hay balers

[Donn Hewes]

There is a reason thousands of amish farms pull a motorized baler and bale onto a wagon. It is very efficient. I have used one of the “pop up” bale loaders out west once but I have never seen one in the east. If I start to bale hay with out a wagon, no one will start to pick it up until I am done, maybe 6:30 or 7pm. If I take a wagon and a second person, ( a very pleasant job by the way) at 6:30 or 7pm all my wagons are full. Unload one and put two under the shed if need be. After a few years of hay making, putting bales on the ground (because of lame horses or other problems) is agonizing to me.

If I only had two horses, I guess I would have to bale on the ground and come back and pick up the hay(in that case a pop up bale loader would be great). I would not make as many bales in a year. Maybe the difference would be the amount those two extra horses ate. No it would be more than that, so I guess part of the answer is how much hay you want.

[near horse]

Well, I guess my problem is I’m putting up hay alone, for the most part. So crews on the wagon etc isn’t going to happen.

But, more generally, one needs to organize priorities – for some of us it might be important to get in as much hay as possible as quickly as possible. For others, like me, I’m leaning toward getting in as much as hay as I can without having to use gas/diesel etc – no engine. It looks like a certain trade off – lower efficiency but one I’m willing to make (at least right now).

BTW – have any of you seen the “bale basket” that runs behind your baler and catches bales coming off the chute? I think it holds around 100 sm squares. My question is ” are you supposed to unhook the basket hitch and then tow it to your barn each time it gets full?” I guess that would be alright if you don’t have any help at all.

Donn, I agree that moving and loading bales from the ground to wagon, trailer or whatever is agonizing – the worst.

[Barw]

barw
I’m using a 40hp forecart and small round baler.
Works well for me.

[jac]

Hi Barw…40hp ! wow. that should open up a lot of jobs you can tackle. I have to admit that I have been trying to do what I do without engines, hence the search for land driven baler details. Having said that we are intending to do more hay this year {8 acres}. The weather window is very tight over here in Scotland and I may be forced to resort to a small engine. How many horses do you have pulling your baler ? and what model is it ? cheers
John

[Barw]

Hello jac
Have 430 JD make 800 lbs. bales. Two Suffolk can pull it for a short day but 4 horses
is more suited.Weather is a factor here also, so can mostly bale in the afternoon.
Usually hay 50 acers.

[Barw]

Jac forgot to mention that I built the three wheel forecart my self with 40hp
Kubota engine,hydraulic’s and 540 pto.Once the snow is gone here and I figure out
this new digital camera and how to sent a photo, I’ll post some pic’s.

[LStone]

Geoff,

Your “bale basket” the farmer I buy my hay from has one I think. He calls it a bale buncher. He drags it behind the baler and it catches the bales. When full he pulls a rope opening a gate on the back letting the bunch of bales pass through it and empty. he leaves bunches throughout the field then makes it easier to load a wagon. In my case anyway, it is much easier than traveling through a field loading singles.

LStone

[jac]

Hi BARW
Suffolks. They are pretty rare. Great farm horses. Is your hitch cart a copy of Lynn Millers? I built one from his plans in his book and made the seat adjustable in case I decided to go the engine route.. and after having read all the posts I might be going down that road after all. Cheers
John

[near horse]

LStone – the equipment you’re talking about is called a “hay slip or sled” out here or a “bale buncher”. Drag behind the baler and bales drop in up to 6 or 8 then you pull the rope to trip the back gate. Can be rough on bales, depending on the ground, since they are kind of dragging along inside the slip. What I’m talking about is a big basket (at least 6 or 7 feet tall) w/ wheels – will hold about 80-100 bales I think. It has a trap door back end that just dumps them out on the ground. I can’t remember the manufacturer but it was demo at Horse Progress Days a few years back.

This might be stating the obvious but for those making carts or other implements and needing seats, call a couple of junk yards and see if they wreck busses – I found bus seats pretty cheap – like $25 ea and upholstery completely intact.

[Donn Hewes]

My cart is home made as well. Three wheeled with a 25 hp honda engine. You can see some pictures of it mowing and baleing on my web album.

[jac]

Hey Donn.. Great fotos and a neat job on the hitch cart. I read your bit on slack lines in SFJ, I recognised the fotof the baler, and have been trying it with my team with gradual success. .. The gelding you read about being the fly in the ointment but thanks to you guys Im getting that fixed to . Cheers
John

[Barw]

Hi Jac
My cart is sort-of like Lynn’s.It works well the hydraulic’s are live and the diesel
engine has lots of power and runs cheap and with a good muffler it isn’t that noisy.
Made the seat adjustable also.Plans are this summer to install a regular Rockford hand
clutch.I just made it with 540 pto.It has a regular tractor swinging draw bar that can
be pinned.When the snow melts off the forecart I’ll try to post some pic’s.

[Author]

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