Advice on doing my own hay

[elginfarm]

Hi everyone.
Perfect timing for this forum. We are looking at doing our own hay next year. We paid to have our 15 acre field disced and then planter with a good grass pasture mix for our horses. Unfortunately, due to the drought all we have had is weeds. Everyone I talked to tells us that he grass will grow next year with proper spraying and feltilizing. The farmer plans to round bale it for his cattle. We had planned to do a 50/50 deal, but this guy has become unreliable, which leads to my decision to do my own.
I have a JD 4400 CUT. I would like to try doing my own hay next year. Based on what I have read in the forums I might be able to run a small baler for small squares. I know that I will need other implements and am looking for advice on what I might need and what you all suggest to look for on used equipment. I plan on looking at auctions, craigslist, e-bay etc. Depending on how things work out I may also look for a used 5xxx series JD utility tractor in the 50 HP range.
Your advice an implements for my tractor would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Eldon

[sweettractors]

A new 4 wheel rake (1195) and a used JD, Ford, New Idea, Massey sickle mower ($995-2995) or a good used disc mower ($3500-$5000) and a good used JD 336, NH 68 or 269 square baler ($1995-$4500) + shipping is what we can do today. Ken Sweet

[cowski]

i would look for a used jd 5105 .for 15 acres a sickle mower would be the best.i would add a mf 124 baler to sweet's list. you will also need a trailer.good luck

[Amelia Farms]

Started doing my own hay this year. I picked up a used NH haybine, NH #56 rake, and a NH 68 baler. I bought a cheapo tedder from Agri Supply. I have a little under $3000 in all the equipment. I pulled all this with my JD 990, 40 horsepower. It all went much smoother than I anticipated. I made a little over 2000 bales in 2 cuttings this year with no major breakdowns. And it was a lot of fun, except heaving it up in the barn loft. I am looking for a used hay elevator now.

[flusher]

Here's what I have:

Old 6.5 ft Tower offset disc (free from neighbor, about $50 in new parts) and a home made drag for primary tillage.

10 f wide cultipacker-$600

Minneapolis Moline P3-6 grain drill (10 ft wide, 20 drops, grass seed boxes)-bought two for $275, used parts to make one good baler plus about $250 in new parts

Massey Ferguson 31 sicklebar mower (7 ft), $550 at auction, $200 new parts

John Deere 350 5-bar side delivery hayrake (3pt hitch/pto driven type), $800

Massey Ferguson 124 baler (two twine, small squares 14" x 18" x 45" long), $2000

Good luck

[mikehaugen]

Sorry I can't give you a lot of advice on haying, but I am in your area and have a similar sized (slightly larger) tractor and would be willing to come help. I have never done hay and always look forward to learning new things and am always looking for side jobs. If you are interested, pm me. You say southwest suburbs, but your username implies Elgin. Let me know.

I am also always going to auctions looking for implements, you may or may not know but Buck Bros. Deere dealer in hampshire has a big auction every year and there is also a big one in Woodstock I think twice a year.

[riptides]

Started doing my own hay this year. I picked up a used NH haybine, NH #56 rake, and a NH 68 baler. I bought a cheapo tedder from Agri Supply. I have a little under $3000 in all the equipment. I pulled all this with my JD 990, 40 horsepower. It all went much smoother than I anticipated. I made a little over 2000 bales in 2 cuttings this year with no major breakdowns. And it was a lot of fun, except heaving it up in the barn loft. I am looking for a used hay elevator now.

I use an old grain elevator, pics of my repair (broke a gear) and in-action on this site somewhere. It is PTO driven, height adjustable (a Plus) and most important to me at the time, is was free from a friend. It gets used, maybe twice a year, and puts about 500 bales up in the barn loft. It's harder getting the bales out of the hay wagon, then putting them in the loft.

[Rara Avis]

A good baler is what you need to spend the most money for...because if you can't consistently bale all the other activity is just sunk cost...

Depending on your weather patterns...which are changing rapidly...if you can't get three solidly dry days...you may also need a tedder to help dry your hay, a requirement here in the Northeast.

Remember if you are going to sell your hay...ALL of your equipment will be able to be depreciated on your 1040 Schedule F...so you may be able to buy slightly more expensive equipment and recover costs on the tax savings.

If you are doing small squares...if you are storing in a hay loft...invest in a good hay elevator system...to minimize having to handle bales...
Loyal - Roth Manufacturing - Hay Bale-Elevator Systems

[biker4jc]

I picked up an Allis Chalmers WD 45, an IH mower (model unknown) an IH rake(model unknown) and an old Massey Ferguson #12 baler and have less than $3500 into all of it and put up about 500 bales this year. The older equipment took some tinkering to get it working, mostly the mower but it sure was fun when I got it all working! Planning to do more next year

[Cliff_Johns]

Don't forget a couple wagons and a barn to put the bales in. :-)

Make sure you have a manual for whatever baler you get. Knotters are fiddley.

Also, I like square baling on a nice summer day. Send me an IM if you need some help next summer.
I'm not fast or especially strong, but I'm reliable (and really really cheap -- that is, I work for gator-aide)

In fact I'm helping a fellow TBNer bale tomorrow.

Cliff