new small square baler

   / new small square baler #11  
+1 on the inline baler. I also have the Hesston 4550 machine. I pull it with Jinma JM 354 (35Hp). I believe the Case 8520 is the same machine and may be more of them out there on the used market. A small baler usually indicates a fellow is baling small fields. At least that is what I do and manuveralbility was a big thing for me, small gates and irrigation risier pipes to go around and irregular shape fields. I also use a SFI drum mower and a Mori RM280 rotary rake (from Agri-Supply). bjr


The smaller 1835 will easily run at 35 hp. I have the older Hesston 4550 (same size) and run at 26.5 HP. It one sweet baler with fewer moving parts and will have less dynamic impact on you and the tractor. The only difference between the 1835 and 1836 is the width of the pickup I believe. Once you run and inline baler, you will never go back to the others.
 
   / new small square baler #12  
+1 on the inline baler. I also have the Hesston 4550 machine. I pull it with Jinma JM 354 (35Hp). I believe the Case 8520 is the same machine and may be more of them out there on the used market. A small baler usually indicates a fellow is baling small fields. At least that is what I do and manuveralbility was a big thing for me, small gates and irrigation risier pipes to go around and irregular shape fields. I also use a SFI drum mower and a Mori RM280 rotary rake (from Agri-Supply). bjr

How do you like your Mori RM280 rake? Any issues?
 
   / new small square baler #13  
IMHO - all three of the baler's you have mentioned are very good machines. One to add to the list is the CaseIH SB521 - which is the identical baler to the New Holland BC5050, but with CaseIH paint and decals. If there is a CaseIH dealer with a better price - good to know it is the same baler as the New Holland.

I just went through buying a late model, new to me baler and looked at all of the offerings thoroughly. My choice boiled down to a JD348 or a New Holland BC5070/5060 baler as they are 93 stroke machines. The New Holland BC5050 is 79 and the JD328 is a 80 stroke machine. 79-80 is really plenty. To put in prospective, our old New Holland 68 baler is 65 strokes per minute on a good day and it can keep a stacker hoppin' on a wagon.

Here are some thoughts:

Baler adjustment/running to get a brick shaped bale fussiness: MF 1835 easiest, JD328 next and NH BC5050 potentially the hardest. You can google and read all day long the above. NH can and will easily make bricks with the best, most newest baler's out there, but IMHO, they are less tolerant of out of adjustment, poor windrow management and baler feeding - just more fuss potential. However, if you have half a brain, banana bales won't be an issue. Even my old 68, once refreshed and tuned makes a brick bale, one after another. The MF/Hesston inline balers sound to me like they can't help but to make a perfect shaped bale ever time - regardless of the operator, windrow or condition of the machine. IMHO - JD balers are a close second. Beautiful bricks come out of our 348 - just in much more volume than the 68 and more flakes to the bale - which we want as we are selling to horse folks, hence for the 93 stroke machine. Had a NH BC5070/5060 came along with a good price, we'd have bought it. 93 strokes was the minimum criteria for OUR specific needs.

Parts and support - including internet help: Not even close. There is more parts and support for NH and JD baler's - period. Bust a needle or need shear pins on a NH or JD baler and are in a bind, there are generally multiple dealers within striking distance with your replacement parts. Deere especially shines in this department as I'm to understand they have a "machine down" program where if your dealer orders your part before 4pm, you have your part the next day. Internet support, again NH and JD just due to their massive number of sales over the years - someone has one of their balers and can offer advice - usually better than a dealer as most dealers have forgotten what a square baler is and don't have a clue how to service/trouble shoot one - especially the knitters. The JD 328 in many ways is very close in design to the 14T from back in the 50's, same for the NH BC5050. If you look at the chain driven flow action feeder in the parts manual and compare it to my old 68, they are strikingly similar. I'd give a slight advantage to JD as the 328 will be almost the same baler as the 336 mechanically and maybe the same if you exclude the wider pickup of the 328, which is wider then the BC5050. The 336 IMHO is a legendary baler, came out in the early 70's and tons of them were sold. Look at a 336 and 328 - very close to identical in design - which IMHO is important from a parts/support standpoint down the road.

HP: Any of the balers you have listed, 35 hp will run it. Though some argue with me, JD balers have a gear reduction on the input. This enables the baler to operate with a lower hp. I have 50 PTO hp to work with and I had folks essentially tell me considering a 93 stroke machine would be impossible.

John Deere 348 Square Baler - Baling 1st Cut Timothy Hay - YouTube

Wrong.

Other considerations: As I mentioned earlier, the pickup on the JD is wider than the NH or even the MF. I came within a hair of buying a MF1835, which is essentially the MF1836, less shielding. IMHO when they added the shielding, it made a simple baler much harder to service. This is why I didn't consider one when I bought my JD - and the MF1836 is a 93 stroke machine. Call me old, but I really enjoy an easy over the shoulder looks-see view of the hay feeding in the pickup on a JD or NH machine. If you are going to add options, like heavier drive line (some recommend this when using higher hp tractors) or a wagon hitch/extended bale chute, pickup gage wheel or multi-lumber for the knitters - do it when you buy vs the parts counter later. My 348 has an equal angle hitch. Pretty sure the 328 comes with it too. This allows for tight chatter free (from the PTO joints) turns. Drop dead simple. Resale - JD 328 IMHO has the advantage.

Recommendation: Any of the 3 balers you are looking at will do the trick nicely. If I'm choosing, I'd get the JD 328. Excellent machine, long long consistent production run, parts/internet support as good as it gets, wider pickup, your MF 230 will be at ease with it hp wise, even with a wagon behind the baler (careful on hills) and very tolerant to make beautiful brick shaped bales.

YMMV

Good luck,
Bill
 
   / new small square baler #14  
"very close to identical design" means nothing in terms of parts support. I get calls all the time " they are all the same, right?" Except for those that are different.

Any low capacity small square baler will run with 35 PTO HP if you aren't dragging a wagon. In many cases you CAN drag a wagon with not much HP.
 
   / new small square baler #15  
"very close to identical design" means nothing in terms of parts support. I get calls all the time " they are all the same, right?" Except for those that are different.

Any low capacity small square baler will run with 35 PTO HP if you aren't dragging a wagon. In many cases you CAN drag a wagon with not much HP.

I agree with you somewhat in spirit. Here's the thing. Identical or almost is important and does mean something. Most manufacturers of these balers reuse many of the same parts as the legacy models they replaced - why completely reinvent the wheel. New Holland 268 vs 273 - how much is different? New Holland 565 vs BC 5050 - how much is different? Even you mentioned in a post one time (and I'm very grateful and most respect that you share your knowledge and experience online) that the New Holland metric needles fit the older balers. Same needle, use metric bolts - and lower priced. I would suggest that between the run of the JD336 and today's present JD328 that there are many more shared parts and design than the NH273 and today's NH BC5050. So identical and almost identical IMHO does matter for both parts and internet support long term.

Again - I get your point and by no means is my intent to argue. I am CERTAIN you have forgotten more than I'll EVER know about these balers. BTW - there is a high probability I'll (with field hands [read family... ] in tow) be taking a factory tour of the New Holland plant in PA next month.

Bill
 
   / new small square baler
  • Thread Starter
#16  
I really like the 1835 also but Massey stopped making them in 2015. Thank all of you for the thoughts and time so far.
 
   / new small square baler #17  
Just to throw this out for low HP balers is MF does make a small round baler that only takes 30 HP per their literature. I looked at one at the recent Agg show and he had half a dozen varying size bales it had made. All were rock solid as compared to other I have seen. Its their 1734 model and makes 39.0 x 52.0 - 500 lb bales or less.
 
   / new small square baler #18  
   / new small square baler
  • Thread Starter
#19  
I talked to my kids about trying round bales. I dont have a place to store them I use a mow. They said we will lose some hay if we leave them outside. We are also putting out some more acres on our farm than previous years.They said we will just take longer to put up hay and use square bales. Wonder if they will say that when they are my age? I am getting a new baler because they want to keep going, baler is for them and for those reasons I dont mind sticking with small squares.
 
   / new small square baler #20  
I talked to my kids about trying round bales. I dont have a place to store them I use a mow. They said we will lose some hay if we leave them outside. We are also putting out some more acres on our farm than previous years.They said we will just take longer to put up hay and use square bales. Wonder if they will say that when they are my age? I am getting a new baler because they want to keep going, baler is for them and for those reasons I dont mind sticking with small squares.

Then I would seriously consider the MF inline. If possible go bigger if you have the HP. One of the big hay producers that attends my church got an 1840 last year with some sort of treatment system on it(the new model) and loves it. He indicated he can fly through his field now. I think he used to have a JD. He raises specialty horse hay that he ships all over the world. Not sure the types of grasses/alfalfa, but he spends a huge amount of time working to get it just right (fertilizer/soil testing/weed control). He has close to a thousand acres under pivot irrigation. The Challenger brand (CAT) is the clone to the MF, painted yellow.

He does protein testing and purity checks. I once got a peak at his operation. He has a compression unit that he feeds the square bales in and out comes a much much smaller brick (50 to 75%) wrapped in plastic for shipping. I think he said the plastic prevents mold growth and it springs back to somewhat normal after unwrapping.

Its amazing what operations can be done. One of the horse shows my wife watches showed an alfalfa producer making cubes out of their square bales. Wife was interested for winter feeding/supplement until we found out the price from our local CoOp.

BTW - you are a great man to think ahead for you family.

PS - put the kids to work building a pole barn to store the hay :laughing::D Many around here just have the roof and are open all the way around, and they just hang tarps along the sides after filling. Very economical to build.
 
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