Baling Hay with a YM200BD

Mike120 · Dec 31, 2006

Depending on what you feed your horses and have growing in your field, you might be better off investing your money in sprigging/seeding high-quality forage, lime/fertilizer, and paying your friend to bale it for you. You can still get your feed costs way down.

frank_z · Jan 1, 2007

From past years when I cut and baled Alfalfa hay for myself and for neighbors, I had a Farmall 200 (Super C), Case sickle bar mower, David Bradley (Sear Roebuck) side delivery rake, and New Holland model 57 engine baler. All antiques! No hi-tech that was difficult to keep in repair. I still keep the machinery around to admire the old rusty iron. However, I have to occasionally move it to clear the tumbleweed that seems to always accumulate around it. Once I tried my Yanmar F18D to move the bailer. Surprise, Surprise! When I coupled them, the front wheels of the tractor came up off the ground!

That old Wisconsin V4 baler engine and the big flywheel well forward of the baler axle really overwhelmed the ol' rice tractor. Not good; not good!

Frank

johndeerefarmer · Jan 1, 2007

scesnick said:
Thanks for the reply's I would like to bale the hay myself because my good friend bales his hay and sells it down south and makes a nice profit.. I would like to get in this as a side business. He has been encouraging me to do so since he has the buyers and not enough hay. I'm not looking to make a fortune doing this. Just a few bucks and some hay for my horses.
SO, I guess I'm going to have to look for a bigger tractor to do this job.
Hopefully I can talk the Chief Financial officer ( the wife) into us keeping the Yanmar for "specialized" jobs...

Good luck selling your hay to us southern boys. We have had a drought the last couple years but are tired of you yankees trying to make excessive profit off of us. We have gotten nearly 6" of rain in Dec so we don't need no stinking Yankee hay.........

LMTC · Jan 1, 2007

johndeerefarmer said:
Good luck selling your hay to us southern boys. We have had a drought the last couple years but are tired of you yankees trying to make excessive profit off of us. We have gotten nearly 6" of rain in Dec so we don't need no stinking Yankee hay.........

Was this supposed to be funny? Because, ummmm....it's not.

DavesTractor · Jan 2, 2007

zzvyb6 said:
I used an 18 hp Yanmar 4wd tractor for baling my own hay here in Michigan. First used a pto sickle bar then graduated to a NH479 mow/conditioner. Raked with a NH 5 bar, baled with a JD 14T. Lack of live power on the Yanmar was a minor problem. Switched to a JD1070 4wd (38 hp), still run the 479. Switched to a Kuhn tedder/rake because of drying time and rain issues. Still use the 14T. Now have a NH staker wagon to pick them up. This ability allowed me to make money selling hay to the neighbors and trade hay discount for help loading into the barn. I do all the work by myself now. Friends still prefer my baled weeds to the stronger hay available at the Co-op. Looks good on the Accountant's side and on property taxes (still agricultural). I do about 20 - 25 acres per year, splitting the fields up into sections based on rain forecast. Most folks are in too big a hurry and don't know the mechanisms involved in cutting, raking, baling and picking up hay. Great chance to learn. Most of my customers are female and they appreciate 40-45 lb bales instead of the 75 - 100 lb bales found elsewhere. Its a lifting thing. I get $2.50 a bale out of the field and $3.50 delivered. Its a great chance to learn about bearings, lubrication, welding, organization, patience and rewards.

Don't tell me you wrote off the Vette as a business expense to deliver hay? Great picture!

normde2001 · Jan 2, 2007

johndeerefarmer said:
Good luck selling your hay to us southern boys. We have had a drought the last couple years but are tired of you yankees trying to make excessive profit off of us. We have gotten nearly 6" of rain in Dec so we don't need no stinking Yankee hay.........

Duh!.. I hope you forgot the "smiley face" thingy.

scesnick · Jan 2, 2007

johndeerefarmer said:
Good luck selling your hay to us southern boys. We have had a drought the last couple years but are tired of you yankees trying to make excessive profit off of us. We have gotten nearly 6" of rain in Dec so we don't need no stinking Yankee hay.........

Are us "Yankees" supposed to drag a heay trailer full of hay 700+ miles and still only ask $2.50 a bail for it?

greatrandini · Jan 3, 2007

johndeerefarmer said:
Good luck selling your hay to us southern boys. We have had a drought the last couple years but are tired of you yankees trying to make excessive profit off of us. We have gotten nearly 6" of rain in Dec so we don't need no stinking Yankee hay.........

I thought it was a little funny! Of course the Civil war is over......isn't it?

mark777 · Jan 3, 2007

greatrandini said:
I thought it was a little funny! Of course the Civil war is over......isn't it?

Evidently not......

Travis_R · Jan 3, 2007

Is there ANY Yanmar out there that can handle a hay baler? I haven't really thought of this because I do occasionally cut/rake/bale (old International 430 square baler) a little hay on the side for some extra money, but its not a necessity. Just more seat time! I guess I need to consider this before I sell my Mahindra, uh!

Im sure the Yanmar YM4220, YM4500, YM6000, and so on... will pull a baler, but what about the smaller ones like the YM2210, YM2310, YM3000, YM3110 ?

If a YM3110 or even a YM3000 won't run a baler, then I may want to re-consider selling my Mahindra. Boy it sure would be nice to be able to own two tractors again!

Travis R