Mower conditioner

Mower conditioner: General information

A mower Conditioner, also referred to as a hay conditioner, is a very unique type of agricultural equipment that crushes and crimps freshly cut hay from the farm in order to enhancer faster and efficient drying. Drying hay proficiently is very vital, especially for first crop hay which has a variety of coarse stalks that do not dry faster as second crop hay.

Technical information

A mower conditioner is specially constructed with 2 grooved rollers through which hay is forced to pass through. The two opposing grooved rollers are raised, with an intertwining chevron pattern. As hay passes through the grooved rollers, the stalks are split, providing a large surface area for moisture to evaporate. The mower is basically known to make the work of large-scale hay farmers easier, especially in areas with kittle sunshine.

The 2 grooved rollers can be made of steel, flail or rubber. A roller conditioner is meant for squeezing relatively hard stems of hay. Flail roller conditioners on the other hand are built to smash the wax coat from the leaves of forages so as to speed up the drying process. The steel roller conditioner is very strong as compared to flail and rubber conditioners. It is for crushing very hard stalks of hay for faster and mre effective drying.

The three major types of Mower Conditioner are:

i) Sickle-bar

Sickle-bar Mower Conditioner is designed with a reciprocating knife for cutting grass. It has a very strong reel that folds grass over the knife. It delivers very fast and efficient cutting as well as high quality conditioning.

ii) Disc Mower

Disc Mower Conditioner is designed with a variety of hubs that are lined across the cutting width. Each of the hubs has a small 18-Inched rotating disc that has knives. They cut with an amazing speed perform high quality conditioning. It slices through thick, snarled wet hay and mow through gopher mounds and fire anthills easily.

iii) Drum

Drum Mower Conditioner is designed with two or three big 36-Inch plates known as drums. The drums ride over the ground as they spin. It can also be used for faster cutting and conditioning.

Manufacturers

Each and every type of Mower Conditioner is special in its own way. You only need to choose one that suits your budget and needs. The most important brands for mower conditioners are: John Deere, Kverneland, Krone and Taarup.