Hay Mowers & Mower Conditioners for Tractors
Choose a mowing system by tractor power, cutting width and field operation—not by model number alone. Compare trailed reciprocating mowers, one-pass mower windrowers and mower conditioners for commercial forage work.
——Selection starts here
Choose the Mower by the Job It Needs to Do
A hay mower is not a single category of machine. The cutting mechanism, conditioning system, windrow formation and tractor requirements differ substantially between a simple disc mower for dry-climate grass and a combination mower-conditioner for lucerne or mixed forage where fast moisture reduction is critical.
The correct specification starts with your tractor’s available HP and PTO speed, the crop you’re harvesting, your target daily cutting area, and whether you want to combine mowing and conditioning in a single pass. This range covers reciprocating bar mowers, rotary disc mowers and integrated conditioner units — from 2.5 m trailed models for lighter tractors up to wide-cut front/rear combinations for high-volume operations.
——01 / Choose your operation
What do You Need the Machine to Do?
Trailed Reciprocating Mowers
Simple cutting workflow for pasture, lucerne and forage where raking or conditioning is handled by another machine.
See mowing models →Pull-Type Mower Windrowers
Cut forage and gather it into a windrow in one tractor pass, reducing the need for a separate raking operation.
See windrower models →Mower Conditioners
Rotary cutting plus a conditioning stage for buyers who want crop processing immediately after the cut.
See conditioner model →——02 / Product range
Five Distinct Machines, Not One Generic Mower Mategory.
Trailed Single-Blade
Reciprocating Mower
A 34-blade reciprocating cutter for mowing-only operations. Current specifications list a 50–70 mm cutting height and approximately 490 kg machine mass.
Pull-Type Mower Windrower
Wide Pull-Type Mower Windrower
Trailed Mower Conditioner
Which mower fits your
available horsepower?
Horsepower is only the first filter. Final selection should also confirm PTO speed, hitch or drawbar arrangement, hydraulic requirements, transport width and the crop you plan to cut.
Start with 9GD-2.5 or 9GS-5.0
Use tractor size, field width and desired daily coverage to decide between compact mowing and wider double-blade solutions.
9GL-2.5/2.9 adds one-pass windrowing
Suitable for buyers looking for cutting and windrow formation in one field operation.
9GL-5.0/5.6 prioritises working width
Designed for wider coverage where field access and tractor capacity support larger working widths.
Evaluate the 9GQY-3.2 mower-conditioner
Confirm tractor configuration and PTO requirements before final recommendation.
——04 / Side by side
Compare Hay Mower Specifications
Use this table for the first shortlist. Final compatibility should be checked against the ordered machine configuration and your tractor’s PTO/hydraulic setup.
| Modell | Machine Type | Cut Width | Tractor Power | PTO | Cut Mechanism | Conditioning | Windrowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9GD-2.5 | Trailed mower | 2.5 m | 20–50 HP | 540 rpm | Reciprocating | — | — |
| 9GS-5.0 | Double-blade mower | 5.0 m | 30–50 HP | 540 rpm | Dual reciprocating bar | — | — |
| 9GL-2.5/2.9 | Mower windrower | 2.5 m | 35–75 HP | 540 rpm | Reciprocating | — | ✓ |
| 9GL-5.0/5.6 | Mower windrower | 5.0 m | 40–80 HP | 540 rpm | Reciprocating | — | ✓ |
| 9GQY-3.2 | Mower conditioner | 3.2 m | Confirm config. | Confirm config. | Rotary type* | ✓ | Swath formation* |
*9GQY configuration fields are intentionally conservative in this preview and should be checked against the current Balerhay technical sheet before publication.
Mowing → crop handling → windrow → baling
The mower is the first machine in the haymaking line. Width and output should be selected with downstream rake and baler requirements in mind — not in isolation.
——05 / Engineering guide
Reciprocating Cutter Bars and Rotary Mower-Conditioners Solve Different jobs.
Reciprocating cutter bar
Lower-complexity mowing for compatible forage conditions
The 9GD, 9GS and 9GL family data identify reciprocating cutting structures. A cutter bar uses a back-and-forth shear action rather than rotating discs, so correct blade condition, guards, linkage and bar alignment are central to cut quality.
Check blades and guards
Wear or misalignment directly affects shearing action.
Match field conditions
Avoid terrain and obstacles outside the stated operating envelope.
Use the right workflow
Select a mower-windrower if one-pass windrow formation is part of the requirement.
Rotary + conditioning
Use a mower-conditioner when crop processing after the cut matters
A mower-conditioner combines a cutting stage with a conditioning stage. For the buyer, the decision is not only working width; conditioner type, crop type, swath formation, tractor power and PTO configuration must also be confirmed.
Cut and condition in one pass
Useful where the haymaking process benefits from immediate crop conditioning.
Higher system complexity
More components means more compatibility and maintenance points to verify.
Confirm exact configuration
Do not assume PTO speed or conditioner type from another mower family.
——07 / Working width
How much cutting width do you actually need?
Wider is not automatically better. Tractor power, field shape, transport access, crop density and downstream baler/rake capacity all affect the useful width for an operation.
——08 / Compatibility
Check PTO and Tractor Interfaces before Ordering.
Tractor
Confirm tractor make, model, available horsepower and hydraulic outlet capacity before selecting the mower.
PTO
Confirm the required PTO speed and shaft arrangement for the exact mower configuration being ordered.
Driveline
Verify PTO shaft, guarding, hitch or drawbar arrangement and acceptable operating angles.
Mower
Check working width, transport envelope and crop-handling requirement before confirming the final machine.
——09 / Maintenance
Wear Points Differ by Cutting System.
A useful maintenance section should tell the buyer what changes between machine types instead of publishing one generic “lawn mower maintenance” checklist.
——10 / Better enquiries
Before you request a quote
A technical RFQ should give the sales team enough information to check machine-to-tractor fit before pricing.
——11 / Buyer questions
Questions Buyers Should Answer before Choosing a Mower
What is the difference between a hay mower and a mower-conditioner?
A hay mower cuts the standing forage. A mower-conditioner adds a conditioning stage after the cut. The right choice depends on crop type, drying workflow, tractor power and whether another machine already handles crop conditioning or windrow preparation.
What tractor horsepower do I need?
Start with the power range published for the exact model, then verify PTO speed, hitch or drawbar, hydraulic outlets and working conditions. For example, the Balerhay reciprocating models shown here span roughly 20–80 HP, while the mower-conditioner configuration requires separate confirmation.
Is the 9GD-2.5 a disc mower?
The current Balerhay technical data lists the 9GD-2.5 cutting structure as reciprocating. The category landing page should therefore describe it as a reciprocating mower unless a newer manufacturer document proves a different cutter structure.
When should I choose a mower windrower?
Choose a mower windrower when cutting and gathering the crop into a windrow in the same pass is more useful than running a separate rake later. Compare the 9GL models by tractor power and working width.
What information should I send for an RFQ?
Send the tractor make/model, horsepower, PTO speed, crop, field size, target cutting width, quantity and delivery destination. Photos of the tractor PTO/hitch can also help when interface details are unclear.
