New Baler for small (light), but very tight bales of an accumulator with grapple?

[sstouder]

I think you are asking two different questions. IF you want smaller tight bales, you have to adjust the tension on the bales since it isn't pushing as much material out the back of the baler. Its also the opposite problem if you want longer bales, you have to back the tension (compression in the chamber) off if you don't want to break the strings when you pick up the bales. The other question is the accumulator/grabber question, they work better with a standard bale size specific to that piece of equipment. We use a kuhns system and it works pretty good although our bales still tend to be just a bit to short but it just requires a little adjustment on the trailer before the next row is set on. I have the 10 bale setup and both tractors that run the grabber are pretty good sized >4k lifting capacity so we don't have any issues. Unloading in a building can be tricky because the machine gets LONG inside a building when your trying to maneuver.

Racin. Thanks. Yes, my question was, which way to go: try to make shorter, lighter bales (somewhere in the 45 to 50 lb class) so they aren't as hard on us to load and stack, or stick with the 70 lb bales that it seems my balers likes and buy a system to mechanically pick them up and stack them. Your point about the barn shrinking when you drive in with a tractor and front end extension is valid. It seems to me a rotary head-type bale grabber may be an advantage if inside space is limited? 'course again there is that financial question when I'm only handling 30 to 50 tons of grass hay (one cutting) a year. Anybody have opinions on a rotary head bale grabber?
Thanks.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Never seen a rotary head grabber, but I do stack hay inside for the old lady and I stack next to one wall and it gets to be a ballet to get the bales where they are out of the way. Stacking them outside is the easiest but you gotta be good to not have the pile fall over. Also, a tractor seems to work better than a skidloader at handling a bale grabber, the down pressure and better visibility with the load up higher really helps. The skid loader is more maneuverable though. The problem of handling the bales is only going to get worse as you get older so the smaller bales to me would only be a temporary solution.

It sounds like you need to find A. some help, B. buy an accumulator or C. sell the critters when you can't physically do it anymore.

 

[Bigfoot62]

This is the one that I want: Steffen Systems/
The Steffen is top-of-the-line. (and at the top of the price list)
I've talked to several commercial hay producers that will use nothing else.

I don't need to put up square bales for myself. I would eventually like to do it for sale. Almost nobody in my area bales small squares anymore. As the OP said, you just can't get help.

 

[mattv1]

maybe i'm off -- but in my experience the size (length) of the bale has little to do with the tension. If you adjust the tension, you will get tighter or looser bales. If you want shorter bales, move the adjuster on the needle trip arm. Two separate adjustments for different purposes and desired outcomes.

Now if the weight is an issue -- both length and tension can be modified to adjust the weight

 

[boggen]

in your 60's you and your wife. ya not going to get younger, i am going to say what about a round baler? vs square bales? use the tractor to move them around and feed the live stock. vs manual handling everything, granted there is still some manual labor involved with round bales. but...

http://www.tractorhouse.com/drilldown/manufacturers.aspx?catid=1135
auction listings always show first, ya gotta click through a few pages for stuff to start showing up.

if you or wife goes down for what ever reason. can either one of you manage all the chores by yourself, plus take care of other one, when they are healing from what ever? grab a round bale with tractor and stick it in the livestock lot, and make sure there is water. and you may be settled for a day or 2 or more pending on your livestock. vs multi times a day feeding.


if all your horses / pack mules are split up into seperate pens, ya ok i might bite for small square bales. but... ya looking at some sort of auto feed / lift / handling of square bales... and i am wondering, round bales are made for all that via tractor.

 

[5030]

I bought a Long 2 years ago because my hired help situation looked bleak. I can accumulate them in the field, load wagons and unload in the barn if I have to. This year help has been good, in fact, I now have a regular crew so the accumulator is sitting (and for sale) I might add.

Rounds are nice but you need the equipment to move them and feed them. Squares are easier all around, especially for girls. In as much as well sell the bulk of the hay, small squares are our way to go. I feed my stock rounds plus I have 2 customers that take rounds but the profit versus quantity is in small squares, hands down.

I'm in my 60's and I can chuck bales with the kids if need be.

 

[powerscol]

Check out my post on my search for similar equipment.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/haying/320857-small-hay-grapple.html?highlight=

As for a tight light bale, any of the current or past inline balers can do it. I have a Hesston 4550 and am making tight 50 lb bales with no issues.

 

[Tx Jim]

maybe i'm off -- but in my experience the size (length) of the bale has little to do with the tension. If you adjust the tension, you will get tighter or looser bales. If you want shorter bales, move the adjuster on the needle trip arm. Two separate adjustments for different purposes and desired outcomes.

Now if the weight is an issue -- both length and tension can be modified to adjust the weight

You're 100% correct. If I chose to I can make a tight 18" or 36" long bale with my JD 347 baler that one will have difficulty getting their fingers under the wires.

 

[BeeferMan]

You're 100% correct. If I chose to I can make a tight 18" or 36" long bale with my JD 347 baler that one will have difficulty getting their fingers under the wires.

^^^^^ What TxJim and mattv1 said - bale length and bale density are two different adjustments... ^^^^^