Minimum PTO HP for haying and associated implements

[StuartDK45SE]

Just went through this last year.

I have a Kioti DK45 with 39 PTO HP.

I ended up with a used New Holland 630 4x4 round baler
A 3 point rake from Small Farm Innovations
A drum mower from Small Farm Innovations

The tractor handled everything fine on my 10 acres. Any more acreage I would want more tractor though.

 

[Hayseed Andy]

Thanks again for all the input.

 

[keljan11]

Hey there. So, I already had the MF265 tractor (65hp) when I noticed my dad, at around 85 yrs old, was packing water out to his horse during the winter months. Worrying about him slipping on ice from spilled water and breaking a hip, I suggested we could take the horse out to my farm.
Now we have a horse to feed, and 8-10 acres of open land to use as a hay field. Seeded the land, found an MF #9 baler for $500. A year later I found a NH 489 swather for $2000 in good condition, a Kverneland TA 711 belt rake for $1600, and then a "newer" NH 273 sqare baler. Big rounds are harder to deal with for one horse, and, imho, more waste. Have more hay than I need, but using the land and neighbors have lots of goats. Am only haying about 4 acres right now as I was working 2 weeks away a month. I get about 110 bales a cut, 3 cuts a summer, and we feed all year long.