The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

How does the baler compress those big square bales?

Just a big bale chamber and a big plunger, but it has complex electronics, sensors and automatic lubrication systems. It also has a large on-board air compressor which blows dust & chaff off the knotters every few minutes. They are amazing machines.

Is it similar to a small square baler?

Yes, basically.

Or something different? Around here I've only seen round balers.

I used to round bale, but now that I have switched to a large square, it is much much better, faster & easier. It was worth the investment.

 

[mrmikey]

Just a big bale chamber and a big plunger, but it has complex electronics, sensors and automatic lubrication systems. It also has a large on-board air compressor which blows dust & chaff off the knotters every few minutes. They are amazing machines.

So they are totally powered from the PTO...correct? No on board engine?
I watch a Youtube channel, Laura's Farm and they recently purchased an old bailer (a lot smaller that your's jus for a smaller side field they had) but the mechanics of even the smaller one blew me away. I can't begin to imagine the mechanics involved with something that size and the ability to make it work over and over.

 

[Hay Dude]

So they are totally powered from the PTO...correct? No on board engine?

No on-board engine. There isn’t an engine powerful enough to power-up a big square baler. Generally, they need a minimum of 200 PTO HP to run them.

I watch a Youtube channel, Laura's Farm and they recently purchased an old bailer (a lot smaller that your's jus for a smaller side field they had) but the mechanics of even the smaller one blew me away. I can't begin to imagine the mechanics involved with something that size and the ability to make it work over and over.

Yes, everything is PTO powered except the hay pickup up/down, the jack up/down, the tailgate up/down and bale eject chute functions, which are powered from the tractors hydraulic remotes. Of course, the baler also uses the tractors electrical system/batteries to power up the balers computer and monitor and the lights/turn signals.

 

[Hay Dude]

More baling today

Kind of a sad story, but the man who lived in the brown house passed away at 74 from a sudden massive heart attack in their driveway. He was a kind, hard working man. After I baled the field, it was used to park cars for his Celebration of Life at 3PM. I was an attendee. It was a very nice big gathering. They brought in 2 food trucks and plenty of beer & wine. Some of the guests commented on my bales.

Good baling day, but kind of sad, too.
RIP, John. You were good to me and served the Lord as a man should.

 

[Hay Dude]

I live in the kind of small town where one of the talented elders dies, there’s no yutes to replace them.

 

[sandman2234]

I live in the kind of small town where one of the talented elders dies, there’s no yutes to replace them.

Where do all the young men go? Off to cities? I am one of those young men who left a small town and never managed to get back, although I would in a minute, but my Bride grew up here, so here is where we stay.
I was actually born in Jax, but my teenage years were going to school in a town with 3500 people and living in the next town over, population 172.
David from jax

 

[Hay Dude]

Where do all the young men go? Off to cities? I am one of those young men who left a small town and never managed to get back, although I would in a minute, but my Bride grew up here, so here is where we stay.
I was actually born in Jax, but my teenage years were going to school in a town with 3500 people and living in the next town over, population 172.
David from jax

Low birth and fertility rates.
They are not being replaced.

 

[Dryland Farmer]

Why do the big square balers put 2 knots in every string? I buy hundreds of tons of large squares a year and I always wonder. The small squares we used to make only had 1 knot.

 

[Hay Dude]

A few more from Saturday.

Me & Mrs HD went to a nice fireworks display that night, grabbed a little dinner, too. Beautiful weather.

Back at it today. I’m in a “zone” now. We are doing an extensive amount of baling. Today was (2) smaller fields. 1 is 20 acres and the other is only 10. They were about 5 miles apart by road.

Little cloudier than the weatherman predicted…..

Finished that field, now time to hit the road…

Tomorrow, hay hauling in the morning and baling in the afternoon.

 

[Carl_NH]

Looks like real nice second cutting hay - as always, your pics are great and really appreciate your daily posts!

Reminds me of baling hay 40 years ago on our farm in Perry County (2000 small bales/season) with a JD 14T baler 40 yrs ago,

 

[Hay Dude]

Why do the big square balers put 2 knots in every string? I buy hundreds of tons of large squares a year and I always wonder. The small squares we used to make only had 1 knot.

Tying the knot

I know a lot of farmers are glad to see #Harvest19 come to an end. It sure has been a trying year for most. Our planting and harvest windows seem to shorten every year, and we need to be prepared

hayandforage.com

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Where do all the young men go? Off to cities? I am one of those young men who left a small town and never managed to get back, although I would in a minute, but my Bride grew up here, so here is where we stay.
I was actually born in Jax, but my teenage years were going to school in a town with 3500 people and living in the next town over, population 172.
David from jax

Callahan or Yulee?

 

[LouNY]

Tying the knot

I know a lot of farmers are glad to see #Harvest19 come to an end. It sure has been a trying year for most. Our planting and harvest windows seem to shorten every year, and we need to be prepared

hayandforage.com

Not much compares to working on a damned knotter in 90 degree weather in the sun sweating and chaff covered and trying to hurry as a storm is coming.

 

[Hay Dude]

Not much compares to working on a damned knotter in 90 degree weather in the sun sweating and chaff covered and trying to hurry as a storm is coming.

No doubt.
I’ll park the baler in the shade if it’s hot.
Worst I ever had was when I jammed the baler with a fungo bat sized branch. had to climb down into the chamber with a sawzall and cut all the jammed up hay before I got to the limb.
Took nearly 6 hours, and of course, it was 90* and humid.

 

[EddieWalker]

Seems like a lot of hay fields are under power lines. That makes sense when I think about it. Those areas need to be kept clear of trees and making hay there is the perfect way to keep those areas clear.

 

[mrmikey]

Seems like a lot of hay fields are under power lines.

I would imagine tho they're a pain to mow around.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

The crazy one to me is haying on the side of the interstate. When I have been traveling I have noticed, in South Dakota specifically, that the shoulders of the interstate and the median are bailed instead of mowed.

 

[LHF2019]

Seems like a lot of hay fields are under power lines. That makes sense when I think about it. Those areas need to be kept clear of trees and making hay there is the perfect way to keep those areas clear.

The field already existed then power lines came through. Farming has been happening long before electricity.
There might be a rare instance of them clearing land to put lines through creating a field but I would bet if you went back in historical images you would find it was already cleared.

NETRonline: Historic Aerials

Historic Aerial Photos and Maps

www.historicaerials.com

Some of my power lines in fields.

 

[Rustyiron]

No, it would be great to make hay there, but the HOA won’t agree to it. Beautiful, thick wide-bladed grass…
It’s one of those frustrating situations where I have asked like 3 times, but they won’t budge.

I wonder if a soil sample (or a annual series) would help your argument for a hay cutting next season. I know the cut grass is feeding the soil but is there a point where it's heading out of balance and maybe favoring conditions for an undesirable becoming dominant.
(or something along that line of BS!)

 

[Hay Dude]

I would imagine tho they're a pain to mow around.

No problem at all. Been mowing around/under power lines forever.
Here’s (3) places I do all the time with power lines.