Small Tractor Baling - a report

[prof fate]

Started baling hay last fall with a third cutting (time frame) and had baler issues and well, got some experience.

Baled 675 first cutting bales off about 8 acres..used a 78" flail which worked fine for third cutting but not for first - too tall, tractor tires left too much mashed down for the flail to cut.

Used an old ferguson 3 pt rake, worked fine but want a side delivery rake in the near future. Rake cost $400, belt I replaced this year as it looked pretty sad, $9 (yes, nine. Amazon and I had some credits)

Last fall had a NH 276 baler, looks rough but ran fine..till the needles broke. Figured on fixing it but never quite got around to it. A friend traded me in IH 47 for a canoe, said it was working fine, ate a knot, he replaced the needles and yoke and it should be good to go...well, I can't get the plunger to cycle, something is jamming (had 2 others look at it...no luck so far). Well, time to hay, so...

Called the guy I got the rake off of (he restored it, and I knew he had a baler). Well, a NH 268 in excellent condition..except it needed needles and a yoke...which I have from the 276. I also pulld a few other parts off the 276. Out of 700 bales (including testing) it missed tieing bales 4 and 5. Tied the rest, prefectly. Zero issues. Baler cost $300. (plus the parts I had)

Got an old 8x16 hay wagon for $400. Could use a new deck and a couple of tires, but it works.

After we were done and knew we needed a haybine or sickle mower, I found a NH 489 9' haybine in perfect working order for $1300. Even has good tires on it. And newer paint (just don't look too close..brush job).

My tractor runs it fine.

So..what IS my tractor, since I said 'small tractor baling'? A kioti ck3510 hst. 35hp diesel, 29.8 HP at the PTO. Loaded tires and a loader, so about 4k lbs.

I didn't try pullng the hay wagon behind the baler as we baled - but in low range I think it may work...we'll see.

 

[Norm W]

If you are on flat ground it will work. If there are hills, there might be problems.

 

[Sonny580]

it dont take much on flat ground!----toss in a small grade and you are screwed! ---- I found that out with a 36 wc allis and big ole ih 50T engine drive baler once! lol!!

 

[zzvyb6]

I do hay with a 35 HP JD 1070, NH479 mower/conditioner, a kuhn tedder, a JD 14T baler and a NH 1012 pickup stacker. No problem even on hills. Ran all the same equipment with a Yanmar 22D (22 hp.) before the 1070 showed up.

Hay Baling 214 - YouTube

2813 2411 - YouTube

 

[RustyA]

We made hay for years with a jd1070, nh489 haybine and New Holland 5 bar rake. Skip the rake and get a tonnuti or Vermeer 8 wheel rake. Cuts your raking in half and makes perfect windrows. We also made 4x5 rounds with Vermeer rebel 5400 behind the 1070. It worked the tractor hard on hills when baler was full but it did it.

 

[prof fate]

Looked at that time of rake..our ground really isn't suitable. Lots of undulations and uneven-ness, rocks galore and don't want that in the hay. Haying for our horses.

The old ferguson works, but a bit wider would be nice and the rotary rakes (according to what I've found) make a fluffier, faster drying windrow.
Something like this...
KUHN Single-Rotor Rotary Rakes | Kuhn

We made hay for years with a jd1070, nh489 haybine and New Holland 5 bar rake. Skip the rake and get a tonnuti or Vermeer 8 wheel rake. Cuts your raking in half and makes perfect windrows. We also made 4x5 rounds with Vermeer rebel 5400 behind the 1070. It worked the tractor hard on hills when baler was full but it did it.

 

[amathonn]

Started baling hay last fall with a third cutting (time frame) and had baler issues and well, got some experience.

Baled 675 first cutting bales off about 8 acres..used a 78" flail which worked fine for third cutting but not for first - too tall, tractor tires left too much mashed down for the flail to cut.

Used an old ferguson 3 pt rake, worked fine but want a side delivery rake in the near future. Rake cost $400, belt I replaced this year as it looked pretty sad, $9 (yes, nine. Amazon and I had some credits)

Last fall had a NH 276 baler, looks rough but ran fine..till the needles broke. Figured on fixing it but never quite got around to it. A friend traded me in IH 47 for a canoe, said it was working fine, ate a knot, he replaced the needles and yoke and it should be good to go...well, I can't get the plunger to cycle, something is jamming (had 2 others look at it...no luck so far). Well, time to hay, so...

Called the guy I got the rake off of (he restored it, and I knew he had a baler). Well, a NH 268 in excellent condition..except it needed needles and a yoke...which I have from the 276. I also pulld a few other parts off the 276. Out of 700 bales (including testing) it missed tieing bales 4 and 5. Tied the rest, prefectly. Zero issues. Baler cost $300. (plus the parts I had)

Got an old 8x16 hay wagon for $400. Could use a new deck and a couple of tires, but it works.

After we were done and knew we needed a haybine or sickle mower, I found a NH 489 9' haybine in perfect working order for $1300. Even has good tires on it. And newer paint (just don't look too close..brush job).

My tractor runs it fine.

So..what IS my tractor, since I said 'small tractor baling'? A kioti ck3510 hst. 35hp diesel, 29.8 HP at the PTO. Loaded tires and a loader, so about 4k lbs.

I didn't try pullng the hay wagon behind the baler as we baled - but in low range I think it may work...we'll see.

Holey moley, i want to shop for equipment where YOU shop.

 

[prof fate]

Holey moley, i want to shop for equipment where YOU shop.

268 baler and old ferguson rake off a guy down the street that my farrier hooked us up with. Hay wagon was from one of our hay suppliers (he has JD balers and an accumulator for sale too).
The IH baler I got in trade for a canoe was from my farrier. Make me an offer.
The haybine I found on FB marketplace.

Over the past 3 years also got a 6' bush hog brush hog for $500, perfect working condition. A set of j-bar 5' disks, $300, like new. An EA hiller, $150. 6' mahindra back blade fr $150, used once. And a used, but perfectly functional Landpride 5' finish mower for $400.

I've looked for double bottom plows and york rakes - they're all made of gold apparently.

Almost got a tedder, for $900 (asking price..maybe less) but I'm saving up for a different rake I think first.

 

[PROFarms]

I picked up a brand new 3.8m rotary rake I got for £2200 here in the uk. Was a dealer closing down so selling at much reduced price. I’ve always been a fan of the wheel rakes but I think it will have to be pretty spectacular to turn me back to a wheel rake having run this one

 

[5030]

I picked up a brand new 3.8m rotary rake I got for £2200 here in the uk. Was a dealer closing down so selling at much reduced price. I’ve always been a fan of the wheel rakes but I think it will have to be pretty spectacular to turn me back to a wheel rake having run this one View attachment 666105View attachment 666106

Rotary rakes are the only way to rake hay. I'd never go back to a side delivery 'roper' rake again. A rotary will cut your drydown by at least a day, make a fluffy windrow and is much easier to road than a roper and mechanically is easier to maintain.