Longer Drawbar?

[RichNJKubota]

In connecting the hay baler to the L4310 I notice that the drawbar could be about 2 inches longer.
The reason is that the PTO shaft is shortened all the way. The PTO shaft still connects but is retracted all the way.
I have 2 options. 1 - cut the PTO shaft or 2- get a longer drawbar.
Is there such a thing as a slightly longer drawbar?

Rich

 

[Bird]

Rich, cutting the PTO shaft is the very common way of correcting the problem. In fact, the manuals that come with many implements have instructions for measuring and cutting them and a hacksaw will do the job. You want to separate the two pieces of the PTO shaft and cut an equal amount from each.

 

[Secretec]

Did you adjust the drawbar all the way out. It has multiple holes in it. At least my L3130 does. Good Luck

 

[5030]

Rich:

Bird is right, as usual and the procedure is right on too. You can get a longer drawbar, but the farther back you apply the load to the tractor, the lighter the front end becomes. With most pull behind implements, you want to be within a couple of inches of the outer diameter of the rear wheels where the implement attaches to the drawbar. Also, attaching an implement far back with an extended drawbar, puts an undue strain on the rear housing of the tractor.

 

[RichNJKubota]

The drawbar is in the farthest out position. The baler owner's manual says to cut the PTO shaft but it's just sooo close to being right on I thought an option would be to get a longer drawbar. It looks like I'll get the sawzall out and cut the PTO shaft.

 

[5030]

I see you have a 4310. What kind of bailer is it, round or square and the make?

 

[RichNJKubota]

The baler is a New Holland 320 (small square bales) with a kicker. The guy I bought the L4310 from used the tractor with a NH565? baler to do 90 acres of hay. After a while he decided the L4310 was too small and bought a new M series Kubota. Since I'm only doing 10 acres of hay I thought I'd be fine with this setup.
The tractor's prior owner and my neighbor (who's done hay for 50 yrs) have both said that since my land is flat and only 10 acres that the L4310 should be able to handle it with a hay wagon! I still don't think that pulling the baler and a wagon is safe. So I'll start out by baling and picking up the bales by hand.
For years I used to pull a trailer behind my car so I know what it's like to be pushed around from behind. It can get scary.
The L4310 with FEL and loaded tires weighs somewhere around 5000 lbs. The baler is 3500 lbs.

 

[5030]

You should be able to pull a flat rack behind the bailer coupled to the tractor.

Pulling a wagon behind a bailer is not like pulling a trailer behind an on road vehicle. Your speed is much much slower. Besides, you don't really want to pick up those bales.

I presume that you already have a mower and a rake too??

 

[RichNJKubota]

No mower, rake or wagon yet. I'm looking for suggestions.
I got the baler first because they are hard to find here in this part of NJ as there are not many farms left. For the cutter I was leaning toward a used sickle bar or a new one from http://www.ccmachinery.com/hay.htm
The same for the rake - a 3pt 4 or 5 wheel rake.
Bottom line is low price. My hay is not the best quality and I'm doing this only to keep my farmland tax assessment.

 

[5030]

If I were you, I'd try to find a New Holland or John Deere side delivery rake. We have a very old JD that was given to us that I completely rebuilt for about $100.00. It is on rubber, not steel.

A wheel rake is okay, but a side delivery rake is much easier to control your windrow width with. Besides, unless you were to buy a new one, they are all ground driven. I have even pulled the JD behind my wife's quad.

As far as a sickle bar mower, you need to find an old sickle bar that is double action. The really old ones are single action and you have to go real slow.

IH made a pretty good double action sickle bar, the pull behind variety.

One thing about cutting hay with a sickle bar is that dry down may be a problem in the early part of the year as well as in the fall. You might need a roller crimper too. International made a really nice PTO driven, pull behind crimper. It's a model 34.

With a little creative looking, you should be able to find the crimper, rake and sickle bar mower for a couple of hundred bucks. Be warned though, you will probably have to rebuild each implement as they all have probably been worked hard. The good news is that the parts are still available for them.

A little note of caution, NEVER get your fingers between the knives and guards on the sickle mower. Due to the action of a sickle, the knives may roll over at the slightest movement and they will take your fingers RIGHT OFF!!