Round Baler ?

[jeff outwest]

Is there such a thing as a decent round baler for less than $10,000? I would only be baling at the most 500 bales a year. What would you recommend?

 

[Tx Jim]

Yes there are several brands available of good used balers in the $5K-10K range. Be sure and get an open throat model. JD 430/530's although are getting old are good reliable balers. Vermeer and other companies also made some good rd balers.

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

A guy can get a good baler for 10k. Here a 535 JD is in the 8-10 range and Vermeer, Hesston, CIH all offer several decent balers in that range.

 

[Texasmark1]

I sold a 530 when I quit custom baling. Rolled a real nice 5x6
and was $5k when I bought it used 10 years ago. It had some
automatic functions and required a monitor box in the cab to tell
you when you had the bale even and what the gate was doing. It
didn't have a bale pusher so you had to stop forward motion and
back up while it way tying. After the twine cut and you opened
the gate to eject the roll, you pulled up so that the gate would
clear the roll while you closed it and then returned to the ww.

Mine was easy to get large stemmed sudan, which is all I baled,
to start a roll. I guess it was open throat. I never could tell the
difference.

You did have to keep the auto tie mechanism lubricated and in
first class condition.

I added a twine movement indicator so that it was easier to see
that the tie started as the arm moved across the bale. It is a
white round chev (plastic pulley) with a black line on it and
mounts on the front of the baler between where the line comes
out from the twine storage area and the guide that routes it over
to the tie arm. You just loop it with one turn.

I got back in for personal use and with my downsized tractor I
bought a much newer 375 which puts out a 4' diameter roll
rather than the 6' the 530 puts out; weighs half and takes half
the hp. It was also $5k and I had to repair nothing to use
it....lube up the chains and grease it.

HTH,
Mark

 

[Roy Ward]

I have a 8840 Hesston, baled 300 bales last October, it's ready to go. Haven't used it this year first cutting, I bought a JD 567. I'am going to sell it sometime. $3000.00 so I think you should be able to find a good used one for less than 5K.

 

[RickB]

NH 644 or 648 autowrap should be found at or under 10K in good shape.

 

[Texasmark1]

I had a Hesston, forget the model....5x6, probably 30 years old. Baled quite a few bales with it. Had the two tie arms working from both sides simultaneously, crossed each other in the center, 4" belts which I replaced with diamond belts which worked much better. for a thousand bucks.

Main problem I had with it was starting the bale...it just didn't want to do that and I got tired of it, sold it for $3000 after I had to demonstrate that it would bale hay....something that no one ever did for me for any used piece of farm equilp.

I baled one bale, shut it down, disconnected my tractor and went over to him for my check. So much for that.

Mark

 

[Anonymous-0]

About 10 years ago, I bought a Hesston 5530, for $5995, Has baled 100-200 round bales each year since then. Whatever the cows don't eat, I sell to the horsey set. Hesston 5530, 530, IH 8420, NI 6423 (not real sure of that last number), are all the same baler. This on puts out a 40" X 4-5" diameter bale, 500 lbs, give or take, and generally they sell from $2500-7000.

 

[Bret4207]

I've had 2 Hesston 5500's. $1400.00 for the 1st, $2K for the second. Yeah, they're old and slower, but dead simple.

 

[dcarp]

Five years ago I bought a overhauled Case 8465a 5x6 baler for $6000.
Even with the 2 yrs of drought I've made about 5000 bales with it. It's been a good baler, few minor problems nothing major. Looking forward to using it again next week after a nice rain today.

 

[donjr]

Look for a 644 or 648 NH. They usually go for <$10K and are a simple and rather bullet proof twine burner. The autowrap will tie in about thirty seconds and they make a nice bale.