Swath Turner

[Gofer]

Anybody know where there is a Matador Hay Inverter for sale ?
Gotta get these barley swaths off the ground somehow !

[mcfarms]

if you havent go ask the same question on the combine forum. Years ago alot of guys built swath movers using old belt pickups or sunds one may be in a shed somewhere.

[Klause]

A round baler works better as it isn't as rough. Open the back up and pickup lifts it bottom belts drop it out the back again all fluffed.



Our deere 587 has gotten borrowed this spring already and after the snow last fall (one of the few guys with a baler around here haha)


If you're not too far from Humboldt your welcome to borrow ours also.

[BreadWinner]

Matador is no good, it kind of rolls over and all the heads will be on the bottom side. Klause is right just pick it up and set it back down.

[Gofer]

Matador is no good, it kind of rolls over and all the heads will be on the bottom side. Klause is right just pick it up and set it back down.

Thanks, we were thinking to remove the mold board so it wouldn't do a complete 180*.
Just found a guy renting one at Vegreville, just east of us so we may try it out.
If not my brother has a nice baler.

[Ache4Acres]

Gofer the baler gofer

[Ache4Acres]

I have never seen a matador but for the price of you can find one seems cheap

[SADIE]

Gofer I have been a "lurker" on agiville now a long time and I have learnt a lot from the grainfarmers on this forum that have helped me out.

Last Fall after the snow and rain on 36 ft wheat swath a neighbor came to me asking about using my Matador invertor. I told him that is not what you want but try my Kuhn PTO driven rotatory rake.
This unit we use for turning our hay windrow on our irrigation hay. It turns and is very gentle. It has small tires.

This large grain farmer was very impressed how it turned the 36 ft swath and fluffed it up. Combined after one day and moisture right down to 14.5. Very gentle on the heads of wheat but moved a heavy swath.

I hope this inputs helps you.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Around here, if you swath, a swath lifter/fluffer is a prerequisite. Nearly everyone has built one out of an old combine pickup. set at a bit of an angle it at least partially places swath on dry ground. A wide modern pickup could probably run close to 45 degrees and lay the swath completely on dry ground.

Which is the reason why I straight cut everything. One rain, or one snow and swaths are hopeless.

I can't envision using a rotary rake. I've tried them on hay and found them to be less than desirable. They do fluff it up well, but it is quite random wet side not necessarily on top, the result is high and not very wide. And anything but gentle, but maybe I'm doing it wrong.

[SADIE]

<a href="http://s1138.photobucket.com/user/kphaber/media/1980-01-01%2000.00.14-9_zpsynipqt2n.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n523/kphaber/1980-01-01%2000.00.14-9_zpsynipqt2n.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 1980-01-01 00.00.14-9_zpsynipqt2n.jpg"/></a>

Here is the machine that was used. The neighbor came into my yard asking to use my Matador Swath invertor. He wouldn't of got 5 ft turning that swath.

Sorry that the pic is on its side. This unit I purchased new two seasons ago for about $13,500.00.
I now turn all my alfalfa orchard grass hay. Remarkable machine and very gentle on product. It fluffed up and turned and brought the wet stuff to the top of the new windrow last fall on a 36 ft wheat swath.