used hay tractor

[anderson farms]

Looking to buy an older tractor to use to put up hay. Will be using it on a sickle mower and to pull a NH 68 square baler. Any advice on brands? Want to go fairly cheap. I have a new baby and mama stays at home. Kinda looking at IH 560? what do you guys think?

 

[old]

A 560 is over kill and would use a lot of fuel. Something in the 30-45 HP range is all you need. My self I use 4 or 5 tractors to do hay. 1 to cut, 1 to rake and 2 to run the balers. 1 round baler and 1 square baler. The 1 to move the round bales into the barn. A 560 is a 63 hp power tractor and would handle a big round baler so its way over kill for a square baler. Last year I pulled a NH271 with an Oliver 77 which is a 38HP tractor and it played with it. This year I'll try an Allis D-17 which is over kill but its oe I have on hand since I sold the oliver
Hobby farm

 

[paul]

If you like Red, my IHC 300 ag tractor works well with a NH 270 baler, been a team for 40 years or so.... A sickle mower takes less.

You want live pto, 35 hp or so, and whatever hooks up to your mower - drawbar, fasthitch, or 3pt. More gears is better, the TA makes for fun baling with the 10 speeds & onthefly hi/lo; an Ollie as mentioned has 6 speeds, better than 5.

--->Paul

 

[sammyd]

Pretty big tractor for that sort of work, and if it's a gasser it'll surely use a lot of it. Not something I'd buy for what you describe. However if you have some heavy work to do like tillage as well it might be something to look at.
We have baled hay with a JD A, an IH 444, an Allis D-17 and WD, and a Farmall M without major problems in the power department.

 

[TGIN]

When I was 16 I helped my uncle custom bale and our tractor at that time was a IH 300 utility . We ran all over the county and it did a good job with a mounted 9 ft. mower and pulled the baler with a wagon real good and if I remember right it did`nt use much fuel .

 

[parisspringstom]

I use an 860 ford tractor which has live power and have cut easily with a new holland 7' and 9' sickle mower in regular grass hay. It runs my new holland 68 baler or my IH 435 baler well too. Of course the hay I cut is all on flat ground.

 

[Brad Bachelor]

These guys have been spot on near as I can tell. The only thing to add is I"ve never been in the field and said "Man!!! I"ve got too much tractor" . I have been in the field when I"ve been dog cussing mine for not being big enough.

Good Luck,

Brad

 

[Allan in NE]

If that 560 is a diesel, it's probably the cheapest running tractor ever invented by mankind.

If it's a gasser, hmmmmmmmm, some things just go better unsaid. :>)

Allan

 

[Tim Daulton]

I use my little Kubota L3130 4x drive in front of my MF124 and 14 foot wagon. Had no problems with tractor performance. Its a GST trans. I run in 4th and sometimes 3rd or 5th gear depending on hay and help. But of course I'm don't go on to many steep hills either. For those I use my DB 1200.

 

[Loren in MN]

Try to find a D-17. They are the best all round baling tractor. Plenty of power and easy on fuel. Foot and hand clutch with live power let you creep into the large parts of the winrows. But all important -easy to get on and off from.
I have a 756 Farmall also and tried using it once, aside from too much fuel, it was three steps up and down to make adjustments. As I recall the 560 is not bad but still not easy to get off of. A WD-45 is close to a D-17 but no comparison. The WD is very hard to get off from and the seat is VERY, VERY unconfortable. I"ve used a 460, 560 and the WD and the D17 is far more comfortable to ride. -

 

[kyhayman]

If the price is right on the 560 and its diesel then that would do the job. Problem with getting smaller tractors is more people want them hence the price is higher for what you get.

 

[tim(in)]

The only trouble i've ever had on my previous hilly farm was not enough speeds which is one of the reasons i bought the D 17.The wd is a great tractor but since the jd14t was kind of sensitve to changing windrow sizes and moistures, plus when we would try to shove 13' of straw into it.

 

[Rexalot]

I use an Oliver 1800, pretty much the same hp as the 560. It's a gasser, but then I do about 7 - 8 acres and about 20 gallons of fuel by the time I cut/bale. I rake with my diesel 871 ford which "sips" the fuel by comparison. (I've baled with that one to, but my "operator" - 16 yr old daughter prefer's to use the Ollie with its hi/lo)

Diesels are better on fuel, but the price of diesel is up more than gas. Kind of a toss up for small acreage...

 

[Anonymous-0]

Amen, my friend it could not have been said better.

 

[Leroy]

Neighbor uses a D17 all the time. When we were making hay years ago had a 9' mower-conditioner and pulled it with a 1941 Farmall H @ 27 max PTO HP. Had a IHC NO. 46 baler with a thrower and when first got it used a 1950 John Deere rated @ 39 max PTO HP, decided to hook up the 49 John Deere B @ 28 max PTO HP and worked better than the bigger tractor And at that time the only other tractors on the farm were a 1951 John Deere A with a 4 row cultivator on it during hay season and a 1944 Ford 2N. Like Old said even the D17 is over kill on size but will still work, unluss most of the work is heavy tillage I would forget the 560. Do not need any where close to that power for baling. When we used just a cycle bar for mowing used the 2N at 23 max PTO HP or a 46 John Deere B at 20 Max PTO HP with 7' bar and did not need that much power. Plowed many acres with those tractors Including the little JD B and the 2N