Hay bailer

[Nate in Maine]

I'm in my first year haying. I own an 1985Ford 35hp diesel. I sickle bar mowed the fields so far with a Farmall superA and I have a New Idea pinwheel rake. I am looking for soma advice on buying a bailer my tractor could comfortably run and any other helpful hints.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hi , I only have experience with JD 14t's . You can pick them up for as little as $200 in ratty but workable condition like I do to well over a grand for one in near perfect condition . 35 horse will bale on the ground and might pull a wagon depending on the terrain . I can bale with a wagon behind my Farmall M which is around 30 - 35 horse with a slight grade to my field . I could sure tell there were 120 bales and a baler back there though ! Without a independent or live pto it can be tough . I normally use a Oliver 1755 diesel ( 86 - 90 horse ) weighing over 12,000 lbs . Good luck making a decision . ...Randy

 

[paul]

Live pto makes baling fun. Non-live pto on a marginal hp tractor makes baling miserable. Possible, but miserable.

A sqare baler can store 50 hp in it's flywheel. It onle _needs_ 15 hp to keep it going, but be aware there is up to 50hp stored in that wheel and can jerk your tractor guts around pretty hard - a big old farm tractor of 35 hp will do fine; a little Japaneese compact model will get torn up.

A baler with the rocking plunger is pretty heavy, can be more of a beast to manuver safely in the field than one thinks. Again, a big old farm model of tractor will do fine - a light compact duty tractor will be like the tail wagging the dog.

Hills, and if you wish to pull a hayrack, will also make a difference on all of this.

Be helpful to know the model of tractor?

--->Paul

 

[Leroy]

Randy, that M is rated at 37 Max PTO HP and if it has been overhauled with an oversize higher compression kit the HP will be higher. Never had that JD baler but a IHC 46 baler with kicker on and to start pulled it with a 1950 JD AR tractor that is rated at 39 MAX PTO HP switched to the 1949 B JD rated at 28 MAX PTO HP and it handled it better than the 39HP tractor and with the kicker you have to pull a wagon. Never put the 1941 Farmal H with 27 MAX PTO HP on the baler as it was on the Case 555 9' mower-conditioner and it had plenty of power for that as well. With your M you shouldn't even know that baler is back there as far as power.

 

[Leroy]

Your tractor, not familar with that new of model numbers (Would it be a 3610?) should be equal to the 3000 series tractors and unless you only have a 4 speed transmission and with no live PTO the tractor should handle any of the older small square balers just fine, the 4 speed would not give you the right ground speeds you need for optimum baling and may not be slow enough for heavy windrows. Your big thing is you need some kind of fluid in those rear tires tho as slippage will be your big problem as that is a lightweight tractor. We pulled a IHC 46 baler with kicker with wagon (16 & 18' beds) with a 28 HP John Deere B. Before we got that IHC baler we baled with a NEW Holland 66 baler (Had it's own engine) behind a 1944 Ford 2N (23 Max PTO HP)(Loaded tires) with wagon and 125 bale loads and on hills with no problems. Just have to use commen sence with things. And others on this site in the past have said they have pulled balers with the Farmall Super A's with no problem and that is about 25HP (don't have the exact HP figure at hand now). Just dont try putting over a 16" bed behind and you should be OK.