Anyone round rolling hay with their Mahindra?

jwcinpk · Sep 11, 2003

I'm shopping tractors with the future hope of putting up about 500 4x4 rolls of hay per year and wondered if anyone out there is currently doing this and with what tractor, how fast, and with how much strain on the tractor. I keep hearing weight is the key and the Mahindra's sure have that.

Chet · Sep 11, 2003

I would be interested also, I used my 4500 4WD to pack about 450 square bales this summer and the tractor ran the baler with no problems whatsoever. I would like to someday be able to afford a small round baler. Having never run a tractor with a round baler, I am certainly no expert, but I think the 00 series should be able to handle a 4x4 or 4x5 like the Vermeer Rebel with ease on a resonably level field. Chet

dduff · Sep 14, 2003

I have a 6000 equipped with four wheel drive, FEL and Shuttle Shift Transmission that I use to round bail with. My bailer is a Vermeer 504 Rebel. Both the tractor and bailer were purchased new this year. I am on my last cutting and will have put up around 475 bails by the end of the season. The tractor and bailer have performed beautifully. I try to put up 4X4 bails but on occasion have run 4X5 bails. I have a hay spear attachment that takes the place of the bucket and a 3-point spear on the rear. If I am close to the hay sheds I put one on the back and one on the front and transport and stack them. If it is a long way from the fields I generally use a couple of trailers to transport bails to the shed or barn. The shuttle shift transmission is great for loading and unloading. However I do wish the forward position on the lever were where the neutral position is and the neutral and reverse positions positioned lower accordingly. I think that would be an improvement and reduce the effort on the driver. Other than that and the seat pounding your butt when you are in transit, I love the tractor. As for the bailer, the 504 Rebel is the pinnacle of simplicity as far as operation and maintenance are concerned. When the bailer is attached to the 6000, you don’t even know it is back there.

jwcinpk · Sep 14, 2003

Just out of curiosity what kind of investment was that? I've been able to get a price from the internet on deere and Kioti, but I have a Mahindra dealer close so I'm gonna go by and check with him. Does the 6000 run 4x4s with ease? Do you feel like you need all that horsepower to run the small balers or just the minimum? I was really just shopping the 4500 and 5500, but I may need to see if I can afford a 6000. Or I may just have to continue to sqaure bale. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

BobG_in_VA · Sep 14, 2003

I was originally looking for a 4500 with FEL myself. My dealer had a 6000 which he realllllly wanted to sell me. He made me a deal I couldn't turn down. I'm really glad I got the 6000 now. It has the biggest FEL that Mahindra puts on their tractors; if you can affort the grand or so more you really will do yourself a favor. Just my $.02 worth. BobG in VA

dduff · Sep 15, 2003

I have $26,000 in the tractor and bailer. The 6000 will run the 4X4 bails with ease, as well as 4X5 and 4X6 bails. I usually bail around 1800 RPM, which is well under what the 6000 is capable of. It has more than enough horsepower to do the 4X4 bails. The 504 Rebel bailer will work on a 40 Horsepower tractor though it might be a grunt for one if the terrain is steep. On flat land I think I could pull it with my Ford Golden Jubilee and it is only rated at 34 Horsepower but you need remote hydraulics to operate the bailer. Where I live is in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. I do some bailing for neighbors and due to the terrain I felt I needed the four-wheel drive. My philosophy on horsepower has all ways been, it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. The Mahindra and the Vermeer Rebel Bailer have impressed me, so much so that I sold my square bailer. If I never stack a square bail in a barn again in my life, it will be to soon. I would recommend this combination to anyone with similar needs. All of my neighbors have been very impressed with the ease of operation and the quality of the finished bails with the Mahindra/Vermeer combination as compared to others they have experienced in the past. If you can swing the cost, I know you won’t be disappointed. This setup works so easy that my wife will do some of the bailing and you know how hard it is to find good help. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

5030 · Sep 15, 2003

I don't have a Mahindra, I have a 5030 Kubota. We put up rounds and squares commercially and I use a NH 638 RollBelt bailer to run 4x4 bales that we sell to the Amish. I run my bales at about 700-850 pound each as that makes them easier to handle and we sell by the ton anyway.

The 5030 handles the bailer as well as our 12 foot JD Mower-conditioner.

I've posted these pictures before in haying threads but to give you some idea, here are some again.

Without flaming anyone, I am not a fan of Vermeer. NH is the benchmark around here, with JD running 2nd.