baler recommendations

[gonefishin1]

I haven't been involved with baling hay since I was a kid. I know I'm not really going to make any money baling hay, and it's probably going to take a couple years to even break even. But I'm tired of depending on someone else and having to buy hay. I will be baling less than 100 acres, unless I lease some pasture. Most of the hay I will be using for my cows and horses, and possibly sell a small amount to a couple neighbors.

I'm looking at used equipment. I have to stay under 15k total on equipment. I'd like to stay under10k, but will go a little more.

I'm looking for a 4x5 or 4x6 baler. Been looking at vermeer rebel's 5410, 5420, 504m, etc. Also looking at new holland br750, 658, br740, etc. I'm also open to other brands. Twine only is not a deal breaker. I would love to have net wrap, but prices are definitely better for the twine only models. It seems that I can get a better condition and newer baler for a lot better price than one with net. To get one with net I'll have to get one that has a lot more bales through it, or a lot older. I really prefer one with a monitor too.

For a cutter I've been looking at a few sickle mowers that's still useable. I know where a vicon disc mower is for 3k too, and it's in good shape. Also I've seen a few haybine's for good prices and the rubber still looks good on the rollers.

My thinking is buy a cheap rake for the first couple years. I've found a couple older bar rakes for 1500 and less. Also seen a few wheel rakes in that price range that's still useable.

What would you recommend for a baler? To start off I'll be using my tractor with 53 pto hp. Ground is flat and I know I'll be a little slower going with my current tractor. But I will be getting a bigger tractor in the future.

 

[5030]

53 pto is very marginal for any round bailer. and expect to be working on equipment at the most inconvenient times as used equipment is just that, used and not maintained.

 

[sea2summit]

On a 15K budget to buy a cutter, rake, and baler I think you need to give a lot of thought to how important the hay is. You are going to loose a lot of hay to maintenance because you're equipment is going to be only partially reliable and while you are repairing it you will loose quality if not quantity of hay. This assumes you are going to be repairing it....trust me I tried to start out with a cheap baler.

A 3k Vicon disc mower is probably ready to blow it's gear box at any moment which is a 2.5k part...if you can get one. I have the [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] disc mower (they bought out Vicon) and it is a great mower but I wouldn't touch a used one I didn't know the full history on. They are the "professional homeowner" level of quality on the scale of garbage to industrial haying equipment. No way I would cut hay with a sickle bar mower, they are very very very VERY slow and high maint. Mower conditioner would be as close to a sickle bar as I would use.

As already mentioned 50PTO HP is going to be marginal. I run a large rake and small square baler with my MX but disc mowers or haybines suck a lot of power even my M4 has to slow down on inclines cutting.

Even if you increase your budget to get quality equipment haying is a very high use endevor, you're dragging a small factory through a field making products. Expect to have to maintain it quite a bit, even if it's just timing things or unclogging you spend a lot of time working on your equipment when you're haying.

A good option is take small steps, maybe you can cut and rake while someone you know and trusts comes in and bales. That is sort of how I did my first season and it worked well and I got to learn a lot. Better yet, just go help out someone haying for a while and see how it goes. That would be well worth your time investment!

I'm sure HayDude will be along shortly, he actually makes money haying (or claims too lol).

 

[EddieWalker]

What area of East Texas are you in? I'm just North of Tyler and I've been thinking the same thing. I'm struggling to find hay every year, and the struggle is getting to the point that I need to start making my own. I just bought a 70 HP tractor, so I'm going to be limited in what I can buy. I'm leaning towards buying brand new from Massey Ferguson because of their financing, and my desire to not have to wrench on it to get it to work.

I saw this in Craigslist. I'm not sure if it's a good deal or not, but the price for everything seemed interesting.

Hay Baling Equipment (Baler, Cutter, and Rake) - farm & garden - by...

Vermeer Rebel 5400 Round Baler, makes a 4x5 Roll, string tie only, good belts, gauge wheels, good chains and sprockets, good tires and still has paint on pick up. Tie box control. Hasn’t baled much...

easttexas.craigslist.org

 

[5030]

Myself, I prefer a NH disc bine but that is personal preference and I have one customer who buys all of it and has for 6 years now. I get my replacement knives from Shoup and I run a Kuhn Masterdrive rotary 2 head rake.

Like I stated, used equipment is just that. Used and maintenance intensive and you won't be rolling 5x5's with that tractor anyway. Not enough suds.

Don't know of HD makes money or not and really don't care. Talk is always cheap, especially on any forum. I know what I do all that counts for me.

 

[RustyA]

We used a Rebel 5400 just like that one with a tonutti rake (same as Vermeer). Between the hay gathering wheels and adjusting windrow with it was a perfect setup. Your tractor with 50 HP is perfect for this equipment. We used a New Holland 9 ft mower/conditioner for cutting. A little slow but at the time we had a 39 HP John Deere 1070. Once we added a 57 hp tractor it was a great setup for haying small acreage. $13500 for that package is a good deal in today's market.

 

[Avenger]

I've considered this very thing. 100 acres is nothing to sneeze at! But getting quality equipment at your budget is no minor task. As others have said, your looking for a ton of downtime in repairs and maintenance. This type of thing usually happens right as you need it. Many times I've lined up my bailer and just got started when something broke, which ended up costing me a few days (of rain, which is typically my luck) and expense I didn't have. Nothing like putting a gear box on credit.

You'd be better served in buying one quality piece, something that will require regular maintenance, but is more reliable. Then hire out the rest of the operation until you can afford a better implement. Put your money into a good swather and maybe an ok rake. Hire out the bailing. You do the pickup and stacking.

Also, sounds like your ground is just pasture? It's probably not ready to be farmed. You can do it, but it will be rough and slow going! Consider tilling, smoothing, and replanting. Your kidneys will thank you.

I couldn't make this work financially. I love the idea, but when it comes down to the cost of running an actual operation, its hard to justify the cost for the small returns. Good luck to you.

 

[5030]

Your tractor with 50 HP is perfect for this equipment.

I don't believe so, especially with a full bale chamber. I want at least 80 pto and tractor weight too.

Not gonna argue about it. Try it and see for yourself. Don't much care. I know what I need. You don't...yet.

 

[gonefishin1]

What area of East Texas are you in? I'm just North of Tyler and I've been thinking the same thing. I'm struggling to find hay every year, and the struggle is getting to the point that I need to start making my own. I just bought a 70 HP tractor, so I'm going to be limited in what I can buy. I'm leaning towards buying brand new from Massey Ferguson because of their financing, and my desire to not have to wrench on it to get it to work.

I saw this in Craigslist. I'm not sure if it's a good deal or not, but the price for everything seemed interesting.

Hay Baling Equipment (Baler, Cutter, and Rake) - farm & garden - by...

Vermeer Rebel 5400 Round Baler, makes a 4x5 Roll, string tie only, good belts, gauge wheels, good chains and sprockets, good tires and still has paint on pick up. Tie box control. Hasn’t baled much...

easttexas.craigslist.org

I'm outside of carthage. I've looked at new equipment, but I just can't justify another note to pay every month. I was off work for over a year for medical reasons and surgery and I am nervous about financing anything. I went a long time without a paycheck. Luckily everything I have is paid for.

I own 60 acres and I have 70 acres leased. Plus I've talked to my neighbor and he will let me cut his 37. We have the same problem. Can't get anyone to come bale our places. I'm logging some of my timber right now, and it's going to take a couple years before that 20 acres will be ready to cut hay off of. Right now I can cut 60+ acres of pasture. Plus my neighbors 37

I totally understand the logic on having to work on used equipment. I'm a mechanic by trade and breakdowns never happen at a good time. I'm hoping to spend the majority of my money on a decent baler and if I can get a rake and cutter that will last 1 season I'll be happy. Then next year I'll buy a new cutter and better rake. Back when I was a kid I remember my grandpa cutting with his rotary mower when his sickle mower broke. So that's my backup plan if I have to...

My tractor will slowly pull a 4x5 baler, because it did it 20 years ago. Not going to be fast, but I know it will do it. I don't remember what model baler it was, but this was a early 90's vermeer baler. My dad and my grandpa had a 265 massey that was 60 pto hp. We used it to run a 4x5 baler no problem at all growing up.

that package for $13,500 is about what I'm looking for. I'd rather have a 5410 than the 5400, but it would be a great setup for my size tractor. That's about the size and style equipment I'm looking for that would fit my tractor.

 

[RustyA]

We ran out 5400 with the 39 HP 1070 gear tractor. It didn't like hills with a full chamber but it did it. The Vermeer rebel balers are specifically designed for lower horsepower tractors like hobby farmers have. Based on my personal experience your 50hp tractor will do a good job with that baler and an 8 wheel v-rake like tonutti or Vermeer.