L 3540 and Haying equipment

[radar09]

I am wondering if a L3540 is too small to pull a 540 pro rated 9ft haybine and a square baler around? Wife needs bales for her horses, hope tractor will be big enough.

 

[flusher]

With only 28 hp (pto) your L3540 is a bit underpowered for a baler (small squares). My MF124 baler (two twine, small squares) takes about 34 hp (pto) according to the manufacturer's specs. You can probably get by with 28 hp but I'd be concerned about a 3000 lb baler jerking your tractor around since it's weight is about equal to the baler's. Might be hard on the pto driveline.

Don't know about that haybine, but my guess is that 28 hp (pto) is too little to drive it.

Good luck.

 

[repete]

My 2550 pulls my JD 24T square baler pretty well at 29 HP. It does jerk it around some as the plunger moves but it makes a few thousand bales each year.

I cannot comment on the HP required to turn the shaft as my baler has the Wisconsin two cylinder engine. I am think it cannot produce a lot of power.

 

[art]

I'd say you might be a little light on the horsepower as recommended but with a hydro you can make up for that. You do have enough weight as long as you are on level ground for the mower as well as a baler.
In saying that I'm assuming you are not going out to bale 200 acres!

I've seen a BX run a small square baler although I had to laugh at what the plunger was doing to the tractor!!! The 9' mower not disc but sickle should be fine as well.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I am wondering if a L3540 is too small to pull a 540 pro rated 9ft haybine and a square baler around? Wife needs bales for her horses, hope tractor will be big enough.

I have powered a 7' haybine and a IH 37 sq baler easily with both our L2550 and L3450 tractors. -- We have gone to a drum mower now because of slow cut speeds or clogs with the haybine. -- I think a 9' would be ok if the haybine cutter is in good shape and you dont have hills.

Oh, oops. I didnt realize HST. Its possible the thrusting of a sq baler causing repeated surge in tractor motion will break that transmission.
larry

 

[wmonroe]

I think you will be fine. My dad cut, raked, and baled hay for about 12 years with a B8200 hst and still hadn't had any issues with it. It was not ideal and you had to be careful since the baler was heavier than the tractor but it was what he had and it worked.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I think you will be fine. My dad cut, raked, and baled hay for about 12 years with a B8200 hst and still hadn't had any issues with it. It was not ideal and you had to be careful since the baler was heavier than the tractor but it was what he had and it worked.

If used lightly its ok. But in heavy rows the plunger motion and compression forces for firm bales can react enuf against travel speed to throw the HST trans into pressure relief with every stroke. If that happens it will eventually fail the trans.

 

[Parkranger]

I wondered the same question myself as I have the L3430HST. While I have not gotten into hay yet, I came across this thread where member rankrank1 offered some good advice about smaller balers that may work for you.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/haying/138497-small-hay-baler-search.html

I am eager to follow this discussion as it seems from my reading that tractors of this size could bale a few acres of flat land going slow and not also towing a wagon behind the baler.

 

[flusher]

I wondered the same question myself as I have the L3430HST. While I have not gotten into hay yet, I came across this thread where member rankrank1 offered some good advice about smaller balers that may work for you.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/haying/138497-small-hay-baler-search.html

I am eager to follow this discussion as it seems from my reading that tractors of this size could bale a few acres of flat land going slow and not also towing a wagon behind the baler.

You might be able to find a used baler that has it's own on-board engine that you can tow with your tractor. The engine drives the baler flywheel via a triple belt arrangement. My neighbor has a 3-twine NH baler with an engine that he tows around his 8-acre hayfield with his Kubota L4630.

Good luck.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I've seen a BX run a small square baler although I had to laugh at what the plunger was doing to the tractor!!!

I would pay to see that.

 

[bigbull338]

if your going to keep baling hay you need to get a 50hp tractor.your tractor will pull a rake.

 

[SPYDERLK]

if your going to keep baling hay you need to get a 50hp tractor.your tractor will pull a rake.

We do fine with either of our 25-30HP Kub L gear tractors. Direct gearing handles the plunger surge fine. Never much of an issue unless youre packing real hard bales ... or really honkin on a big row and turning out a bale every 40'.
larry

 

[Verticaltrx]

I wouldn't try it. The drive line of compact tractors is just not made to stand up to the rigors of full-size hay equipment, especially a baler. One time we ran a 336 Deere baler behind a 4400 Deere compact tractor when we were in a pinch and later the PTO clutch failed. I can't say for sure that caused it but it is pretty coincidental.

If you think you'll be doing a decent amount of haying in the future, look for a good older 2wd 40-50hp utility tractor. It will be a much better match for haying, you could probably find a decent one for around $5K.

 

[MHarryE]

Did run a 9' Haybine behind my L3710 hydro a little bit before trading for my cab equipped L5740. The sickle doesn't take that much power but the rolls can suck it up. My New Holland baler spec sheet says 35 HP for their small square balers. I hear people say a small square baler will rip a hydro transmission out but that baffles me. Our L5740 will handle a small square baler quite well. The flywheel is there to even out the driveline load. I would, however, try to borrow somebody's equipment first to try it lout before jumping in and buying. By the way back when the dinosaurs were roaming we used our Farmall H on the baler with a wagon behind but that was underpowered. I think a H is about 26 HP. It could handle the baler okay but pulling the load was tough, especially since it didn't have live PTO. Dad even took an Allis-Chalmers B in on trade that had been used got baling. I think that is about 18 HP, maybe less. Once again no live PTO, fairly fast low gear like the H. Would have loved to have a hydro in those days to control speed in varying windrows.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Did run a 9' Haybine behind my L3710 hydro a little bit before trading for my cab equipped L5740. The sickle doesn't take that much power but the rolls can suck it up. My New Holland baler spec sheet says 35 HP for their small square balers. I hear people say a small square baler will rip a hydro transmission out but that baffles me. Our L5740 will handle a small square baler quite well. The flywheel is there to even out the driveline load. I would, however, try to borrow somebody's equipment first to try it lout before jumping in and buying. By the way back when the dinosaurs were roaming we used our Farmall H on the baler with a wagon behind but that was underpowered. I think a H is about 26 HP. It could handle the baler okay but pulling the load was tough, especially since it didn't have live PTO. Dad even took an Allis-Chalmers B in on trade that had been used got baling. I think that is about 18 HP, maybe less. Once again no live PTO, fairly fast low gear like the H. Would have loved to have a hydro in those days to control speed in varying windrows.

I too wouldnt worry about a big hydro like you have. The concern was for the ~30HP downward if used with total abandon, vs some care to ease the cases of high oscillating ground drive load.
larry