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That has to be the most mis-spelled word on this site! :) Here is the scoop on balers: New Holland & John Deere figured out how to make a good knotter first. So anything from a NH68 or JD 14T and newer will do a very good job for you assuming it is in good shape. Other brands of balers are cheaper, but there is a reason for that - they might work well, and they might not tie well. How lucky do you feel? You will want a manual with it. There are a lot of adjustments, and _timing_ is an issue - should a chain break or you do work on it, you need to get the plunger & needles timed right, or the needles will break. I have a NH 270 baler, it has baled 3-5,000 bales a year for 40 years, with very little trouble or parts. It misses tying a bale about once every 500 bales. If you get a baler that misses once every 50 bales, you are either rebaling, retying, or wasting a lot of hay & time.... You will get a lot of opinions on what works & what doesn't. Over the long haul, a NH or JD older baler gives you the best shot of getting a good one you can get parts for, will last, will work, and will be worth something if you sell it again. You have plenty of power for any of these older balers, & you can pull a hayrack too if you have someone to stack. It's probably not worth getting into a thrower for your 5 acres - too much repair work for those few bales. Or a hay basket, altho they are neat & no moving parts. For making a few acres of hay, the baler is the thing I'd spend a lot on. Get a good one, or making hay will be a pain. A mower is important too, but they can be fixed up a little easier. And most any old rake will handle 5 acres, skimp your $$$ on the hayrake. IMHO. There is nothing more depressing than having nice windrows of dry hay, a raincloud coming in an hour, & your baler not working.... --->Paul
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