Can you run a small baler with an LS G3038?

[Tx Jim]

I really like the "Suburban haying"

I had 2 different neighbors that raked hay with a pickup. They found out that hay wrapped around driveshaft got way to close to catalytic convertor would actually BURN. Both neighbors lost pickups and some hay to the fires. Not me Vern because that's why tractors were built for field work. I've also sq baled some hay with a JD BO(14 HP) and a JD 214 baler on flat ground dropping bales on the ground.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I don't think HP is the question or problem. I think, will the pto drive line be built strong enough to take a steady diet of the pounding a baler gives out? OLD tractors had that strong pto drive line, but many compacts don't.

It wasn't all that many years ago I read of a guy here, with an higher HP "L" series Kubota, with a shelled out pto from running a small square baler. The tractor was still under war., but Kubota refused war., saying L's weren't designed to run old balers, the owner should have bought an "M" series...

Personally, I don't and would NOT run an old balers with any of the compact tractors, but it's "your" money... lol

SR

 

[newbury]

I had 2 different neighbors that raked hay with a pickup. They found out that hay wrapped around driveshaft got way to close to catalytic convertor would actually BURN. Both neighbors lost pickups and some hay to the fires. Not me Vern because that's why tractors were built for field work. I've also sq baled some hay with a JD BO(14 HP) and a JD 214 baler on flat ground dropping bales on the ground.

My first thought on seeing that was FIRE!!
Especially at the end of the clip where it looks like she has to drive over the windrow.

 

[Bigfoot62]

I don't think HP is the question or problem. I think, will the pto drive line be built strong enough to take a steady diet of the pounding a baler gives out? OLD tractors had that strong pto drive line, but many compacts don't. . .

Rob,
I was wondering about that myself.
Something else I was thinking, is that even though these newer tractors are rated at a higher HP, it's also at a greatly increased RPM. The old tractors developed peak HP at a much lower RPM, and therefore had a lot more torque. Wouldn't that figure into the equation as well?

I'm not an engineer. Just an old farm boy thinking out loud.
My :2cents:

 

[rankrank1]

I don't think HP is the question or problem. I think, will the pto drive line be built strong enough to take a steady diet of the pounding a baler gives out? OLD tractors had that strong pto drive line, but many compacts don't.

It wasn't all that many years ago I read of a guy here, with an higher HP "L" series Kubota, with a shelled out pto from running a small square baler. The tractor was still under war., but Kubota refused war., saying L's weren't designed to run old balers, the owner should have bought an "M" series...

Personally, I don't and would NOT run an old balers with any of the compact tractors, but it's "your" money... lol

SR

You are not all wrong. Even big size farm tractors that see steady diets of extensive baling definitely can see increased ware inside the tractors PTO/tranny driveline.

That said if someone is intent on baling with a compact tractor then your chances of success certainly increase in IMOP when you stick to the small low capacity low hp balers.

I have baled for several years with my little Kubota L285 tractor. I do not feel I hurt it all. I had about the absolute smallest baler you can buy and I was only doing just a few acres. In comparison, the bushog and tall weeds seem much harder on the PTO driveline than my little baler ever did.

That all said: Now that I have a fleet of junker tractors to use besides the Kubota, I typically will bale with the Farmall m or Farmall h instead of using my little bota. Why: I simply do not want to risk damaging the bota. The m and h were dirt cheap to purchase and have much more metal in the PTO driveline to handle the blaer shocks. Slim to none chance I could tear one of them farmalls up. Even if I did parts are cheap and plentiful everywhere.

Classifying compact tractors can be difficult. Some are built decently heavy relative to their size and others are not. Regardless, for more than a 5-8 acres piddle patch then I would use a heavier built tractor.