While back, I tried a small patch of hulless oats. Didn't have a scythe with a grain cradle to cut and lay in windrows, so I decided to see if my weedeater would do the job. Turns out the center arbor hole on 12" miter saw blades is the same as the arbor on the weed eater, so I bolted up an old 12" blade. For a 'cradle' to gather the cut stalks, I made up out of copper pipe bent with a conduit bender....and ended up with a motorized redneck scythe ! I tried it with the normal brush blade, but the diameter and number of teeth didn't seem to work too well....so I switched to the 12" 48 tooth blade. Worked good....I could cut a 4-5' wide swath and lay it over in a windrow with all the grain heads pointing in the same direction....unfortunately, I waited too long to harvest and weed got up in the mature grain.....so after I cut and windrowed the whole patch, I pitchforked it up in the tractor bucket and dumped it in the chicken yard, where they worked on 'threshing' it out and eating it directly....which worked fine too. I want to try a patch of wheat next.
I like the creativity applied to solving the problem. It will probably have OSHA gurus Occupational Safety and Health Administration - Wikipedia having fits....but so long as there's not a huge uptick of amputations....all will be fine. Have you patented your invention?
Nah...I saw a YouTube video of some guy in India or Pakistan, or one of those places doing this....didn't show the close up, but got me the idea. Never had too many original ideas, but I can copy with the best of 'em.....
I use amaranth as a summer cover crop but cut and mulch before seeds come out. Are you growing for fun or to improve the ground. I'm curious about your goal on this project. love the scythe!
Here is a pic taken from almost the same spot about 1982.....when we'd cut the first hole in the woods and dozed the drive up where the house would go. Lot of change and work since then.
