Super A meets a baler

[flusher]

Earlier this year I bought a few items for haying including a Mahindra 5525 tractor (54 hp engine) and a MF-124 baler.
Also found a nice Farmall Super A locally at a great price ($1300 with a 6-ft mid mount sicklebar mower and scraper blade on the 3pt hitch).
I've been collecting servicing and restoring info on the Super A when I happened upon this YouTube video.

YouTube - FARMALL Super A

It's a 6-minute slide show on refurbishing a Super A followed by a short video showing the Super A pulling a baler about the size of my MF-124. Surprising to me since I would have expected that baler to really jerk that little tractor around. Not so.

 

[JDeerekid]

Nice restore. Doesn't even look like that super A flinched a bit pulling that baler. Do you have any action shots of it with the mower? I always liked the side mowers.

 

[flusher]

Nice restore. Doesn't even look like that super A flinched a bit pulling that baler. Do you have any action shots of it with the mower? I always liked the side mowers.

Not yet. My mower is off the tractor now so I can do the servicing/refurbishment. Hope to get around to that chore in a few months.

 

[wolc123]

That brought back some memories. I remember helping my grandad bale with his old F-14. He even had a wagon hitched behind the baler (thats where I got to work). These days everyone is crazy about hp, but as that video shows, it does not take all that much to do many jobs.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evenin Ray,
Great video !!! Really enjoyed it ! Im providing a link of when I rebuilt my 49 Super A ! Some day it will go to one of my grandsons, but not until Im in the box !

I absolutely love that tractor, it never amazes me of what its capable of ! And its 60 years old, which is two years ilder than me, and thats old !

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/photos/84042-any-day-now-any-day.html

BTW, here is the snowplow project for the Super A !

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...low-frame-super.html?highlight=snowplow+super

 

[rankrank1]

Success stories like this one, which are baling with low hp in conjunction with relatively low tractor weight are what convinced me to try baling with my itty bitty wannabe tractor (Kubota L285). I figured if tractors such as Farmall A's, B's, and even Allis Chalmer's B's could do it then I should be able to as well if I properly selected the right baler. Further cementing my decision to try baling with my itty bitty tractor was when I read in several of the old JD baler books which only specifed a John Deere 40 as all that was needed for the recommended tractor - The JD 40 is a small low hp tractor.

Recommendation for anyone considering baling with low hp and low tractor weight: Think of it like pulling a travel trailer with a lightweight 1/2 ton truck. It can work quite well if you pick the right trailer to put behind your lightweight 1/2 ton truck or in this case the proper baler to put behind your low hp/lightweight tractor. Just like travel trailers, not all square balers are created the same. Some of the newer balers are of a higher capacity and really need the tractor hp/tractor weight in front of them to work well while most of the older balers are of a lower capacity but can operate just fine on very little tractor hp. As with towing a trailer, go smaller with the trailer or in this case the baler if you will be towing through the mountains or baling hilly terrain. Of course if you are really light with the tractor then simply drop the bales on the ground and do not even consider towing a wagon behind the baler. Common sense in selecting selecting the proper baler will go a long way to remaining both safe and successful.

 

[vsteel]

It must have a lot to do with the baler. I know the JD 336 that I grew up around would have jerked that little tractor all over the place. I always baled with an Oliver 770, its about 50HP and 6K lbs and it would rock it around a little. Nothing terrible, but would move it. I couldn't imagine using it with a small tractor like that. That baler in the video though looks very smooth.

 

[zzvyb6]

The physics of baling doesn't support the notion that you need a lot of power to do the job. The flywheel stores enough energy to compress the hay charge and perform the flake cutoff with power to spare. However, I've seen, heard, and read it all. Some still insist on running with dull cutoff knives, too wide a gap between the knives, low pto rpm and too fast a ground speed. I even know 2 guys who didn't know there was a shear pin in the flywheel shaft and ran with the flywheel freewheeling. Yeah it spun around, but didn't contribute to the plugger charge. A 336 is generally run with an auxilliary hydraulic pump to build pressure for a kicker pan cylinder. That takes some extra hp. It also runs 100 rpm crankshaft speed while older ones run at 60 rpm (1 flake per second, 1 bale completed every 14 seconds is a good rule of haymaking). Do the math and figure out for yourself what you need. Yes, hills and extra wagons take some power, as does the A/C, music, rear video, and gps to keep you from getting lost out there. Make sure the governor is fast enough to tug the engine juice up quickly. If its slow, the jerking you all are reading about will appear. The plunger head is too light to cause such a motion.

Yes I have 2 degrees in Rocket Science, and a shirt to prove it...

 

[AKfish]

Yes, hills and extra wagons take some power, as does the A/C, music, rear video, and gps to keep you from getting lost out there. Make sure the governor is fast enough to tug the engine juice up quickly. If its slow, the jerking you all are reading about will appear. The plunger head is too light to cause such a motion.

Yes I have 2 degrees in Rocket Science, and a shirt to prove it...

Thanks flusher. Great video! Makes me want to get my own baler setup!!

And zzvyb6; I've come to appreciate your posts - and would like to see your shirt someday, too!

Sure would like to do my own hay one of these first years.. But, I'd really like to avoid buying a 100hp tractor and a $10-20K baler to get it done.

As much as I've followed the ebb and flow of the debate regarding small tractors - low hp balers vs large tractors - high hp balers (or any baler for that matter); I have yet to see any discussion or recommendations regarding the models of small balers (besides the JD336 or maybe the NH273) that anyone considering a small tractor hay operation should be keeping an eye out for!!

What models of balers should be seriously considered if you've only got 30-40 pto hp to work with and 3,500 - 4,500 lbs??

Thanks for any feedback.

AKfish

 

[rankrank1]

What models of balers should be seriously considered if you've only got 30-40 pto hp to work with and 3,500 - 4,500 lbs??

Thanks for any feedback.

AKfish

The smallest balers that can be purchased cheaply have a slightly smaller plunger size of 12"x16":
a) New Holland 65 (great baler that has no wood in it and shares parts with its bigger siblings).
b) Ford 520 (Parts will be extemely hard to find).

Next up in size would be balers with the standard 14"x18" plunger size:
a) John Deere 14T
b) John Deere 24T
c) New Holland 67,68,69 ("Super" models will not have wood in them so would be preferred)
d) New Holland 273
e) Some people have had luck with Massey 10,12,120,124.


FWIW - I would stick with New Holland or John Deere for the older stuff as they have the best parts support.