To all the hay guys out there, have 10 acres I'm gonna cut next year, what would be some good first equipment that you could recommend, (tractor, mower,rake, baler) I will be fertilizing the 10 acres so I should get quite a bit off of it. Thanks for all replies
Got a budget for equipment purchase? I know of a guy who has $75,000 worth of equipment (not including tractor) for 7-1/2 acres.... And for years, I did about 40 acres with about $2000 worth of equipment (again, not including tractor).
And, as was already asked, do you have any intentions of haying more ground in the future? (rented ground, baling on shares, ect....)
What sort of arrangements do you have for storage? (of baled hay) Do you have help, or will you be doing everything by yourself?
OK....First piece of equipment I'd buy is a simple soil test core tool. Have soil tested and apply fertilizer as needed, not just wholesale dumping fertilizer. Too much is as bad as not enough, maybe even worse in some regards.
What tractor depends somewhat on the rest of the equipment.....But in general, you'll want something 45/50hp (pto) at a minimum. You'll no doubt hear from guys who hay with 25hp....it CAN be done, but why...? I personally like 60-ish hp for baling and pulling wagons, if for no other reason, tractors that size have enough weight to be able to STOP a loaded wagon, where smaller ones are marginally safe/unsafe in certain conditions. Slightly "too big" is easy to overcome....Slightly too small puts you at an extreme disadvantage.
Mower; For 40+ years, I mowed with a simple sickle bar mower. I have a New Holland 451, and would highly recommend that model if you go the sickle bar route. GREAT mowers, easy to work on, easy to find parts..... A mower conditioner is a reasonably economic route with all the good USED ones on the market. I bought a NICE NH489 last year. I've very pleased with it after a full year under my belt. My son has a 2 year old NH disc mower. If the ability to get the job done in a HURRY is key, disc mowers are tough to beat. That comes at a price, and I don't see the cost on just 10 acres, but that's me....
Rake; I persoanlly like Roll-A-Bar rakes. Some people like 'em, some don't. I've tried rotary rakes, wheel rakes, ect, and still like my NH 258.
Get a tedder.....Brand isn't so important as just having one. With just 10 acres, almost any brand/model will do the job. I personally like Kuhn.
Baler....Where do we start.... You'll find all sorts of brands and models.....Personally, I'd stick with EITHER Deere or New Holland. Parts will be there, and more people know how to work on those two brands, so help won't be as hard to come by. They also made the best balers of the ages....I have a 336 Deere that's baled thousands upon thousands of bales and is still in excellent shape. Wouldn't trade it for a new baler.... Last year, I bought a NEW Vermeer 5410 Rebel round baler. LOVE IT! Don't overlook the possibility of round bales. They're HUGE labor savers. Valuable if you're doing this alone.....
Wagons.... ALL my hay is sold. I try to sell it in the field. Buyers pick it up themselves. I have one buyer who takes his hay in trade for helping me load the balance of my small squares. That gets loaded on wagons and sold off the wagon. No stacking it in the barn....too much work if it can be avoided. What that means is I have to have quite a few wagons.....and shed space....
Sprayer.....Keeping weeds out of hay crops is almost an art form. Unless you're willing to get certification to handle and use restricted use chemicals, I'd look at possibly hiring the spraying done. If you feel like going the extra mile and doing that yourself, look at getting a small 3-point boom sprayer.....
