How many acres necessary to make it worthwhile to do your own haying?

[Dadnatron]

I bucked by hand as a kid in HS. My friend and I used my Grandpa's old 1940's truck. Friend was skinny and couldn't lift a bale to the back, so he drove and I bucked a bunch up then we'd stop and stack. $0.25/bale stacked at home, split between the two of us. We thought that was pretty good money. We were probably making about $15/hr and working for it... hard.

Neighbor hired a stackwagon... and cleared his field in a couple hours. I'm now a doctor...

 

[Dadnatron]

Since you have the tractor, why not just use it to move the bales out of your field after they are baled yourself? Maybe renegotiate your split with the guy doing the baling for a few more bales to cover your time? My guess is that he is working 20 hour days to get it done on as many properties as he can, and he probably wants the bales out of the field so he can get more hay the next time, but there isn't enough hours in the day to get it all done.

I can do that... and I just purchased a FEL hay fork to do just that. However, I have a pretty good stand and should be having better quality coming off it than I am. And if my guy doesn't communicate with me, I just don't need nor like to work with people like that. If he is in over his head, that is fine, tell me, and I'll find someone else. But if we make an agreement, I expect it to be followed or communication about why it can't/shouldn't be. I am not a high powered pushy guy, but I also don't like to be taken advantage of nor do I like to see my hay sold a 'outdoor cow' quality when it should be 'horse quality' if addressed appropriately.

I think, personally, he is in over his head. But I've asked him, and he is adamant that he isn't.