</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Horse people tell me that horses prefer the "conditioned" hay. If that is the truth then cutting with a sickle bar is out.
Chris )</font>
'Horse people' prefer conditioned hay. Horses just like fresh good hay. For your own horses, forget the conditioner for grass hay. If you are doing alfalfa, then the condioner makes _much_ better quality hay. Without condioining, the alfalfa leaves dry, the stem stays damp. By the time the stem is dry enough to bale, the leaves fall off any you are baling alfalfa stems only - good for bedding is all.
New conditioner rolls with the rubber on them run $1500 each. Any condioner without good rubber on the rolls is not fixable - realistically.
Your 30 hp tractor might have enough power to run a 7' on such a small flat area. I've run a 1209 with a 50 hp tractor, and the power was ok, the issue becomes weight of the tractor - the condioner wants to be the tail wagging the dog.
Also, mower conditioners & hay balers are miserable to run without live pto - more so if they are underpowered a bit. What does your tractor have?
Growing alfalfa is an art form, learn a lot before you try to plant any. A good stand is worth a lot, a poor one messes you up for 2 years - need to kill it, wait for it to lose the toxins, and replant again. Do it right the first time.
The 14T can work with your tractor for small plot (weight of tractor & live pto would be a concern). Many New Holland balers are also good, from #69 - 270 models would be modern design & use low power. I would stick to either JD or NH balers, they figured out knotters first, and have much better reputations.....
--->Paul