The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[EddieWalker]

The part that scares me the most about getting into cutting my own hay is all the little parts that can break on a baler. Then they seem to constantly need adjusting and a ton of maintenance. It overwhelms me to think of what it will take to fix it when it's not working properly. Eventually I'll probably go for it, but it's something that I really don't want to get into.

 

[Rustyiron]

Eddie do you have a neighbor out at the farm that might bale it for you?
Cutting any raking equipment is pretty simple compared to a square baler.
If you can deal with rounds they're pretty trouble free as well.

 

[Hay Dude]

Round balers are definitely less complicated than the newer large square balers, but can still give lots of headaches.
If I were going to buy a large square baler for limited use that would be simple, I’d check out a New Holland D-1000/2000 Or a Hesston 4710/4910.
It’s difficult to do, but it’s best to make the seller show you it can make bales. Buying off the lot is almost a guarantee of you fixing problems, unless the seller will give you a warranty.

 

[mrmikey]

The bearing didn’t come out. It’s supposed to look that way.

Holy s++t, the cams, levers, bearings. How in the he77 do you even adjust something like that, better yet, who designs it. I consider myself fairley mechanically minded but I would run far away if I had to work on that LOL.

 

[two_bit_score]

Seems to me that if a person convicted of murder escapes, it should escalate to an instant death sentence. The whole argument against capital punishment is that life without parole protects society. Should be a federal thing and quick. Not much to do as far as evidence. The guy clearly escaped and was convicted of murder. Tomorrow, he should escape permanently.

It’s easy to fall into a trap thinking like that. I bet if you thought it through you wouldn’t want to make it so easy for the government to kill anyone.
“Instant death sentence “? No evidence needed. “Clearly escaped“. No it should NEVER be that easy.

 

[Hay Dude]

It’s easy to fall into a trap thinking like that. I bet if you thought it through you wouldn’t want to make it so easy for the government to kill anyone.
“Instant death sentence “? No evidence needed. “Clearly escaped“. No it should NEVER be that easy.

I think once he escaped AND stole a gun, it makes him a shoot on sight. Last thing we want is a double murderer on the loose with a gun.
Before he stole the gun, I was ok with capture alive.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie do you have a neighbor out at the farm that might bale it for you?
Cutting any raking equipment is pretty simple compared to a square baler.
If you can deal with rounds they're pretty trouble free as well.

The farm that I live on is being split up into 4 pastures for livestock. I don't plan on baling anything here. The farm that I want to do hay is an hour away. That's where the cows are right now, but once I get them here, I'll start removing the mesquite trees and working on getting it ready to bale hay. Option one is to hire a guy to bale it. Current prices are about $30 per bale for them to come there and do all the work. That's better then what I'm paying for hay right now. I might just do that forever and never get into baling it myself, but I hate being dependent on others. They have a way of not always being there when I need them, and their prices will always go up over time. If I decide to buy, I'll probably go to my Massey Ferguson dealer and do a package deal for everything brand new. Somehow, I think that will be more expensive then paying a guy $30 a bale. Maybe I'll get lucky and find somebody that wants to bale it and split the bales so I get what I need for free, and he takes the rest away. It's still a few years away, so I'm just in the thinking stage more then anything else.

 

[Rustyiron]

The farm that I live on is being split up into 4 pastures for livestock. I don't plan on baling anything here. The farm that I want to do hay is an hour away. That's where the cows are right now, but once I get them here, I'll start removing the mesquite trees and working on getting it ready to bale hay. Option one is to hire a guy to bale it. Current prices are about $30 per bale for them to come there and do all the work. That's better then what I'm paying for hay right now. I might just do that forever and never get into baling it myself, but I hate being dependent on others. They have a way of not always being there when I need them, and their prices will always go up over time. If I decide to buy, I'll probably go to my Massey Ferguson dealer and do a package deal for everything brand new. Somehow, I think that will be more expensive then paying a guy $30 a bale. Maybe I'll get lucky and find somebody that wants to bale it and split the bales so I get what I need for free, and he takes the rest away. It's still a few years away, so I'm just in the thinking stage more then anything else.

I had assumed that it was your brothers place but was unaware that you planned on eventually bringing them home.
Farming isn't a cheap hobby especially with the price of the machinery. Even small "entry level" equipment is in the same category of stupid as pickup trucks.

 

[Hay Dude]

Did a little bale loading today. Always nice when you can stack 4 layers tall.

Mowed for about 10 hours until almost dark. Got about 30 cut yesterday and 40 today.

The days are getting shorter here in PA. Maybe 3 more weeks left of haying weather.


Fields are really beautiful this time of year.

 

[LouNY]

The dew is so heavy here now it would keep hay to wet to bale till late afternoon, and anything that gets shaded early or late is likely to never get dry, silage time.