Buying Advice Should I invest in haying equipment?

[jdtractor]

Hi I have been farming for close to 45 years .... been around a lot of hay fields from the time I was a kid till my age now. I used to do custom hay from mowing to moving it ... I致e done both types squares to rounds. There is no money in hay where I live. They will not pay the price u ask. I do my own hay now still after down sizing to around 300 first time cuttings .The advice that everyone is offering is all true and correct... but they all forget the weather factor. It has to be good dry hay weather to make hay. Where I知 located in southwestern pa. the weather sucks! It has been very wet the last 4-5 years including this year. I have several thousand $$$ invested in hay equipment all late model. I made no hay last year because of rain (too much) for me... and I致e lost 25 acres already this year. I still have 35-40 to do but it doesn稚 look good . No weather to work ...I bush hogged it all last year and I知 seriously considering the same for my remaining acreage. So to put it another way you have to like it to do it ! If you want something to keep you busy go for it otherwise I would not invest $$$ into something that is considered a gamble by a lot of us including the tax people! You have to be big to make it count! Good luck to you either way you go. Just my opinion.

 

[Bavarian]

I do agree to all of the responses to some degree.

But keep in mind, buying and running a brush cutter just to keep the weeds down does also take money.
If you don't maintain your properties and they grow wild, you're loosing value.

It is hard to find used equipment in good working order.

Good luck in your decision. It might be too late for this season already.