTOM - 18 Dec 2019 at 7:55pm

We use a New Holland 499. It cuts very nice the only time it's plugged is when it picked up a tire in a ditch. It easily mows a 160 acre field. It'll swing left or right far enough to clear the duals on the JD7800. The hydraulic drive is great no ujoints to tear up turning.

I used to cut with a D17 IV and 488 NH. About 10 years ago we bought a used 13’ NH center pivot. It has individual gear boxes on each pod. We cut about 150 acres a year. The only expense so far has been knives at $2 each. We pretty well replace knives every year.

It makes the 8050 work but I can cut 15 acres in the morning in an hour and a half before work and bale the next day. The same field would have take 4 hours and 3 days with the old 488. Plus i love mowing hay in the 8050 cab as opposed to the the D17.

Dad and I have discussed fuel consumption. We don’t think the 8050 burns much more fuel than the old CA and 7’ sickle that dad mowed with when he was young.

I will never go back to a sickle machine. They were great for their time but the new disk mowers are so much nicer.

Below is a video I took this spring in 4’ mixed grass hay running 7 mpg (6 low on the power shift). It made right at 100 80# square bales per acre.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kMXkAUhpkvs

Gary Burnett wrote: wekracer wrote: Dad and I have discussed fuel consumption. We don’t think the 8050 burns much more fuel than the old CA and 7’ sickle that dad mowed with when he was young. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kMXkAUhpkvs That had to be the biggest CA fuel hog in history.(LOL)

I also use a drum mower.Kuhn PZ170 model so about 6 foot cut.

Don't get a New Idea. 2 neighbors have nothing but trouble with theirs.

I have had a couple of NH mower conditioners. They will run with a lower HP tractor than a disc mower. I run 90+ HP tractors now so it is not a problem I am sold on my disc mower since I can run faster and have less problems from clogging due to fire ant mounds. Probably not a problem further north.