hay making

[rf33]

For smaller tractors, and especially if you are only doing square bales, a wheel rake would probably be your best bet. A 6 wheel rake should be able to handle your needs nicely. They have an added advantage of being able to be pulled behind a truck, so that you can have a helper rake for you with the truck running right in front of your tractor with the baler.

As to the mower, I really do not know much about sicklebars, as most people around here use disc cutters, but I would assume that you just need to be sure that it is one rated for your category of TPH, and ensure that it is does not have too much weight out too far for your particular tractor. Many of these offset type cutters can really get to be alot of weight hanging out there, making your tractor pretty darn light on the opposite side. I do not know if you need one which specifically says 3pt hitch on it, but I would assume it to be pretty apparent if it is designed to go on a 3pt hitch or not (what else would you hook it to??).

 

[hayden]

Did you get it used and if so can you tell us how much it cost?

 

[EdKing]

<font color=blue>Are all sicklebar mowers the same or do you need one that specifically says 3pt hitch?? </font color=blue>

You want to make sure it is for a 3 point hitch, as there are quite a few older mowers out there designed for the older Internationals and such. They are mounted to the underside of the tractor, I'm not sure as to the specific details as to how they mount. Some come off the back of the tractor, and some are like a belly mower, they come off the side of the tractor.

 

[barticus73]

$250 for the baler at an auction. Antone near Pa know where I can get a good used rake and mower now?

Thx

 

[hayden]

Wow, nice deal.

 

[MikePA]

Check <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.wengers.com>Wengers</A>. They have a nice selection of used equipment including rakes and mowers.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Wenger's might be a good place for used equipment but I was shocked at their pricing on new. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif I looked at a 5' King Kutter rotary mower on their site priced over one hundred dollars higher than the same mower at TSC ($650 vs. $549). I did the same comparison on a 5' King Kutter box blade and the difference was even more in favor of TSC ($425 vs. $300). Looks like TSC for me on those. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif To be fair, those were the only items I compared, but I wanted to let you all know what I found. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif

 

[jtcweb]

When I was on a train in Eastern Europe I saw what we dubed "Hay Trees". They would take a pine tree that was about 15' high, strip off all the twigs & needles and stick it in the ground. The would then load it up with hay with a pitch fork (many times made from a forked branch). I'll try to dig up a picture. If you were only feeding a few animals it might not be too much hand labor.

 

[gws]

Not to Dampen your hay making fun, but with only an acre of timothy, can you even come close to cost justifying the purchase of any equipment? Even with 3 cuttings, how much hay you getting and how much you going to pay for hardware vs what can you by hay for? At $2/bale around me, its going to take a lot fo years to justify hardware.

 

[riptides]

Around here in Hartwood Virginia, Straw is selling for around 4.00 a bale and up! A lot of farmers seem to be getting out of the Hay business. Too costly, the demand seems to be here. Heck, I just reseeded an acre and spent close to 80.00 for cover.
I have thought of equipment, but the cost justification and land size is just not there for me...

-Mike Z.