Hay making help

[JohnJohn]

It has been a while since I last posted and I had to set up a new account.

I have a Kubota L3010 HST now to maintain 10 acres.

I am thinking about buying 100 to 250 acres for cattle and hay.

From what I have read I will need 45 to 50HP to run a baler.

Will I need a cutter?
Will I need a rake?

A new 50 HP tractor will run me about $20,000, plus $4,000 for a loader. How much can I expect to pay for the baler , cutter, and rake?
Is there anything I am missing?

 

[carluman]

I don't have any idea of cost but I do know it would depend on if you are buying new or used. Also small or big bailer... round or square?

Sounds like fun. Best of luck for ya.

 

[cowboydoc]

To do a 100 - 250 acres of hay I would buy at least a 65 pto hp tractor and probably bigger. Yes you can get by with less. What you need to do first is decide what equipment you want to go with. Do you want to make 4x5, 4x6, 5x6 bales etc? Do you want to do sileage? Are you going to be doing alfalfa or grass? Do you want to do any square bales? How mechanically inlcined are you? Do you want a 10', 11', 12', mower conditioner or do you even want to use a mower conditioner. Would you rather go with a swather? Then are you in an area of alot of moisture? If so you'll probably need a tedder too. You're also going to need a bale trailer. How are you going to plant, fertilize, spray, etc? You can hire it all out but if you want to do it yourself you're going to have to buy all of that equipment as well.

Just for some #'s on prices my 5x5 round baler was $21,000, my 5x6 round baler was $28,000. My 735 mower conditioner was $22,000. My swather was $68,000. My side delivery hay rake was $2200, and my wheel rakes were $2800 a piece. My square baler was $11,000. I've got thousands more in hay stacker, bale carriers, flatbeds, sprayers, etc.

 

[BB_TX]

I don't know the first thing about haying, but I found <font color="blue"> this web site </font> to be interesting reading.

 

[JohnJohn]

Thanks for Lots of good information. I have just started the information gathering phase of my purchase.

I had no idea balers ran that much.

I will be buying the land in Virginia.

I have an uncle that makes hay and has cattle now in VA. I will be visiting him in a couple weeks to get more information.
He too has allot more equipment that I originally thought would be required.

The last thing I want to do is buy a under horse powered tractor for the work.

 

[cowboydoc]

That is an excellent article BB. The only thing I would fault are their prices on used equipment. The only equipment I have seen that low are junk on it's last lets.

 

[HayDR]

New Vermeer 5500 Rebel balers are in the $ 13,500 to $15,000 range.

 

[5030]

Richard:

I don't want to talk hay. I can hear it growing. My NH bailer is at the dealer getting some knotter work. 4 weeks worth. I think I am going to "borrow" a new one from the dealer if I don't have mine back in 2 weeks.

I was working on the Mo Co Saturday. I was replacing the hydraulic lines. I unbolted a stay on the swing arm and below it was a nest of yellow jackets. Sunday, my hand was the size of Joe Poluka's and it hurts all the way to my elbow.

What a way to start out. Hope I don't loose any fingers this year. I won't be able to pick my nose. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Poppa]

Well Daryl and Richard, you have both at least filled in one gaping hole in my education. You have both answered why hay seems ridiculously expensive. Next time I will have a better understanding of what goes into a bale.

Yellowjacket tax alone should be six bits a bale /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Mike

 

[Bird]

Yep, Mike, in our part of the country, if the equipment has been sitting unused for awhile, you look for yellow jacket nests, then you see how many dirt dauber nests have to be cleaned out. And if you have to stop and work on anything in the field, the first thing you do is check to make sure you aren't standing or lying in the fire ants. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif