Advice on doing my own hay

[elginfarm]

Hi everyone.
Perfect timing for this forum. We are looking at doing our own hay next year. We paid to have our 15 acre field disced and then planter with a good grass pasture mix for our horses. Unfortunately, due to the drought all we have had is weeds. Everyone I talked to tells us that he grass will grow next year with proper spraying and feltilizing. The farmer plans to round bale it for his cattle. We had planned to do a 50/50 deal, but this guy has become unreliable, which leads to my decision to do my own.
I have a JD 4400 CUT. I would like to try doing my own hay next year. Based on what I have read in the forums I might be able to run a small baler for small squares. I know that I will need other implements and am looking for advice on what I might need and what you all suggest to look for on used equipment. I plan on looking at auctions, craigslist, e-bay etc. Depending on how things work out I may also look for a used 5xxx series JD utility tractor in the 50 HP range.
Your advice an implements for my tractor would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Eldon

 

[sweettractors]

A new 4 wheel rake (1195) and a used JD, Ford, New Idea, Massey sickle mower ($995-2995) or a good used disc mower ($3500-$5000) and a good used JD 336, NH 68 or 269 square baler ($1995-$4500) + shipping is what we can do today. Ken Sweet

 

[cowski]

i would look for a used jd 5105 .for 15 acres a sickle mower would be the best.i would add a mf 124 baler to sweet's list. you will also need a trailer.good luck

 

[Amelia Farms]

Started doing my own hay this year. I picked up a used NH haybine, NH #56 rake, and a NH 68 baler. I bought a cheapo tedder from Agri Supply. I have a little under $3000 in all the equipment. I pulled all this with my JD 990, 40 horsepower. It all went much smoother than I anticipated. I made a little over 2000 bales in 2 cuttings this year with no major breakdowns. And it was a lot of fun, except heaving it up in the barn loft. I am looking for a used hay elevator now.

 

[flusher]

Here's what I have:

Old 6.5 ft Tower offset disc (free from neighbor, about $50 in new parts) and a home made drag for primary tillage.

10 f wide cultipacker-$600

Minneapolis Moline P3-6 grain drill (10 ft wide, 20 drops, grass seed boxes)-bought two for $275, used parts to make one good baler plus about $250 in new parts

Massey Ferguson 31 sicklebar mower (7 ft), $550 at auction, $200 new parts

John Deere 350 5-bar side delivery hayrake (3pt hitch/pto driven type), $800

Massey Ferguson 124 baler (two twine, small squares 14" x 18" x 45" long), $2000

Good luck

 

[mikehaugen]

Sorry I can't give you a lot of advice on haying, but I am in your area and have a similar sized (slightly larger) tractor and would be willing to come help. I have never done hay and always look forward to learning new things and am always looking for side jobs. If you are interested, pm me. You say southwest suburbs, but your username implies Elgin. Let me know.

I am also always going to auctions looking for implements, you may or may not know but Buck Bros. Deere dealer in hampshire has a big auction every year and there is also a big one in Woodstock I think twice a year.

 

[riptides]

Started doing my own hay this year. I picked up a used NH haybine, NH #56 rake, and a NH 68 baler. I bought a cheapo tedder from Agri Supply. I have a little under $3000 in all the equipment. I pulled all this with my JD 990, 40 horsepower. It all went much smoother than I anticipated. I made a little over 2000 bales in 2 cuttings this year with no major breakdowns. And it was a lot of fun, except heaving it up in the barn loft. I am looking for a used hay elevator now.

I use an old grain elevator, pics of my repair (broke a gear) and in-action on this site somewhere. It is PTO driven, height adjustable (a Plus) and most important to me at the time, is was free from a friend. It gets used, maybe twice a year, and puts about 500 bales up in the barn loft. It's harder getting the bales out of the hay wagon, then putting them in the loft.

 

[Rara Avis]

A good baler is what you need to spend the most money for...because if you can't consistently bale all the other activity is just sunk cost...

Depending on your weather patterns...which are changing rapidly...if you can't get three solidly dry days...you may also need a tedder to help dry your hay, a requirement here in the Northeast.

Remember if you are going to sell your hay...ALL of your equipment will be able to be depreciated on your 1040 Schedule F...so you may be able to buy slightly more expensive equipment and recover costs on the tax savings.

If you are doing small squares...if you are storing in a hay loft...invest in a good hay elevator system...to minimize having to handle bales...
Loyal - Roth Manufacturing - Hay Bale-Elevator Systems

 

[biker4jc]

I picked up an Allis Chalmers WD 45, an IH mower (model unknown) an IH rake(model unknown) and an old Massey Ferguson #12 baler and have less than $3500 into all of it and put up about 500 bales this year. The older equipment took some tinkering to get it working, mostly the mower but it sure was fun when I got it all working! Planning to do more next year

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Don't forget a couple wagons and a barn to put the bales in.

Make sure you have a manual for whatever baler you get. Knotters are fiddley.

Also, I like square baling on a nice summer day. Send me an IM if you need some help next summer.
I'm not fast or especially strong, but I'm reliable (and really really cheap -- that is, I work for gator-aide)

In fact I'm helping a fellow TBNer bale tomorrow.

Cliff

 

[Turbys_1700]

I picked up an Allis Chalmers WD 45, an IH mower (model unknown) an IH rake(model unknown) and an old Massey Ferguson #12 baler and have less than $3500 into all of it and put up about 500 bales this year. The older equipment took some tinkering to get it working, mostly the mower but it sure was fun when I got it all working! Planning to do more next year

This is a great example on how to economically get into haying...

 

[flusher]

You're doing good at $3500 invested. My stuff cost me about $4300. Still struggling with my sicklebar mower--probably have to rebuild it again before next May (we plant in Oct/Nov and bale the following May--dry land farming).

 

[sixdogs]

One of the problems of learning to do hay the right way is you have to do it wrong for a few years , and lose lots of money, in order to have an educated guess how to do it for less money. The wisdom for all who comment in this thread likely comes with a great deal of personal anguish. I have put up tens of thousands of small square bales and if I had to do it again would hire it out, take my chances and call it good. I'd spend my time not used having fun with the family and engaged in some other agricultural endevor that has a greater probability of more fun. I'd use the money not spent to buy old tractors to restore and sell at a profit. That's just my opinion but I understand if it's something you have to do.

Oh, and be careful. Most of those older farmers you see walking around with only one arm or one hand, note they likely lost it to early hay quipment. That is the era of farm equipment you will be using so be extra careful with yourself and family.

 

[petes]

We have only 3 acres of hay, plus a 4ac field at our school (8 mile away) and it's pretty much impossibleto find someone to come do it at the right time, so I decided to gear up over the last year to do it myself. I work a desk job full time, so "farming" is all evenings and weekend work.

I already had a Kubota B7100 4x4 (originally 16hp, I'd swapped in a 20hp D950 motor). Paid $500 for the tractor w/ FEL and a junked motor, have $600 into the replacement motor.

I picked up a New Holland 451 7ft sickle bar for $450, then put $120 (and a bunch of hours) into new bearings and a few sections.

I bought (2) junker Kuhn 2-basket tedder/rakes, tore both apart and made one good one (many more hours). $900 + 100 in parts

I got a JD14T for $1500 (too much), went throught it to time and grease everything, baled 490 bales, then found a better condition 24T for $750 so bought that and sold the 14T for a little less than I had into it.

So total I have about $2300 into it (not including the tractor), and already saved half that by not having to buy hay for the 2 horses this year, plus was able to cut and bale at the right time instead of waiting weeks for someone who said they'd come but put priorities on bigger fields

The tractor only weighs 1000lb + ~500lb FEL. I couldn't have done it without the 4x4 or FEL (traction and weight up front for steering). The little tractor looked pretty tiny running all that gear but did it without any problem. an 8ft mower would have had me going in circles to the right. I planned my baling so I didn't have to go down a small hill in the field (the baler would likely run over the tractor). (I think a 2000lb 25hp 4x4 tractor would be perfect, but would go larger if I had to deal with hills.) Sickle mowers and old small balers don't take much power. I cranked out well over 100 bales/hr, then hauled gear to and from the remote field and brought hay back to the barn on my $900 flatbed trailer behind my $1000 F250 diesel, then loaded in the loft using a $120 elevator.

Being able to weld, make parts and fix things enables saving loads of $$. It was a very enjoyable and satisfying experience, and I learned a lot. I'm already looking forward to haying next year. It should be easy now that everything is bought already and rebuilt!

It takes a whole lot of trips to bale a remote field. Easily 3x the work and time as doing our own pasture, plus a breakdown means hauling it all home and trying again another day.

 

[Reyer Farms]

We have only 3 acres of hay, plus a 4ac field at our school (8 mile away) and it's pretty much impossibleto find someone to come do it at the right time, so I decided to gear up over the last year to do it myself. I work a desk job full time, so "farming" is all evenings and weekend work.

I already had a Kubota B7100 4x4 (originally 16hp, I'd swapped in a 20hp D950 motor). Paid $500 for the tractor w/ FEL and a junked motor, have $600 into the replacement motor.

I picked up a New Holland 451 7ft sickle bar for $450, then put $120 (and a bunch of hours) into new bearings and a few sections.

I bought (2) junker Kuhn 2-basket tedder/rakes, tore both apart and made one good one (many more hours). $900 + 100 in parts

I got a JD14T for $1500 (too much), went throught it to time and grease everything, baled 490 bales, then found a better condition 24T for $750 so bought that and sold the 14T for a little less than I had into it.

So total I have about $2300 into it (not including the tractor), and already saved half that by not having to buy hay for the 2 horses this year, plus was able to cut and bale at the right time instead of waiting weeks for someone who said they'd come but put priorities on bigger fields

The tractor only weighs 1000lb + ~500lb FEL. I couldn't have done it without the 4x4 or FEL (traction and weight up front for steering). The little tractor looked pretty tiny running all that gear but did it without any problem. an 8ft mower would have had me going in circles to the right. I planned my baling so I didn't have to go down a small hill in the field (the baler would likely run over the tractor). (I think a 2000lb 25hp 4x4 tractor would be perfect, but would go larger if I had to deal with hills.) Sickle mowers and old small balers don't take much power. I cranked out well over 100 bales/hr, then hauled gear to and from the remote field and brought hay back to the barn on my $900 flatbed trailer behind my $1000 F250 diesel, then loaded in the loft using a $120 elevator.

Being able to weld, make parts and fix things enables saving loads of $$. It was a very enjoyable and satisfying experience, and I learned a lot. I'm already looking forward to haying next year. It should be easy now that everything is bought already and rebuilt!

It takes a whole lot of trips to bale a remote field. Easily 3x the work and time as doing our own pasture, plus a breakdown means hauling it all home and trying again another day.

Go ahead buddy! Sounds like you were a busy fellow, but gotta make hay when the sun's shinen', have a good one .

 

[flusher]

We have only 3 acres of hay, plus a 4ac field at our school (8 mile away) and it's pretty much impossibleto find someone to come do it at the right time, so I decided to gear up over the last year to do it myself. I work a desk job full time, so "farming" is all evenings and weekend work.

I already had a Kubota B7100 4x4 (originally 16hp, I'd swapped in a 20hp D950 motor). Paid $500 for the tractor w/ FEL and a junked motor, have $600 into the replacement motor.

I picked up a New Holland 451 7ft sickle bar for $450, then put $120 (and a bunch of hours) into new bearings and a few sections.

I bought (2) junker Kuhn 2-basket tedder/rakes, tore both apart and made one good one (many more hours). $900 + 100 in parts

I got a JD14T for $1500 (too much), went throught it to time and grease everything, baled 490 bales, then found a better condition 24T for $750 so bought that and sold the 14T for a little less than I had into it.

So total I have about $2300 into it (not including the tractor), and already saved half that by not having to buy hay for the 2 horses this year, plus was able to cut and bale at the right time instead of waiting weeks for someone who said they'd come but put priorities on bigger fields

The tractor only weighs 1000lb + ~500lb FEL. I couldn't have done it without the 4x4 or FEL (traction and weight up front for steering). The little tractor looked pretty tiny running all that gear but did it without any problem. an 8ft mower would have had me going in circles to the right. I planned my baling so I didn't have to go down a small hill in the field (the baler would likely run over the tractor). (I think a 2000lb 25hp 4x4 tractor would be perfect, but would go larger if I had to deal with hills.) Sickle mowers and old small balers don't take much power. I cranked out well over 100 bales/hr, then hauled gear to and from the remote field and brought hay back to the barn on my $900 flatbed trailer behind my $1000 F250 diesel, then loaded in the loft using a $120 elevator.

Being able to weld, make parts and fix things enables saving loads of $$. It was a very enjoyable and satisfying experience, and I learned a lot. I'm already looking forward to haying next year. It should be easy now that everything is bought already and rebuilt!

It takes a whole lot of trips to bale a remote field. Easily 3x the work and time as doing our own pasture, plus a breakdown means hauling it all home and trying again another day.

Ah--I really enjoy success stories like this. Way to go!!!

 

[JHK Farms]

Great information. I was looking into getting into baling, but on a smaller scale. Ran into an ol boy that uses one of these small round balers built and used in Europe. He says you can bale a 20 to 60 pound round bale. He sales out each year. I have a 2 wheel rake I just bought, looking at a small disc mower, then the hay baler. Has anyone ever used one of these smaller round balers. Everything I read says 50hp or less in a tractor is perfect. My other option is an older square baler.
Thanks, JHK Farms

 

[sellercreek]

Several of the fixed chamber round balers will run on less than 50 pto hp. I used a Deutz Fahr 4x4 for several years with a Ford 2910 (37 pto hp) with no problem. Currently have a Vermeer Rebel 5410 and run it with a Mahindra 6000 4wd (50 pto hp).

 

[sweettractors]

Great information. I was looking into getting into baling, but on a smaller scale. Ran into an ol boy that uses one of these small round balers built and used in Europe. He says you can bale a 20 to 60 pound round bale. He sales out each year. I have a 2 wheel rake I just bought, looking at a small disc mower, then the hay baler. Has anyone ever used one of these smaller round balers. Everything I read says 50hp or less in a tractor is perfect. My other option is an older square baler.
Thanks, JHK Farms

The new small rollers are super high cost balers and finding a used one may take some time. There are not many floating around. Ken Sweet

 

[JHK Farms]

I am not endorsing any company but check out this company on the web. It is Small Farm Innovations, they deal in low horse power mowers, rakes, balers, including round balers. I started out small with very used equipment. 2 wheel Vicon rake, Used my brush hog to mow for several years, and still using a NH 271 sq baler. I bale small "Hobby Farm" plots and few gave yards. I am a hire hand for a larger operation baling hay. I liked the looks of the mini baler, only seen one in use. He implied he made some good extra money "mini" baling hay. Talked to my county ag agent, he had never heard about the mini balers. So I sent him the web site and he said he will get back to me.
Thanks, JHK Farms, Maud, OK