round baler info

[Matt S Illinois]

I am looking at two different round balers. 1 is a Gehl 1865 ($2500) and the other is Vermeer 605C ($900). Pros and cons of each what to look for/at? Just looking to get started rolling up some of my own hay, about 50 bales a year or so.
Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[Anonymous-0]

If you are only baling 50 bales a year, it would be a lot cheaper to hire it done.

 

[Matt S Illinois]

YesI know but my round baler guy does the people first with several hundred bales before me and so my hay gets wet or lays longer than it should.
Just looking into other options and opions.
Thanks

 

[NEKS]

Sold my Vermeer 504 C a few years ago at a auction for $500. Was in good shape and had a new rubber roller in it.

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

Much more parts avaliability through vermeer. Gehl no longer produces farm equipment, and although I have no experience with newer gehl equip it is very hard to find parts for older stuff..once the warehouse is empty it is gone! Also the vermeers especially the F models and later are nearly idestructible with regular maintence.

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

You should be able to find a 605F in the $2500 range, while the C's are good machines, the F's are much better balers.

 

[rrlund]

I wouldn't be the least bit afraid of the Gehl if you have a good dealer for them. I've been running Gehl balers since 1979. That 1865 should last you a lifetime if you aren't going to use it anymore than that.

 

[keh]

Vermeer C is really old and i don't think it was produced very long, maybe a year. That era baler was picky about starting bales unless the hay was in just right condition. Vermeer F,G, and H were much better balers. Vermeer I and J series up were MUCH better. The Gehl 1865 Is a much later baler and someone who used one can give you more details od operation.

KEH

 

[Gary in TX]

I custom bale hay and for my money you won't catch me using nothing but a John Deere baler. You could probably pick up a good 530 around for the same price as the Gehl or maybe a bit more. I started with a Massey 1560 which is the same as a Vermeer 605F if memory serves and it was a pretty good baler but the move to the green was a good one.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I bought a pretty decent 605super F a few years ago for $900, have patience you have all winter to look.

 

[paul]

I don't know much about the Gehl. They got out of farm equipment, so parts might be an issue.

Vermeer F and newer balers (they went alphabetical tho sfor example the G is a lighter version of an F, but made the same time....) are good, with an open throat design.

The older C or B are not open throat, and much more fussy as to the moisture of hay they will bale, and overall just harder to start a bale.

I'd not pay that much for a C, and I would look a lot longer to find an F or newer.

Your area might be different.

--->Paul

 

[Anonymous-0]

dont be afraid of the gehl baler. even though gehl is out of the farm equipment business they still make parts for all of the livestock equipment. my dad ran a 1400 for 20yrs. and then he traded it in on a 2480 which is the newer version of the 1400. the only problem is with the older gehl balers they ran a large platform belt in them and they were a closed throat baler and the newer balers eliminated the platform belt and went with all rollers in the bottom and also the open throat design which is better in the long run. so the choice is yours

 

[Animal]

Matt, I had exactly the same situation as you are going through now. My hay was always late, the guy that I sold it to was baling 5x6 bales that weighed at least a ton and was paying me ten dollars for a ton of hay, and darn good hay at that. I got mad and got and old 605 and went to town baling my own hay. Once I got the hang of it the old baler worked good. The problem I had was that other folks wanted me to do their hay as well....I bought a late 4x5 baler with a monitor and net and have never looked back. The custom work is more than paying for my baler. I know this is not for everyone but its something you might consider..

 

[scot in pa]

I can barely remember when grandpa got the round baler, so it was probably around 85, a Gehl 1470 or 1480. I might be wrong there, but I know when dad bought him out in 92, that the 14_0 was the baler he got.

Grandpa had one of the first round balers in the area and did A LOT of custom baling with it. That baler ran until we sold out 4 years ago, with no major breakdowns. I wish I knew how many bales went through it. If we had kept some equipment back and went into making hay, it would have stayed.

 

[TimChandler / S-OK]

Matt, I ran into the very same situation. None of the custom baler guys in S Oklahoma will bale less than 75 acres. So I had to buy my own hay eq. Yes its old,yes it is not a slam the a/ced cab door, turn up radio and not look behind you operation. Yes it will break. But I"ve yet to not get the hay I have down baled. I run a 400 Farmall gas on a 605C Vermeer. It does a good job. As other have said it will cause you to lose your religion and gain a new vocabulary but it makes a decent bale. Mine has the Damco extra bale tension system added on. It helps with bale compaction however it also adds to belt stress so belt problems do arise. With an older baler you"ll need to be able to repair broken belts fast so have a lacer vise($150.) and lacer kits($20.-$15.) on hand and some belting of all sizes the baler uses. Mine has 10" and 4" so I have 10" of each size for splices. Also something no one mentioned is the idler roller bearings Vermeer uses. They are a bit confusing till ya disassemble one and replace them. In summary ,buy what you can afford and learn to service and repair it. Get a manual and read it cover to cover. Service the machine every time before you use it. Weak points of any brand of hay roller are belts, chains and sprockets, and gearboxes. Preventative maintenance is never time wasted. I like you only bale 20-30 rounds a year and 300-500 square bales. This is my second year with the 605 and while not problem free, I can bale my hay when I want providing the 605 says its ready. One trick I"ve used is if its too damp in a shady area of the field, I start the bale in a sunny area and let the shady area dry longer. Hope this helps - If I can help further email is open - Tim from the Rocking TJC