Cutting hay on small acreage.

[Duffster]

For Bermuda you don't need a moco. It gives you zero advantage and it's just something else to break. You can cut it with a used sickle mower (maybe $1,000) and rake it the next day with a used NH 256 (maybe $1,200) and bale it on the third day with a used round baler (Maybe 12,000). If you fertilize it, watch your ph, and get rain, you'll likely get 4 cuttings of between 1 & 2 rounds per acre.

Why is there zero advantage for Bermuda?

 

[stravis]

Alright, it also appears that my JD dealer that is only about 10 miles from the house is a Kuhn dealer. Who wouldv'e known. I've never seen any Kuhn equipment on their lot.

 

[Duffster]

I've been surprised at how expensive the rakes are, Duffster. They seem so simple, but even used, they are pricey. I will keep an eye out and can likely find a good deal at some point.

I really like the idea of the large square bales. You really don't see them around here, though. In fact, I've only seen them once and that was on a semi on the interstate. I'm sure someone is using them, but I don't know of a single hay man around here that is using them. They seem to make the most sense, though. They would stack better, and you could fit more in the same barn space. What do the bales weigh? Can you move them with a normal bale spear or do you need forks? If I end up looking at new baling equipment, I'd definitely give a hard look at the large square bales.

Large squares are great, but they are just that LARGE and expensive and they take the best part of 150 pto hp to run them. Even at that they can give you a white knuckle ride in rougher terrain. They are very popular here. On good hay days it is common to see one for about every one mile of road you drive in the afternoon.

The bales weigh ~100lb/ft for the 30" x 32" and 7'-7.5 is a common length. A round bale spear is all we have ever used for sticking them.

The best part about them is the have flakes just like a small square which makes them easy to feed with less waste.

Here is a pic of ours in action.

 

[stravis]

Large squares are great, but they are just that LARGE and expensive and they take the best part of 150 pto hp to run them. Even at that they can give you a white knuckle ride in rougher terrain. They are very popular here. On good hay days it is common to see one for about every one mile of road you drive in the afternoon.

The bales weigh ~100lb/ft for the 30" x 32" and 7'-7.5 is a common length. A round bale spear is all we have ever used for sticking them.

The best part about them is the have flakes just like a small square which makes them easy to feed with less waste.

Here is a pic of ours in action.

Yeah, I don't see myself upgrading tractors to a 150 to run one. I'm already having a hard time justifying 101 horse. (For those that don't know, I went to look at a 5083E with 83 horse and found a 5101 E used with just 100 hours for less than the 5083. I couldn't pass it up.)


Are there other large square balers that require less HP? Am I reading your calculation right, would a 7' bale that is 30x32 then be about 700 #. It seems theres a lot of advantages to them, but if my tractor can't run it, that's a deal breaker.

 

[wheels910]

I'd go 4X5 baler. New Deere 458 requires at minimum 55 pto hp. With surface wrap it's mid 20's new. Wasting money on moco. Mocos are for covering large acerages in one cut and getting hay put up quickly. For the 15-25 acres you described, I'd go with a disc mower, (which is just like a moco with out the conditioning roller/impeller and less than half the price), a rake, and a tedder. Rakes and tedders are simple enough to hardly ever give you a problem if you grease them. The disc mower will do a much, much better job than a sickle.

Your tractor is ideal for haying. Powerful enough to handle any round baler. You will need one pair of remotes to open and close the rear gate of the baler. Optionally you would require an additional set of remotes if you had a baler with a hydraulic pickup.

 

[Duffster]

The disc mower will do a much, much better job than a sickle.

That is highly debatable.

Yeah, I don't see myself upgrading tractors to a 150 to run one. I'm already having a hard time justifying 101 horse. (For those that don't know, I went to look at a 5083E with 83 horse and found a 5101 E used with just 100 hours for less than the 5083. I couldn't pass it up.)


Are there other large square balers that require less HP? Am I reading your calculation right, would a 7' bale that is 30x32 then be about 700 #. It seems theres a lot of advantages to them, but if my tractor can't run it, that's a deal breaker.

We just added a JD7330 and are not quite sure if that is big enough. I don't know of any smaller "big" baler as I think ours is the smallest.

 

[stravis]

I'd go 4X5 baler. New Deere 458 requires at minimum 55 pto hp. With surface wrap it's mid 20's new. Wasting money on moco. Mocos are for covering large acerages in one cut and getting hay put up quickly. For the 15-25 acres you described, I'd go with a disc mower, (which is just like a moco with out the conditioning roller/impeller and less than half the price), a rake, and a tedder. Rakes and tedders are simple enough to hardly ever give you a problem if you grease them. The disc mower will do a much, much better job than a sickle.

Your tractor is ideal for haying. Powerful enough to handle any round baler. You will need one pair of remotes to open and close the rear gate of the baler. Optionally you would require an additional set of remotes if you had a baler with a hydraulic pickup.

Thanks. So it sounds like I can get by with just the single rear remote for all the equipment.

 

[Mike120]

Why is there zero advantage for Bermuda?

Because Bermuda is mostly leaf and very little stem. Tifton 85 will get stemy if left in the field too long (needs to be cut every 28-30 days) but then it's pretty rank and only good for cow hay.