Saving grass, 6m at a time

JohnBoy

Well-Known Member
We're doing agroforestry which is rows of trees 7m apart with grass in between. I can't imagine many contractors being keen on taking the care needed to mow between the rows and we'd like to get something bigger than the 6 foot topper for doing some jobs about the place so we're thinking of buying a mower and cutting it ourselves.

There's two basic questions, what mower to get and then what to do with the grass after it's mowed.

We have the 7610 now which I'm assuming will be capable of driving any mower that might suit the job, speed is not going to be high running between the trees anyway.

I'm thinking mounted not trailed for maneuverability between the rows, but how big and conditioner or not?


Then how do you make a single row? there isnt room to work two passes of a single rotor rake. A fransgard 390 is supposed to be able to take two conditioned 8 foots into one and they don't cost the earth. haybob 380 or lely hayzip 380 are all on a similar theme.

8 foot mounted mocos don't seem to be mad expensive compared to plain discs, I'm guessing because they're too small?

or if I went with a plain disc and a haybob could I go up to a 9 foot disc? would be taking 6 of the 7 metres as opposed to 5 with the 8 foot.

if you rowed up with the haybob could you bring the two rows together on a second pass?


The 8 foot moco and oversized haybob certainly seems the simplest approach, anyone have any other ideas? I know the haybob doesnt leave the perfect row, but I also know that most haybobs are rowing up in their tedding mode and they can be improved upon.
 
With your single rotor just drive down each edge
First pass will take the rotor width then 2nd will sweep remaining and push the row over a bit:unsure:
And a 3 metre non conditioner disc mower will clear it in 2 passes.
 
We're doing agroforestry which is rows of trees 7m apart with grass in between. I can't imagine many contractors being keen on taking the care needed to mow between the rows and we'd like to get something bigger than the 6 foot topper for doing some jobs about the place so we're thinking of buying a mower and cutting it ourselves.

There's two basic questions, what mower to get and then what to do with the grass after it's mowed.

We have the 7610 now which I'm assuming will be capable of driving any mower that might suit the job, speed is not going to be high running between the trees anyway.

I'm thinking mounted not trailed for maneuverability between the rows, but how big and conditioner or not?


Then how do you make a single row? there isnt room to work two passes of a single rotor rake. A fransgard 390 is supposed to be able to take two conditioned 8 foots into one and they don't cost the earth. haybob 380 or lely hayzip 380 are all on a similar theme.

8 foot mounted mocos don't seem to be mad expensive compared to plain discs, I'm guessing because they're too small?

or if I went with a plain disc and a haybob could I go up to a 9 foot disc? would be taking 6 of the 7 metres as opposed to 5 with the 8 foot.

if you rowed up with the haybob could you bring the two rows together on a second pass?


The 8 foot moco and oversized haybob certainly seems the simplest approach, anyone have any other ideas? I know the haybob doesnt leave the perfect row, but I also know that most haybobs are rowing up in their tedding mode and they can be improved upon.
Would a trailed mower be easier to manage as you can run it slightly behind you, I’m thinking if you’ve a 8/9ft mounted your cab will be stuck in the branches of the trees on your left. Would you consider a trailed with a swarther on it atleast that way you might get away with running down and back and leaving one swarth. And not having to rake it at all?
 
With your single rotor just drive down each edge
First pass will take the rotor width then 2nd will sweep remaining and push the row over a bit:unsure:

will it do that ok? I thought when single rotors were used the idea was to put the second pass beside the first, not on top of it.
 
Would a trailed mower be easier to manage as you can run it slightly behind you, I’m thinking if you’ve a 8/9ft mounted your cab will be stuck in the branches of the trees on your left. Would you consider a trailed with a swarther on it atleast that way you might get away with running down and back and leaving one swarth. And not having to rake it at all?

The trees will be managed to up and not out, branches should never get close to the cab, by the time the trees will have that reach the lower branches will be pruned.
 
will it do that ok? I thought when single rotors were used the idea was to put the second pass beside the first, not on top of it.
It will perfectly fine.
The row might be a bit narrow but will be ok.

I'd say a trailed mower with hydraulic drawbar is the way to go.

The dogs doo das would be a front mower.

How big is the field?
Perhaps a front mower on the back and reverse down?!?! (no idea would that even work mind you!!!)
 
We're doing agroforestry which is rows of trees 7m apart with grass in between. I can't imagine many contractors being keen on taking the care needed to mow between the rows and we'd like to get something bigger than the 6 foot topper for doing some jobs about the place so we're thinking of buying a mower and cutting it ourselves.

There's two basic questions, what mower to get and then what to do with the grass after it's mowed.

We have the 7610 now which I'm assuming will be capable of driving any mower that might suit the job, speed is not going to be high running between the trees anyway.

I'm thinking mounted not trailed for maneuverability between the rows, but how big and conditioner or not?


Then how do you make a single row? there isnt room to work two passes of a single rotor rake. A fransgard 390 is supposed to be able to take two conditioned 8 foots into one and they don't cost the earth. haybob 380 or lely hayzip 380 are all on a similar theme.

8 foot mounted mocos don't seem to be mad expensive compared to plain discs, I'm guessing because they're too small?

or if I went with a plain disc and a haybob could I go up to a 9 foot disc? would be taking 6 of the 7 metres as opposed to 5 with the 8 foot.

if you rowed up with the haybob could you bring the two rows together on a second pass?


The 8 foot moco and oversized haybob certainly seems the simplest approach, anyone have any other ideas? I know the haybob doesnt leave the perfect row, but I also know that most haybobs are rowing up in their tedding mode and they can be improved upon.


What's a moco?
There was a guy that had pictures on the today at work thread on the farming forum a few weeks back and he cut a field that was just like you described with the trees in it

How about on of these, you could drive up along the trees and step in a bit and drive out again at the next tree. Use it just to move it away from the trees and row it up them with something else:unsure:
https://www.donedeal.ie/haybobs-for-sale/jf-hay-flash-mint-condition/25511751
 
What's a moco?
There was a guy that had pictures on the today at work thread on the farming forum a few weeks back and he cut a field that was just like you described with the trees in it

How about on of these, you could drive up along the trees and step in a bit and drive out again at the next tree. Use it just to move it away from the trees and row it up them with something else:unsure:
https://www.donedeal.ie/haybobs-for-sale/jf-hay-flash-mint-condition/25511751
MoCo =mower conditioner
 
What's a moco?
There was a guy that had pictures on the today at work thread on the farming forum a few weeks back and he cut a field that was just like you described with the trees in it

How about on of these, you could drive up along the trees and step in a bit and drive out again at the next tree. Use it just to move it away from the trees and row it up them with something else:unsure:
https://www.donedeal.ie/haybobs-for-sale/jf-hay-flash-mint-condition/25511751


I've always assumed they died out for a reason?

I've never seen one working, actually I don't think I've ever seen one in someone's nettles
 
I've always assumed they died out for a reason?

I've never seen one working, actually I don't think I've ever seen one in someone's nettles

They were only any good for rowing up. If you used them for turning hay you needed a clear sward around the edge of the field first or you had to put the first run around the field into the hedge and that was hard enough saved.
 
I've always assumed they died out for a reason?

I've never seen one working, actually I don't think I've ever seen one in someone's nettles
There perfect for rowing up I was going to suggest one.
One lad I bale for makes between 400-500 bales and he rows it in for me with one of them.
It would actually be ideal for you as no corners by the sounds.
Depending on the budget a trailed mower might be the job even if you were to take the conditioner out of it.
Reason being its very hard get used to mowing near obsticals with a mounted because if you go to turn out the mower shoots in.
A trailed is a bit more controllable in that sense.
 
We're doing agroforestry which is rows of trees 7m apart with grass in between. I can't imagine many contractors being keen on taking the care needed to mow between the rows and we'd like to get something bigger than the 6 foot topper for doing some jobs about the place so we're thinking of buying a mower and cutting it ourselves.

There's two basic questions, what mower to get and then what to do with the grass after it's mowed.

We have the 7610 now which I'm assuming will be capable of driving any mower that might suit the job, speed is not going to be high running between the trees anyway.

I'm thinking mounted not trailed for maneuverability between the rows, but how big and conditioner or not?


Then how do you make a single row? there isnt room to work two passes of a single rotor rake. A fransgard 390 is supposed to be able to take two conditioned 8 foots into one and they don't cost the earth. haybob 380 or lely hayzip 380 are all on a similar theme.

8 foot mounted mocos don't seem to be mad expensive compared to plain discs, I'm guessing because they're too small?

or if I went with a plain disc and a haybob could I go up to a 9 foot disc? would be taking 6 of the 7 metres as opposed to 5 with the 8 foot.

if you rowed up with the haybob could you bring the two rows together on a second pass?


The 8 foot moco and oversized haybob certainly seems the simplest approach, anyone have any other ideas? I know the haybob doesnt leave the perfect row, but I also know that most haybobs are rowing up in their tedding mode and they can be improved upon.


We thought of several ways of harvesting the grass between our rows of apple trees, we even tried round baling it one year when the trees where younger, in short it a fecking Arse ache, we now have a side shift Khun flail topper and top the rows 4-5 times a season the last being just as the late drop is starting, you need to do it on a nice dry day and the clippings shrivel up else you end up collecting grass with the cider apples and it's a pain, plus when your trees get taller you'll have the mown grass in the shade and then you'll have your passes woth machines compacting the ground even more,
Best bet flail top once or twice a season forget it,
 
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We thought of several ways of harvesting the grass between our rows of apple trees, we even tried round baling it one year when the trees where younger, in short it a fecking Arse ache, we now have a side shift Khun flail topper and top the rows 4-5 times a season the last being just as the late drop is starting, you need to do it on a nice dry day and the clippings shrivel up else you end up collecting grass with the cider apples and it's a pain, plus when your trees get taller you'll have the mown grass in the shade and then you'll have your passes woth machines compacting the ground even more,
Best bet flail top once or twice a season forget it,

How close are the apple tree rows?
 
How close are the apple tree rows?

6 m, base to base on the trees, but the each row of trees has a 1m sprayed grass free strip so there's about 5 m of grass to top, even with pruning now the trees are alder you have about 3 m to drive down the grass centres, ideally you'd run sheep in the orchards an eat the grass n weeds, but the contracts stipulate "no foreign bodies" which includes sheep shit, dog shit etc, they do t need much of an excuse to dock you money on a load,, it's easy to pick up a half decent sample on a dry day in September, run em over the spud grader into spud boxes,, come late October end of November it's a different ball of fish, when it's been raining for a month n half the apples are staring to break down , your stil up there in the fucking dark trying to lift "that last trailer" to make up the 40 boxes you need for the lorry load coz you where broke down for 2 hours with a snapped chain,,,, tempers are getting shorter than the daylight, HAHAHAHA you'd have to be mad to grow cider apples,,,
 
6 m, base to base on the trees, but the each row of trees has a 1m sprayed grass free strip so there's about 5 m of grass to top, even with pruning now the trees are alder you have about 3 m to drive down the grass centres, ideally you'd run sheep in the orchards an eat the grass n weeds, but the contracts stipulate "no foreign bodies" which includes sheep shit, dog shit etc, they do t need much of an excuse to dock you money on a load,, it's easy to pick up a half decent sample on a dry day in September, run em over the spud grader into spud boxes,, come late October end of November it's a different ball of fish, when it's been raining for a month n half the apples are staring to break down , your stil up there in the fucking dark trying to lift "that last trailer" to make up the 40 boxes you need for the lorry load coz you where broke down for 2 hours with a snapped chain,,,, tempers are getting shorter than the daylight, HAHAHAHA you'd have to be mad to grow cider apples,,,
The Thatchers factory made it all sound so simple Vern....how do you make it so stressful :lol:


One point for the OP is geting the bales out with them facing the wrong way!
 
We're doing agroforestry which is rows of trees 7m apart with grass in between. I can't imagine many contractors being keen on taking the care needed to mow between the rows and we'd like to get something bigger than the 6 foot topper for doing some jobs about the place so we're thinking of buying a mower and cutting it ourselves.

There's two basic questions, what mower to get and then what to do with the grass after it's mowed.

We have the 7610 now which I'm assuming will be capable of driving any mower that might suit the job, speed is not going to be high running between the trees anyway.

I'm thinking mounted not trailed for maneuverability between the rows, but how big and conditioner or not?


Then how do you make a single row? there isnt room to work two passes of a single rotor rake. A fransgard 390 is supposed to be able to take two conditioned 8 foots into one and they don't cost the earth. haybob 380 or lely hayzip 380 are all on a similar theme.

8 foot mounted mocos don't seem to be mad expensive compared to plain discs, I'm guessing because they're too small?

or if I went with a plain disc and a haybob could I go up to a 9 foot disc? would be taking 6 of the 7 metres as opposed to 5 with the 8 foot.

if you rowed up with the haybob could you bring the two rows together on a second pass?


The 8 foot moco and oversized haybob certainly seems the simplest approach, anyone have any other ideas? I know the haybob doesnt leave the perfect row, but I also know that most haybobs are rowing up in their tedding mode and they can be improved upon.


The trees are 7 m apart in the rows but how far apart are the rows
 
coming back to this is the intention to bale the grass as silage, grass from under trees is sour at the best of times, low in sugars due to lack of sunlight and wont be the most palatable in a bale, could be improved with a decent wilt again not the easiest to achieve given the location.
 
Trailed mower with swarther.


Can you graze it eventually when the trees get established
 
coming back to this is the intention to bale the grass as silage, grass from under trees is sour at the best of times, low in sugars due to lack of sunlight and wont be the most palatable in a bale, could be improved with a decent wilt again not the easiest to achieve given the location.

The idea is to manage the trees that they never shade the grass too much. When they start out they wont be more than a big thistle on a 7x3.5m grid.

At 3.5m spacing in the row and some pruning at around 10 years it will take quite a while for the trees to meet in the row, at which stage you take half of them out, moving to 7m in the row. Then when they outgrow that you remove every second row moving to a 14x7m grid. If you take the concept to its ultimate conclusion my grandchildren would take out half again moving to a 14x14m grid of specimen trees.

But yes, it is a concept that wont produce top quality silage
 
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