Round baler advise

[elkhurst1]

I'm thinking of buying a used round baler this spring. As of now I'm still in the "dark ages" with an old Int. 37 square baler. I have never been around a round baler and most local folks tell me to buy a high moisture machine.
I don't raise any livestock and pretty much sell all of my hay. I believe I need to stay in a 4x4 machine for ease of handling the rolls but a 4x5 wouldn't be out of the question. As for horsepower, my biggest tractor is a NH TN75. And most baling conditions will be on flat ground.
I'd like to stay in Agco-Massey, New Holland or maybe JD lines for local parts availability.
As of now I can only store my round bales outside so net wrap might be my best option but I'm not sure how that compares with the cost of twine and possibility bagging my bales?
Any thoughts on what brands and models I should start looking for?

 

[whodat526]

i have a nh 648 and from my expeirence of working on them and operating them they are by for the easiest and your tn75 will pull it with no trouble and it can bale 4x4 and 4x5 bales

 

[elkhurst1]

Is your 648 Hi moisture, mesh or twine?

 

[sweettractors]

I'm thinking of buying a used round baler this spring. As of now I'm still in the "dark ages" with an old Int. 37 square baler. I have never been around a round baler and most local folks tell me to buy a high moisture machine.
I don't raise any livestock and pretty much sell all of my hay. I believe I need to stay in a 4x4 machine for ease of handling the rolls but a 4x5 wouldn't be out of the question. As for horsepower, my biggest tractor is a NH TN75. And most baling conditions will be on flat ground.
I'd like to stay in Agco-Massey, New Holland or maybe JD lines for local parts availability.
As of now I can only store my round bales outside so net wrap might be my best option but I'm not sure how that compares with the cost of twine and possibility bagging my bales?
Any thoughts on what brands and models I should start looking for?

Here are links to 2 round balers that we have running on Ebay and we also just got in a Hesston 5540 4x5 bales for $4250. Ken Sweet

Used New Holland 846 Round Hay Baler, Manual Tie - eBay (item 150552215011 end time Feb-20-11 09:21:20 PST)


Used Hesston 540 Round Hay Baler, Roller, SHARP - eBay (item 150514598057 end time Mar-02-11 04:57:28 PST)

 

[wally hamma]

I have a nh 7090 make any size up to 5x6. I don't run twine takes to much time to wrap, net cost is about $2 a bale. If you are storing outside I would
net. Also square are easier to sell and you will make more $$. I would say to hire your baling done would be cheaper in the long run, unless you bale alot
of bales, I have nieghbers that hire me to bale @ they bale 300 to 400 every year. Just my 2 cent worth.

 

[elkhurst1]

I would stay with square but the problem is getting help to get it into the barn. I have seen 4000 square bales in a year and that's a lot for me to deal with only having hit or miss labor. I can pretty much roll my hay and do it myself with maybe my wifes help.
I've had several different people put my hay up for me over the past several years, and I really like that concept. But, anymore, my hay is always on the back burner and not getting put up in a timely manner.
So right or wrong, that's why I'm thinking of jumping into it myself.
And like most people , I'm on a budget. So buying new is out of the question.
I just don't know what's out there that would do what I want it to do at a fair price.
I do feel the wrap would be the way to go also. Would the hi moisture machine be the way to go as well?

 

[RickB]

Try to stick with a belt-style baler built within the last 12-15 years. Chain-style and older belt-style balers are not only more apt to be worn out due to age, the technology behind them is largely obsolete. Buy a brand that has parts & service fairly close by if possible. That may not always be easy. A baler designed for silage bales will have features that make it more durable than dry hay only machines, but that advantage may be negated by the rigors of making thousands of silage bales. machine condition is paramount once you find a brand and model that has a proven reputation. New Holland, John Deere, Vermeer and Hesston balers should be considered. Older CaseIH balers are rebadged Hesstons, newer CaseIH balers are rebadged New Hollands.

 

[elkhurst1]

For RickB...
What is the difference between a dry hay only round machine and the hi moisture baler?
And is the hi moisture baler something I should consider?

 

[wally hamma]

Have u asked your nieghbor to put up on shares? Might get done in a more timely manner. Good little bales(50 lbs.) in Il. are around $3 a bale big rounds
(5x6) are $40 a bale do the math.

 

[sweettractors]

If I was doing square bales, I would pickup one of those used New Holland $5000 square bale loader/stackers. That would get square baling down to a 1 man operation. Our Local labor pool are all drawing and a job would mess up the gumment check. Ken Sweet

 

[sweettractors]

For RickB...
What is the difference between a dry hay only round machine and the hi moisture baler?
And is the hi moisture baler something I should consider?

The high moisture bales put quite a strain on tractor and baler. I would suggest a late model belt baler for haylage. Usually the Silage balers have heavier bearings and better belt guides. Ken Sweet

 

[whodat526]

a hi moisture baler and a silage speacil is the same and yes u can get a 648 as a silage special but if i was u i would stiick with nh, jd, and vermer and nothing over 15 years old unless it was really takin care of because the 640 644 and 648 or all the same also the br 740 is the same but different sheet metal and all or good balers

 

[elkhurst1]

Your right about the government checks. That's the problem here as well.

Yes, my neighbor puts up my hay on halfs already as well as having his own to put up.
He also owns a lumber co. and uses a great deal of mulch when reclaiming log landings. That's what he does with my hay.
Another problem is that there's not much farming in my area. So that limits the choices
I have as well.

 

[elkhurst1]

I wasn't sure if a hi moisture and a silage machine were the same.
I had heard both terms and assumed they were different, but didn't know for sure.
I did want to stay with something 10 years old or less and stored out of the elements.

 

[blueriver]

I run a Case IH 8430 it makes 4x4 ... super good little baler, all the hay around me is 4x5 and sells for $30 ... I sell all I can make for $35 ... smaller farms with smaller tractors they like the smaller bales. More profit in the end ... my customers do not mind twine wrapped ... maybe one out of 25 ask about net wrapped.

 

[RickB]

For RickB...
What is the difference between a dry hay only round machine and the hi moisture baler?
And is the hi moisture baler something I should consider?

Differences vary between brands, but typically include endless belts (NH), heavier belt lacings, heavier roll bearings, more roll scrapers, infeed discs, cams and cam followers on both ends of the pickup bars, heavier pickup teeth. Doubtful that any one brand of Silage Special has all these features, but it is a range of the different features found on SS balers across the board.

There is no reason NOT to consider a Silage Special, but if you intend to make dry hay only, a dry hay baler will do just fine.

 

[elkhurst1]

Just thinking if a person got into a bind and had to put up some wet or damp hay, maybe you'd be better off with a ss???

 

[dbnair]

Hi,

I have a TN75a four wheel drive and I run a BR740A silage special net wrap round baler with it with an acid applicator. It is a fantastic baler and the tractor will run it fine. I sometimes clog it once a year, if I hit a heavy thick wet area of hay (pain to onclog).

Over all a fantactic baler and makes perfect bales. The net wrap is fantastic.

I use the bales for horses and bale dry and apply acid preservative.

In the winter I then unroll the bales with a bale spinner.

This has all been much easier for me than doing the squares. We have 18 horses and 18 cattle and no help, so rounds are the way to go.

I would like a larger cab tractor in the future.

Anyways, hopes this helps your decision, or if you are at all worried that the TN isn't big enough. You'll find the round baler has much less vibration than a square baler.

Take care,
Grant

 

[Barry Bowen]

Silage special, or haylage balers are much much heavier. A 4x4 dry weighs about 400-450, and the balage can go 1000 or better.

a 4x4 unrolls to about 11-12 small squares, a 4x5 unrolls to about 20-22 small squares.

Horse people want DRY hay period.

Net wrap is much faster to wrap, 2 turns of the roll in the machine. Twine can be 15-30 turns depending on one or two twine system.

Small squares sell for the most, end of story. Quality in the hay sells more than anything else. You do not save anytime rolling vs small squares, but you can do it all from the tractor seat.

Storing rolls outside is not difficult if you want to keep them dry. Buy the right sized tarps. Put plastic on the ground, skids on the plastic, 6 bale pyrimid of 4x4 bales. Go how ever long your tarps are. Put ropes or big square baler twine under the skids to come up and tie to the tarps. Other than the end rolls and what you do to cover them, the bales are just like stored inside.

 

[AKfish]

If I was doing square bales, I would pickup one of those used New Holland $5000 square bale loader/stackers. Ken Sweet

What New Holland square bale loader - stacker? Every NH bale wagon that I've looked at that's in good shape is more like $15,000.

Maybe I'm thinking of something different...

AKfish