Making Hay with a Montana?

[Hoosier Hay Man]

Hi All,

I have a small livestock and hay operation. I sell hay and do some custom work. I am looking for a new tractor with a FEL with enough capacity to pick up large round bales (1200# Max) and stack two bales high. Also I would use it on a small square bale grapple to pick up bales from my accumilator (650# max).
Prefer a cab and need a min of 60hp PTO. Does anyone have any experience of running a baler or haybine with a Montana?

I am looking at all brands I do like the looks of the Montana.

Thanks,
Hoosier Hay Man

 

[Unclebuck257]

Hoosier Hay Man,

Welcome to the site!! I don't produce my own hay so I can't help you there. I have a Montana 5740C which is about 52hp at the PTO and smaller than you' looking for there too. I can however tell you that with my 5740C, using its FELwith my hay spike attachment,that I have no problem lifting those large round bales of 1200 lbs you're talking about. I also have no trouble unloading them from an 18 wheeler flatbed trailer, when they are stacked two high on the trailer either. Stacking them two high on the ground is not a problem either.

 

[MontanaJames]

Hi. I have run hay on a smaller scale than what you need. I have a 4940c and use a 7 foot cutter and run a commercial square bailer behind it. No problems at all. The Montana will work. I have also lifted several loads with my bucket in excess of 1500 pounds with no problems. The only bad part about the Montana is the seat. Get a new one if you are going to be working the hay fields all day. It is like sitting on a rock with a rug over it.

 

[Hoosier Hay Man]

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like it will have more than enough FEL capacity to handle what I need. I am interesrested in why they would choose such a poor seat to put on a very good looking modern tractor.

I am going to the Louisville Farm Show in Febuary and have them marked down to check out.

Thanks again guys, I am glad I found this forum!

HHH

 

[ScottFarm]

I have a 5740 with Cab and FEL. I just finished putting out two bales of hay for my cattle today. I run a Krone 125 round baler (4x4 bales and a 8' Krone disk mower with conditioner. My montana does a great job. I believe it would easily run a 5x5 baler. Good Luck...

Scott

 

[dry_creek_farm]

Check out the Montana Roll Call post to read what people are doing with these tractors.

You can definitely use these tractors for hay. I've been doing all small squares but I can't see this tractor having a problem with rounds or large squares. I've always had plenty of power for the thick areas and pulling hills while cutting or baling.

Cutting with an old hesston 12' sickle mower-conditioner and baling with a NH 277.

See my post below - copied from the montana roll call thread.......

5740C
78 Hours

Used for Cutting and Baling around 60 acres of grass hay - Will probably do around 90 acres this year. Also for all the other general farming stuff. Road grading, discing small areas of pasture for seed preparation, digging and grading around the house, stump removal and pulling my 2 wheel drive old farmall out of the mud.



I would consider another Montana just due to the price alone. To get the same features in a Deere with the same HP it would cost about 15,000 more.

Only 2 complaints so far: 1- Stiff shifting on the 4 speed selector - kinda hard to find 3rd and 4th sometimes. 2- Poor quality of some of the smaller rubber hoses and caps. They seem to be aging and cracking prematurely.

 

[chh]

We put over 100 hrs on a T 7074 mowing with a 9' Krone this summer. I know of a some being used pulling 4x5 round balers. One of those is a commercial operator.

 

[blueriver]

Year before last I was against doing my own hay. I always hired it done, then I went to reading here and made the plunge. I think I even posted somewhere to hire it done!!

I have the Montana 4340C, this year I bought a Case IH 8430 Round Baler, A Frontier DM 1160 Cutter, a New Holland Rake and put up 400 round bales, could not be happier !! I told my dealer to find me the baler and the cutter to work with the 43 hp tractor. I have a spear on the front and back and load my gooseneck trailer in the field 2 high with this Montana.

Now I am looking for another tractor ... It more than likely will be a Montana. And by the way, with the right hay conditions and making the most of the bale ... they are tight, right and heavier than I expected.

I would say you should be fine, match the equipment to the HP !!!