New equipment for this season.

[cat fever]

Is it not a great feeling to have accomplished this yourself? My first cutting will be in two weeks when we get a break in the weather. Looking forward to trying out the hay grapple.

You are right. It is a great feeling. My field has been poorly taken care of for many years. Now that I can take care of it, it will be producing much better than it ever has and look a lot better too. It does take a lot of time and money. I would like to get set up with water rights and irrigation since I only have Mother Nature helping me out currently. Sometimes she is not very nice.
Rained fairly hard last night, if it would do that a few more times over the next few weeks I might get another cut.

 

[powerscol]

I'm lucky I have good water rights - problem is getting dependable flow so I also filed on the waste water that enters my property.

Here in SW Colorado you need 2.5 acre feet per acre of water to get good crops. Do you know what you need there? I use gated pipe and flood irrigate as I have good flat fields with a gentle cross slope. I do get a few dry spots and for that I use the waste water out of my pond using my Binford 2000 sprinklers as I call them. They are actually Rain-bird series 65 impact sprinklers that can put out about 50 GPM at 60 PSI. I am running a 3HP Monroe irrigation pump rated a 60 GPM at 60 PSI

 

[mattv1]

Just picked up a farmall accumulator and grapple fork for a great price to go along with the rest of the new-to-me equipment I mentioned earlier in this thread. Decided it's just too much for me to do manually on my own and I can't get reliable help. I would bet that I end up baling 3500+ square bales this year. The prospect of doing most/all of it from the cab of my tractor is very appealing...

 

[cat fever]

Just picked up a farmall accumulator and grapple fork for a great price to go along with the rest of the new-to-me equipment I mentioned earlier in this thread. Decided it's just too much for me to do manually on my own and I can't get reliable help. I would bet that I end up baling 3500+ square bales this year. The prospect of doing most/all of it from the cab of my tractor is very appealing...

With that many bales I would agree Matt, you needed mechanical help. Please post a picture of it in action.

Powerscol;
Not sure of the acre feet, but I know I need 4 shares per acre. I will be using my own house well and a booster pump to run everything. This is all future stuff. I have a barn to build so funds are running low quickly.

Tearing down this old pig pen and building a 45'x72' barn in it's place.

 

[powerscol]

I know about the barn build - just adding 20 feet to my existing 36' wide unit to store hay is costing $17,500. I do have pictures if anyone is interested. Good tax write off though - I have a big problem with sending the O guy anything.:thumbsup:

 

[mattv1]

This was delivered yesterday.... already got the grapple in the shop putting the quick attach skidsteer plate on it. Working on mounting the pump now. Hope to start cutting fields on saturday as long as the forecast doesn't change. again. today.

 

[cat fever]

I don't have a picture but I got some 42" Titan pallet forks with the optional hay spear.
I just need a V-rake and a drill seeder and I'm done buying.:thumbsup:

 

[wmonroe]

I don't have a picture but I got some 42" Titan pallet forks with the optional hay spear. I just need a V-rake and a drill seeder and I'm done buying.:thumbsup:

I also have the Titan forks and hay spear. Haven't used the hay spear yet but the forks get used all the time.

 

[cat fever]

I also have the Titan forks and hay spear. Haven't used the hay spear yet but the forks get used all the time.

I plan to build a barn this fall, so I'm going to use the forks to raise the trusses and be a working platform. Last one I built I rented a forklift. That was before I owned a tractor. Hope it works out as good as it does in my mind.
I have not used the spear yet either. I may never use it, but I have it just in case.

 

[powerscol]

I also have the Titan hay spear with the GN Ball on top. That's what I am using to move my GN around. Works great,

I got the hay spear just in case I need to move a round bale around.