Did a little hay last week ...

   / Did a little hay last week ... #241  
What do your square bales weight you sale?

I know you are asking BR this, but you may want to consider what your market will be. The difference in actual size between a 50 pd. bale and a 100 pd bale is really very little. The baler can be set to compact more or less.
If you are going to sell to horse people they usually prefer lighter bales as they are easier to handle and your price can be higher for less hay. It still takes the same amount of string so you make more bales but your string cost goes up x 2.
If you are going to use a kicker so it is a one man operation like round baling, most kickers don't handle too heavy a bale and you don't want them too heavy because they are a jumbled up mess on the wagon and will wear you out getting them off and stacked on skids.
If you use a stacker collector the bales can be big but need to drop on their side so the stacker can pick them up and make a cube of them in the cage.
At the barn the stacker pushes the cube out as a unit.
I think some folks use a grapple arrangement. And then of course picking them up manually and putting on a wagon or trailer using 2-3 people if you can find anyone willing to work that hard these days.:)
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #242  
well the baler man finished baling about 15acs.an it made close to 40 bales.so with the hay up it can rain for the next 3 or 4 days.he will start cutting again when the weather clears up.
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #243  
Thanks for the comment on the ford 2000 . Yes that is a NH 451 mower I think . The rods didn't work to my liking so yes i did put that board on and now its a 100 times better .
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #244  
I know you are asking BR this, but you may want to consider what your market will be. The difference in actual size between a 50 pd. bale and a 100 pd bale is really very little. The baler can be set to compact more or less.
If you are going to sell to horse people they usually prefer lighter bales as they are easier to handle and your price can be higher for less hay. It still takes the same amount of string so you make more bales but your string cost goes up x 2.
If you are going to use a kicker so it is a one man operation like round baling, most kickers don't handle too heavy a bale and you don't want them too heavy because they are a jumbled up mess on the wagon and will wear you out getting them off and stacked on skids.
If you use a stacker collector the bales can be big but need to drop on their side so the stacker can pick them up and make a cube of them in the cage.
At the barn the stacker pushes the cube out as a unit.
I think some folks use a grapple arrangement. And then of course picking them up manually and putting on a wagon or trailer using 2-3 people if you can find anyone willing to work that hard these days.:)

Thats fine,I asked everyone earlier in a post but didnt get a reply. I picked up the bales I bought out of the pasture this weekend and I knew something was wrong when I could one hand it up on trailer,I know im in good shape for 33 but they were light:D I only know the pick up test as mentioned but couldnt remember the actual weight one suppost to be around...
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #245  
foremen eastx i know a guy that when he was in his prime could get a bale with each hand an throw them on the trailer.the kicker was those bales weighed close to 80lbs.an he would say they was to light lolol.
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #246  
Thanks for the comment on the ford 2000 . Yes that is a NH 451 mower I think . The rods didn't work to my liking so yes i did put that board on and now its a 100 times better .

Did you make the board from oak or what?
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #247  
pacerron
You asked about the board on mower well it is ply wood 1/2 " . I put it over the rods and now the grass rolls over and leaves nice clean spot for the next trip around. Before I would leave strips of grass and the grass would fall back in shoe path causing problems .
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #248  
pacerron
You asked about the board on mower well it is ply wood 1/2 " . I put it over the rods and now the grass rolls over and leaves nice clean spot for the next trip around. Before I would leave strips of grass and the grass would fall back in shoe path causing problems .

Ok, thanks. After 20 years of practice, I can usually lay my fields down like rows of dominos falling with no stick-ups. I have one triangular shaped field that is sloped a lot in places though that still gives me problems when the tractor end is higher than the swath rod end. Gravity takes it toll and some fall in the shoe path. On the next go by it gets a little tricky to get the rear wheel in the right place to either not leave some stick ups or to not get a clog at the heel when that happens.
I may make a wood cover for my rods and try it. If I make it as a scabbard over the rods it will protect my eyes when the thing is in the barn and in the field if any of the rods break it will keep them from laying in waiting to do machinery damage later.
Thanks for the idea.
Ron
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #249  
Were are getting a good soaking:thumbsup: Hay gonna be on hold,but thats just fine.......
 
   / Did a little hay last week ... #250  
Over 2" so far today in South Central Oklahoma. Still need a good heavy rain of over 5" to fill the ponds.
 

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