Compact Hay Balers for Compact Tractors

Here in TX square bales are pretty uncommon nowadays (virtually everyone uses big round bales which are twine or net wrapped) but all the squares I've seen are wired. Wire is more expensive but I haven't seen a twine baler (square baler that is) in YEARS! I'm sure it's due to regional preference.

I use the aquares as I just have a small area to bale & will use it to feed my 5 miniature donkeys (well, 6 soon; got a baby just over a week old that will be after her share soon I'm sure)!

Lew in TX

I baled many a bale with a Case VAC and an old International square baler in my youth. The guy I worked for always had several balers in the hedgerow and two ready to roll any time they were needed. I don't think he ever paid more than $300.00 for a working machine. That was 20 years ago.

My big concern with these balers. I break late today and tomorrow it's going to rain. Where are my repair parts, how soon will I see them, and what will they cost? Am I going to lose a crop because I bought an expensive toy, just to have something new. Or am I going back to the barn to get my back up machine.

And I don't buy the argument you don't have to be mechanical inclined by buying a newer machine. They still break, and they don't break when the crop is sitting in the mow. they break when they need fixing now.

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That is cool...... I am remembering back when I was a kid we had an old square baler that had a pony engine on it......it was factory that way to do exactly what you are wanting to do. I wish I knew what make and model it was, but at 8 or 9 I just really didn't care. It was one of our back ups and we didn't use it much, but I do remember using it at least one summer a few times.

Wire tie balers, for the most part, went the way of the Do-DO bird a long time ago. You can still find them on an auction OCCASIONALY, but they are covered in 2" of dust because they have sat for years. You can still buy the wire, but it is expensive. Wire tie balers also leave little bits of wire in the field and/or in the hay. Most guys here are using the round bales - only the smart ones use the square bales.

If anyone in or near Massachusetts wants a square baler for a small tractor there's a Ford on ebay now for 250 bux starting bid. It has its own engine; probably so a small Ford (8n, 9n?) could run it. Item number is 250153285294; 6 days+ to go. These engine powered balers do show up rather frequently on ebay.

Lew in TX

I'd still say it's regional; around here all one sees is wire tied square bales; haven't checked but would be almost willing to bet that you'd have to special order a twine tie here to get a new one.

Lew in TX

I actually have been in e-mail communication with this company just recently as well as a year or so ago. I think they appear to make a decent product. Yes, they are China imports but they will service and are looking for dealerships. If had the money, I'd give them a try and they are working on a self-motored version as well. That site also has some nice looking mowers on it pretty reasonably priced.

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Every good farm needs team work

I beg to differ; square bales = labor and labor = lost revenue. The smart ones round bale unless they are feeding horses.

Those little round balers sure are cute. And with the self contained hydraulics they have would work nice behind a lot of the older iron as well as the new stuff. And the smaller bale would be nice for smaller setups where you get spoilage and waste cuz the animals can't eat a big round fast enough to keep the weather off it.
14 grand for a baler is bit out of my price range tho....unless I could find a lot of those horse people to buy my hay.