My new toy! Shiny JD 328 Baler

[bglz42]

Delivered on Friday... just completed the break-in and re-grease. I'll drag it behind my 5045D. Or rather, it'll push me around on my 5045D!

Unfortunately, my field was baled this weekend so I haven't got to use it yet.

[Grateful11]

That's a good baler. My wife traded an almost new 328 in on 448 round baler 3 years ago. The 328 had only had about 3000 bales run through it but she said it never missed a beat. She's still hanging on her JD 24T.

[creekbend]

Congratulations. Nice looking piece of equipment.

[Bigfoot62]

Congrats!!!

I'm jealous. I want one, bad. My problem is that you can't get help to haul hay. So, I've decided that whenever I buy the square baler, I will get an accumulator and grapple system. And, right now, it's hard to justify $45k.

[bglz42]

Thanks guys!!

Bigfoot I hear ya! I picked up 443 bales this weekend, BY HAND! Gotta be something better... I think I might look into one of these...

E-Z Trail Bale Baskets | E-Z Trail Farm Wagons - Arthur, IL

Looks like it might be the ticket for a small operation. I like the simplicity, no hydraulics just hinges and wheels!

[Bigfoot62]

That would help some, but you still have to handle the hay. (stack it or load it onto a truck/trailer)

I sell most of my hay. If I ever start square baling, all of the squares will be sold. This is the accumulator/grapple that I intend to buy: Steffen Systems

[bglz42]

Wow, that is sweet!

The baskets are 4k or so... might be able to justify it after a season or two...I don't mind touching them once, but stacking on the trailer AND stacking them in the barn gets a little old...

[Localmotion]

Delivered on Friday... just completed the break-in and re-grease. I'll drag it behind my 5045D. Or rather, it'll push me around on my 5045D!

Nice baler - but why did you buy it when you're field has just been baled?

This is what you'll need next.... I used to do a lot of small bale hay & straw when I was younger, and while we had the bale sledge and flat-8 grapple that Bigfoot is after, it still takes a lot of time & effort to get the bales in (still a lot of hand work to build a secure stack in a tight barn). I really wish we'd had one of these, but have never seen them in the UK...?

[bglz42]

Never minded a little hand work. The basket will get them from the field. That's the main thing I'm after.

[bglz42]

Found a nice rake this weekend... a Tonutti for steal of a price!