Looking for suggestions - old tractor for running round baler

[LouNY]

A nice Ford 8000, 8600, or even 9000, 9600 good running excellent visibility short wheelbase and nimble and usually less money then IH 10's.

 

[RPW]

I also used a JD5103 and a Vermeer rebel. Ran great with only a bit of grunting. Just upgraded to a JD5520 cab. Can't wait to get into the fields.

 

[Texasmark]

50 hp tractor with 41pto hp and I bale 4x5 bales with Vermeer rebel. Tractor grunts quite a bit but gets the job done.

Well if your 4x5 is identical internally to a premium 5x6 at 1600# you're looking at 886# plus the loader weight and times the distance from the front axle to the center of the bale (foot-lbs). Not that bad of a load.

 

[Draagyn]

Not familiar with 886, but I run a JD 530 baler making 1000lb 5x5 bales with an IH 966. More than enough power on any terrain. If 86 park brake is similar to mine make sure it works!

 

[Texasmark]

On the whats and whys posted herein, I back when 5x6s were king around here, 1600# was the top end benchmark...if you made that you were the top 1%.

Based upon that, with all things equal I did a little Algebra and came up with this based on size variances alone:

5x6......1600 What my JD 530 might do.
5x4......714 What my current JD 375 might do.

4x6......1280
4x5.5...1083.....Tx Jim, you said yours went about 1000# for that roll......right on bro. Grin
4x5......886
4x4......566

So for the buyer, where hay is sold by the roll, it makes a big difference in the diameter as what you get for what you are charged.

Seems net wrapping and 4x? is what's baled around here currently. Farmers bail 4x6s for themselves and sellers 4x5.5s; both dimensions understandable for the circumstances.