baling hay

[wigg]

I was wondering if anyone out there new of hay equipment (mainly a baler) that a person could afford for small tracks of land? I think I can feed most of my animals on a well maintained acre of alfalfa and cutting the excess pasture growth in the spring. I was thinking either the old type small round balers or anyother products that might be out there today.
Thanks,
Wigg

[rambler]

You can find a good used 1960's NH or JD baler for $250 or so from time to time. (And sometimes they go over $1000, just depends....) Very dependable balers, if they are not totally wore out.

These make the small square bales.

Is that what you are wanting?

Other brands of that age can be had cheaper sometimes, but perhaps are not as dependable.

The old AC Rotobalers were not common around me, so have not seen more than one or 2 in my life.

--->Paul

--->Paul

[Ross]

Krone or M+W balers go pretty cheap....... most soft core balers do. A 4x4 wouldn't take much hp and will make a nice 600-700 pound bale. 2-5000 less at auction.

[ericjeeper]

We have no idea where the heck you are.. Give us a bit of a clue.. Thanks

[FarmboyBill]

My boy saw a 1980s NH bailer today at the 412 HWY sale outside Tulsa go for $250> I saw ut too, but didnt see it sell. Nice looking bailer. Guy told boy that he had lost the front part of the PTO shaft bringing it to the auction, and that was all that was wrong with it.

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by ericjeeper

We have no idea where the heck you are.. Give us a bit of a clue.. Thanks

Yeah! What he said.


A baler is just a part of the equation, you need a mower and a rake too.

[wigg]

I'm from central Illinois (the other half of the state of Crook County-Chicago). Yeah! I'll have to have a mower and rake. I guess I was more fixed on the baler as I thought it might be the more costly item. What part of Indiana are you from Eric? When I was a youngster, I lived in Ramsey, Indiana. We will probably be over at the Covered Bridge Festival sometime during the second weekend. Thanks for the replies!

[-TWO-]

I put up 10-12 ton of hay every year with a model 66 New Holland baler, along with an old ground drive David Bradly rake & a IHC semi-mount mower. Have less then $1000 invested in all 3. That old stuff can do you a good job if you take care of it. Personally, I like fixing up old equiptment & putting it back in service, ( kind of live in the past ) Anyway, a 66 might be a little on the old side (1940-50 vintage). But, as rambler mentioned above, NH 68 or 273, or JD T14 (1960-70 vintage) balers are readly available at a good price & its not hard to get parts for them.

[poorboy]

1 acre! Git some one with a sickle mower to cut it for you and put it up with a pitchfork or find you some kind of sickle mower of your own. Unless really pressed for time I wouldn't even consider equipment for under a coupla acres.:-)

[Phantomfyre]

Rather than start a new thread, I'm going to ask here and hope folks see my question and the OP doesn't mind.

Just talked to the guy who's been doing my hay, and he's getting out of it. Maybe this year, maybe next year. I've been looking for someone else to do our hay, and no one's interested in doing square bales, which is what I need for the horses. So, have been considering doing it myself, which sounds crazy, 'cause I don't have a tractor or any equipment or really any knowledge of equipment/maintenance (except that maintaining haying equipment can be a royal pain), and I can only throw so many bales before I'm reduced to a pile of goo, though I do know how to make hay...

I don't know if I'm nuts to consider this or not. I've got 5 acres in hay, but if I got into this, it's likely I could do hay for the neighbors who are using the same guy, so another 2 1/2 acres next door and maybe another 5-6 acres next to them, 4 acres across the street, and maybe others here and there. Maybe. Either way, I've got a nice little field of my own and it's wonderful to not have to buy hay. Plus I usually have some extra to sell, even splitting it 50-50 like I am now. Hay was going for $5-6+ a bale last winter.

I've been thinking about this for a while, but I just talked to my hay guy, and he told me about a NH 268 for sale near here, shed-stored, owned by a mechanic and well maintained, asking $1200. Sounds like that might be a bit on the high side? It's the end of the season - so he might take less - haven't talked to him, what I know I heard from the guy currently doing my hay.

Am I crazy to consider getting into haying myself? If not, how's that baler sound?

[FarmboyBill]

If the bailer IS in said shape, Id pay it, and build a shed to keep it in like he did. NEXT. For an acre, Id find a old dump rake, an old horse mower, and use a trailer if you have one and get enough pitchforks for those involved, and put it up loose. COURSE, theres an art to stacking hay so that the center dosent sink in, catch and hold water and start a fire. Master that, and cover it with a good tarp tied down. and your good to go

[sammyd]

According to tractorhouse http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings...63D86A25363115
1200 would be a deal. Of course everyone will have their own story on how cheap they found one.
But if you are starting with no equipment there are a lot of things to pick up and get in shape before ya start making hay.
If you want to take up a hobby, there are less expensive ones than playing with old equipment out in a hay field.
Decent tractor that will handle the baler and not drive you nuts....3000 or better.
mower....maybe 500
crimper.....250 if you can find one that still has all the parts and works.
Or you could get a haybine....1500 for an old one
rake....300 and up. anything modern will be over 1000
hayrack...if you're lucky you can find something that will actually hold a load of hay for under 1000.
How's that 5 dollar hay looking now?
Nice thing about buying hay is you don't have to worry about the weather which can ruin your hay in several different ways.

prices may not reflect any special deals folks have found but are pretty average for what I've seen in the used equip market around here the last few years at auctions, dealers, private sales etc.

[haypoint]

To do your acre you'll need a mower and rake. For times when the weather is less than ideal, you'll want/need a conditioner or a mower/conditioner. Then you'll need a rake. An older baler fort cheap would be "do-able" if you understand how a baler works and can adjust or repair the knotter. Be sure to allow time and money to build a shed to keep the weather off your equipment.

Otherwise, get a neighbor to do it and pay him well.

[plowjockey]

Originally Posted by wigg

I was wondering if anyone out there new of hay equipment (mainly a baler) that a person could afford for small tracks of land? I think I can feed most of my animals on a well maintained acre of alfalfa and cutting the excess pasture growth in the spring. I was thinking either the old type small round balers or anyother products that might be out there today.
Thanks,
Wigg

Here is an idea I am working on, for my very small pasture. to collect hay for sheep and hens. Hay growers are too busy in this area to mess with baling this small amount.

I have s Trac-Vac mounted on my garden tractor, that collects into a mounted 55gal trash can. Currently I cut fresh clover and feed to hens, which they love and sheep too, (which I worry about them bloating).

Anyway, I'm thinking of growing a better alfalfa/clover field. Cut it down with a sickle bar mower to dry. Then I will line the trash can with the heaviest "trash bag" available. I'll run over the dry hay with the mower and trac-vac it, which chops it up pretty good, into the bags. It should store ok since it is dry.

Maybe not the best solution, but hopefully it will work until I get money for a "mini-baler"

Marty