how big for round bales

[canoetrpr]

What have you decided on Jimmy? Did you sign the dotted line yet ? . Make sure you post pictures when your tractor arrives.

 

[jimmyj]

Hey canoetrpr

The posts here, like the one from john_bud, have made me realize that I don't have enough $$ yet to buy the tractor I really need. I have to at least buy over 30hp, prefferably about 45hp. All I can afford now is a used 20 something hp tractor that will wind up being too small and I'll have spent a lot of money off target. Posting here has really saved me from making a big mistake as I was ready to rush out and buy.

As such, my $15k budget won't do it if I want new or darn near to new. When the time comes (and I'm waiting to see Kubota's spring special deals which will be out in early March, my dealer says there will be some hot buys), I'm going to either get a Kubota like you have or a Kioti ck 30 or ck 40. The warranty on the Kioti is very good and Dick Ott is a great dealer. I can get the DK 40 with the 401 loader for $26,995

I'll let the group know for sure, and will take more pictures of the new tractor than I took of my brother's wedding more than likely!!!

P.S. It's just killing me to wait - I am dying to have a new tractor.

 

[canoetrpr]

Keep an eye out for something used as well Jimmy. I've seen a few good deals pop up from time to time. Right now there is a 4330 and a 3430 HST with a cab advertised with ~500 hrs on the clock, with a cab! at around $24k to $27k.

One big advantage of lightly used around here as you know is that you get to avoid a full 13% in sales taxes.

Hardly doubt you can go wrong with Dick Ott. Pretty good deals on those Kiotis and an excellent dealer to boot.

 

[Sully2]

Hey canoetrpr

The posts here, like the one from john_bud, have made me realize that I don't have enough $$ yet to buy the tractor I really need. I have to at least buy over 30hp, prefferably about 45hp. All I can afford now is a used 20 something hp tractor that will wind up being too small and I'll have spent a lot of money off target. Posting here has really saved me from making a big mistake as I was ready to rush out and buy.

As such, my $15k budget won't do it if I want new or darn near to new. When the time comes (and I'm waiting to see Kubota's spring special deals which will be out in early March, my dealer says there will be some hot buys), I'm going to either get a Kubota like you have or a Kioti ck 30 or ck 40. The warranty on the Kioti is very good and Dick Ott is a great dealer. I can get the DK 40 with the 401 loader for $26,995

I'll let the group know for sure, and will take more pictures of the new tractor than I took of my brother's wedding more than likely!!!

P.S. It's just killing me to wait - I am dying to have a new tractor.

A farmer friend of mine was in the same decision process a little over a year ago. He finally sprang for an L5030...and he rolls 800 lb round bales. As far as I'm concerned..he should have bought LARGER. Loading 800 pounders into one of those round cattle feeders...it looks to me that he is a little light!!

 

[slowzuki]

800 lbs no problem for the L5030, the 1200 lb bales, not a great idea to have up high.

A farmer friend of mine was in the same decision process a little over a year ago. He finally sprang for an L5030...and he rolls 800 lb round bales. As far as I'm concerned..he should have bought LARGER. Loading 800 pounders into one of those round cattle feeders...it looks to me that he is a little light!!

 

[Z-Michigan]

Sully, I move round bales in the 800-900lb range with a tractor only slightly larger than an L5030, a JD 5105. I have zero problems stacking them two high. But I have filled rears and always have 500+ lbs on the 3pt when moving bales on the FEL. Your farmer friend may need more ballast at the rear.

Jimmy, the prices you're quoting sound awfully high. Have you considered buying in the US? It looks like you're about a 4 hour drive from the Sarnia/Port Huron border, but you might save $5k or more if you could make that drive and buy here, especially with the current exchange rate (I am guessing you would get better deals in Michigan than in NY or Vermont, but I've only shopped in Michigan). I'd think a Kubota L4400 with an aftermarket FEL that has quick attach, or a Kioti DK40 or DK45 would be good bets. The L4400 would probably come in around $19-20k US, while the DK40 would be pretty close and the DK45 maybe $22-23k. Still more than your immediate budget, but if the US and Can dollars stay close to parity, I'd think about it when you're ready to buy. The new JD 5203 might even be worth a look, which gets you solidly into the utility class.

 

[jimmyj]

Hey Canoetrpr

I tried to post this yesterday but must have messed up 'cuz nothing is there.

What I've decided is that I have to save up a bit more to get a better tractor than my budget can allow at the moment. Bummer, but the advice is very clear, here and from the dealers, my 15K won't be enough.

I am still confident that I can get a good L series, at least 35 or 40 hp and be happy with it. The laoder is strong enough to putz around and the 3ph will allow me to move the bales safely. My dealer says that there are some hot kubota spring specials coming in March, so maybe then.

Also, I looked at Kioti and the DK40 with the 401 loader is $26,995 new.

I hate the thought of waiting but I had originally thought I could get by with a tractor of about 25hp and it is very clear that in the long run I'll be happier with a bit bigger.

I don't have to stack bales, but from experience I know there are always heavy chores that come up from time to time. For example, just yesterday I bought a huge load of heavy limestone flags, some are 5' x 5' and a foot thick but most are 200 to 450 lbs.

I must have patience.................(I keep saying it over and over and over)

 

[jimmyj]

Sorry everyone for repeating myself. Gettin' old you know.

LOL

 

[texasjohn]

The secret is proper weight/load balancing.... a 5030 will do really amazing things as long as you are load balanced...

another idea.... you can get a single axle trailer to move a single hay bale at a time... there are various types of spikes and forks with winches, both manual and electric..... this only requires sufficient vehicle to have traction and pull the load.... I used one for a long time... slow, but it works

I think you are doing an outstanding job of seeking to understand both your true needs and capabilities of various tractors. It is one thing to drive an empty tractor on the dealer lot... another to use it for tough tasks... and it is the heavy tasks that define the max tractor you need.. not the average task.

 

[xxxsandman]

Just a quick note, while not the tractor(s) in question, my Kubota L48 is quite a nice hay machine. I put out hay weekly with it. My bales our baled with the BIGGEST New Holland baler made and it's cranked up tight. They are 5X6 and weigh at least 1,500lbs. The L48 will lift them to max height without even breaking a sweet.

I had a Montana 4540 tractor before the L48. It couldn't even get one of these bales off the ground!

Something to keep in mind on hay is it's weight can hang out in front of the loader up to 5 foot! This puts a LOT of strain on the loader, especially when bouncing across a pasture, it has a lot of leverage. Proper ballast is a must or you may due front axle damage and/or find yourself in a tipping situation. The L48's backhoe is plenty of ballast on my machine. A 1,500lb hay bale takes more then a loader rated for 1,500lbs to lift it safely, because the load is so far out in front of the loader pins. Most loaders lifting capacities are rated at the pins or 24" in front of the pins, the hay can be up to 5' in front of the pins.

If you have a smaller sized tractor and want to move round bales, I HIGHLY recommend 4X6 or 4X5 bales. The 4' width makes a BIG difference and is much easier to lift!!!

 

[jimmyj]

Hey Texasjohn and xxxsandman,
I am lucky because I get my hay from a friend and he makes the bales 4x5 at the largest and they are usually light enouth to push around by hand with a bit of elbow grease. I figure they are under 500lbs as long as I keep them dry. I don't have to stack bales either as he fills his barn and I visit every once + a while for a safety meeting and chit chat to buy 2 or 4 bales at a time. (Safety meeting = nobody workin', nobody gets hurt).

So far I have been using either an ATV or my Allis Chalmers 616 compact to "tow" them on a trailer and then I tip over the basket type bale feeder, shove the bale inside and tip it back onto its "feet" with the bale inside. The Allis loader can only lift 400lbs if I'm lucky and the machine is 1300lbs, plus 200lbs for me and another 200 - 250 with the loader. I have had the back end lift up more times than I would like to admit and I don't want to get hurt or break the little tractor (only has 3/4 inch front spindles to the wheel hubs). However, the little tractor is awesome for little stuff and getting into small areas so I want to keep it for sure.

I looked at the New Holland line the other day, they are very nice too and I like the fact that the loader comes with a skid steer mount as a standard feature.

My first choice would still be Kubota though as my uncle had one for years and it was so reliable and handy I'll be impressed for life by the brand. Plus the dealer is 3 miles from my house.

Hope there are good larger L series specials in March, if anyone knows where I could see US prices for new or used let me know. Even if I don't buy in Michigan, I could maybe use the info as a negotiating tool.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Some of the big Kubota dealers that seek business all over the US advertise here; Messick and Carver come to mind.

In Michigan, I would give a call to Williams Farm Equipment in Charlotte. If I bought a Kubota or New Holland I would buy from them. There are probably good dealers closer to the border, I just don't know who they are.

 

[canoetrpr]

Jimmy - check out Used Tractors at TractorHouse.com: John Deere Tractors, used farm tractors and farm equipment, Case IH, New Holland, Agco, Caterpillar. to get an idea of USA pricing.

 

[1953greg]

Just a quick note, while not the tractor(s) in question, my Kubota L48 is quite a nice hay machine. I put out hay weekly with it. My bales our baled with the BIGGEST New Holland baler made and it's cranked up tight. They are 5X6 and weigh at least 1,500lbs. The L48 will lift them to max height without even breaking a sweet.

I had a Montana 4540 tractor before the L48. It couldn't even get one of these bales off the ground!

sand, good observation but is that a fair comparision of the two tractors?
engines bout same but the L48 is designed for hydraulic power and out weighs the 4540 by bout 2500lbs. i agree the montana hydraulics are sonewhat weak though. i own a 4540 and am disappointed w/ the hydraulics. everything else is fine.
may i ask why you dont own the 4540 today?

 

[xxxsandman]

sand, good observation but is that a fair comparision of the two tractors?
engines bout same but the L48 is designed for hydraulic power and out weighs the 4540 by bout 2500lbs. i agree the montana hydraulics are sonewhat weak though. i own a 4540 and am disappointed w/ the hydraulics. everything else is fine.
may i ask why you dont own the 4540 today?

Your right, comparing a Kubota L48 to a Montana 4540 is not fair at all. The Montana 4540 is a fine machine. I had mine for a couple of years and put over 200 hours on it. It was a very powerful machine for it's size, with more power then weight and strength in my opinion. The hydraulics on the 4540 was average for a tractor in it's class. I'm VERY impressed with the hydraulics and strength of the L48. The hydraulics are strong and super fast. They should be, the L48 cost over twice as much as the Montana 4540!!!

I was simply trying to point out a compact tractor, such as the Montana 4540, will likely have trouble handling the larger round bales. I wasn't trying to run the 4540 done or even compare it to Kubotas in anyway. The reason I don't own it anymore is I needed something that could do heavier front end work and I bought a ZTR style mower and no longer needed it for finish mowing. BTW, the Montana 4540 is an increadable mowing machine, with lots of PTO horsepower, small size, tight turning, light weight...