Tractor Sizing Is Powerstar 75 enough to round bale

[Ortimber]

75 PTO hp for 4x5 bales, 100 for 5x6. That means engine hp about 95 and 125 respectively.

Agree with Rick.

We have hilly hay fields, and baling 4X5's is doable (barely) with an 8560 but it's sketchy. Put the M125X in front of the baler and now we are making hay.

 

[Nitrobay]

I dont have the property yet nor the tractor. Your guidance is helping me understand how much the property I select will effect the tractor I will need. Which I assumed would be the case but I didnt realize how much it will effect the decision. Like anything, when you are trying to get by with a minimum the variable are important. If you have the resources to buy more than you think you will need then you dont have to worry about all the variable. I'm probably like most guys who are getting into land ownership. The cost of the land and improvements needed to do what you want to do with the land not only determine what tractor you need but also limit you financially. The more needs the land has the more cost you will incur. That also equates to more cost in additional HP and weight.

I intend to pasture cattle spring to fall in 20-40 acres. Perimeter fence it and mowing a portion of it and either renting it out for crops crops or adding pasture as I can afford it. That of course would likely result in haying any extra feed and probably haying new pasture while allowing it to mature before putting cattle on it.

It may be that I need to buy a 60 hp tractor to do the maintenance and to developed the property then trade up as my needs increase. But, if I can figure out if I can get by with a 75HP tractor to make 4x5 or even 5x5 bales, then I think I can swing that single purchase. I don't plan on baking hay as a profession so I'm hopping to get by with the lower HP. Sounds like I might if the property is flat and I'm selective on my hay baler as well. I'm learning not all manufacturers of the same size baler have the same HP needs. I assume the balers with lower HP needs also equate to a looser bale??? Or have some engineered thier balers to have a tight bale while using less HP?

 

[Nitrobay]

With one property for sale and shopping for another things are likely going to speed up on me. If we get a property without a house we will be building first and that will speed up the need for the tractor too. Trying to get everything figured out as best as I can before I get the property then quickly need to cut driveways, brush hog building sites for shed, house and yard. Soon after that the tractor will be used to remove any old unmaintained fences and prepare the property for seeding. Everything will seem like it needed to be done yesterday for a bit with fall on it's way and a lot to get done before then.

 

[WM75Guy]

Location and rainfall makes a big difference in hay production. Last year in East Texas people baled hay from May till November, my hay guy got 5 cuts off some pastures. Had to work around the rain to be able to bale. West of Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, 100 miles west of us, they were lucky to get 2 cuts because of a lack of rain.

 

[RickB]

I dont have the property yet nor the tractor. Your guidance is helping me understand how much the property I select will effect the tractor I will need. Which I assumed would be the case but I didnt realize how much it will effect the decision. Like anything, when you are trying to get by with a minimum the variable are important. If you have the resources to buy more than you think you will need then you dont have to worry about all the variable. I'm probably like most guys who are getting into land ownership. The cost of the land and improvements needed to do what you want to do with the land not only determine what tractor you need but also limit you financially. The more needs the land has the more cost you will incur. That also equates to more cost in additional HP and weight.

I intend to pasture cattle spring to fall in 20-40 acres. Perimeter fence it and mowing a portion of it and either renting it out for crops crops or adding pasture as I can afford it. That of course would likely result in haying any extra feed and probably haying new pasture while allowing it to mature before putting cattle on it.

It may be that I need to buy a 60 hp tractor to do the maintenance and to developed the property then trade up as my needs increase. But, if I can figure out if I can get by with a 75HP tractor to make 4x5 or even 5x5 bales, then I think I can swing that single purchase. I don't plan on baking hay as a profession so I'm hopping to get by with the lower HP. Sounds like I might if the property is flat and I'm selective on my hay baler as well. I'm learning not all manufacturers of the same size baler have the same HP needs. I assume the balers with lower HP needs also equate to a looser bale??? Or have some engineered thier balers to have a tight bale while using less HP?

Lots of words, not much info. Decide if you want a 4 foot wide baler or a 5 foot baler. Location will be a factor, one is common in parts of the country, the other will dominate in others. Selling hay or feeding it all enters into it. Is the land you are looking at generally flat or hilly like Appalachia? Still zero input on that topic. Buying a new tractor then trading up for a modest hp increase in a few years is probably a bad business decision most of the time.

 

[Nitrobay]

The land is generally flat with some rolling hills, a not like Appalachian. I would like to use a 5x5 baler. Most of the hay would be feed for my cattle but any extra would be sold.

 

[Turbys_1700]

RickB knows his stuff. Small 4x4 is OK. I have the same tractor used mainly for pulling a 10 foot brush hog. The previous owner filled the rears and put them in the widest position to round bale. Traded it in for a T4.95.

 

[RickB]

See my post #2 in this thread. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[RustyA]

As I said earlier my John Deere 39 hp gear 1070 was able to make 4x5 bales with the Vermeer Rebel 5400 but you really knew it was back there on slopes with a full bale. Montana 57 hp gear tractor made you look to make sure it was still attached...sure it would have handled 5x5 newer baler with no problem. We liked the 4x5's for handling and hauling...less weight on the loader when driving around in the field and when loading two rows high on trailer.

 

[Nitrobay]

I'm learning the advantages of a 4x5 round bale and think that size would be beneficial to me in several ways. I've also researched some 4x5 options that from Vermeer, MF Hesston and others that claim they need a minimum of 40hp at the pto. As you all have mentioned I suspect a unit with a minimum of 40hp would run much better with a 60hp pto and the weight that usually accompanies that pto hp.

It seems realistic, given a flat enough property, that a 75 hp tractor with a 60 hp PTO should handle a 4x5 baler if you research your baler requirements before purchasing.

I realize there are better option but the 75hp tractor will be stretching my budget and with the information I have I think it is capable, even if marginally capable, of round baling 4x5's with the right baler. Everything else I would use a 75 hp tractor for would be well within its capability on the properties I'm looking at.

Now the question becomes can I afford a 75 HP tractor. I really like the Case 75C or the New Holland Powerstar 75 because of the weight per horse power. What price is a good price for either of these cab and FEL models new from a dealership?