Bailing hay?

[DmaxEter]

What HP range is appropriate for bailing 5X5 round bails? I need to mow and bail some hay for my grandfather and was going to buy about a 45 HP mahindra next year for my use, but my grandfather has always had a friend mow and bail his hay, but his friend will be unable to do it next year due to health reasons. My grandfather is also getting older(83) and needs any help he can get. Since I love to spend time with him, and was going to buy a tractor next year anyway, I figure I will go ahead and get one big enough to mow and bail hay. his Massey will operate the mower kind of but will not operate a bailer and has no remotes. He was mowing some hay around the pond and passed out and ended up in the pond on the tractor so I want to help him as much as I can. I will buy the tractor and he is going to get the mowing, raking, and bailing equipment. Thanks for you input guys.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Some 5X5 round balers could possibly be ran with as little as 60 HP. That would be the absolute minimum. You would have to go slow, be baling on FLAT ground, and have perfect conditions.

Under NORMAL conditions, a 5X5 round baler, full of hay, would push a typical 60 HP tractor (due to the average weight of a typical 60 HP tractor) all over the place.

I'd look for something in the 80 Hp (+) range, and tipping the scales at 7500 lbs. (or heavier)

Pulling a big round baler is one of those chores best served by "too big" over too little .

 

[RickB]

80+ PTO HP is a good cutoff. Others will tell you it can be done with less. Maybe so, but a good 80 hp tractor isn't much more than a good 60 hp tractor. 80HP may well be a flat deck model which is very much more desirable than a straddle mount tractor for haying. Not much in this world hotter or more unpleasant than riding around for hours haying with a transmission between your legs.