Hay Cutting Tools

Scythes

• These hay-cutting tools have no motor or moving parts, and they are used to cut small parcels of hay. The European type of scythe has a curved blade that is sharpened with a peen hammer on an anvil using a combination of hammering and honing. The American scythe has heavier blades, lacks the curve and is sharpened on a grindstone. To cut the grass, you place one hand on the upper handle and the other hand on the lower grip. The handles are attached to a long wooden pole called a snath, and the blade is connected to the snath. You cut the hay by standing comfortably upright while slowly swinging the scythe back and forth parallel to the ground.

Rotary Mower

• Powered and propelled by a tractor, the rotary mower can be mounted behind the tractor or below the tractor frame. The mower is about 12 inches off the ground and has metal sides which completely enclose the one or two sharpened blades. The blades mounted on a disk rotate perpendicular to the surface being cut, cutting and tearing the hay as it spins. These mowers are capable of operating at a speed of 20 mph and are useful for cutting hay on a larger acreage. In some models the blades are attached to disks that swivel to absorb the shock from hitting objects such as stumps or stones.

Sickle Bar Mower

• The sickle bar mower was one of the first mechanical mowers used for cutting hay. The metal sickle bar is mounted to the bottom frame of a tractor. The bars come in various widths and attached to the bars are sharp cutting blades resembling long teeth, each blade being about 7 inches long. The sickle bars can have as few as five blades while others have as many as 20 and the bars are raised and lowered by the operator of the vehicle either manually, by pulling on a chain and lift handle assembly or through a hydraulic lift. The bar's oscillating mechanism is encased in an oil bath which lubricates the blades continuously as they move back and forth, slicing through the hay.