cat fever
Elite Member
Finished all my cutting yesterday.
Starting out.
Part way.
All done.
Starting out.
Part way.
All done.
2018 HAY SEASON Post your results here
- Thread starter Bigfoot62
- Start date
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BoylermanCT
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2013
- Messages
- 1,501
- Location
- Barkhamsted, CT
- Tractor
- Montana R2844, New Holland TC29D, Hustler X-One
My FIL hays his 14 acres and had a bumper crop this year. 1,400 bales. No room in the barn to put that much!
BurningBushFarm
Silver Member
Thanks. BE = Belgium. We got the hay tested in a lab. Just to know if all the work we put into it is worth it. Now we know.
We started out last year with all old equipment. Except the baler. It is "supposed" to be italian but it really is china import. It is the same model as advertised on tractor tools direct (ibex TX31) but it is better then the second hand stuff that is for sale around here with bad knotters. And it takes much less space to store it.
.Ah ha! We also have the Ibex TX31. Not quite as fancy as the Italian or Yanmar ones, but a lot more affordable. There is no -- or at least I couldn't find any -- used baling equipment for compact tractors (yet) here in the US. We are still newbies with this. Used some square baling hemp type twine after the roll that came with it ran out, but it had slubs which jammed up the winding, so we are using polypropylene this time. I think the mechanism has got to be simpler than a square baler. . . for us. And I can handle the mini rounds pretty easily. (I'm a girl.
)It is deeply satisfying to bale our own hay. Will post our final number when we get done.
BE -- as you live in BE? And you're here on TBN. Mmmm. Cool.
It is value for the money (so far) in our opinion. We also use the polypropylene twine, much better and cleaner then the sisal twine that came with it. And yes it uses a lot of twine, but the mechanism is simpeler then any knotting system so ... we will see how it works out in the upcoming seasons. But we think it is a very nice machine to get into haying when you do not have many many acres to do. The handling of the bales is indeed a + too.
Ah well, I found this is a very mature forum with very nice people on it. So I like it here.
Ah well, I found this is a very mature forum with very nice people on it. So I like it here.
Does any one use net wrap instead of string on the rolls?
I have fed out both and much prefer the net wrap as it is easier to cut(string resesses into the bale making it hard to cut).
Also it appears to only be hay made by the ops. Does any one make silage (rolls or sqares)? Much easier in iffy weather, with the higher moisture content and the shorter weather window. My part of new zealand is fairly wet, even in summer.
I have fed out both and much prefer the net wrap as it is easier to cut(string resesses into the bale making it hard to cut).
Also it appears to only be hay made by the ops. Does any one make silage (rolls or sqares)? Much easier in iffy weather, with the higher moisture content and the shorter weather window. My part of new zealand is fairly wet, even in summer.
cat fever
Elite Member
I got the last of my hay done. I decided to go with 3X3 square bales, tired of moving small bales. Ended up with 40 of them. Here are a few pictures of my brother unloading some of them with a small tractor and the hydraulics not working so great.
My brother has another 35 acres of oats that we'll cut on Wednesday.
Some of the small bales. Stacked to high. IMHO
My brother has another 35 acres of oats that we'll cut on Wednesday.
Some of the small bales. Stacked to high. IMHO
cat fever
Elite Member
Thanks, but labor extensive. And it's leaning There is a total of about 1750 small bales in the barn all from the first cut. When done with the oats there might be around 110-120 3X3 bales total. That'll last all winter. Although mine is all for sale, until I get my house built and fencing done I will not have any cows.
There is a total of about 1750 small bales in the barn all from the first cut. When done with the oats there might be around 110-120 3X3 bales total. That'll last all winter. Although mine is all for sale, until I get my house built and fencing done I will not have any cows.
freedomlives
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2015
- Messages
- 566
- Location
- Husak, Slovakia, EU
- Tractor
- Iseki TS35F, Goldoni Special 140 with powered trailer -- Goldoni Special 128 -- Goldoni Uno for mowing -- Czech Vari system
I have around 8 acres total for cutting, I guess about 4 done. I've been doing with walk behind tractors with sickle bar mowers, but this year-- the new-to-me Goldoni I bought last year that was much faster than the Czech one broke in the drive mechanism, so I felt good that I hadn't sold the slow Czech one yet, but its blade bar broke yesterday when almost done with the large field.
I got a 35HP Iseki this year, and borrowed from my neighbor the belt rake-- so much faster than the walk behind for turning the hay yesterday. Less than 2 hours for the 2 acre field, including the drive there and back. I'm tempted to buy a disc mower for it now-- see someone has a BCS with 2 meter cut, which I think a 35HP tractor could run.
Rained this morning, again a bit now, hoping tomorrow things change and stay sunny.
I got a 35HP Iseki this year, and borrowed from my neighbor the belt rake-- so much faster than the walk behind for turning the hay yesterday. Less than 2 hours for the 2 acre field, including the drive there and back. I'm tempted to buy a disc mower for it now-- see someone has a BCS with 2 meter cut, which I think a 35HP tractor could run.
Rained this morning, again a bit now, hoping tomorrow things change and stay sunny.
cat fever
Elite Member
Loaded up the last of the big bales. I am not going to water for a second cut. I need to have some time for the house building.
