What to invest in?

[RDrancher]

Then the baler, an old new holland 273 will run around $3,000.00 (but not sure if your tractor has enough PTO hp to run it. Or a round baler will run you around $8,000.00 to $10,000.00

Two summers ago when my business was really slow I borrowed an old NH 273, bought an old JD rake and an old Ford 501 sickle bar mower. I was worried about not having enough power with my NH TC35D (hydrostatic) tractor. We had a very long hay season and the tractor did just fine. I spent a lot of time as chigger bait keeping that old baler going, but I sure did get to know it inside and out. I baled a little over 4000 square bales with this combo. I think your old IH will do just fine.

 

[Illinoisdmax]

Thanks everyone. I was hoping to hear that I could do it with my IH. My girlfriend is a top competitor in Illinois for horse showing competition. She knows about 20 people with pleasure horses who would buy from me. Not to mention my neighbours already said they would. And I could store about 4000 small squares in my barn. Some of you didn't read the fine print. I have 20 more acres on my land I can do in hay once I learn. And down the road I can do another 10 acres, so 40 acres total.

 

[IndyIan]

Sounds like a good start. Try and line up your labor as soon as you can and try to estimate what its going to cost you.
Also I'd research what your responsibilities/liabilities are for a temporary worker or underage workers. I did alot of hay when I was 14-18 for relatively big time farmers and they always had highschool kids at the barn unloading and stacking but always with an experienced guy that was the "crew boss" who explained the rules and what not to stick your hands into... No one ever got hurt but I don't know what would've happened to the farmer financially if we did have a serious injury. It probably helped that we all thought the farmer would have killed us for being dumb enough to get hurt in first place as he has the shortest temper I've ever known... I won't recommend that management style but I guess it worked!

 

[blueriver]

Sounds like a good start. Try and line up your labor as soon as you can and try to estimate what its going to cost you.
Also I'd research what your responsibilities/liabilities are for a temporary worker or underage workers. I did alot of hay when I was 14-18 for relatively big time farmers and they always had highschool kids at the barn unloading and stacking but always with an experienced guy that was the "crew boss" who explained the rules and what not to stick your hands into... No one ever got hurt but I don't know what would've happened to the farmer financially if we did have a serious injury. It probably helped that we all thought the farmer would have killed us for being dumb enough to get hurt in first place as he has the shortest temper I've ever known... I won't recommend that management style but I guess it worked!

In my area forget the labor ... you can't hire anyone to handle idiot cubes (square bales)

Go with a square bale accumulator and grapple ... you accumulate in the field, load and off load with the grapple and reload when you sell. Of Course it takes an open hay shed to manuever the tractor.

 

[IndyIan]

In my area forget the labor ... you can't hire anyone to handle idiot cubes (square bales)

Go with a square bale accumulator and grapple ... you accumulate in the field, load and off load with the grapple and reload when you sell. Of Course it takes an open hay shed to manuever the tractor.

I guess it depends on what type of barn he has. With an old barn maybe the plan is to trade in the current tractor for a ~70hp 2wd (4wd if hilly)to run a bale chucker setup which saves labor in the field, and use his truck to run wagons back and forth.
The guy I worked for did ~80k of hay and straw squares a year using a one baler with a thrower on it. A tractor running wagons and 4 or 5 of us filling the barns to the rafters faster than he could bale. Then over the winter he would load and truck a few loads during the week himself and on the weekends he'd have a couple guys load and deliver a couple semi loads during the day. Worked well at the time I guess as he had fields and old barns rented all over the place so we'd fill a barn and go on to the next place.

 

[Illinoisdmax]

I'm young and me along with all my friends have hay stacking experience. I've stacked hay for the last 6 years for a guy not too far from my place. We don't mind the work. Plus my buddies just love work outside.

 

[Martian]

Read through the posts and is there any reason for your non fondness of Deere equipment? I've ran them all my life and have always liked them the best. Since Deere is what I know best I'm going to say that I used my JD 5410 to hay for the last 10 years. Ran the baler and mower excellently. Here's some listings for 5410s even though the green and yellow mean a no buy for you.
http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&catid=1110&Manu=JOHN+DEERE&Mdltxt=5410&mdlx=exact

 

[cowski]

i would suggest a good mf 124 square baler ,your tractor is plenty.i would look for a sickle mower.they are slow and cheap but 100 acres is not to much for one.then get a 4 wheel 3 pt rake.horse hay needs to be high quality.i would strictly bale square bales. once you get the hang of it ,you can bale for other people.if you feel the need for another tractor an old mf 150,165,255,265 or 275 would be a good cheap choice.

 

[Illinoisdmax]

Read through the posts and is there any reason for your non fondness of Deere equipment? I've ran them all my life and have always liked them the best. Since Deere is what I know best I'm going to say that I used my JD 5410 to hay for the last 10 years. Ran the baler and mower excellently. Here's some listings for 5410s even though the green and yellow mean a no buy for you.
http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&catid=1110&Manu=JOHN+DEERE&Mdltxt=5410&mdlx=exact

Ok I ain't totally against Deere, but just like the red ones cuz that's what we've always had. A 706 and a 504. I used to run an 8420 JD loader everyday for the commercial outfit I used to work for, did a lot of field work doin manure injection via drag line and applicator.

We had a 5000 series on that farm I used everyday too. Wish I could remember what it was, I really liked that one and learned how to use it to its potential, i wanna say it was between 01-05. Around 80hp, Any ideas?

 

[Martian]

Ok I ain't totally against Deere, but just like the red ones cuz that's what we've always had. A 706 and a 504. I used to run an 8420 JD loader everyday for the commercial outfit I used to work for, did a lot of field work doin manure injection via drag line and applicator.

We had a 5000 series on that farm I used everyday too. Wish I could remember what it was, I really liked that one and learned how to use it to its potential, i wanna say it was between 01-05. Around 80hp, Any ideas?

Your are describing a 5410. 5410 is 85 HP and ~65 PTO. made right in the early range but toward the end it would have been a newer 5420. That's my guess.

Case sure is nice. I've never gotten a case tractor but have had a baler and hay mower from them.