Hay harvesting options for compact tractors.

[Anonymous Poster]

Curious, so if a person started round bale'ing?
What model/size JD tractor would he need? (sorry, I'm a greeny)

I'm clueless /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

If you're talking about round baling with a regular size roundbaler then you need at least a 70hp tractor or above. Personally I wouldn't roundbale with anything less than around a 90 or 100 hp tractor but people do it. If you bought one of the smaller roundbalers you could get by with a smaller tractor. Those roundbalers are very heavy and for uneven ground, hills, etc. you need alot of tractor to keep everything safe.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

As others say, pulling a baler or mower/conditioner takes more than just horsepower. They are big heavy implements that pull to the side, so you need a tractor with some weight to it. The '60s JD & NH balers are very good, and really only need 15 hp to run the baler itself - the flywheel does the work. Many had Wisconsin engines on them, didn't need any tractor pto at all. But you need a tractor heavy enough to be a boat anchor for the things. The plunger going back & forth is what packs the hay into a bale, & it puts quite a rocking motion on a light tractor.

Round balers, you would want 50+ hp for a smaller 4' round baler (some are listed at 40 hp tho), and close to 100 hp for the big 6x5 balers. Again, you need the boat-anchor weight as you are pulling & rotating a lot of weight behind you.

--->Paul

 

[HayDR]

We've sold over a 1000 new Vermeer balers to customers that have 40-50 HP. We are talking in the hills not on flat ground.

 

[cowboydoc]

I see from the pic of that baler you're also talking about a small round baler. I've seen the rebel line and they are only about 3/4 or less the size of a full size baler, at least comparing them to the JD's. That baler is only capable of 1200 bales and a 5x3'11" bale. If you want a smaller baler like I said in my post then you could get by with a smaller tractor.

I'm sure you wouldn't advocate me running that baler though on my 4600 tractor. When you're talking 40 hp surely you are talking about one of the bigger utilitytractors like the NH in the pic attached to the baler. Wouldn't you agree that if you go to a full size round baler, ie 5x6 bales and 2000 lb., that you would need a bigger hp tractor?

 

[HayDR]

JD 447 Round Baler makes a bale 4'3" x 3'9" 750 LBS I'd say that is 3/4 the size of the Vermeer 5400 Rebel but the JD cost $2,000 more and takes more HP to pull the JD. The JD447 weighs 3360 and the Vermeer weighs 3900 LBS.
WHERE"S the BEEF? IN VERMEER

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color="red"> The JD447 weighs 3360 and the Vermeer weighs 3900 LBS. </font>

Hello Mark--Likley, either baler weighs more than most of the under 40 HP compact tractors--TOOOO much baler weight unless you have a full size tractor and some added ballest--I run a 5x5 M&W with a 93 HP MF Cab tractor and I can say at times going uphill with almost a full roll?? I have all I need !!--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment Co.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

http://www.carverequipment.com/straw_cutting_baling_main.htm

Try this link I'm going to check them out.

mikell

 

[cowboydoc]

If you read JD eng. and mark. they purposely made the baler lighter than anyone else to be able to work better with smaller tractors.

 

[HayDR]

Ken,
We sell M&W as well. THe Fixed chamber baler (M&W) will usually weigh more than any variable chamber baler because of the nature of the FC baler. THe Vermeer 5500 Rebel pulls with 55 HP and makes a bale 5 1/2' tall and 5' wide. Moisture content of the hay has a lot to do with the PTO HP needed but also the hills require some more power or changing of gears. The main thing I am saying is a farmer can take a 40-45 HP utility tractor and make 1200 LBS rolls. Say a Kioti DK50 can hook up and bale with a Vermeer or a 4500 M&W baler.