What size tractor and baler?

[Trainwrek]

Hello, we are purchasing a property with a nice 35 acre hay field. Most of my equipment is scaled to a smaller acreage. What size ( HP ) tractor would you use to pull a baler with a kicker and wagon? We are on a budget and looking for ideas that would ellow us to do the job without a huge investment in equipment. Right now we have a 40 HP tractor, small baler no wagon or kicker, thats it.

Thanks in advance for any ideas/suggestions.

[Trainwrek]

PS[?],, We would like to only have one tractor to use for plowing snow,pulling logs, gardening, and the haying.

[davel745]

John Deere 5075 E with a loader.

[FarmboyBill]

Sell the bailer and get one with a kicker, and youll be alright. THAT IS, unless your in hilly ground. Average ground, a 40 should do the job.

[jwal10]

Is the land flat? What tractor do you have now? 40 horse tractors can be very different. Older tractor vs a newer compact.

You could continue to use what you have with a kicker on the baler. Might run a little slower. 35 acres aren't that many. I hayed for years with a 454 IH tractor and 430 baler.

If you went to a bigger baler and tractor, 70 horse with a 466 JD baler worked well. New Holland made a big baler that was good....James

[evan]

Don't forget about the haybine and rake as well. The biggest thing with a baler and wagon is weight. We are one hilly ground here and with a full wagon my 5120 case which is 80hp and 10k lbs.

[Trainwrek]

Hi guys thanks for the responses so far. We are on flat ground. Right now we have a JD 4700 diesel, which I believe is considered a 'utility tractor' though we use it for everything now. Its got about 45 hp. Could that pull a baler with kicker AND a wagon?

[evan]

As long as you take it easy it should be able to handle it. Do you have a loader on it? Or front weights? What do you have to cut the hay?

[Trainwrek]

Originally Posted by evan

As long as you take it easy it should be able to handle it. Do you have a loader on it? Or front weights? What do you have to cut the hay?

Yes there is a loader in front. Right now Im using a 7ft sickle bar to do about 8 acres. I would like to get a nice diskbine for the bigger field.

[jwal10]

You need a bigger tractor if you are getting a big baler. That is a Yanmar compact tractor. You need 70 horsepower....James

[Seth]

We used to put up 100 acres of small squares with a Case IH 485, a NH 273 with a homemade extended chute, and no kicker. Seth

[FarmboyBill]

Dad put up hay with a M or an A JD and NH bailer. I think it was a 66. It wasn't worth a darn. He used a #5 JD sickle mower, 7ft, and a steel wheeled NI rake, followed by a sW JD rake which I have, followed by a Case SW rake which I have here to. He bought a home made hay trailer made out of a old bus frame with the front axle as the only axle. It was better than nothing, by darn little, as the axle cut into the bed. The maker had put thick 1in strips of metal over the wheels, as guards, but that didn't help much.

[Trainwrek]

Originally Posted by jwal10

Is the land flat? What tractor do you have now? 40 horse tractors can be very different. Older tractor vs a newer compact.

You could continue to use what you have with a kicker on the baler. Might run a little slower. 35 acres aren't that many. I hayed for years with a 454 IH tractor and 430 baler.

If you went to a bigger baler and tractor, 70 horse with a 466 JD baler worked well. New Holland made a big baler that was good....James

James, i need square bales not big rounds. Looking for a nice square baler w/kicker that can take a lickin and keep on kickin.

[jwal10]

Yep, bigger in a 16"x18" chamber. I ran a 311 with a 275 Massey tractor....James

https://www.google.com/search?q=jd+4...40%3B758%3B449


http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings...x?OHID=8592643

[agmantoo]

Will you be selling or using the bales? Around here most small bales are sold per bale and not by weight. I have owned 2 each MF 124 balers that I powered with a 52 HP IH 574. Never had any issues with either baler and the IH 574 handled them over the rolling hills of western NC with ease. I still see these balers priced reasonably and would not hesitate to own a 3rd one if I had the need. The only reason I would consider a larger more expensive bale maker is if I were feeding the bales.

[evan]

I don't think it will be worth the expense of a discbine. Plus they take a lot more power then a haybine

[evan]

I would look at the old JD balers I have a 24t with a kicker that we make thousands of squares with every year. As long as you keep it clean it works awesome. And you can pick them up cheap

[Trainwrek]

Originally Posted by evan

I would look at the old JD balers I have a 24t with a kicker that we make thousands of squares with every year. As long as you keep it clean it works awesome. And you can pick them up cheap

Evan, what do you pull it with?

[evan]

Usually a case 5120 maxxum. Sometimes an 806 or even a 5288 but at 180hp and 28000lbs that's a bit overkill

[evan]

What kind of hay are you making