A GOOD SMALL SQUARE BALER?

[steveky]

I'm looking for a good small square baler. Will be using a 32 hp / 25 pto Kubota tractor to operate it. Can anyone recommend a model # and manufacturer I should look for? Would prefere a popular brand like New Holland, something I can easily get parts for if needed.

Thanks

 

[Rara Avis]

I'm looking for a good small square baler. Will be using a 32 hp / 25 pto Kubota tractor to operate it. Can anyone recommend a model # and manufacturer I should look for? Would prefere a popular brand like New Holland, something I can easily get parts for if needed.

Thanks

Well if you plan on a kicker and hay wagon...You are UNDERPOWERED...

 

[lhfarm]

Do a search and you will find lots and lots of cautions, ideas and suggestions for baling with a CUT. For years, I used an old IH-46 baler with a '64 Ford 4000. That was a ~40 hp heavy tractor and that old baler would still bounce it around. I haven't tried it with my NH TC40DA. Even though the HP is about the same, the tractor is much lighter.

Here is one thread on the subject -
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...-tractor-hay-baling.html?highlight=hay+baling

Good luck,

 

[slowzuki]

I'm running a JD336 on a Kubota L5030 hstc. Thats a 52 hp weighing in at 6500 lbs with the loader on. It handles it quite well but shakes me.

I would stick to a JD14 or such with lower stroke rate and less weight. People used to pull them with smaller tractors. If you have any hills what you are wanting to do is a bad idea.

I'm moving to a 70 hp machine for mine just to reduce the amount of wear. The baler is quite a load on my 5030 on any type of slope.

 

[HPXDEEREDEALER]

Im a john deere dealer so i shouldnt say this... But Hesston makes the best square baler out there. I'm not sure the model for the smaller one but if you have dealer thats the one to get.

 

[steveky]

I had a #3 MF and it was wore out and it wore me out..I'm only baling about 5 or 6 acres and I have a neighbor who will round bale it for me for a small fee...but I just like to do it when my schedule allows...can't justify a new baler or tractor for that amount..but I hauled that thing to the scrap yard and got lots of satisfaction as it was trashed. Nothing worse than a hay baler that won't work. Anyway thanks for all your replys.

Steve

 

[farmerjim]

any of the older jd's or nh's will suit you fine. jd 14 or 24t either pto or pony motor. nh hayliner 77,68,69, 273 again pto or pony motor. with that tractor you may be better off w/ the pony motor, as a pto may give you a good pushing. all of the above were made for the older tractors like a jd 430 or 50 or ih m,h ect. those balers will make very uniform and great quality bales. i currently run a jd 24t and wouldn't trade it for the world, yes i have to go slower but all my bales are very uniform and very seldom does it break down, mostly it will break a shear bolt on the flywheel in very heavy 1st cut or it'll break a bale when changing to the next spool of twine. good luck.

 

[plowrup]

The problem with the JD14 IS the number of strokes in the Bale Chamber-you WILL have more spoilage as the Hay is not packed as tight-

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Been quite a few yrs since I've done any haying. Like several others have commented, I think your tractor is on the small side. Haying conditions vary considerably around the country and what works or doesn't work in one area my not hold true for another location.

I did my haying with a MF 165D, 55HP. Had a new JD 334/336 as I recall. I could push hay out of it at a fairly good rate most of the time but the bailer could and did push/pull the tractor around some. Around here 4T acre was about typ for 1st cutting grass. The guys bailing thimothy, needed a lot larger tractor than mine, on the order of >100HP pulling a large freeman bailer (std sq bails) to get the job done.

For the small acreage you have you might be able to get by with a small bailer and going slow so as not to place too heavy a load on the bailer and your tractor. A self powered bailer would likely work better.

 

[zzvyb6]

The problem with the JD14 IS the number of strokes in the Bale Chamber-you WILL have more spoilage as the Hay is not packed as tight-

Not sure where this "fact" comes from. Bale density is set by the bale compressor tension: Just add some crank to the turn handles. Then you adjust bale length with the measuring wheel pin to get a bale length compatible with your elevator, stack wagon, thrower, kicker, wagon helper. and customer. The 14T goes 1 stroke per second at 540 input rpm. For the 13 flakes per bale that are considered "law" here in Michigan, you should get 40 - 50 lb bales. Last week I forgot to reset the tension after deciding to go for one more cutting. I have 150# bales that my customers hate to handle in spite of the tonnage bargain. There's 3 times as many flakes. That's tight !!

Other balers run 80 - 90 strokes per minute. So what: the number of charges which deliver the pre-set bale length is all that matters. These balers cause horse starvation because owners feed "2 flakes" at a time. In a 14T the flakes are 3" thick. In a 336 the flakes are 1" thick.

Be kind to animals: Read the manual and do the math. Run the machine at rated rpm, charge rate (windrow volume), bale tension and length.

Don't blame the machinery if your bales are light,fluffy, and twinkie shaped.

 

[plowrup]

Not sure where this "fact" comes from. Bale density is set by the bale compressor tension: Just add some crank to the turn handles. Then you adjust bale length with the measuring wheel pin to get a bale length compatible with your elevator, stack wagon, thrower, kicker, wagon helper. and customer. The 14T goes 1 stroke per second at 540 input rpm. For the 13 flakes per bale that are considered "law" here in Michigan, you should get 40 - 50 lb bales. Last week I forgot to reset the tension after deciding to go for one more cutting. I have 150# bales that my customers hate to handle in spite of the tonnage bargain. There's 3 times as many flakes. That's tight !!

Other balers run 80 - 90 strokes per minute. So what: the number of charges which deliver the pre-set bale length is all that matters. These balers cause horse starvation because owners feed "2 flakes" at a time. In a 14T the flakes are 3" thick. In a 336 the flakes are 1" thick.

Be kind to animals: Read the manual and do the math. Run the machine at rated rpm, charge rate (windrow volume), bale tension and length.

Don't blame the machinery if your bales are light,fluffy, and twinkie shaped.

To each his own-in a production setting give me a 348 or MF 1839 anyday. I do not dispute that you can crank down the Bale Tension (but there is a reason for the uptick in strokes per minute in the Bale Chamber)-the challenge is to keep up the ground speed and get 'er done (a Model T can get you there-a Cadillac DTS will get you there faster and in luxury)-

 

[SPYDERLK]

I use an IH 37 on my BX1500. Ok for reasonably tight bales. We dont like them too tight so that excess moisture is not trapped. Our 30HP tractor has plenty of power to do anything the baler is capable of on any terrain. The 70HP is total overkill and I only ever use it for the weight when pulling the hay wagon behind the baler. Based on what Im hearing about other balers here I would recommend the IH if you can find one in good condition.
larry

 

[xlr82v2]

To each his own-in a production setting give me a 348 or MF 1839 anyday. I do not dispute that you can crank down the Bale Tension (but there is a reason for the uptick in strokes per minute in the Bale Chamber)-the challenge is to keep up the ground speed and get 'er done (a Model T can get you there-a Cadillac DTS will get you there faster and in luxury)-

(Rant) (with a smile on my face!)

Sorry to have this tone, this is my Grandfather and my Dad coming out in me here... But... (and really I'm not mad here... this is just the lecture that I would get if I would have said something like that above )

Man, there must be a bunch of city farmers on here!!! I read stories on this website of guys trying to drag a disk across a field in road gear (or just 1 or 2 under it), wondering why the tractor is bogging down and making this huge ridge... guys wanting to go as fast as possible with a square baler... etc.

The challenge is NOT to keep the groundspeed up and get 'er done... any clod can do that.

The CHALLENGE is to use the proper groundspeed for the equipment that you have to work with and get the job done RIGHT.

Any fool can pull a baler down the windrow, crowding it as much as he can, keeping the groundspeed up. But, what does that get you besides done faster? Busted shear bolts, no two bales the same length, busted U-joints. Did I mention that the bales won't all be the same length? I'll let you figure out why that is...

It's a good thing there aren't that many old timer's on this website... there'd be a good butt chewin' going on every day about something that someone has tried to do!!!

(/Rant)

ON the original question... I've only operated and been behind John Deere 14T's and 24T's all my life. We had a 24T that we always pulled with ample hp, and my Great Uncle had a 24T also that he pulled mostly with a JD 60. That baler would make the ol' 60 snort pretty good in heavy windrows. My Bro' in law has a JD 14T that they pull with a MF235, and obviously it handles it with no problems. Your Kubota might run a 14 T in light to moderate windrows, but if the hay is heavy (like first and 2nd cutting here in Illinois), you might not have enough poop to keep things going... and either way, you'll be pulling the baler only, and picking up the bales off the ground. I dont' think you've got the weight and horsepower to pull the baler and a wagon full of bales all at the same time. You can keep the windrows light(er) by not double raking (combining 2 windrows from the mower into 1) so that would help too. A baler is a heavy piece of equipment (heavier than it looks), and if you're on anything other than flat ground, I think I'd err on the side of safety and get a bigger tractor to run the baler... It's not so much "can the tractor pull it", as it is, "can the tractor STOP it". That's how you have to approach this problem. I think your tractor will run a baler, but it will be quite marginal at the very best... it's just too small.

 

[zzvyb6]

My 14T is still working well after 40 years. Keep the knife sharp, springs at tension, plunger stop free of debris, plastic twine, double windrow, drop on the ground; quarter turn or handoff to a towed wagon, walking ground speed, 35 hp.

What's the problem? (Pic baler_II was taken on the fly).

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I baled for 20 years with a New Holland 273. Small relative to many balers, and not at all demanding as far as hp/weight of tractor to run it. You'll never hear me say anything bad about a 273.

I bought a used John Deere 336 at an estate auction. (10 years ago?) I planned on trying to sell it for a decent profit. I used it one time and promptly sold the New Holland. Still have the Deere. I usually bale with my 150 Massey. (turned up to 47 pto hp) I REALLY heavy hay, it'll bounce me around if I try to feed it too fast. A good sign to slow up a tad bit. For my money, the 336 Deere is about as good as a baler needs to be.

 

[steveky]

I was talking with my neighbor and he's a big JD man and he suggested a 330 jd, said he thought it made like a 4 x 4 bale and only needed about a 30 hp tractor. Anyone had any experience with these machines?

 

[Rara Avis]

MANUFACTURER
MODEL John Deere
328

Baler Design

Bale Size

Height x Width, in. (cm) 14x18 (36x46)

Length, in. (cm) 12 to 50 (30.5 to 127)

Maximum Volume, cu. ft. (m3) ---

Dry Bale Weight, lb. (kg) N/A

Pickup

Pickup Width, in. (cm) 74 (187.9)

Tooth Bars/Teeth 4 bars, 104 teeth

Lift Control Crank (hydraulic opt.)

Pickup Diameter, in. (cm) 19.5 (49.5)

Auger

Diameter, in. (cm) 16 (41)

Length, in. (cm) 61 (154.9)

Plunger

Strokes/Minute 80

Stroke Length, in. (cm) 30 (76.2)

Typing Mechanism

No. of Knotters 2

Twine Capacity 4

Twine Type Plastic or sisal

Knot Strength (Minimum Required) ---

Central Lube System Optional

Wire Twisters ---

Wire Ball Capacity N/A

Baler Dimensions

Length w/short tongue, in. (cm) ---

Length w/long tongue, in. (cm) 227 (576.5)

Width, ft.-in. (cm) 108 (274.3)

Height, ft.-in. (cm) 67 (170.2)

Weight, lb. (kg) Empty 2685 (1208)

Tractor Requirements

PTO Speed, rpm 540

Minimum PTO, hp 35 <<<Personally I'd recommend quite a bit more HP with a Thrower and a Hay Wagon is trailing behind with serveral hundred bales in it...

Drive Mechanism

Driveline Equal angle 3 joint category 4

Optional Driveline NA

Pickup Belt

Plunger Gear and shaft

Knotters Gear and shaft

Feeder Forks Gear and shaft

Size of Flywheel, lb. (kg) 227 (103)

Drive Train Protection

PTO Slip clutch & overrunning clutch

Gearbox Disk slip clutch & shear bolt

Pickup Belt slip

Needles Shear bolt/plunger head stop

Knotters Shear bolt

Tires

RH Standard tire size 26x12.0-12, 4 ply

RH Optional tire size ---

LH Standard tire size 11L-14, 6 ply

LH Optional tire size ---

Gauge Wheels 1 optional

Pickup Gauge Wheels Tires Size 16.5x6.50-8

Lights

Work None

Transport lights None

Density Control System

Adjustable Bale Density Mechanical crank

Adjustable Hydraulic Bale Density Optional

Bale Counter ---

Bale Ejector

Available Optional

Bale Chute

Short chute Optional

Long chute Optional

Side bale drop chute Optional

Wagon hitch Optional

 

[Rara Avis]

Im a john deere dealer so i shouldnt say this... But Hesston makes the best square baler out there. I'm not sure the model for the smaller one but if you have dealer thats the one to get.

Actually Hesston doesn't even advertise a smaller baler on its website anymore only the BIG baler...The AGCO conglomerate pushes MF or Challenger small balers...

JD328 has the same knotter that the original JD Balers had...still works great...and in terms of a Thrower...the JD pan thrower can't be beat...especially when you are baling on the heavier side of bale weight

 

[Trac-Tech]

Hi Guys
I'm going to throw in my two cents worth here and please correct me if I'm wrong. In my experience as a mechanic and having to fix all aspects of farm machinery, as well as being the son of a dairy farmer. I have been taught by all that I have dealt with that when baling, there is an old adage: -
Take the hay to the baler and not the baler to the hay. In other words, make the rows bigger and drive the machine slower (ground speed). This keeps an even load on the drive line of the tractor and the baler, keeps a uniform amount of crop going into the baler and hence maintains density exactly where you set it.
Having worked around and on small, round and large squares in both hay and silage, this seems to be the best way to get the best capacity out of your units.
I have had some experience with the Hesston "B" line in Massey guise years ago and this is a very good baler, but it does like horsepower in front of it to maintain capacity. Reliability wise though it is excellent.
Please advise if anyone disagrees as it is always good to get other ideas.

 

[slowzuki]

My experience is make the windrow the right size and err on the smaller side. Our hay is long and stemmy so it can pull in gulps that are too big in big windrows which is hard on rigging.

Consistant windrows = consistant bales