How To Set Up Your Drum Hay Mower: Small Scale Hay Equipment

Howdy folks! Welcome to 8th Day Chronicles! Thank you for stopping by our channel today! Come along with us as we attach our Farm Maxx / Kowalski FDM-135 hay drum mower to our Kubota L3200 tractor and then go in depth on set-up procedures. We will discuss how to set the drum mower properly for maximum potential for a great, clean cut to your hay fields and demonstrate actual attachment/setup using our Kubota tractor and Farm Maxx drum mower.
If you enjoy this video and/or are a new hay farmer and this video helps you in any way using a drum mower, please let us know in the comments section. Give us a thumbs-up and if this "how-to" video helps and you learn anything or just enjoyed it, let us know and we will continue the series with additional attach / set-up videos on remaining small-scale hay equipment such as tedder, rake and baler videos as we progress through this hay season.
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May God richly bless you and your family!

[@OldSaltyBear]

My 1950s sickle mower finally ate it while cutting hay last month. Can't find parts, so I went and bought a drum mower. Its a different brand but looks almost exactly the same. Thanks for posting this. I was worried I would have a tall learning curve with it, but this video helped fill in many knowledge gaps.

[@8thdaychronicles]

Hope you have great luck with the new drum mower! Appreciate the kind words, thanks for watching!

[@stevenrodda6449]

This video is great, thank you so much!

[@8thdaychronicles]

Thank you very much!

[@glennlingard7851]

Here’s the thing looking from a Brits view, number one, the three point system never took off in America like it did in UK, only this last ten years has it been more adapted with the hobby farmer, mainstream farmers it has become more popular but hitch is still king there, now the drum mower, until these first came on the scene we used the sickle mower or reaper as we brits call them, needless to say, the sickle mower became stuffed in the hedge bottom asap, literally every grassland farmer in the uk bought their first drum mower, hooking it up to the three point was second nature for us as we adopted it very well, as far as the cutting length, no one complained, the trouble free mowing overran any thoughts on that, and….regowth was never a problem to this day 🙂

[@8thdaychronicles]

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing that info!

[@tommywise1702]

Great in detail video. This video will work with our Ibex drum mower as well. The pin setup and adjustment details are very similar. Nice tip about the top link and side adjustments, our brand acts the same when it's close to flat and level. Drum mowers are great for sure. We added the lift kit as well, just a little too close for hay grass survival. You are right about the hay. Waiting on the sun is your best option. Anything else is a waste of time. Happy Mothers Day Susan!

[@8thdaychronicles]

Thanks, Tom...and Happy Mothers Day to Mrs. Sally also! Basic setup for a drum mower, maybe it helps folks new to the drum mower and small-scale hay. I think most of the info will be applicable to most drum mower brands, Ibex, Samaz, Farm Maxx, etc, etc. For the funds invested, IMO, a drum mower is a tough act to follow....if....set correctly. We appreciate it, friend!

[@sallywise4243]

Thanks Darrin

[@ericalmquist889]

!st run with our new Kowalski drum mower, and despite my best efforts, one raggedy ass cut. I did find a bunch of dirt and grass packed under the knives of the inboard drum not allowing good swinging action, maybe that will help. I'm not sure whether to run the 3-point all the way down, or up a bit so there's minimal down pressure on the skids. It really is a lot of implement for the money, just have to get it dialed in.👍

[@8thdaychronicles]

I run my 3 point arms down. A drum mower is supposed to skid along on the bottom plates. Make adjustments to the top link and side link to get it leveled so it can float to the contours of the field. A lift kit helps with a higher cut height but I’ve found on rough, bumpy fields, probably going very high isn’t the best option. Good luck!

[@ericalmquist889]

@@8thdaychronicles Thanks for that... we installed 4 spacers when we set the mower up, which does help keep us off the gopher mounds pretty much, but I think it compromises the cut quality appreciably. I'll pull 2 spacers off (each drum) and give that a go. I find that the space between the spring blade holder and the top pan gets packed with debris and freezes the blade, not sure how much this is contributing to the poor cut. I'm running this FDM-165 behind a Kubota L-4600, there's plenty of power, the mower never slows down even in thick belly high 1st cut grass. 8 spd manual (4x2), I run in 3rd low range.

[@8thdaychronicles]

@@ericalmquist889 Run it at 540 PTO speed too. I found that if the rpm’s drop it don’t seem to cut as cleanly. My mower actually has a sticker on it that says “540 min”. I’m running 6 spacers now with no issues. Keep sharp blades. Hit em with a file between cuts, easy on and off, easy to do. Like you said, heck of a lot of machine for the price. Just work on tuning it in. Good luck!

[@ericalmquist889]

@@8thdaychronicles Just to be clear, are you running 6 spacers on each drum, or 3 per drum (X 2 drums)? And thank you for all the suggestions.

[@8thdaychronicles]

@@ericalmquist889 Yes, 6 spacers on each drum. I may reduce it back down to 4 each drum sometime soon. My fields are pretty smooth and not rough. I felt it cut plenty high enough to avoid root damage with 4. The spacers in my kit are 1/4" thick each. I assume your spacers are the same thickness? But adjust to your own preference. Everyone seems to have their own preference, and none is right or wrong. Like I said before, I wouldnt go 6 to start....add one or two at the most at a time until it suits you. Good luck.

[@BertSchmidt-jt5go]

Hello hope you are doing well working on last step of FMD mower spacers. Got it all blocked everything taken apart. Issue I'm having is is there a trick to and simple way after you put spacers on to put plate back on to hold spacers in place . I think I have tried everything maybe I'm doing it wrong any ideas thank you as always is just the wife and I putting this together 95 degrees and outside as always thank you.

[@8thdaychronicles]

Howdy. I just stick the appropriate length bolt up thru the plate and the spacers and hold it up with one hand line it up and with the other start the bolt. I kinda kick the bolt a bit sideways so the threads hold the spacers until I can get one bolt started. I have used a floor jack too, which is probably easier. If you have to, use a bit of tape like electrical tape to hold the spacers in alignment until you can hand-start the bolt. Once you get one started, the rest is easy. Ive added/taken off spacers multiple times by myself, its not difficult, just take your time, use safe blocks to block it up and even then, dont get nothing but your hand/forearm under those drums, just in case. If it falls somehow, it could be BAD if your torso was under there. And a bit of advice....dont put too many spacers to start with. Add 1-2, cut with it, look at your cut quality, if satisfied, maybe add 2 more, inspect the cut, etc, etc. I feel there is a limit with spacers to getting a good cut depending on how rough your field is and how thick your hay is. Ive heard some guys put alot on at once and find the cut quality dont suit them. Moderation is the key. Heck Ive heard some folks really like the cut at factory setting. Id suggest trying it at stock height one and see what YOU think. You may like it. Everyone likes things a little different. Do what suits YOU. Good luck!

[@christopherpyle3503]

Good evening. I just unloaded and uncreated my Farm Maxx 185. Did yours come with assembly instructions? Mine did not. Are they online somewhere? Just wondering if you can provide me any help. Thanks

[@8thdaychronicles]

No, mine didn’t either. I just looked closely at pictures and looked at a parts diagram on Kowalski website to make sure my assembly was correct. If you are unsure about anything while assembling, contact your dealer and see if he can get you a manual

[@BertSchmidt-jt5go]

Hello since I send you last message my wife and I got the FDM 165 together assembled except the curtain You were right it takes a man and a man to put it together. We think it is right however the assembly instructions we got were vague.just by chance do u know where I can find one? All there was was operators manual the one that was send from dealer had couple different things in in it of course had and such. We just not quite sure if we are good maybe take pics and send them to u via text or something we just don't want to do it all over again. We are just unsure sorry and thank u so much as always for your help.

[@8thdaychronicles]

No idea on an assembly manual. Id suggest contacting the dealer you bought it from and request one. If no luck there contact the manufacturer and ask for one via email. My drum mower and the 165 model could have slight differences in assembly. If no luck with any of that, find an experienced hay farmer in your area and coerce them into stopping by to look at your machine to see if its assembled correctly. Good luck!

[@BertSchmidt-jt5go]

Thank you I think the wife and I got it together. The question I have the break away spring how would u know how loose or how tight it should be. The other stupid qquestion We have how much tension should be on the belts the deflection it does not state it anywhere just says tight?? We feel so bad asking all of these questions and sorry we know u are busy. Thank you very much.

[@8thdaychronicles]

@@BertSchmidt-jt5go no problem. Some of this is tough to answer without being there and seeing your individual mower. You will know if you’ve set the break-away spring tension too light. Mine broke away a time or two and I kept increasing tension until it stopped breaking loose at just stuff it should go over. You want it to break away when you hit something hard, immovable, but not at a small bump. I know that probably don’t help much but time mowing with it will teach you better than I can tell you… Hope that makes sense. Push on your drive belts with your fingers…if they deflect more that 1/2 inch or close thereby, tighten them. If you mow thru heavy hay and you hear the mower bog down a tad, tighten the belts a tad at a time until it zips thru heavy hay. Thick hay is usually no match for a drum mower, it shouldn’t even slow it down usually…unless your drive belts start slipping from being too loose. Hope this helps