The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

How does the baler compress those big square bales?

Just a big bale chamber and a big plunger, but it has complex electronics, sensors and automatic lubrication systems. It also has a large on-board air compressor which blows dust & chaff off the knotters every few minutes. They are amazing machines.

Is it similar to a small square baler?

Yes, basically.

Or something different? Around here I've only seen round balers.

I used to round bale, but now that I have switched to a large square, it is much much better, faster & easier. It was worth the investment.

 

[mrmikey]

Just a big bale chamber and a big plunger, but it has complex electronics, sensors and automatic lubrication systems. It also has a large on-board air compressor which blows dust & chaff off the knotters every few minutes. They are amazing machines.

So they are totally powered from the PTO...correct? No on board engine?
I watch a Youtube channel, Laura's Farm and they recently purchased an old bailer (a lot smaller that your's jus for a smaller side field they had) but the mechanics of even the smaller one blew me away. I can't begin to imagine the mechanics involved with something that size and the ability to make it work over and over.

 

[Hay Dude]

So they are totally powered from the PTO...correct? No on board engine?

No on-board engine. There isn’t an engine powerful enough to power-up a big square baler. Generally, they need a minimum of 200 PTO HP to run them.

I watch a Youtube channel, Laura's Farm and they recently purchased an old bailer (a lot smaller that your's jus for a smaller side field they had) but the mechanics of even the smaller one blew me away. I can't begin to imagine the mechanics involved with something that size and the ability to make it work over and over.

Yes, everything is PTO powered except the hay pickup up/down, the jack up/down, the tailgate up/down and bale eject chute functions, which are powered from the tractors hydraulic remotes. Of course, the baler also uses the tractors electrical system/batteries to power up the balers computer and monitor and the lights/turn signals.

 

[Hay Dude]

More baling today

Kind of a sad story, but the man who lived in the brown house passed away at 74 from a sudden massive heart attack in their driveway. He was a kind, hard working man. After I baled the field, it was used to park cars for his Celebration of Life at 3PM. I was an attendee. It was a very nice big gathering. They brought in 2 food trucks and plenty of beer & wine. Some of the guests commented on my bales.

Good baling day, but kind of sad, too.
RIP, John. You were good to me and served the Lord as a man should.

 

[Hay Dude]

I live in the kind of small town where one of the talented elders dies, there’s no yutes to replace them.

 

[sandman2234]

I live in the kind of small town where one of the talented elders dies, there’s no yutes to replace them.

Where do all the young men go? Off to cities? I am one of those young men who left a small town and never managed to get back, although I would in a minute, but my Bride grew up here, so here is where we stay.
I was actually born in Jax, but my teenage years were going to school in a town with 3500 people and living in the next town over, population 172.
David from jax

 

[Hay Dude]

Where do all the young men go? Off to cities? I am one of those young men who left a small town and never managed to get back, although I would in a minute, but my Bride grew up here, so here is where we stay.
I was actually born in Jax, but my teenage years were going to school in a town with 3500 people and living in the next town over, population 172.
David from jax

Low birth and fertility rates.
They are not being replaced.

 

[Dryland Farmer]

Why do the big square balers put 2 knots in every string? I buy hundreds of tons of large squares a year and I always wonder. The small squares we used to make only had 1 knot.