# First Timer - Baling Hay - Deck Mower in a Pinch?



## alidbond (May 30, 2014)

Hi everyone:

I have 2.5 acres of pasture grass ready to cut and bale. I have hired people in the past, but its getting harder and harder to find someone reliable who will cut and bale it for me. So, this year I've been gathering equipment to do it myself.

My question is about cutting. I have a deck mower. Will this work in a pinch until I can get something else? I understand the big problem might be the mower getting clogged. The grass is about 3 feet high at this point. I'm looking at sickle bar mowers in the classified, but haven't seen anything good come up yet.

Any other tips would be great.

Thanks!!

Alison


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

I've done it with a five foot rotary mower.... Like a bush hog without the stump jumper. To get a good clean cut I had to move in and cut about three ft at a time. The problem for me was that it left a strip where most of the hay was wadded into a small windrow and didn't cure out well at all. I did manage to borrow a Tedder and spread it out better but was still not happy with the result. A good sickle bar mower does soooooo much better.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

You'll ruin most of it with any type of deck or rotary mower.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

A rotary deck mower will chop the hay up along with cutting. Shorter pieces makes for bales that fall apart.

WWW


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Rotary mowers and even bush hogs make mulch, not hay.
You will make a mess ....


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

find a walk behind sickle mower.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

We had to use a hand scythe for several years. Now we have a walk behind sickle mower. Anything that fits it up in pieces won't work. Mulch doesn't turn into hay. 
A Scythe can be bought online for cheap. It's laborious but it cuts hay.


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## ridgerunner1965 (Apr 13, 2013)

i once had a old dude tell me he cut his hay with a bush hog that he cut the sides out with a torch. he also sharpened his blades very sharp.

being the side were cut out it just lopped of the hay and didnt continue to mulch it.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

ridgerunner1965 said:


> i once had a old dude tell me he cut his hay with a bush hog that he cut the sides out with a torch. he also sharpened his blades very sharp.
> 
> being the side were cut out it just lopped of the hay and didnt continue to mulch it.


Just because someone is old,......doesn't mean he all that bright .....LOL
I guess that would work?....I wouldn't do it....or recomend any one else did either.
Quote>
For Wisconsin, hay prices were *$4.45* lower on active trading at a quality-tested hay auction in Fennimore. Straw prices in the Midwest averaged *$4.38* per small square bale (range of *$1.75* to $5.0); *$38.20* per large square bale (range of *$20.63* to*$60.00*); and *$33.81* per large round bale (range of *$28.75* to *$57.50*)...<Quote
https://www.google.com/#q=round+bale+hay+prices+wisconsin

Why not use a scythe? The Amish do ....
https://www.ebay.com/i/322531398170?chn=ps&dispItem=1


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

> Why not use a scythe? The Amish do ....


Haven't seen any Amish using scythes around here. They all have mowers.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

sammyd said:


> Haven't seen any Amish using scythes around here. They all have mowers.


Yeah I know....the rich ones do....LOL....
JUst throwing that out as an option.
.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

hunter63 said:


> Just because someone is old,......doesn't mean he all that bright .....LOL
> I guess that would work?....I wouldn't do it....or recomend any one else did either URL]


Do you mean you haven't tried it ?

The trick is to remove 6 inches or so of or the front top and right (throw)side then drive so it throws onto the already cut side.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

AmericanStand said:


> The trick is to remove 6 inches or so of or the front top and right (throw)side then drive so it throws onto the already cut side.


That turns a reasonably safe bush hog into a recipe for disaster.
The smart way to do it is buy a sickle bar or disk mower meant to cut hay.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

AmericanStand said:


> Do you mean you haven't tried it ?
> 
> The trick is to remove 6 inches or so of or the front top and right (throw)side then drive so it throws onto the already cut side.


Nope I have not tried it...nor would I.....
I would not ruin a machine....or take that chance with crap flying around.

Just because someone has tried it doesn't mean it is safe to do.
As my mother used to say...I Billy jumped off a bridge, would you do it...?.

This is just stupid.....But Hey, stupid is as stupid does.
In my opinion....


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

A bush hog was not designed for cutting hay, a sickle bar mower with a pitman arm is for cutting hay.


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