small acreage haying
- Thread starter spokanite
- Start date
HammerFour
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- Sep 5, 2002
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- Holt, Missouri
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- Kubota B7100, JD Gator 6X4, Kubota L2350, JD 14T Baler, JD 894A Side Delivery Rake, IH 100 Balance Sickle Mower
I think you would be fine as long as you make sure the equipment you are trying to use is sized for that hp.
We have a JD 14T and it works fine behind our L2350 which has 25 gross hp. The balers have a shear bolt, if you slug to much hay in there that will break before the tractor gets loaded down most of the time.
We don't try and run a mower conditioner as we don't have one. I am sure one of the older ones would be fine. We use a sickle mower to do the mowing with and a side delivery rake to rake with.
We have a JD 14T and it works fine behind our L2350 which has 25 gross hp. The balers have a shear bolt, if you slug to much hay in there that will break before the tractor gets loaded down most of the time.
We don't try and run a mower conditioner as we don't have one. I am sure one of the older ones would be fine. We use a sickle mower to do the mowing with and a side delivery rake to rake with.
HammerFour
Gold Member
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- Sep 5, 2002
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- Holt, Missouri
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- Kubota B7100, JD Gator 6X4, Kubota L2350, JD 14T Baler, JD 894A Side Delivery Rake, IH 100 Balance Sickle Mower
A lot of folks will tell you it isn't cost effective to make your own hay, the thing you have to keep in mind is the scale of what you are attempting.
If you go out and buy a brand new baler for many thousands, a tedder, a mower/conditioner, etc and wrap up tens of thousands of dollars in this equipment, yes, you need to be doing it for a living to make it pay off.
On the other hand, we spent about $800 total for a baler, rake and sickle mower. We have a saying 'if it isn't close to 50 years old, we won't use it' haha. All of this stuff is 1950's and 1960's vintage.
We have baled about 500 bales two years in a row with this equipment, so it has paid for itself twice over, plus a bit.
We have had some issues with the equipment needing a few minor repairs ( maybe $100 total in parts ) and I had to learn how to set the baler up properly, but it has been a fun and cheap way to provide hay for the cattle and horses over the winter.
We only have 7 head of cattle and 2 horses, so as I said, we are small scale.
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
If you go out and buy a brand new baler for many thousands, a tedder, a mower/conditioner, etc and wrap up tens of thousands of dollars in this equipment, yes, you need to be doing it for a living to make it pay off.
On the other hand, we spent about $800 total for a baler, rake and sickle mower. We have a saying 'if it isn't close to 50 years old, we won't use it' haha. All of this stuff is 1950's and 1960's vintage.
We have baled about 500 bales two years in a row with this equipment, so it has paid for itself twice over, plus a bit.
We have had some issues with the equipment needing a few minor repairs ( maybe $100 total in parts ) and I had to learn how to set the baler up properly, but it has been a fun and cheap way to provide hay for the cattle and horses over the winter.
We only have 7 head of cattle and 2 horses, so as I said, we are small scale.
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
5030
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- Feb 21, 2003
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- SE Michigan in the middle of nowhere
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Spokanite:
Any sickle bar mower or mower conditioner uses little pto power and a square bailer, well, the flywheel provides the inertia so you get it spinning and it just goes. Your only problem would be the tongue weight of the implements and remember, you have to be able to pull a loaded haywagon and bailer behind the tractor. If the unit is too light, you will have problems.
Power intensive implements are multiple rotary rakes like a Kuhn, disc mowers, inverters and especially round bailers.
Any sickle bar mower or mower conditioner uses little pto power and a square bailer, well, the flywheel provides the inertia so you get it spinning and it just goes. Your only problem would be the tongue weight of the implements and remember, you have to be able to pull a loaded haywagon and bailer behind the tractor. If the unit is too light, you will have problems.
Power intensive implements are multiple rotary rakes like a Kuhn, disc mowers, inverters and especially round bailers.