bxowner, evening.... I hay with my '53 Ford NAA about 26 HP..... I pull a 14T baler and it works just fine for me... Be sure to have a tractor that has "crawler" gears as the older balers like mine "don't like" running at 540 rpm.... too hard on it... You will have to adjust your ground speed to pick up hay so it packs correctly.... Old equipment like I have is finicky and needs to be treated like an ornery woman..... with loving affection I guess....
I like old stuff so I don't mind it being slow... My NAA has an over-direct-under Sherman and a Howard reducer to slow her down even more... Great combo.... (And it is not for sale to those wondering) ...
The cutter I'm dealing on at the moment is a Drum Mower... CCM and the Hay Dr sell them on this site.... I use a wheel rake because it is easy on the alfalfa and fewer leaves are lost.... Tedders, while great for fluffing hay for drying, they are hard on alfalfa and it's leaves... Good luck on your venture... Dave