Need Your Expertise... I want to bale some Hay! Lifelong dream!

[Daisy11]

We have a ranch in S. AZ... just inherited a Mitsubishi 2000 tractor and all the implements. I would love to put an irrigated 20 acres into hay next year, but need some of your professional expertise guys! What cutter and baler would you recommend for this tractor? I personally prefer small 80-100# bales and would like to grow Bermuda and maybe some mix hay. We are at 3700 feet, great soil and overhead irrigation... so, any thoughts on seed types and any other help you can give would be greatly appreciated... this has been a dream of mine ever since buying this ranch 13 years ago... also, it would help with the cost of our hay down here, we are paying $20.00 a bale, ouch!
Thank you for your time and valuable input!

 

[TomSeller]

We have a ranch in S. AZ... just inherited a Mitsubishi 2000 tractor and all the implements. I would love to put an irrigated 20 acres into hay next year, but need some of your professional expertise guys! What cutter and baler would you recommend for this tractor? I personally prefer small 80-100# bales and would like to grow Bermuda and maybe some mix hay. We are at 3700 feet, great soil and overhead irrigation... so, any thoughts on seed types and any other help you can give would be greatly appreciated... this has been a dream of mine ever since buying this ranch 13 years ago... also, it would help with the cost of our hay down here, we are paying $20.00 a bale, ouch!
Thank you for your time and valuable input!

Do you have one of these two tractors?

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/003/6/9/3692-mitsubishi-d2000.html

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/003/6/9/3693-mitsubishi-mte2000.html

 

[flusher]

We have a ranch in S. AZ... just inherited a Mitsubishi 2000 tractor and all the implements. I would love to put an irrigated 20 acres into hay next year, but need some of your professional expertise guys! What cutter and baler would you recommend for this tractor? I personally prefer small 80-100# bales and would like to grow Bermuda and maybe some mix hay. We are at 3700 feet, great soil and overhead irrigation... so, any thoughts on seed types and any other help you can give would be greatly appreciated... this has been a dream of mine ever since buying this ranch 13 years ago... also, it would help with the cost of our hay down here, we are paying $20.00 a bale, ouch!
Thank you for your time and valuable input!

YOur tractor is low on hp and weight to handle a baler that would produce 100 lb bales. Typically square bales this size are 3-twine bales and the baler weighs in excess of 3000 lb (about 50% more than your tractor). My Massey Ferguson 124 baler is 2-twine and weighs right at 3000 lb. I operated it with my Mahindra 5525 (55 hp engine, 45 hp pto, about 6500 lb weight with the FEL).

That said, people have run 2-twine balers with very small tractors. Here's a video showing one of these balers operated by a Farmall Super A (16 hp pto, 2400-3300 lb tractor weight).

FARMALL Super A - YouTube

(the baler demo is about 6 minutes into the video).

He's baling on a flat, level field. With such a small tractor, a hilly field would cause problems.

You have to be sure the baler has both a slip clutch and an over running clutch (sprag clutch) to prevent damage to the FArmall's pto system.

My neighbor bales about 7 acres of forage mix with his Kubota L4400 (45 hp engine, 37 hp pto, 3500 tractor weight) using a 3-twine baler with an on-board engine to run the baler.



His hayfield is flat and level.

Have at it and good luck.

 

[bjr]

If you can get a newer inline baler and at least a 50 hp tractor. I'm struggling with a old PTO driven NH 269 and 35 hp tractor and I only got a couple acres. The baler has me on the brink of a nervous breakdown as I can't get the thing to consistently tie the knots. I won't go into all the pitfalls of trying to restore a old wore out baler as I can't even remember all the things that's caused grief. I've thrown good money after bad tryin' to bale hay. I sincerely mean this when I say "Good Luck". bjr

 

[merlynr]

I bale hay with a 38hp Kubota and it does excellent. The baler is older IH model 46.

 

[Lou66]

Here is some good reading on the baling equipment for a small business baler.. It will give you idea on some of the equipment out there that can be used with a small tractor.. less than 20 horses.. Lou

Mini Hay Balers and Compact Hay Balers | Small Farm Innovators

 

[TomSeller]

Here is some good reading on the baling equipment for a small business baler.. It will give you idea on some of the equipment out there that can be used with a small tractor.. less than 20 horses.. Lou

Mini Hay Balers and Compact Hay Balers | Small Farm Innovators

Very nice link. I had seen the compact tractor round balers before, but not the square balers.

 

[VonD]

Hi Y'all! Like Daisy 11 I bought a ranch in the "mountainous region" of NW FL (!). I have hills that are 200+ feet above sea level and one day will likely be waterfront property if you believe in global warming....but that's another topic the great grand kids can opine upon. I still drive a desk at an office about 250 miles away so I'm just getting prepped for a career change (retirement #1) in three to five years. I bought the property to hunt and grow citrus with seedlings going in early next spring but there's far more acreage than I want to plant citrus on. I have about 60 acres of pasture land with Bahia that hasn't been maintained well... meaning there is ragweed, and other weeds, raspberry, and passion flowers rampant in small sections with clean and healthy hay about 12" to 16" high in others. I'd say it's 50-50 at the moment. I currently have a barn being built for my Kubota M6800 and in process of selecting and buying a pull behind rotary cutter to keep it groomed (looking at a Bush Hog 2212, Rhino TS-12, or Land Pride RC 2512 if anybody has a recommendation). All told there will be 40 or so acres that could be harvested. What chemicals and implement should I use to manage the weeds? Is it foolish to offer the hay up to a local rancher who wants to treat it and harvest it? I don't know the going rate for a large roll of hay and I tend to see them everywhere as if there is an abundance but I'm just not sure. Should I charge something for such an arrangement? I still plan to cut it 3 to 4 times a year so I can see the rattlers as I'm walking to the creek, chasing game, or playing at the shooting range. Is cutting frequently enough to manage it? I had it cut right after I bought it because the ragweed was 6' tall. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Texasmark]

We could write a paragraph or so on each of your line items. Georgia Tech has a great ag department and you could www them for brochures that answer a lot of your questions. Some of it is just trial and error. Seems no two situations are identical, nor no two years.

Spending time on the tractor/ag/hay forums will give you some interesting reading and insight into what it's like.

For what it's worth I spent the first 35 years of my life in the city. I moved to the farm and have been there ever since. It has been trial and error for me but I love it. Been retired for 8 years now and honestly don't know how I had time to work at a city job.

Good luck.
Mark

 

[powerscol]

Daisy11
Contact you local state extension service, or County extensions service to get you soil tested and have them recommend a seed mix. They may also be able to help train you in the operation. Also talk to your local Agg COOP for suggestions. Also get to know your neighbors that have equipment. They can also help you learn. You will probably want to hire out the initial prep and planting, unless you have a lot of time on your hand and can rent the proper equipment.

I agree with the above on not enough tractor, but check out the newer inline balers MF1835, etc. There are older models such as Hesston 4550, 4570, and older IH branded 8520, etc. They are a bit more efficient. You may be able to run a JD 14T or equal.

However fixing up and old baler can be just as costly as a newer running one.

In the same boat and learning