Compact Haybines: The Ideal Farm-Scale Haymaking Machines

What is a Small Haybine?

A small haybine is an agricultural mowing machine that is designed to cut hay and merge it into windrows or swaths for drying prior to baling. Haybines use rotary cutting disks or sickle bars to cut the hay and feature an integrated merging conveyor that sweeps the cut hay into a narrow row to enable faster and more even drying compared to wide, scattered windrows.

Key Features of Small Haybines

Small haybines are typically 5 to 9 feet wide and optimized for use on smaller acreages and with compact tractors. They incorporate many of the same features as full-sized haybines but on a smaller, more maneuverable frame:

• Rotary cutting disks or oscillating sickle bar cutter
• Steel or rubber conditioning rollers to crush hay stems
• Integrated merging conveyors to form neat windrows
• Hydraulic controls for raising/lowering cutterbar
• Enclosed gearboxes for smooth, reliable power transfer
• Durable steel construction and heavy-duty drivelines
• Narrow width for working in tight spaces

Popular Small Haybine Models

Some of the most common small haybine models on the market today include:

• New Holland H6740 DiscBine
• John Deere 630 MoCo
• Sitrex RAKE-O-VATOR
• Kuhn GMD600
• Woods BW15

Benefits of Using a Small Haybine

There are many good reasons to choose a small haybine for your hay harvesting operation:

Cost Savings

Compact haybines represent a much more affordable option compared to full-sized models and enable small acreage owners to mechanize haymaking. Their lower capacity is suited for smaller fields.

Maneuverability

With cutting widths less than 10 feet, small haybines are highly maneuverable and can easily work in irregularly shaped fields, around obstacles, and other tight spots that are inaccessible to larger hay equipment.

Low Power Requirements

Smaller haybines place less power demand on tractors during operation compared to bigger models. Many can be run with compact tractors and some of the lightest models can even be pulled by ATVs.

Better Drying

The merged windrows produced by a haybine lead to faster and more even curing compared to wide, scattered rows from mower-conditioners. Faster dry down reduces risks of rain damage and leaf loss.

Maintaining and Operating a Small Haybine

To keep your small haybine running properly for many years of reliable service, follow these guidelines for operation and maintenance:

General Operation Tips

• Inspect fields and remove debris, ditches, holes etc. prior to mowing
• Ensure proper PTO RPM speed to prevent component damage
• Engage at low engine RPM when starting up
• Operate at consistent speed for uniform merging performance
• Avoid extremely thick or lodged crops which can overload machine

Regular Maintenance

• Grease bearings and driveline universals every 8-10 hours
• Check/change gearbox oil levels
• Inspect belts/chains and tighten/replace as needed
• Sharpen/replace sickle sections or disc mower blades
• Clean off accumulated crop debris

Following the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions will maximize longevity out of your small haybine. Proper care will minimize costly downtime and repairs.

Is a Small Haybine Right for You?

For small acreage farmers and ranchers, a compact haybine offers huge time savings and efficiency gains for making high quality hay to feed livestock through winter. Their lighter price tag and running costs also makes them attractive for modest haying needs.

On tighter fields, small haybines can work areas larger models simply cannot access. The neatly merged windrows dry hay faster too. With lower power requirements, they are well matched for small farms and allow farmers to mechanize with smaller tractors.

Thanks to their simplicity and ruggedness, compact haybines represent one of the most useful and practical scale-appropriate technologies for small operations looking to make quality hay.

FAQs

What are the most reliable small haybine brands?

New Holland, John Deere, Kuhn, and Sitrex are some of the top brands for compact haybines. They build durable machines backed by strong dealer support networks.

How much horsepower do I need to run a small haybine?

Most compact haybines are suited for 35-80 hp tractors. The exact HP needs depend on the working width, features, and terrain. Always check specifications.

Can I pull a small haybine with my ATV?

Some very light-duty models under 5 ft wide can be pulled by heavier-duty ATVs. But most small haybines still require a compact or utility tractor in the 35+ hp range.

What width of windrow do small haybines produce?

Windrow widths can vary based on machine adjustments, but generally small haybine windrows are 24-36 inches wide to balance drying needs with ability to pick up.