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Here at Tractor Tools Direct, we receive many inquiries about sickle bar mowers. While at one time we included them in our inventory, we stopped supplying them in 2021. This blog will discuss the reasons why and include details on drum mowers – mowers we have found to be superior to sickle bar mowers and much better matches for our customers’ needs, especially in the hay field.Sickle bar mowers, though their design is a bit antiquated, do have a place on a small farm. As the first mechanical hay …

Since opening in 2013, Tractor Tools Direct has been operating under the motto that “compact tractors do real work!”. While our emphasis has primarily been on bringing “haying independence” to small-farm operations through our lines of compact hay equipment, we have also provided power harrows and flail mowers for gardening and landscaping. This summer we are happy to announce an expansion of our Garden & Landscape department with the addition of several new products. At the heart of many sm …

After more than a decade of helping small-farm operators meet their haying needs, Tractor Tools Direct has narrowed down its inventory to two types of hay rakes–wheel rakes and belt rakes. There are several practical reasons for this including these machines’:Ease of useEase of maintenance and repairAvailability of replacement partsAbility to be sized to specific farm/tractor requirementsAffordabilityRead on to determine which of these rakes best meets the needs of your small-farm haying operati …

Drum mowers, as a general category, are sturdy, low-maintenance machines designed for the compact tractors so popular on today’s small farms. Simple and durable, they are manufactured with fewer moving parts and cut faster and with fewer problems than other types of hay mowers. These mowers are designed with two large counter-rotating drums which are powered from above by a simple gearbox and fitted with 3 to 4 blades each. Their performance is unbeatable in the tough conditions of a hay field.I …

“What is a lift kit, and why might I need one?” This is a question we get here at Tractor Tools Direct quite often when communicating with customers. This blog will answer that question.First, what is a lift kit?A lift kit consists of spacers, bolts, and skid plates that raise the cutting height of a drum mower by roughly an inch to an inch-and-a-half depending upon the model. With simple installation, the kit bolts to the underside of each drum and essentially raises the height of the entire ma …