Mowers and Mower-Conditioners

Summary of Sperry New Holland 495 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.66 MB)

Overall functional performance of the New Holland 495 Mower-Conditioner was good. Ease of operation and adjustment both were very good. Performance was lowered by poor header flotation in rough or stony fields, resulting in guard and knife damage.

Average field speeds varied from 4 to 9 km/h (2.5 to 5.5 mph) while average workrates varied from 1.5 to 3.0 ha/h (3.7 to 7.4 ac/h). Ground speed was usually limited by the cutter bar performance except in heavy slough hay where feed rate was limited by hesitant conditioner feeding.

Cutting ability was good in most standing crops. Windrow formation and quality varied from good to very good depending on crop type and stand.

Peak power take-off requirements varied from 10 to 15 kW (13 to 20 hp). A 30 kW (40 hp) tractor should have ample power to operate the New Holland 495 in most field conditions.

Header flotation was good in smooth, uniform field conditions, but cutter bar digging, with resultant knife and guard damage occurred in rough or stony fields.

The New Holland 495 was safe to operate as long as common sense was used and the manufacturer's safety recommendations were followed.

Summary of John Deere 1380 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.67 MB)

Overall functional performance of the John Deere 1380 mower conditioner was very good. Ease of operation and adjustment both were good.

Average field speeds varied from 3 to 9 km/h (2 to 5.5 mph) while average workrates varied from 1.5 to 3.0 ha/h (3.7 to 7.4 ac/h). Ground speed was usually limited by the cutter bar performance except in crops exceeding 3.0 t/ha (1.3 ton/ac) where feedrate was limited by conditioner feeding.

Cutting ability was good in most standing crops. Windrow formation and quality varied from good to very good depending on crop type and stand.

Peak power take-off requirements varied from 11 to 16 kW (14 to 21 hp). A 30 kW (40 hp) tractor should have ample power to operate the John Deere 1380 in most field conditions.

Header flotation was adequate once flotation springs and skid shoes were properly adjusted.

The John Deere 1380 was safe to operate as long as common sense was used and the manufacturer's safety recommendations were followed.

Summary of International 1190 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.60 MB)

Overall functional performance of the International 1190 mower-conditioner was very good. Ease of operation and adjustment both were good.

Average field speeds varied from 5 to 9 km/h (3 to 5.5 mph) while average workrates varied from 1.3 to 2.0 ha/h (3.2 to 5.0 ac/h). Ground speed was usually limited by cutter bar performance.

Cutting ability was good in most standing crops. Windrow formation and quality varied from good to very good depending on crop type and stand.

Peak power take-off requirements varied from 5 to 7 kW (7 to 9 hp). A 20 kW (30 hp) tractor should have ample power to operate the International 1190 in most field conditions.

Header flotation was adequate once flotation springs and skid shoes were properly adjusted.

The International 1190 was safe to operate as long as common sense was used and the manufacturer's safety recommendations were followed.

Summary of Kuhn FC300 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.55 MB)

Quality of Work: Performance of the cutting discs was excellent even when cutting damp or fine stemmed crops.

Performance of the conditioning rotor and comb was very good in all crops. Windrow formation was very good.

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the Kuhn FC300 was 8 mph (13 km/h). Field speed was limited by field roughness and the ability of the operator. In smooth fields ground speeds up to 18 mph (29 km/h) were attained.

Average continuous workrate was 9 ac/h (3.6 ha/h).

Ease of Operation and Adjustment: The ease of operation and maintenance was very good. Changing of a complete set of knives took 1-1/2 hours. Daily service and lubrication took 1/2 hour.

Operator Safety: No safety hazards were apparent.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was very good.

Mechanical History: One minor mechanical problem occurred during the test.

Summary of Vicon KM 321 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.47 MB)

Quality of Work: Performance of the cutting discs was excellent even when cutting damp or fine stemmed crops.

Performance of the conditioning rollers was very good in most crops. In very light crops some material did not pass through the conditioning rollers. Windrow formation was very good.

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the Vicon KM321 was 8 mph (13 km/h). Field speed was limited by field roughness and the ability of the operator. In smooth fields ground speeds up to 18 mph (29 km/h) were attained.

Average continuous workrate was 9 ac/h (3.6 ha/h).

Ease of Operation and Adjustment: The ease of operation and maintenance was very good. Changing of a complete set of knives took 11/2 hours. Daily service and lubrication took 1/2 hour.

Operator Safety: One safety hazard was apparent.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was very good.

Mechanical History: One minor mechanical problem occurred during the test.

Summary of New Holland 499 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.70 MB)

Rate of Work: The typical continuous field speed varied from 4 to 6mph (6.4 to 9.6 km/h). Typical continuous work rate varied from 6 to 9 ac/h (2.3 to 3.5 ha/h).

Quality of Work: Cutting ability was very good in all crops. Occasional plugging occurred in damp or fine stemmed crops. Conditioner performance and windrow formation were very good in most crops.

Ease of Operation and Adjustment: The ease of operation and maintenance was good. Daily service and lubrication took approximately 15 minutes.

Power Requirements: A tractor with a minimum pto rating of 65 hp (49 kW) and two remote hydraulic outlets was required.

Operator Safety: The machine was safe to operate, maintain and adjust.

Operators Manual: The operator's manual was very good. It contained useful information on operation, maintenance and adjustment.

Mechanical History: Only a few minor mechanical problems occurred during the test.

Summary of Hesston 1150 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.51 MB)

Rate of Work: The typical continuous field speed varied from 3.5 to 6.1 mph (5.6 to 9.8 km/h). Typical continuous work rate varied from 5.5 to 9.0 ac/h (2.2 to 3.6 ha/h).

Quality of Work: Cutting ability was very good in all crops. Occasional plugging occurred in damp or fine stemmed crops. Conditioner performance and windrow formation were very good in most crops.

Ease of Operation and Adjustment: The ease of operation and maintenance was good. Daily service and lubrication took approximately 15 minutes.

Power Requirements: A tractor with a minimum power-takeoff rating of 60 hp (45 kW) and two remote hydraulic outlets was required.

Operator Safety: One safety problem was apparent. Otherwise the machine was safe to operate, maintain and adjust.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was very good. It contained useful information on operation, maintenance and adjustment.

Mechanical History: Only a few minor mechanical problems occurred during the test.

Summary of New Holland 116 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.64 MB)

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the New Holland 116 mower conditioner was 6 mph (9.6 km/h). Ground speed was limited by field roughness and crop density. Average continuous work rate was 10.0 ac/h (4.01 ha/h).

Quality of Work: The performance of the New Holland 116 mower conditioner in all crops tested was excellent. The cutterbar performance was excellent cutting alfalfa, native grasses, brome, timothy and clover. Performance of the conditioning rolls was very good in all crops and the windrow formation was very good. After initial adjustment, flotation was very good. Leaf loss was minimal.

Ease of Operation: Hitching, hydraulic controls, transporting and field operation were all rated as very good. Lubrication was rated as good. The New Holland 116 was easy to operate and required little operator practice. Daily service took about 20 minutes.

Ease of Adjustment: The New Holland 116 was easy to adjust if procedures outlined in the operator's manual were followed. It allowed nine separate settings controlling cutting and conditioning performance. PAMI's ratings for adjustments ranged from good to very good. Auger speed was not adjustable.

Operator Safety: The New Holland 116 was safe to operate if normal safety precautions were followed. It complied with all applicable ASAE standards for safety.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was very good. It contained useful and accurate information.

Mechanical History: Feed auger drive sprocket and chain wore out at 135 hours. Wheel and rim had to be replaced at 68 hours. Push bar mounts required repair at 193 and 212 hours.

Summary of Gehl 2650 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.67 MB)

Rate of Work: The Gehl 2650 was capable of ground speeds up to 12 mph (19.2 km/h). In heavy crops of alfalfa ground speed was reduced to about 5 mph (8 km/h) to prevent plugging of conditioning rolls. Average continuous work rate was 9 ac/h (3.6 ha/h). Field roughness and crop density determined ground speed.

Quality of Work: The Gehl 2650 performance in all crops tested was excellent. The cutter bar was very effective in cutting fine stemmed grasses as well as alfalfa and clover.

Performance of the conditioning rolls was very good in all crops. Windrow formation was very good.

Ease of Operation: Field operation, operator comfort, controls, lighting, lubrication and handling were rated good to very good by PAMI. The Gehl 2650 was easy and comfortable to operate. Steering was very responsive and allowed easy maneuvering. A complete knife could be changed in 10 minutes by one person. Lubrication was straightforward and easy and took about 20 minutes, with some grease nipples difficult to get to.

Floatation was very good and adequate for the crop field conditions encountered.

Ease of Adjustment: Overall ease of adjustments was very good. The Gehl 2650 allowed nine separate adjustments affecting cutting and conditioning performance.

Operator Safety: The Gehl 2650 complied with all ASAE safety standards and was safe to operate if normal safety precautions were observed and followed.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was of excellent quality and contained much useful information.

Mechanical History: Two flange bearings that supported the conditioning rolls refused grease after 42 hours of operation.

Summary of Gehl 2270 Swing Frame Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.70 MB)

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the Gehl 2270 mower conditioner was 6.0 mph (9.6 km/h). Ground speed was limited by field roughness and crop density. Average continuous work rate was 8.0 ac/h (3.2 ha/h).

Quality of Work: The performance of the Geht 2270 mower conditioner in all crops tested was very good. The cutterbar performance was very good cutting alfalfa, native grasses, brome, timothy and clover. Performance of the conditioning rolls was very good in all crops and the windrow formation was very good. After initial adjustment, floatation was easily set to meet field conditions. Floatation was very good and leaf loss was minimal.

Ease of Operation: Ease of hitching, operating hydraulic controls, transporting, and lubricating were all very good. Ease of field operation was good. The Gehl 2270 was easy to operate and took little operator practice. Daily service took about 20 minutes.

Ease of Adjustment: Most adjustments to the Gehl 2270 were easy to carry out. Ease of adjusting the cutterbar, reel speed, skid shoes and swath gate was very good. Ease of adjusting the reel position, auger, roll clearance and header floatation was good. Ease of adjusting the push bar was fair and ease of adjusting the roll pressure and gauge wheels was poor. Ease of maintaining the knife was very good.

Operator Safety: The Gehl 2270 was safe to operate if normal safety precautions were followed. The Gehl 2270 complied with all applicable ASAE standards for safety.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was excellent. It contained useful and accurate information.

Mechanical History: Several mechanical problems occurred during the 178 hours of test time.

Summary of New Idea 5209 Disc Mower Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.57 MB)

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the New Idea 5209 disc mower conditioner was 4.9 mph (7.9 km/h). Average continuous work rate was 5.5 ac/h (2.2 ha/h).

Quality of Work: The performance of the New Idea 5209 mower conditioner in all crops tested was very good. The rotary disc performance was very good cutting alfalfa, native grasses, brome, timothy and clover. Performance of the conditioning rolls was very good in most crops and the windrow formation was very good. Floatation was very good and was easily set to meet field conditions. Leaf loss was minimal.

Ease of Operation: Ease of hitching, operating hydraulic controls, transporting, and lubricating were all very good. The New Idea 5209 was easy to operate and took little operator practice. Daily service took about 15 minutes.

Ease of Adjustment: All adjustments to the New Idea 5209 were easy to carry out. Ease of adjusting the cutting angle of the cutterbar was very good. Adjustments of roll clearance, windrow width and height, roll pressure, crop dividers, and floatation were all very good. Ease of maintaining the knives was good.

Power Requirements: The manufacturer recommended a minimum tractor size of 60 hp (45 kW) with dual remote hydraulic outlets and a pto shaft capable of 540 rpm. PAMI effectively operated the 5209 with a 75 hp (56 kW) tractor.

Operator Safety: The New Idea 5209 disc mower conditioner was safe to operate if normal safety precautions were followed. The New Idea 5209 complied with all applicable ASAE standards for safety.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was very good. It contained useful and accurate information.

Mechanical History: Three mechanical problems occurred during the 200 hours of test time.

Summary of Case IH 8380 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.47 MB)

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the Case IH 8380 mower conditioner was 6.1 mph (9.7 km/h). Average continuous work rate was 11.8 ac/h (4.7 ha/h).

Quality of Work: The performance of the Case IH 8380 mower conditioner in all crops tested was very good. The twin knife cutterbar was excellent cutting alfalfa, native grasses, brome, timothy and clover. Performance of the conditioning rolls was very good in all crops tested and windrow formation was very good. Floatation was very good and was easily set to meet field conditions. Leaf loss was minimal.

Ease of Operation: Ease of hitching was good if the mower conditioner was used with different tractors. If used with the same tractor all of the time, hitching was very good. Ease of operating hydraulic controls and lubricating were all very good. The Case IH 8380 was easy to operate and took little operator practice. Daily service took about 15 minutes. Ease of transporting was good.

Ease of Adjustment: Most adjustments to the Case IH 8380 were easy to carry out. Ease of adjusting the cutting angle of the cutterbar and guards was fair and time consuming. Adjustments for tine bar timing and reel position and speed were very good. Adjustments for the lean bar were fair. The windrow forming shields adjustment was good. Adjustments for roll clearance, floatation and skid shoe height were all very good.

The auger speed and position were not adjustable. The stripper bar angle adjustment was poor. It was difficult to adjust accurately. Conditioner adjustments for gap, timing and pressure were all very good.

Power Requirements: The manufacturer recommended a tractor capable of at least 75 hp (56 kW) with dual remote hydraulic outlets and a pto shaft capable of 540 or 1000 rpm.

Operator Safety: The Case IH 8380 was safe to operate if normal safety precautions were followed. The Case IH 8380 complied with all applicable ASAE Standards for safety.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was very good. It contained useful and accurate information.

Mechanical History: Only a few mechanical problems occurred during the 122 hour test time.

Summary of New Idea 5114 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.49 MB)

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the New Idea 5114 mower conditioner was 6.0 mph (9.6 km/h). Average continuous work rate was 10.2 ac/h (4.1 ha/h).

Quality of Work: The cutterbar performance was very good cutting alfalfa, native grasses, brome, timothy and clover. Performance of the feed auger was poor when cutting heavy crops. Performance of the conditioning rolls was very good in all crops and the windrow formation was very good. After initial adjustment, floatation was easily set to meet field conditions. Floatation was very good and leaf loss was minimal.

Ease of Operation: Ease of hitching, operating hydraulic controls, transporting and lubricating were all very good. Ease of field operation was very good. The New Idea 5114 was easy to operate and took little operator practice. Daily service took about 20 minutes.

Ease of Adjustment: Most adjustments to the New Idea 5114 were easy to carry out. Ease of adjusting the crop deflector bar, cutterbar angle, reel speed, skid shoes, swath gate, auger strippers, auger speed, roll pressure and floatation were very good. Ease of adjusting roll clearance and reel position were good. Ease of maintaining the knife was good.

Power Requirements: The New Idea 5114 required a tractor capable of at least 60 hp (45 kW), and a pto shaft capable of 540 rpm. Two remote hydraulic circuits were required to operate the hydraulic functions.

Operator Safety: The New Idea 5114 was safe to operate if normal safety precautions were followed. The New Idea 5114 complied with all ASAE standards for safety.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was excellent. It contained useful and accurate information.

Mechanical History: Only a few mechanical problems occurred during the 116 hours of test time.

Summary of Hesston 1170 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.47 MB)

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the Hesston 1170 mower conditioner was 6.1 mph (9.7 km/h). Average continuous work rate was 11.8 ac/h (4.7 h/h).

Quality of Work: The performance of the Hesston 1170 mower conditioner in all crops tested was very good. The twin knife cutterbar was excellent cutting alfalfa, native grasses, brome, timothy and clover. Performance of the conditioning rolls was very good in all crops tested and windrow formation was very good. Floatation was very good and was easily set to meet field conditions. Leaf loss was minimal.

Ease of Operation: Ease of hitching was good if the mower conditioner was used with different tractors. If used with the same tractor all of the time, hitching was very good. Ease of operating hydraulic controls, and lubricating were all very good. The Hesston 1170 was easy to operate and took little operator practice. Daily service took about 15 minutes. Ease of transporting was good.

Ease of Adjustment: Most adjustments to the Hesston 1170 were easy to carry out. Ease of adjusting the cutting angle of the cutterbar and guards was fair and time consuming. Adjustments for tine bar timing and reel position and speed were very good. Adjustments for the lean bar were fair. The windrow forming shields adjustment was good. Adjustments for roll clearance, floatation, skid shoe height were all very good.

The auger speed and position were not adjustable. The stripper bar angle adjustment was poor. It was difficult to adjust accurately.

Conditioner adjustments for gap, timing and pressure were all very good.

Power Requirements: The manufacturer recommended a tractor capable of at least 75 hp (56 kW) with dual remote hydraulic outlets and a pto shaft capable of 540 or 1000 rpm.

Operator Safety: The Hesston 1170 was safe to operate if normal safety precautions were followed, The Hesston 117O complied with all applicable ASAE Standards for safety.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was very good. It contained useful and accurate information.

Mechanical History: Only a few mechanical problems occurred during the 1.22 hour test time.

Summary of MacDon 5000 Mower-Conditioner (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.66 MB)

Rate of Work: The average continuous ground speed for the MacDon 5000 was 5.5 mph (8.8 km/h). Average continuous work rate was 8.2 ac/h (3.3 h/h).

Quality of Work: The performance of the MacDon 5000 mower conditioner in all crops tested was very good. The single knife cutterbar was very good cutting alfalfa, native grasses, timothy and clover. Performance of the conditioning rolls was very good in all crops tested and windrow formation was very good. Floatation was very good and was easily set to match field conditions. Leaf loss was minimal.

Ease of Operation and Adjustment: Ease of hitching was good if the windrower was used with different tractors. If used with the same tractor all of the time, hitching was very good. Ease of operating the hydraulic controls, and lubricating were all very good. The MacDon 5000 was easy to operate and took little operator practice.

Daily servicing took one person about 15 minutes. Ease of transporting was very good.

Ease of adjustments of the MacDon 5000 was good. Most adjustments were simple but had to be performed manually on the ground. Ease of setting components to suit field conditions was very good. Setting was usually quick and required only a little fine tuning.

Power Requirements: The manufacturer recommends a tractor of at least 75 hp (56 kW) with dual remote hydraulic outlets and a pto shaft capable of 540 rpm or 1000 rpm.

Operator Safety: The MacDon 5000 was safe to operate if normal safety precautions were followed. The MacDon 5000 complied with all applicable ASAE standards for safety.

Operator's Manual: The operator's manual was excellent. It contained accurate and useful information.

Mechanical History: Only a few mechanical problems occurred during the 138 hour test time. The header tilt bracket separated from the main frame. The wobble box and pitman arm were replaced.

Research Update - Hay in a Day? - Hay Macerator Project (Research Update - PDF File - 0.05 MB)