What Is Hay & Forage Equipment?

Hay and forage equipment refers to the tractors and implements needed to harvest hay. Harvesting hay is accomplished in three steps: cutting, raking and baling. Each requires its own unique equipment.

  1. Mowers

    • Mowers and mower conditioners are used to cut hay. Mowers may be self-propelled or pulled by a tractor and are one of two basic types: rotary discs or sickle cutterbar. Rotary discs cut with small, free swinging knives attached to discs. Sickle cutterbar mowers cut with a line of triangular blades working in a scissor-like motion.

    Mower Conditioners

    • Mower conditioners or haybines not only cut the hay but also crush the stems to help speed the drying process.

    Rakes

    • Rakes have rows of metal teeth attached to a frame and can be several styles: parallel bar, wheel or rotary. Rakes not only create windrows (narrow rows) for ease of baling but also invert the hay, flipping the bottom side up to expose it to the elements for further drying.

    Windrowers

    • Windrowers also are sickle bar or rotary disc type and can be used with rakes to gather the cut hay into windrows.

    Balers

    • A baler picks up the windrows, packing the hay together and tying or wrapping it. Depending on type, balers will produce round bales, large square bales or small square bales.