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I am using a Hesston 5500 Rounder behind a Super MTA (46-48 hp I think, but not exactly sure). The baler makes 5X5 bales and calls for a 50 hp tractor. I read the review report on the baler on-line and it said it generally used 27-33 hp during the test. I wouldn"t go any lower on hp than what I am using. I am not making full sized bales with it. I am stopping at 3/4 size, sometimes slightly under, which is a bale that is probably less than 800 lbs. Book says you can make bales as small as 2 and 1/2 feet in diameter with it. I have made some that small just to see how it does. It cranks that size out fairly easily. They are 5 feet long. Once the bales get larger, it is a fairly good load on the tractor especially going up hills. Have to keep the idle on the tractor fairly high to keep the pto spinning fast enough to do a good job spinning the baler. It is hard to start bales with this baler, but I think that is more of a baler design problem. Just need to make sure the hay is real dry. Most around here feed large rounds to cattle anymore. More important is that the hay is baled when it was not wet heavy dew or rain. I have read cows will eat hay with mold in it and be okay, but it may affect the development of the fetus which could cause calving losses (white mold). Some on this board may be more familiar with this than I am. I feed and help take care of my neighbor"s cattle. He is 91 and only feeds small square bales. I have occasionally fed some large rounds to them. He says there is less waste with small squares and they can be fed more efficiently, etc. I think he is right, but the small squares are sure labor intensive and it seems hard to find high school kids anymore who want to move square bales. Got to have a barn to put them in, etc.
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