Looking for a safe hay baling tractor on mild slopes

[koerbdog77]

I have learned alot from everyone's responses.

What horsepower would I want for a round baler setup (mower, tedder and rake too) in the 800 pound bale range?

Also want to say thank you to all who have replied!

 

[burnetma]

OK, now let's talk horsepower, but first we need to know, how quickly you want to get the work done, because the two are related. Also note that the two biggest HP demands will be the mower and the baler. The tedder and rake have smaller HP requirements.

You will want a conditioning mower in WV. The slowest option would be a 7 foot sickle bar mower with conditioner and the fastest would be a large rotary mower conditioner. In general, you will need 65+ HP to run the smallest rotary mower conditioner, where as a 7 foot sickle bar mower can be run on 35+ HP.

The round baler will require 55+ hp depending on brand and features.

Don't forget the hydraulic requirements and you will likely want a front end loader and three point hitch for moving bales.

In my opinion, you should be looking for a 65+ HP 4x4 tractor ballasted to over 7,000 lbs with dual rear remotes. This will give you the HP you need to run a good mower and baler with the weight and traction to handle the hillsides in a safe manner.

Option 2 would be a 80+ HP row crop tractor ballasted to over 8,000 lbs.

 

[koerbdog77]

I want a mower conditioner and not a sickle bar.

I have been looking at mahindra and massey ferguson, but also like john deere's, any suggestions. Also looking at low profile tractors (with the belief that they have lower center of gravity and are thus more stable - would this be correct?). I plan to go with four wheel drive.

Thanks for the info!

 

[scott_vt]

I have learned alot from everyone's responses.

What horsepower would I want for a round baler setup (mower, tedder and rake too) in the 800 pound bale range?

Also want to say thank you to all who have replied!

Good Mornin koerbdog,
As stated earlier in the thread, there are many tractors that fit the bill. My neighbor owns a JD 5105 FWD and does all his haying with this machine. Its in the 60 hp range, and he runs his 7 ft mower conditioner and his round baler on hills with no problems. A few years back he had a square baler with a kicker and towed a wagon behind that. When his wagon was fairly loaded it would push him around on the hills of Vt. Not a good feeling if youve ever done that sort of thing !

I want a mower conditioner and not a sickle bar.

I have been looking at mahindra and massey ferguson, but also like john deere's, any suggestions. Also looking at low profile tractors (with the belief that they have lower center of gravity and are thus more stable - would this be correct?). I plan to go with four wheel drive.

Thanks for the info!

As you probably allready know, a mower conditioner is nothing more than a sickle bar mower with crimping rollers to aid in drying the hay.

 

[spruce Deere]

You could use the following products with your JD790...
AGRIQUIP.com :: Star

I will second this notion, I would like to see someone try these balers, mowers and tedders with a 790. Then tell how the market is for mid-round bales Might be the new haying trend.... with alot of these small acreage "hobby" farms popping up around rural america.

 

[slowzuki]

I'll add that the 35 hp on a mower conditioner in hills is a bit low. I run 45 pto hp on a 9 ft and it slows right down on our slight hills. The 52 pto hp tractor I also borrow also notices the hills but can snort its way through. A haybine or discbine in the 7-9 ft range weighs about 3000-5000 lbs. Makes a decent load going up hill.

On the other hand, my 45 pto hp is fine on a 4x4 round baler, doesn't even notice the tedder or rake.