The Hay Equipment You Need

Hay is a staple of the agricultural world, and making your own can save you a bundle. But to do that, you’ll need the right implements and attachments. We suggest the following hay equipment for a cost-effective and efficient hay creation process!

Hay Mowers

These tend to work with a three-point hitch on tractors. One style is a drum mower, which is simple and powerful and doesn’t need much horsepower. They utilize a gear box that sits above two drums that rotate counter to one another. It’s great for thick hay.

Another is a sickle bar mower, which is the first type of mechanical mower. These are lightweight and require little horsepower. They can even be used to cut grass as well, meaning you don’t need a separate attachment for that.

The final type is a disc mower, which is like an extension of the sickle bar model. They’re more reliable, but your tractor needs to be heavy duty and utilize hydraulics to make them work.

Hay Tedder

Tedders don’t need much more than a PTO on your tractor and can use either three-point hinges or a tow-behind style. These spread out and turn loose hay to help it dry faster, which is especially useful in humid areas or with thicker hay. 

Hay Rakes

Finally, you’ll need a hay rake to divide the hay into windrows, or long rows of drying hay, before you can bale it.

Parallel-bar rakes use a design that’s over a century old and are relatively inefficient, but if you already have one or are on a tight budget, they’ll do. Try to replace it when possible for better quality hay and efficiency, though.

Wheel rakes are faster and keep your yield high. They’re simple and easy to use, but may add dirt and debris to the hay, lowering your quality. They’re also bulky and harder to store.

Rotary rakes are faster and make uniform windrows to make baling easier. They’re better at handling wet hay and are less likely to contaminate it. 

Belt rakes are good for both wet and dry hay and create fluffy windrows without contamination. They improve on the benefits of rotary rakes thanks to their compact design and lightweight build, and can even be used as tedders if you need to tighten up your budget.

We hope this guide helps you get your hay harvesting operation off the ground! When you are ready to explore hay equipment for sale, visit Central Machinery Sales. Our dealership is located in Moses Lake, Washington, and we also serve those in Spokane and Pasco.