Mini round bales

[bunyip]

Friends of ours are cutting hay and have made small round bales for us, they weigh 240kg which means I can move them around with the BX2370, going out today to pick up the bale spike for the bucket.
Happy horses, happy daughters.
Normal bales are about 600kg and I really don't want to buy a bigger tractor when the BX does everything I need except pick up big bales.

 

[Rebeldad1]

I thought the mini rounds were under 100lbs?

Ibex TX31 Mini Round Baler with twine
bale Size (diameter x width) 20” x 28”
Bale Weight (lbs.) 30-60 lbs

 

[LouNY]

Here you go small round bales from one of the original round balers;

 

[bunyip]

I know nothing about baling and all I have seen are the big net wrapped balesor silage, the offer was made for the smaller net wrap and I took it, less work than the squares when it comes to storage and handling.
Consider myself educated after watching that video.

 

[LouNY]

That is one nice thing with the big round baler is the bales can be made to a desired size.

 

[Gee Ray]

Friends of ours are cutting hay and have made small round bales for us, they weigh 240kg which means I can move them around with the BX2370, going out today to pick up the bale spike for the bucket.
Happy horses, happy daughters.
Normal bales are about 600kg and I really don't want to buy a bigger tractor when the BX does everything I need except pick up big bales.

If you are buying a spike that goes on the edge of the bucket you might be over loading your tractor according to Tractordata. The weight will be to far in front of your pins. If you want to use the FEL you need to get the spike that attaches directly to the FEL as a pin on or as a quick attach whichever you have on the tractor. Make sure you have a large enough ballast for the bale. A rear mounted spike would be a better option for your tractor.

 

[5030]

That is one nice thing with the big round baler is the bales can be made to a desired size.

Exactly. My NH 450 Utility can make rounds anywhere from 2 feet in diameter up to 6 foot in diameter and wrap in net or twine with varying density (weight).

 

[bunyip]

I had no idea that balers were 'programmable' so to speak, and I didn't know that round balers could use twine.
Was watching a doco last night on trains in Japan, in the fields were what looked like the old wheatsheafs but they had a domed top, no idea what the crop was.
A quick google search shows it may have been rice but couldn't find any images with the dome, the rice as at the bottom and tied off at the other end, and I know less about rice harvesting that hay or grain crops.

 

[5030]

I had no idea that balers were 'programmable' so to speak, and I didn't know that round balers could use twine.
Was watching a doco last night on trains in Japan, in the fields were what looked like the old wheatsheafs but they had a domed top, no idea what the crop was.
A quick google search shows it may have been rice but couldn't find any images with the dome, the rice as at the bottom and tied off at the other end, and I know less about rice harvesting that hay or grain crops.

My Hew Holland is 100% computer controlled. Running it is like watching a video game. The screen tells me when the bale chamber is full, when it's wrapped with twine or net (whichever I chose) and when I need to expel the bale. I have 15 different twine patterns to chose from and I can run 3 different net widths too. I usually run 52" over the edge net, bales keep better and if I run twine, I use extend length twine balls, 25,000 feet each. Ain't cheap to buy either (baler).

Just sit in the tractor with the AC on and the FM listening to hillbilly music. It's business for me.

 

[bunyip]

I have seen balers for sale, could buy a small house for the same money, does it do silage too or is that another machine?

 

[5030]

No, mine is for dry hay only. Silage balers use different belts and the pickup is different. I sell 99% of what I run to a local rancher that feeds his bulls. Everything today is expensive in farm equipment.

 

[LouNY]

Our deere is a bit less complex but it can do dry or silage bales,
and either twine or net, we use mostly over the edge net probably 90% and twine on 10%.

 

[EddieWalker]

What is the difference between silage and hay? I'm just curious about the wording being used.

 

[LouNY]

Silage bales are not dry hay, it is baled at around 40% or higher moisture then the bales are wrapped to keep the air O2 out,
and allowed to cook up or ferment into silage. It makes for a more digestible feed and requires less drying time in the field.
Mid to late summer around here it is possible to start mowing around 10 AM after the plant sugars have risen and bale in the late afternoon.
Silage has to have the air excluded or instead of cooking up it will mold and rot.

Also it allows us to harvest hay when the good weather window is to small to mow and dry it for dry bales.
We will also wrap some of our dry bales when we don't have enough covered storage.
Wrapped bales have to be handled carefully as if you puncture the wrap it will allow air to get to the bale and you just wasted a bunch of time and money.
Most wrapped bales are silage bales.

 

[5030]

The smell of cured silage reminds me of pipe tobacco. Never had the need here. Only dry hay or above 15%RM with acid applied. Don't bale cornstalks either. Too hard on me and the equipment.

Never been too enthused about JD balers. I prefer New Holland hay tools though I do own a JD mower conditioner as a backup for my NH disc machine.

Having said that, I don't care for Hew Holland tractors either. Too 'European' for me. I'll stick with my large frame Kubota's but not the new ones (Tier 4 final). Mine are 2002 and 2004 M9's. No emissions, just the way I prefer them to be.