Hay harvesting options for compact tractors.

RichZ · Feb 13, 2003

Thanks, Ken!! My friend has one of those!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I always thought it was just a flail mower!! So, the hay comes out crimped, and ready to rake? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Anonymous Poster · Feb 13, 2003

Hi--Yea the New Idea Company put the charateristics in the naming of the machine "Cut-Ditioner"--As you probably know by watching your neighbor, they are a little slow, but very cost effctive to buy and maintain + you dont spend any time backing up and unplugging and no guards and sections to put in.--Another good alternative to the old sickle bar mowers are the new style "double action" sickle mowers. These machines are not as prone to lodging and dragging in heavy or damp hay as the old style sickle mowers were and are priced less than a new drum type mower.--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment Co.

Anonymous Poster · Feb 13, 2003

Great topic, was just thinking about this the other day.

Can a person run a small square baler with my JD4300 32hp?
If so, what types are there, and what kinda price are we talking... for a new or decent used one. I seen've lots of old rusty ones sitting in lots for sale, they look dangerous, and looks like most need a major overhaul. Look like there from the 50's or 60's. I know my grandpa used to bale with his Farmall H, so I know there maybe some options out there.

Thanks,
John /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

cowboydoc · Feb 13, 2003

I sure wouldn't want to try with any baler with that tractor. Not that it's not a good tractor it's just too small to run any normal baler.

RichZ · Feb 14, 2003

I don't know if they make balers specifically for compact tractors. If they do, I imagine they'd be pretty expensive. But a standard sized baler uses a lot of power from your pto, and if the baler has a kicker, I would think it would throw a compact tractor around. Even on my Oliver, which isn't huge, but certainly bigger than a compact tractor, you can feel the kicker, I wouldn't want to be on a small tractor when the kicker engaged. Also, you'd probably want to pull a kicker wagon behind the baler. That's an awful lot of weight for a CUT to pull, while it's running a baler. The baler and full kicker wagon would outweigh the tractor, and stopping would not be easy!! Especially on any incline!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

MikePA · Feb 14, 2003

John, here's a link to what is claimed to be the smallest baler. They even offer a walk behind model. 12kW is about 16 hp.

cowboydoc · Feb 14, 2003

agree Rich. What alot of people fail to realize with these cut's is that just because you may have the hp does not mean you have the tractor to do the job. Compare it to my car which has 250 hp and my pickup which has 250 hp. Using this same analogy I should be able to haul my 40' LQ 4 horse trailer with my car. Not a chance. Heck I doubt I could pull my 16' stock trailer with it. Well it's got the hp. No it doesn't. If you take that car or even take that 250 hp motor out of my car and put it in the pickup the motor and drivetrain probably wouldn't last 5 miles. It's the whole package not just the hp that matters when you're running equipment. When the mfg. put the hp requirements on this farm equipment they are talking about a big utility tractor or a row crop tractor. The hp req. are not menat for compacts. A 35 hp motor from a utility tractor is definitely not the same as a 35 hp motor from a compact. They are built for more torque and the drivetrain, pto, axles, etc. are all more heavily built as well. You just can't go by hp alone.

Anonymous Poster · Feb 14, 2003

<font color="red"> Can a person run a small square baler with my JD4300 32hp? </font>

I dont think I would try Square baling with a conventional baler on that tractor--It could possibly be done with added ballest to tractor, flat terrian, no kicker, no wagon pulled behind the baler and very minimum usage (200-300 bales per year)--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment Co.

DocHeb · Feb 14, 2003

I don't know the prices of the Star Equipment Mini Balers, but I'm sure the prices make the "CUTeness" /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif of the equipment a little hard to take

Anonymous Poster · Feb 14, 2003

Wow, Thanks for all the great info...
I was just assuming from what grandpa did with his Farmall H,
I remember baling 800+ bales a day on that thing, I think it was a Red baler, Farmall baler? I remember it had a big wheel in the front pto, a ram type rod (is that the kicker) or plunger that went back and forth, and then the bale tied and shot slowdy out the rear ramps, with the wagon attached to the baler, just pickup and stack (lots of summers doing that!)

Whew.... yep sounds to dangerous though, yet alone hurting my $$ tractor, not a good thing to do. I think I'll just pay someone to come in and round bale it. I think I can sickle mow it and rake it, so that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks all!
John /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif