Cold day = good day for thinking / planning.

[ridgeandvalley]

Seems cold days free up the mind and get people to thinking... about the past and the future. So here's mine... thinking about making hay and the next few years.

I own about 8 - 10 acres of ground I can cut hay off. For years I had neighbors make hay from this land and I took shares, or just paid them to do it for me. Then it got harder to find anyone willing to do it (small squares), plus I was always "last on the list" when it came to cutting hay. I understand that. I'd take care of my own stuff first too, but it was hard never quite knowing when / if my hay would get done.

Luckily, some of my in-laws decided it was time to take on the job. So, with a hodge-podge collection of old haying equipment that had to be pulled 10 miles to my place, we started to make it a family affair. It was kind of fun, as some of them are long retired from farming, while some had farmed as kids, but hadn't continued. They'd all show up and re-live old times... and about 1/2 the time we'd get the hay in without any major breakdowns LOL. I even got to use my old 8n tractor to do a little raking and pull some hay wagons around. I don't really have a farm background, but I've been learning as I go.

A few years ago, I had a chance to pick up an old NH haybine, and that eliminated one piece of equipment that had to be pulled 10 miles up the highway (and then 10 miles back... twice a year). It's been working well. Then last year, the tractor we had been relying on suddenly developed problems and we had to scramble and borrow a neighbor's tractor as there was no way my 8n could handle the job, and my father in law's Farmall M didn't have live PTO... so I started to think about picking up a bigger tractor. In just a matter of weeks, a Ford 960 almost fell into my lap... live PTO, power steering, remote hydraulics, and a seller willing to deliver the tractor for no extra cost. Used it just once last year to do second cutting of hay, and it seems like it's going to get the job done just fine (I do have a PTO problem I have to address this spring once its warm enough to work on it).

Now for the "future" part... I know for the amount of land I have, and the amount of hay I need for my small hobby farm, I could probably just buy hay and not have to deal with the expense and hassle of equipment, but I do kind of enjoy the process, and it's nice to feel like my land is providing for the needs of my livestock. So, bit by bit, I would like to pick up some more haying equipment so I don't have to borrow as much. Maybe one piece each year. I was thinking the first thing I would look for is a rake. I have been using a side delivery rake and it seems to do the job just fine, but I don't know if that's the best option to look for or not. I only do 2 cuttings of mostly grass hay each year, and the first cutting tends to be pretty heavy. In terms of ease of use, etc... do you think I should stick with a side delivery rake, or should I consider a smaller wheel rake. I see some smaller 3 or 4 wheel rakes that sell for pretty low prices. Never used one and don't know much about them... just curious what people's thoughts are in comparison to the side delivery rake I'm used to.

One other rake question as well. I've been looking at auction results at tractorhouse to get an idea of cost. I want to find something for less than $1,000, and it seems like quite a few go in that range. If I found something local, it would be no problem, but how much of a hassle is it going to be if I find something 100 miles away or more? Assuming you can't just haul one down the highway without ruining something. Can they be loaded onto a trailer easily for hauling? Or should I just keep my eyes open for something closer to home? I'm not in a huge rush, because I do have access to a rake I can borrow, but want to get educated in case something does pop up that seems like a good buy.

Eventually I may also be asking similar questions about a small square baler, but I'm leaving that for last since they still intimidate me... still seems too much like "magic" the way they take the hay in and produce a tightly packed bale LOL.

Thanks in advance for any "old hay equipment" insight. Sorry for the long post... if you made it all the way to the end, I'm impressed. :lol:

 

[JOCCO]

For your rake old school and small scale a side delivery is fine. I would worry more about it being in good usable condition. As for other hay equipment put some adds up in local paper or online venues.

 

[lee little]

Ridgeandvalley I think you are on the right track taking up your own hay. In my opinion there is a reason the 3 or 4 wheel rakes sell cheap. I think you would be happier with a side delivery. When I bought my first one it was about 100 miles away. We loaded it on the back of a ton truck to haul it home. Some can be pulled behind a truck on the road I wouldn't want mine pulled too far or too fast.There are a lot of rakes out there for sale so take your time and find one that suits your needs.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

I have raked a lot of hay with a old

steel wheeled horse rake behind a tractor, used to
pick them up at auctions for 25 bucks, but those
days are gone.
Only problem with a side delivery rake is that they
tend to just winded the hay into a big rope. So some
of the wet hay is on top, and some under the
windrow.. I like the wheel rake. I gave $4,500.00 for
this rake in 2016 . As you can see in the picture it
sweeps the hay together, rather then rolling the hay.
I also have the two wheel 3 point hitch rake, works
well for just flipping the windrow upside down to
speed drying, I gave $100.00 for that little gem. The
square baler in the picture, I bought for $160.00 and
spent $150.00 on the knotters, but it works fine now.
If you aren?t in a rush you can pickup this kinda stuff
cheap enough, but unless you see a baler actually
make and tie bales before your eyes, beware. Not
too many old lads that know how to make a baler tie
anymore. And you can spend a small fortune on
square baler repair at a dealership. Doing ten acres
of small squares in kinda fun. I like to slid them up a
shoot to a wagon pulled behind the baler best.
Bruce

 

[Ray IN]

I bought a new holland bar rake for $900 and it works good. I am looking for a V wheel rake because I do some custom work and the
big round balers can handle a double windrow so it only takes half as long to rake with a V rake. But for 10 acres or less a bar
rake is all you need. I don't know how far you are from southern Indiana, but I have a New Holland 276 square baler that Im asking
only $300 for. It works in dry hay but its not near as fast as a newer baler and you have to watch out for big clumps or have
plenty of shear pins along. There was a real nice JD 24T for sale last year around here for $1500 and it took a long time sell.
Would have been just what you need.

 

[JohnV2000]

Nice looking tractor, those pictures make todays weather seem even colder by comparison!

 

[LeonardWD45]

Watch craigslist. I was searching for a small square baler and found one in a town about 100 miles from me. I bought it sight unseen and pulled it home on I-90 250 miles and it works fantastic. I only paid 600 for it. Side delivery rakes are pretty much a dime a dozen depending on where you are from. Most larger farms have gone to big rounds. I run a side delivery rake that was my Grandpa's and it works great for my operation.

Leonard