Round baler, what size is right for my needs?

[Doug in Illinois]

I have been putting up hay with a combo of a 1370 Case, JD 1380 MOCO, Ford 5000 row crop diesel in front of a NH 310 Hayliner, 5 wheel 3 point rake or JD side delivery rake. Have had requests for round bales, but not too big. Also have the possibility of opening up a couple small (around 15 acre) fields that are full of woody crap, next year or two would likely clean up as have done that before. Just getting tired of handling small bales I really can't sell. Also have a couple current customers asking if I can do big rounds, but they don't have enough tractor to handle anything over 800 to 1000 pounds. FYI, my full time job is as a rural mail carrier, so my time for hay work is somewhat limited. There are several nice balers within a days drive, with the high end being a Case-IH 8420 that could be bought for less than 4K. Has all I would want, crowder wheels, etc, but only a 39 inch x 54inch. I think to get up to the 1000 pound range I need a 4x5 foot or so. NH 851 is a 4x5, a couple NH 849 are for sale close to home, but is a 5x5 going to get too heavy? DOUG

 

[paul]

I'm a poor one to advise on this issue......

5 foot wide is tough to haul on a semi, 2 wide gives you an oversize load which is bad in some regions. 4 foot wide bales are better for transport.

On the other hand, for handling or using yourself, a bigger bale will use less twine/wrap, and less trips picking up, hauling, feeding, etc. Much more efficient with biggest round bales.

So, many like the 4 by 6 balers, allows you to go from 4x4 to 4x6, still easy to transport, allows the most flexability among the options.

This is what I hear.

--->Paul

 

[RickB]

Mow the brush with the rotary cutter and leave it to rot. Poor hay is poor hay; doesn't matter what package it is in. You try to bale sticks with a belt style round baler, you'll have torn up belts and unsaleable hay in rolls. A good tight 4x5 round bale of dry hay will weigh 800-1000lbs.

 

[RickL]

don't take this the wrong way but baling junk hay into large rounds will NOT PAY FOR BALER. Your potential customers have they told you whaty they would actually pay. Good luck. All I do is hay for crop and you will here it all. Large rounds is not the way to sell hay. You will sell small squares way more. get yourself accumulator or basket wagon. Less money and have much more sellable product. PS I still do not own large round bailer when I have to have thios eI have it done for $11.00 bale,thats new baler his tractor labor and fuel. i can't own one for that. Mail carrier here also. Oh forgot have accumulator for sale if interested, nice outfit I justgoing large unit

 

[JM in Merit]

I have had field like you said, not good and alot of waste in it with allot of woody plants and weeds. I have baled them, feed them to my cows then in about 2 or 3 years people tell me what a great field I got. Even had some that wanted to pay me for hay standing.
It does take work and as you know the first cutting is going to be junk, but as we say down here it beats a snowball. I figured it took 2 bales of to equal 1 bale of feed that first cutting.
Not sure what type of hay you have and may not work where you are at. I had grass type of hay and have sold several bales off it both to cattle people and horse peole. They came to me wanting to buy, not me trying to sell.
Best of luck

 

[Anonymous-0]

the 851 is a 5.5x5.5 baler but you can vary diameter from 3' to 5.5'
your 5000 should have enuff oooomph to make a 4' bale on flat ground.

 

[kyhayman]

Exactly what paul says....

For selling hay you just cant beat 4 foot wide bales if you are selling hay. They fit nice two wide on a wagon, haul legal on a trailer, and sit in the back of a pickup. Plus, I've yet to sell to anyone who noticed that extra foot was missing, lol. Im starting to see decent NH 650s down in the 5000-7000 range. Thats what we use. You can bale anything from a 4x3 to a 4x6 by turning a 3/4 inch wrench. Takes two minutes tops.

 

[Doug in Illinois]

I fully understand what both Rick L and Rick B have to say, the few acres of crappy hay is NOT the only reason for considering a good round baler. As mentioned, have the possibility of baling some custom with it, but the main reason I want one is to be able to beat the rain, as big rounds aren't a 100 percent loss like the small bales are if I can't get them picked up and packed away before it rains. This year has been real tough to put up good smalls, rains every 2 or three days. Think if I go slow so the grass packs good and tight, can at least feed a few to the wifes horses this winter, and sell a few. I prefer small squares, but would sooner be able to salvage a ready to bale cutting in rounds than lose it to rain in the smalls. DOUG

 

[tn terry t]

the newholland 851 is a 6ft x 5-1/2 foot tall roller