Conditioner (farming)

Mower-conditioners:
– Sickle bar mowers, disc mowers, and drum mowers are types of mowers used in mower-conditioners.
– Sickle bar mowers have a reciprocating blade and reel for cutting grass.
– Disc mowers have rotating discs with knives across the cutting width.
– Drum mowers use large plates called drums that spin and ride over the ground.
– Modern disc mowers have isolated gearboxes for easier maintenance.

Types of conditioners:
– Rubber-roller, steel-roller, and flail are the main types of conditioners.
– Roller conditioners consist of two rolls with an interlocking pattern to crimp the crop.
– Flail conditioners have steel Vs on a main shaft to beat the crop for faster drying.
– Adjusting the space between the rolls can lead to machine breakdowns.
– Wet or laid-down hay can jam the rolls, causing significant damage to the machine.

Haybine:
– Haybine is the original mower-conditioner brand that combined a sickle bar mower and hay conditioner.
– New Holland produces modern versions called Discbines with faster disc mowers.

References:
– New Holland provides parts diagrams for Haybine mower conditioners.
– Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs offers information on faster hay drying techniques.
– Kuhn North America discusses the importance of a wide swath in hay drying.
– Joel Bagg, a forage specialist, provides insights on cutting, conditioning, and raking for hay drying.
– Wikipedia page on Conditioner (farming) with detailed information and references.

See also:
– Modern mechanized techniques for hay production.
– Swather, a machine used in haymaking.
– Baler, a machine used to compress and bundle hay.
– Tedder, a machine used to spread and turn hay for drying.