How Heavy Are Your Square Bales?

My question is – how heavy are you folks making your bales, especially if you are handling all of them by hand?

I question the weight of some of these deer weights, but I have also lifted some pretty heavy bales for other folks too – and they are not stretching it! I also think that the folks I know who are cranking out backbreaking bales simply do not know how to adjust the bale size to a lower weight. Soooo, my second question is when and why would you really want 60+ lb square bales?

Thanks in advance!
Bill

I had a 1010, sold it and got a 1034. Wish I had a 1033 instead. Built a shed on the side of a tobacco barn to dump in, ugly as all get out but only spent $1800 on it and it holds 2000 bales. Cut up my tobacco barns 2 years ago for more dump space. Can put up 600 per day with no help or 1200 per day if I get my dad to run the baler so I can rake and then just stack. Call me paranoid but I just cant bring myself to leave hay outside on the ground. By hand ricking the sheds of the barns (not enough overhead to dump) I can put 7000 inside now. Try to put up 10,000 per year so I have to move some hay this time of year. May build another building and try to get up to 20-25,000 probably get a self propelled then.

You cant make a bale too tight for them. I used to run a 38" bale sold on a 50# guarenteed weight. My weight was getting up in the 60'so I dropped back to a 36". Setting slipped on my baler last week and I dropped 300 40" bales before I caught it, they were monsters. My scale goes to 90# and they topped it.

I also remember when I was younger (about 25 years ago) hauling hay,, I got paid .05 per bale, one local farmer always cranked it down to weigh them down,, and we always opened it up to get more bales...

I learned to go out & rake the straw, make big windrows so he had to drive slow with the baler! ;)

--->Paul

2. Stacking - certain size bale works better on the hayrack, for certain unloading devices, etc. - whatever the weight, size can matter.

3. I used to load every bale from the baler on the hayrack, & stack everyone in the drive-in barn mow. I can handle 60lb bales for about 4 hayracks in a day (500 loaded, 350 unloaded - or so - 5 high on the rack, 4 high in the barn - second layer of 4 I drop in an elevator & restack on top). It is FAR less trips walking across the hayrack & barn floor with 850 trips @ 60lbs, than 1700 trips with 30 lbs. I would wear out on the smaller bales, couldn't do it. Dad never did want to help much, & my wife is happy driving the tractor, but can't handle the bales much. (I have a bale basket now, so only handle the bales unloading - but have to carry them farther to get in the barn.)

4. A good 60lb bale is nice & tight, while a smaller bale has a tendency to be light, loose, variable size - or maybe I'm just not adjusting the baler right... ;)

5. If you sell them, buyers have certain expectations. Some horse owners might pay you the same for a light bale they can handle - good deal for you - but others will question the small bales & you will lose a bit on it.

6. No right or wrong, just how it is for me. :)

--->Paul

Either you sell so much per bale, & the customer looks at the bales & says ok;

Or you run the loads over a scale, & sell by the ton.

Here, you just could not sell by the ton, & deliver so & so many bales. All customers would be complaining, as you are giving them two options - they can complain about not enough bales, or not enough weight. Ugh. Every one would be complaining. Would not be pretty for the seller.

Just sell by the bale,leave weight out of it! Then they can accept the bales, or not. Up to them. Less complaining.

Now, I'm not complaining about Jim's methods. ;) Just chatting about how things work or don't work here. ;)

--->Paul

Here, the PNW, hay is sold either way. No bale throwers, but rain isn't a concern like is is "there".

All what one is used to.