HP and size for Hay ??

[KWentling]

Well i guess its just all in knowing how to use the fel. As far as being useless i dont know about that cuz i NEVER had any problems loading moving or unloading hay. As far as pulling a baler or rake a 2wd is much more effective in the hay field. Verry FEW people in this area use 4wd in a hay field. Im not putting one in there and tearing up an $450,000 field. And yes i back up and drive up hill with a load of hay with my 2wd MF. True the front axle capacity is greater but when ur talking about hay bales the the 2wd axle has no prob. If your loading out a dump truck with rock or gravel then yes by all means the 4wd is much more effective and needed.

Conditions are obviously different in Texas than up north. You seldom need FWA when making hay, but when it comes to moving bales with the loader when you have mud, snow, ice, or a combination of those, FWA is very valuable. I have a corral that I have to move bales to down hill. You better get it right because you aren't backing up with that bale if it's slick with a 2WD. I've been using loader tractors for 40+ years now so I think I know how to use one. Only one has had FWA and they are night and day better up "here".

Kim

 

[jlsmith]

Conditions are obviously different in Texas than up north. You seldom need FWA when making hay, but when it comes to moving bales with the loader when you have mud, snow, ice, or a combination of those, FWA is very valuable. I have a corral that I have to move bales to down hill. You better get it right because you aren't backing up with that bale if it's slick with a 2WD. I've been using loader tractors for 40+ years now so I think I know how to use one. Only one has had FWA and they are night and day better up "here".

Kim

I agree with what ur saying about being in the mud and snow 4wd is better. I said i wouldnt but a 4wd tractor in the hay field. One does end up tearing up a field either during baleing or loading the hay. Even if it isnt in 4wd the knobby tire dig in and cut the ground. Like i said 2wd is much better in the hay field but yes a 4wd does have a place on the farm as well.

 

[SPYDERLK]

This is the first time that I have experienced some "pains" at not having purchased a larger tractor. My neighbor is getting older (70+) and has some tractor problems. He has about 120 acres upon which he grows mostly hay. He cuts the hay 2-3x each year depending on the weather and the growth. He needs the hay in the fields for 2 reasons - the land can be zoned as ag vs. residential for tax purposes and it gives some extra income. I believe he does it mostly because he is a tough old cuss who can't set still on a pretty day.

The hydraulic pump on his old John Deere went out recently with hay left to be cut. I would like to help him with my tractor (TC35A), but it feels awfully small to be pulling a hay baler or rake. I don't think I will have any problems with the 6' sickle mower. The neighbor will be using his 8N Ford to pull the other attachments. That tractor is 58 years old and it runs like a champ.

Question: What size and type tractor (HP, FEL, etc.) would the group suggest for hay work? This would be more of an investment vs. a tractor to use around our house.

My neighbor has asked if I want to take over the hay operation in the future. I have about 6 acres that I want to use for hay, so we will be cutting a lot of hay in total. I would need to switch over from square bales to round bales so a FEL that would lift 2500 lbs is a must.

Thoughts??

Square bales a 25ptohp will do fine. We have been doing it for years. Round bales Id go for 70HP to handle the baler and the bales.
larry

 

[CentralNC]

Thanks to everyone for all of the advice. I guess there are many different ways to go with tractor sizes depending on the size of the round bales. I could get square bale equipment very easily and inexpensively, but the handling and labor involved with square bales make round bales look so much more attrative.

I am going to talk with my neighbor and see what type of lease arrangement he has in mind for his land and then work the numbers. My older brother has a MF 283 with a FEL at our home farm in the mtns of NC. He has been be grumbling about buying a smaller frame tractor. That big MF could easily handle the largest round bales.

I really do appreciate all the advice. It is nice to see so many different views on an issue. I would not have thought of some of them. Thank you.

 

[dgage]

Do yourself a favour and get the proper attachment for the fel to move the round bales and not one of those spears that attaches to the bucket. I used a spear for a few years and hated it but when I got my new tractor I got the proper attachment for it. I immediately slapped my head for not doing it sooner!
Way easier than using the bucket and spear!

 

[BeeferMan]

Hmmmm.. chuckling to myself here... I live up north, plenty of mud and snow and ice. I feed round bales using a 2WD with the loader, and even have the "wrong" attachment - a spear that goes on the bucket. And know what - my critters have yet to starve to death yet, or even go hungry.

Have there been times when I wished I had 4wd or could have used it? You bet! But in hay field? I don't think so - if you need 4wd in a hay field you shouldn't be in there trying to hay!

Love 4WD, wouldn't have a pickup without it. But it's not needed for haying, IMO...

 

[Dill]

The only time that I like to have a MFWD haying is mowing a new field for the first time. Especially in heavy reeds carany I've found some wet spots that you'd never know until you pretty sunk.
I would say more important than HP, and only focus on PTO HP not engine gross. Is the frame, the compacts just don't have a sturdy enough frame to handle real ag work. I've seen plenty of red and green compacts break down after a couple years of baling, where as an old M or H has half the HP but will make hay for another 50 years. Are you square baling or round baling? We do both with 65hp tractors. The only time I want something bigger is for brakes, you get a heavy enough silage bale on a slope and you can feel it on the tractor.
I wouldn't say you need MFWD for loading rounds either, I have a bale spear on my old 606 with a IH 2000 loader. I will leave that in a field to load customers if I need the rest of the tractors some where else. Is it perfect? No, but it was a heavy built utility tractor that has no problem loading trailers with 4x4 or 4x5 bales.
I have both the real quick detach spear setups and 2 universal mounts, 1 bolt on and 1 chain over the bucket. They work, the biggest problem is having to look around the bucket to figure out where your loading the bale.

 

[Dill]

I have 120 acres of hay. Do not under estimate the 4x4 bales. I find more folks have small tractors, small acreages and love handling the smaller rolls.

I think the 4x4s are were its at for me as well. I'm selling more to horse people that don't have any equipment and you can man handle a 4x4.

 

[CentralNC]

I really do appreciate all the advice you guys have given. There are some very good comments in this discussion and lots of things to consider. I can see the advantage of having a large frame Ag tractor when cutting fields and loading bales.

I am pricing different equipment (balers, tractors, etc.) and working out the details in my mind. I will probably just use my brothers big MF 283 with FEL next year for most of the work. It is a 2wd, but it is very large and heavy.

I am thinking that round bales are the way to go and I do like the idea of the smaller 4x4 bales. We are going to sell the hay vs. using it to feed cattle. The square bales involve too much manual labor and it is more than 1 or 2 people can do themselves.

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[KallaWallaFarm]

For speed we don't run anything under 100hp, with the exteption of a 60hp for runnning a v-rake and 17' tedder. Yes in my humble opinion, a lot of experienced operators can get away with less horsepower, however when racing the weather, which is what haying is all about, I wouldn't go with anything less. Fuel will run a little higher, but it beats having a rained out windrow.