April 28, 2010
Two hours from Ellensburg and we finally made it back to the farm.
A bit of bartering, trading, and good conversation had gone on over the last week. Last week Belinda and I made a trip to Ellensburg to look over a John Deere 1380 Mower Conditioner. This swather cuts a swath of hay three feet wider than our existing 1209. What is important to us is a wider swath would allow more room for maneuvering other equipment in the haying process and putting up a better bale of hay. On the other hand, the smaller 1209 would work better for our friend in Ellensburg who is running a tractor with less horsepower. Moving to another piece of used equipment is always a guess and a bit of a risk with cutting coming up just around the corner. Then again, the best any of us can do is talk with folk, get their opinion on their equipment, and trust they are simply telling you what they know. In other words, they’re not trying to pull the wool over your eyes, but just being truthful. I think this the case with the swather.
So, yesterday, Jill volunteered to come with me to Ellensburg to pick up the John Deere 1380 Mower Conditioner. The journey back was a little stressful, but uneventful.
Next, time to grease, oil, check belts and chains, adjust what needs adjusting, and whatever else might arise in completing maintenance before the first cutting.
Chewing the Cud 