"Lightning" Hay Knife

[@mikehughes4923]

Thanks for letting me see how one of these works!!

[@dscottcarter2484]

Thank you for this video. I purchased one and I use it daily for my mini cows

[@martybeard1135]

I set my bales outside the pen and pitch my hay, I also us a hay saw and laugh every time I see someone trying to pry hay from a bale. Nice work on your videos.

[@he7644]

Can you share a little on how you maintain the blade? What was the tool you used at the beginning of the video? I just got one and its amazing! But I don't know how to keep it sharp. Thanks!

[@FortyTwoBlades]

The blades almost always need regrinding, which was done on the contact wheel of my 2x72 belt grinder with appropriate belts -- we recommend folks not already skilled in such work to use a slow-speed wet grinder instead or to send their hay knife in to us for regrinding. Once a properly thin bevel has been reset on the teeth and the point, it's maintained with a scythe stone, preferably before each use, as hay is often full of silica that blunts the edge if not maintained regularly.

[@cattmann1405]

I've never seen one of these in action...Thanks! You'd think that since you're feeding him, the red closest to the door would be kind enough to hold it open for you...GEEEZ ..the nerve..

[@siberianinstincts7941]

Thank you so much for this video. We are currently without tractor and my drafts will eat me out of house and home during winter boredom if they had the whole bale. Investing in one of these.

[@FortyTwoBlades]

When found "in the wild" on eBay or antique shops they always need regrinding at a low angle, preferably on a slow-speed wet grinder to produce a hollow grind. The front of each tooth is sharpened, as are both sides of the point. If suitable angles are being used the grind should go back a depth of over 1/4", even as deep as 1/2" in some cases, depending on the condition it is and the geometry of the specific example. They should then be touched up frequently to keep them cutting smoothly in dense hay. Cuts through tightly-wound round bales like butter when kept properly thin and sharp!

[@siberianinstincts7941]

@@FortyTwoBlades I dont mind buying things from ebay but do you by chance know of any dealers that still sell this type of tool? Long shot but worth asking, especially since you replied which I greatly appreciate.

[@charliewood4158]

Just cleaned out a old barn did not know what that saw was used for so I put on craigslist for 25 bucks someone said hay or ice and put in KZbin and hear I am pretty cool this saw looks real old I did not think round bails came out until later

[@FortyTwoBlades]

They were originally used for cutting portions from hay put up in stacks. :)

[@dcrews649]

Obviously, this guy has never had a bale fall apart while on top. Round bales can be real killers if you are not careful.

[@FortyTwoBlades]

There's no way for it to fall apart until it's fully cut...what you're saying doesn't make any sense. This was completely safe.

[@SSRO2023]

@@FortyTwoBlades he must bale with a John Deere machine😂😂

[@randymaylowski2485]

That looks awesome! But am just curious was that bale of hay very tight where you couldn't poke your fingers in it?

[@FortyTwoBlades]

Tight as a drum.

[@randymaylowski2485]

@@FortyTwoBlades really, I was just wundering cuz we get tight bales that tight also. But inerways thanks for sharing.

[@justducky0]

How does it do if you cut the bale across the middle horizontally -%-

[@FortyTwoBlades]

Not nearly so well because then you're cutting parallel with the alignment of the stalks. It'll still cut, but not like butter the way it does going across them. In terms of portioning it out it works much better to cut cross-grain to your desired depth and then dole out sheets of hay rather than trying to take "slabs".

[@justducky0]

thanks

[@msroughhands]

So only one side of the blade is sharpened?

[@FortyTwoBlades]

Miss Last The very tip is double edged, but the teeth are sharpened only on the fronts.

[@macmurfy2jka]

Ah, man! You have horses! I didn't know you had horses! What's there names?

[@FortyTwoBlades]

Corkey, Luna, and Roanin, the last of whom is a boarder's. :)

[@macmurfy2jka]

+FortyTwoBlades cool, those are some pretty good names for them too.

[@LittleWing3]

Where can I buy this?

[@FortyTwoBlades]

They haven't been made for a long time now, but you can find them easily eBay and antique shops. We do mail-in regrinding work on them to get them ready for use, so if you purchase one somewhere you can send us an email and we can give you instructions on how to get it to us for restoration.

[@cattmann1405]

Estate sales have them quite often.

[@kimcase9]

I was sweating just watching that... haaaaaaaaaaa

[@FortyTwoBlades]

Sounds like you could use more physical activity, then! The cutting is fairly easy work. :)

[@kimcase9]

@@FortyTwoBlades cutting is fine.. was watching you muscle the core into the barn... been there lol.. we ahve irrigated hay-- soooooooo uber heavy-- and im fit.. but still only 135 lbs lol

[@guernseygoodness]

Easier to use a three tine pitch fork in my opinion

[@FortyTwoBlades]

To slice open a hay bale??? Absolutely not.

[@guernseygoodness]

@@FortyTwoBlades not to cut it in two but just to fork off enough to feed a couple of animals once or twice a day.

[@FortyTwoBlades]

@@guernseygoodness forks are usually used for handling the sheets cut off with the hay knife. The ones left outside in this case were because the bale was too large to be rolled inside. The portion cut off initially served as the first feeding, and the remainder rolled inside. Subsequent feedings would then be cut off and dealt out with the fork.