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East Central Wisconsin | The fields are pretty varied this year, so sometimes it is running at 100% capacity and at other times its about 40% or so. This area of Wisconsin had severe winterkill on the alfalfa with many farmers losing 80-90% of their crop. We don't plant straight alfalfa for that very reason, and we tend to plant timothy (this field) or fescue (the new seeding this year) depending on the field conditions. This hay is about 70% grass this year, up from about 20% grass last year. I realize that grass doesn't chop very well, but my Fox Super 1000 chopper that this one replaced and this chopper both chopped grass far better than this. I'd say that 40% or more of the load is at least 10" long with some various shorter cut stuff mixed in. The bagger could barely handle the feed and the main drive belt kept slipping. I finally had to stop bagging and will have to put the rest in the silo on top of the old feed. When I first switched to eight knives, I had to swap out the drive gear for the head feed rolls because the first load I chopped with the new knives was almost like powder in the wagon. That too was a grassy field with about 50% grass and 50% alfalfa/clover mix. Its supposed to rain for the next week, so I may just pull the cutterbar and check it out. It was in good shape in 2011, but that doesn't mean its good now I guess. I'll also have to check the left side hold down pin to be sure that its still free. I soak it in oil several times a year, but the last one rusted tight on us and wouldn't hold the bar tight anymore. It was free when I pulled the bar after the knife came loose.
I'd rather just bale first crop, but its been raining almost non stop around here the last two months. We get 3-4 days of rain, then one or two nice and sunny, then 3-4 of rain again and so on. Crops are delayed all over the place. I talked to a guy the other day and he has over 1200 acres of corn to plant yet and 700 acres of hay. I'm just lucky that the custom operator that does my planting happened to be in the area and got everything in for me on Monday. That's one less worry on my shoulders. | |
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My Gehl 1075 is driving me crazy!
