My 38 hp JD1070 has been pulling a NH479 mower-conditioner, a NH56 rake, a JD14T baler and a NH1012 stackwagon for 10 years without even a grunt. It has weighted tires which probably helps the low speed chuggle that a baler can get into if you don't run it at the design rpm. If I can figure out how to post a picture of the setup from a camera card I will toss it in. As a professional engineer, I can say that most hp requirements for haybaling are overstated by 50%. FYI I ran this same equipment using an 18hp Yanmar. It was not weighted and danced a bit. Worst thing was lack of live power. The mower its the only piece that will touch the governor going straight up an incline. From my experience using bigger tractors and machinery owned by neighboring dairy farmers, the main mistake made by beginners is failing to run the machinery at the rated 540 rpm. This simply means you need the right transmission gears and tire sizes to get the optimum ground speed. Yes the mower is a sickle drive, not a discbine, the baler is 1 stroke per second, not 1.5 - 2 on the Big balers. The rake can be pulled by my 4wheeler. The stackwagon has a high tongue load but I loaded up the front weight bar with 6 JD iron weights (50 lb apiece maybe). The JD14T, NH 363, 369 balers are the same capacity and thruput. It's not going to hurt the tractor if you stay in rpm band and machine feed rate at a fast walking speed. I mowed a 7.5 acre field yesterday in 25 minutes. That's the picture. Rake tomorrow, maybe bale and pickup Sunday or monday. I get $3.50 a bale delivered for this product. They line up for it and last year I ran out of hay. That's a bale every 13 seconds BTW: figure out the income rate. I figure I'll use less than 3 gallons of diesel fuel to cut, rake, bale and pickup all this hay. I was at the races this weekend at MIS, can you tell?
