Little baler do they make them

[KevT]

When I was kid in NM, my dad used a square baler that used wire, then one year there was a big shortage of wire and he borrowed one from someone that used twine. This particular baler produced small bales about 60% that of a regular bale. My Dad called them goat bales. It is the only time I have ever seen these and wondering why and if anyone still makes them. I have my fields broke up into 6ea 2 acre lots so I can rotate stock. I was thinking that if I could cut and get some small bales and then move stock to it, then I would have winter feed too. I am not sure how many round bales I could get from a field. Can anyone help?:cool2:

 

[KevT]

FYI funny, but yes I have goats along with Mini's and looking to get a couple of Zebu. My wife's petting zoo

 

[flusher]

Yes, you can buy small balers. But they are expensive new.

Mini Hay Balers and Compact Hay Balers | Small Farm Innovators

Mini Hay Balers and Compact Hay Balers | Small Farm Innovators

My Massey Ferguson 124 baler (two twine, small bales) could produce bales with length from about 35" to 50". The largest bale size weighed about 55 lb (oat hay). Paid $2K for the baler. Bought it right out of the field. The seller had baled over 20 acres the previous day.



Good luck.

 

[KevT]

Thanks, maybe I need to reconsider this idea... $16000 will buy a lot of hay for my few animals the 3-4 months that I need to feed them. And that doesn't include the mower or rake.

 

[Farmer495]

Buy a regular two twine square baler and shorten the length of bale up.

I can make a 12" long bale with a MF #9.

 

[DT86]

Have you read about stockpiled grazing? Not for everyone but reduces the amount of hay I need.

 

[KevT]

Have you read about stockpiled grazing? Not for everyone but reduces the amount of hay I need.

My pastures are Pensacola Bahia and I am not sure I can do that. I was under the assumption that was done with fescue grasses. We are planning on doing one field with a mix of winter rye and Bahia to see if that will help. But it is giving me ideas, Thanks

 

[rankrank1]

New Holland 65 or Ford 520 are both the smallest square balers ever made by the mainstream manufacturers. The bale chamber on either of these is 12"x16" x (whatever length you desire) compared to the most commons size of 14"x18" x (whatever length you desire) or the less common 16"x18" x (whatever length you desire) for the even larger capacity units.

New Holland you can still get parts for since it shares almost all common parts with its bigger brothers. Ford 520 forget finding parts, you likely going to have to make it.

Sure there are other oddball manufacturers out there that make some small balers but they are real pricey. Not real cost effective to buy one of those for a piddle patch operation. And if you going to do enough hay to justify an expensive baler then you might as well go with a bigger higher capcity baler if you plan to cover the acres necessary to justify that expensive quipment. It is a catch 22.

 

[KevT]

Thanks, gives me something to look for

 

[RalphVa]

I've seen a picture of a small baler on the front PTO of a Gravely.

Ralph

 

[powerscol]

Your tractor appears to have 30 to 32 PTO HP depending on the model. The current MF 1734 round baler will work, or most of the entry level inline balers MF1835, if you have the hydro trans and can slow down when it loads up. Do a search on haying with a compact tractor - I just went through this. I have a Bobcat CT 235 with a Hesston 4550 baler, running it with 26.5 PTO HP at 6500 ft in elevation. I use and IH 1300 sickle mower to cut and a old Ford 503 side deliver rake. The sickle mower and rake can be found around at reasonable costs and parts are still available. You can also run several of the current drum mower out there, but may need a tedder as when they cut they leave a windrow.

In can be an effort to get going, but if you like idea of baling your own hay it can be fun. You can also rent everything from a good agg place if you want to try before you buy.

Good luck

 

[KevT]

Yes, from what I have read, my tractor (37hp) is big enough, but because I have my fields cross fenced into 2 acre lots, how many round bales can I get. Plus I don't have great herds and more gets wasted with round bales than square. I do appreciate the encouragement how ever, Positive thought get positive results

 

[bjr]

Just this year I'll be using a Hesston 4550 inline small square baler, a SFI 2555 drum mower and will in two weeks take delivery of a Morra 280/8 rotary rake. All this being pulled by a Jinma JM-354, 35 hp. tractor. The rotary rake and the inline baler will be a learning curve after using a old New Holland 269 offset baler and a very old IH No.5 side delivery rake. I too have very small irregular shape hay fields (some posters here refer it to baling backyards) some are little less that 1/2 acres. I need small very portable harvesting machinery that can get thru narrow gates. I've kinda fell into custom (Hobby) baling for the neighbors. They pay what they can. There's every kind of Critter around here that chews grass that the owners want to be able to store a few bales. I'm coming up on retirement in a few more years and this activity gets me out in the sunshine visiting with the neighbors. I don't travel so all my retirement "travel money" is in hayin' machinery and that's okay.

 

[Mace Canute]

I've seen a picture of a small baler on the front PTO of a Gravely.

Ralph

Sorta like this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMK3O00Fyo0#t=54

 

[quicksandfarmer]

That's the one I've seen. According to the manufacturer's site they make about a 50 lb bale and do about 60 bales per hour. And they cost $12,000. I just can't see justifying it. I think with a wagon and a rake I could gather 3,000 lbs an hour of loose hay and it would be about the same amount of work.

According to the manufacturer it can be pulled behind a tractor as well.

 

[mattv1]

for $12K you could buy an oldish tractor (ford jubilee comes to mind) an old baler, and an old rake...and still have lots of money left for beer and repairs for a few years.

 

[JeffinIA]

for $12K you could buy an oldish tractor (ford jubilee comes to mind) an old baler, and an old rake...and still have lots of money left for beer and repairs for a few years.

I'll Second that. For under 10K I've bought a 1942 Farmall M , A Farmall 560, a 269 New Holland baler , a New Holland 402 Crimper , A Oliver 22-B Sickle bar mower , a #37 John Deere sickle bar mower , and a New Holland 55 Rolabar rake And I'm Building a 27 x 18 Machine shed to store most of it in . ALL For Under 10K

 

[KevT]

Well... first I need grass. It has only rained once since I set seed. Pasture not looking to green

 

[JeffinIA]

Yep, Then there's that LOL

 

[Creamer]

This was a great baler for its time. It is really cheap now but would probably do what you need.
https://fortwayne.craigslist.org/grd/4977819959.html