Equipment needed for baling hay?

First, I currently own a Farmall Super H (27 horses at the drawbar)and would like to use it to start with if possible without going bigger. So all the other equipment I get would be tailored around the Super H.

I would like to ask for suggestions about what equipment I would need at a minimum. I know very little about the process, but so far I plan to buy a sickle mower, tedder, hay rake, and baler. I would like to know of specific models that people have had good results with and a general guestimate of price. And if anyone has any better suggestions or some references about producing hay, I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks in advance...BB

I tried running 16 acres of hay two years ago as well as being a supervisor to 6 people on the job. Did not work out well at all. Had to have the neighbor come in and custom finish it for me. Now I only make 3 acres for my animals and let a full-time farmer deal with the rest. Each operation only takes me a couple of hours max and things usually go OK. Doesn't make land payments but helps defrays the property tax on the whole farm. I have a couple of arces I plow up and plant for fun as well.

Best wishes, Jim

Where I am I can get a 1st cut in Mar, then I get 3 more cuttings most years.

The 1st and last cuts are about 100-125 bales per acre, the 2nd and 3rd cuts run 125-175, and my bales go more around 65 to 70 lbs instead of 50.

When I get my last cut off the land I put out winter wheat, ryegrass, and arrowleaf clover for my winter forage and don't even feed out hay to the critters most years.

Picked up in the field here I get $2.50 if I don't have to touch it. If it goes into my barns it goes up to $4. If these yuppies want it delivered it's $4.75 put in their barn.

We went over 100 days without a rain this last year and that severely cramped my hay season, but there's always next year in farming I guess.

I bale and cut every ounce of hay here (60+ acres) with a Super Dexta Ford and a 6' Howse bushhog with the left side cut out, I rake and bale it with a E280 Hinomoto 26hp, a Sittrex rake I gave $200 for and bale with S69 NH Super hayliners, one with wire tie and one with twine.

It aint that hard to sell yuppies hay for top dollar. Once you act like you aint interested in their money or stupid stories about helping his daddy put up a bale of hay one time when he was 15 yrs old he will pay whatever you want for the hay.

The part that gets a confused look out of them yuppie hay buyers is when you spit Skoal on their foot and tell them you can honor his plastic money.

If you price your hay too cheap them yuppies don't want it because it aint good enough for that high bred steed they have.

You're right them yuppies around here either have a Toyota SUV or a Z71 Chibbie.

I guess they must need the 4WD to get over the Trinity River bridge on I-10 when they're headed to Houston to go snow sledding cause they danged sho aint gonna haul nuthin but a golf bag in it anyhows.

I watched a yuppie spend over $900 for a little lightweight utility trailer and a reciever hitch for his Z71 so he can haul his golf cart around on Sat mornings.

I asked that yuppie why would he give $300 for a reciever hitch when he already has a 2" chrome ball in his bumper.

He said you must have a reciever hitch to pull a golf cart because the factory Chibbie bumper does'nt ride the cart smooth enough and does'nt have any brakes on it.

I went over and looked at his new trailer and hitch. The hitch was mounted right to the rails just like everybody else's, and the trailer did'nt have a sign of a brake on it.

When it got that far along I just said "I'll Swanee" and went right on back in the store.

I wish I would have had a dip in my lip right then, I sho did want to spit snuff on his white tennis shoes.

So...even though it it isn't making anybody rich, every bit helps...anyway..thanks for all the help...BB

25 acres can be a lot of hay, do you have shed room, and enough hands to move it all? Storing $4.00 hay outside makes it $.75 hay real quick. Finding people to help can be difficult, and stressful on your insurance agent. :)

When you don't have any hay to make (too dry, too wet to ever bale) people will be paying top dollar. When you have lots of hay, no one will want it for $1.50 delivered. Be aware of those cycles, before you depend on an automatic $15,000 a year.

Find a market. Do people raise horses aroud you? Are there a lot of weekend, 10 acre farms? For the wet miserable moldy hay, does anyone raise cattle around you? Or does the highway buy it for multch? You'll have to bale the crap off your field, but you'll only get 50 - 75 cents a bale for that. But it's better than burning it, might as well find a market.

Does a Super H have live pto? It's much more fun running a mower & a baler with live pto, but it can be done without. Just mentioning it. If this turns out successful, you will probably want a little bigger tractor down the road. Also, how will you maintain your hay fields? They need reseeding and fertilizer every now and then. Around here hay is really 'alfalfa' but you might be growing grass hay, don't know.

Well, that is enough from me! Those are the realities. Don't want to scare you away.

--->Paul

The info you have given me confirms some of my biggest concerns...lack of time and lack of storage...

Sooo...it looks like it is possible...just not easy. I wouldn't count on dollar #1 for at least 2 years...there is a market here, and a fair number of yuppie horse owners and quite a few cattle, but from what I gather, the best way to make money is to grow quality hay and store it for when all other supplies have vanished...easy to understand...hard to do.

That leaves the second alternative and that is to plant and fertilize and let a bigger operation cut and bale with me gitting a small amount of money in exchange.

I guess the real bottom line is I was a country boy growing up and moved to the city...now it is time to move back. I may just grow a really big garden with my Farmall Cub...Thanks for the help guys!!

I would say a 7' sickle mower would be about right for you. Can get those pretty cheap.

Do yourself a favor and get a good NH basket rake. They are the best by far and since you will be square baling windrow size is very important for a good final bale. They will cost anywhere from $500 to $2200.

Take a look at older JD, NH, and maybe even Massy balers. Stay away from any IH baler. I have no clue as to what they will cost. Depends on location and condition.

With square bales you will also need some hayracks. Try and pick up a few on auction, I usually see them go for under $800 for a good one. You can also buy just a gear and build your own rack on top of it.