Hay bale comparison

[sweettractors]

Ken ... I don't think my 4x4's weigh 800 lbs ... maybe other grasses than Bermuda and Bahia make them heavier. Maybe I need to weigh one. Around here 50-60 lbs (Squares) are what folks are wanting to buy.

800 lb depends on the type hay, the type roller used and how fast the driver operates the tractor. I can make a bale vary 200-300 lb coming out of the same field and using the same equipment, just by changing PTO speed and how I drive the tractor. Ken Sweet

 

[blueriver]

800 lb depends on the type hay, the type roller used and how fast the driver operates the tractor. I can make a bale vary 200-300 lb coming out of the same field and using the same equipment, just by changing PTO speed and how I drive the tractor. Ken Sweet

Fair enough ... I do know the more hay I can feed in the better the bale. I like those bales tight ... in fact sometimes the spear doesn't want to go in.

When you say PTO speed are you referrring to 540/1000 ?

 

[sweettractors]

Fair enough ... I do know the more hay I can feed in the better the bale. I like those bales tight ... in fact sometimes the spear doesn't want to go in.

When you say PTO speed are you referrring to 540/1000 ?

I am referring to the speed of the 540 shaft turning the roller. I get a lighter bale in 5th gear than I do in 3rd gear with the tractor tachometer reading the same in both gears. (just changing ground speed) With a 4 ft hay roller, I also can get a lighter bale by driving straight on a 4 ft windrow vs weaving back and forth on a 2-3 ft windrow. Ken Sweet

 

[blueriver]

I am referring to the speed of the 540 shaft turning the roller. I get a lighter bale in 5th gear than I do in 3rd gear with the tractor tachometer reading the same in both gears. (just changing ground speed) With a 4 ft hay roller, I also can get a lighter bale by driving straight on a 4 ft windrow vs weaving back and forth on a 2-3 ft windrow. Ken Sweet

Thank you. I was hoping you'd say that. There is a thread going about using 1000 speed on 540 equipment.

 

[Builder]

Switching gears slightly, but staying on hay: These rectangular hay bale accumulators look really slick if you have limited hay baling help.

 

[blueriver]

I use an accumulator and a grapple system to handle square bales ... the only way to go.

 

[rasimmo]

I would love to have one. We don't put up enough squares to justify cost though.
The accumulators I use is on the ends of my arms.:laughing:

 

[slowzuki]

4x4's are almost always around 400-500 lbs. A silage 4x4 bale weighs 1000 lbs or so. 5x4 is 800-1000 lbs.

 

[Builder]

I would love to have one. We don't put up enough squares to justify cost though.
The accumulators I use is on the ends of my arms.:laughing:

That's funny. :laughing:
I wish I could grease my shoulder joints like loader arms and get them working again.

I found an accumulator & small rect. baler for sale near me. Looks like a nice package.

 

[jimmyj]

That's funny. :laughing:
I wish I could grease my shoulder joints like loader arms and get them working again.

I found an accumulator & small rect. baler for sale near me. Looks like a nice package.

Ha ha ha ha! Around here it's about what you all are saying, 4x4 take about 400 to 500 lbs and 4 x 5 run about 900. Squares are usually 40lbs so the math is easy. Some guys bale really light or heavy but that would be a good average. I don't do hay but have lots of pals who do and they get 2 cuts, with the 2nd cut being about 40 percent the yeild of the first. Depends widely on what you're growing though and how you treat the field. Some dairy guys get 3 cuts of alfalfa every year but they fertilize a lot, reseed regularly and the last cut is way small compared to the first.

The big squares are coming into favor now, usually 800 to 900 lbs. I've never seen a bale handler system in action for small squares, sure would be neat to see.