Tractor Hp Needed To Move Round Bales? Top Answer Update

If you are looking for a used tractor loader at a great price then read on.

We are offering a rugged 2017 Kioti CK3510-TL tractor loader with attachments and accessories valued at $5,400. Priced to sell quickly.

2017 Kioti CK3510-TL tractor loader

(This tractor loader is from an estate sale.)

It is fully equipped:

Engine: 3H-TM4A diesel engine (150 hours)

Transmission: gear 9×3

Bucket: 66″ quick mount

PS: 35

Drive: 4WD

Loader Lift Capacity: 1,863 lbs.

Three-point hitch and power take-off (PTO)

Very good tyres

canopy

floor mat

This is a great tractor loader for clearing, grading lots, driveways, building a home, campground or campground, homestead, barn, development and farming. This full-frame tractor can drive brush cutters, lumberjacks, disc harrows – and with wheel ballast it can work on uneven, hilly terrain.

$5,400 worth of attachments and accessories including:

6’ HD Grader Blade

6 foot box blade with cutting edge

6’ landscape rake

canopy

Loader quick coupler – ISO skid steer compatible

THE TRACTOR LOADER WAS FULLY SERVICED BY OUR FACTORY TRAINED TECHNIQUES.

Specifications :

Engine: 3H-TM4A diesel engine (150 hours)

Total displacement: 111.4 cu.

Rated speed: 2,600 rpm

Operating Weight: 4,100 lbs.

Tires: R4 HD Industrial front 27 x 8.5-15 rear 15-19.5

Travel Speeds: 0 – 15.8 mph

Battery: 680CCA

Alternator: 2-55A

Hydraulics: 4-way loader control valve

3 point lift capacity at 24 in 1,631 lb.

Hydraulic Pump Capacity: 11.7 GPM

Hydrostatic power steering

Loader Lift Capacity: 1,835 lbs. (832kg)

Breakout Force: 3,464 lbs. (1,571kg)

Maximum lifting height: 2,500 mm (98.4 in)

Ground clearance with bucket height: 93 inches (2,360 mm)

Maximum tilting angle: 48°

Maximum rollback angle: 28°

Relief valve setting: 2,560 psi

Shovel width: 66 inches.

Bucket capacity: 10.10 cu. feet

Paddle Rollback Force at Baseline: 1,763.7 lbs. (800kg)

Dimensions: Length in. (mm) 120.9 (3,070)

Overall width in. (mm) 54.5 (1,385)

Overall Height (from top of ROPS) in. (mm) 99.2 (2,520)

Wheelbase inches (mm) 65.7 (1,670)

Minimum. Ground Clearance inches (mm) 13.4 (340)

Turning radius (with brake) feet (m) 8 (2.4)

BE SURE — THE TRACTOR LOADER COMES WITH A 2-YEAR FACTORY WARRANTY!

This 2017 Kioti CK3510-TL tractor loader is ready to go.

For more details on the 2017 Kioti CK3510-TL Tractor Loader, please click here.

We can deliver it directly to your home.

If you are interested or to learn more, please call or text Ana at 480-410-3429 or call her office at 602-734-9944. You can also email her at [email protected].

Team Tractor Ranch – #1 Tractor Dealership in Arizona. We sell and service most major tractor brands including Yanmar, Kubota, John Deere, TYM, Mahindra, Kioti, Case, New Holland, Massey Ferguson, Ford, Deutz, Case IH, Farmall, International Harvester, Branson Tractors, LS, Shibura, Claas Tractor, McCormick Tractors, Valtra, Solis, YTO, Montana and Nortrac.

This article was written by Pat Goodwin of Tractor Tools Direct. This article does not imply endorsement by Tractor Tools Direct’s Acreage Living newsletter. However, this information is useful for small farm owners looking to invest in their own hay equipment.

introduction

You run a small farm, own a compact tractor and have decided to make your own hay. Maybe you are tired of paying high prices for hay. Perhaps you are constantly disappointed with the quality of the hay available. Maybe you’re tired of the hay baler who doesn’t think your hay field is a priority.

Ultimately, you don’t want to rely on others for quality hay to feed your animals. You know you can do better, but you have a small tractor and everyone tells you it can’t get the job done. The key to success is choosing the right equipment for your tractor and property. Here we walk you through the step-by-step process of choosing the best gear for your needs. Let’s start!

Choosing the right hay equipment

Know your tractor

Find out about the technical data of your tractor before purchasing the device. Its power and weight are the most important specifications, but in some cases you may need to know the width or other details. Your tractor manual should contain this information.

If you don’t have the manual, traktordata.com is a great site where you can look up specs for almost any tractor.

Choosing the right hay mower

Hay mowers come in all shapes and sizes, from mini rotary mowers to the largest trailed mower-conditioners and even self-propelled machines. For the sake of brevity, we will focus here on hay mowers that are designed to be mounted to your tractor’s three-point hitch. These machines cover the needs of 99% of people who own a compact or mini tractor.

selection of the type

There are three main types of hay mowers: sickle beam, disc mowers. and drum. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. To select the mower that is best suited to your situation, first match the mower to the size of your tractor and then determine how you will be using it.

sickle bar mower

The bar mower was the first mechanical mower and was originally pulled by horses. The design is the same today as it was then. The mower operates with a reciprocating motion, moving triangular blades back and forth between stationary guard fingers. Each back and forth motion shears off any grass or vegetation caught between the stationary fingers. The action is the same as barber scissors cutting hair. This type of mower can be used for mowing hay as well as other general mowing tasks. The best rotary mowers currently in production use a double action where the guard moves in the opposite direction from the blades. This doubles the effective blade speed and greatly reduces machine vibration, making it quieter, more comfortable to use and more durable. An example of this type of mower is the DCM Italia 150, a 5-foot mower.

Although the design of a scythe mower is somewhat antiquated, its advantages are:

Requires little horsepower. If you have a very low powered tractor of 15hp or less then this option is really your only choice. Although there are very small drum mowers out there, if you have an older compact tractor like a Kubota 5000 or 6000 series, a rotary mower is the best choice.

Lighter weight. If your tractor is very light or has very little front weight, a sickle beam is the lightest hay mower and therefore your best (and safest) option.

Angled mowing function. When mowing ditch banks, crescent beams are the only type of hay mower specifically designed to work well below (or above) horizontal. Some mowers even allow you to work in a vertical position for trimming hedges or trailing edges.

Less movement = less dust. While disc and drum mowers create an air turbulence over the blades, sickle beams move relatively little. This means less dirt is thrown into the air and your freshly cut hay.

However, the disadvantages of a scythe mower include:

forward speed. The forward speed of a scythe mower is much slower than disc and drum mowers. You can mow a wide swath, but top speeds are about half that of other designs.

Constipation. It’s easy to get bogged down when working in very dense, stuck, or already cut material. Clogging is also more of a problem when the blades start to dull.

Blade repair. When blades become dull, sharpening or replacing them can be time consuming and expensive.

repair costs. Damage from hitting an unfamiliar obstacle can be expensive to repair.

disc mower

Disc mowers were invented as a logical progression from the sickle beam design. Instead of knives moving back and forth on the cutter bar, they are mounted on several small discs that rotate at high speed and are mounted on top of the cutter bar. As a rule, two freely swinging knives are screwed to each disc. The discs are driven by either a shaft or gears located inside the cutter bar. Like a sickle bar, the cutter bar essentially glides across the ground, which controls the height of cut.

The advantages of a disc mower are:

No constipation. Disc mowers effortlessly handle thick and stuck hay.

High cutting speeds. If you have the horsepower, there’s almost no limit to how fast you can go through the field. Speeds of up to 15 mph or more are feasible, although very few tractors can safely do so.

ease of transition. The hydraulic lift allows you to go from work to transport and back again without leaving the tractor seat. This is a time-saving feature when mowing multiple small fields.

However, there are some situations when you should stay away from a disc mower. Your disadvantages:

hydraulics required. If your tractor doesn’t have hydraulics, you won’t be able to raise the cutter bar vertically to get through gates and other tight areas. Until recently, this one factor kept many people from choosing a disc mower. At this time there is only one exception: the Galfre brand offers a 4-disc mower, the Model 165, with a 5ft 5in cutting width that does not require hydraulics to operate.

Weight. You’ve got the horsepower and the hydraulics, but your tractor is light. This can be a safety hazard due to the much heavier cutter bar compared to a rotary bar mower. When the mower is in the vertical transport position, the entire tractor may tip over unexpectedly.

repair costs. If you frequently mow in places where you could hit something solid like a boulder, old fence post, etc., repairing disc mowers when damaged can be very expensive.

drum mower

Although drum mowers have been popular in Europe for over 40 years, it is only recently that they have become a popular choice in the USA. Drum mowers have a significantly different design than the other two mower types. Instead of driving the cutting blades from the cutter bar, a drum mower’s “drums” are driven by an overhead gearbox. The standard drum mower has two counter-rotating drums. Each drum is essentially a cylinder, 10.14 inches in diameter and 15-24 inches long, with a large disc attached to the bottom. Depending on the model, either 3 or 4 free-swinging knives are attached to each of these discs. In operation, the entire drum/disc/knife unit rotates. This heavy rotating mass creates a lot of momentum that helps propel the mower through thick patches in the field. At the bottom of this assembly is a bowl that is mounted on ball bearings. This bowl does not rotate with the rest of the drum assembly, but rather slides on the ground and is free to rotate in either direction depending on the surface it slides over.

As a drum mower moves through the field, the drums rotate toward each other, causing the cut crop to pass between the drums and be deposited in a swath behind the mower. This swath effect must eventually be spread out again with a hay tedder or rake so that the hay can dry properly. This has been the main disadvantage of drum mowers so far. One company, Galfre, has solved this problem with its “Black Hole” conditioning system. This system ejects the cut hay at the rear of the mower, spreading it out and fluffing it up so the hay can dry where it lies. This potentially saves an extra trip through the field with a rake or tedder and can reduce drying time by up to a day.

Drum mowers are designed as very robust, simple machines. They only have a fraction of the parts of sickle beam or disc mowers. They can also be run with modest horsepower. Once the drums are up to speed, they don’t pull much power from the tractor to keep turning.

Advantages of drum mowers are:

No hydraulic requirement. You don’t have to have hydraulics on your tractor. For transport, the drums swing manually to the rear of the tractor.

Durability. Drum mowers are by far the most robust types of hay mowers. They rarely take damage, even when hitting an immovable object. This makes them a great choice for contract mowing in unfamiliar fields or mowing unruly pastures.

High ground speeds. A drum mower can operate at even higher speeds than a disc mower and twice as fast as a sickle bar.

energy efficient. This feature is especially important on older utility tractors with modest horsepower.

Disadvantages of drum mowers are:

contour mowing. Because the drums are very heavy, suspending the mower over a slope is not recommended. Drum mowers also don’t pivot enough to effectively follow extreme contours like a sickle beam would.

Weight. The heavy weight of the drum mower can be a disadvantage for tractors with light front ends. Drum mowers are very heavy compared to other types of mowers of the same width. This can make maneuverability and transport difficult if there is not enough weight holding the front wheels of the tractor down.

windrows. Because most drum mowers windrow the cut crop, it will not dry in the field without being spread or double raked. Galfre drum mowers are the exception to this rule. Their conditioning system loosens and disperses clippings for faster drying time.

Choosing the right tedder

A tedder is a machine that spreads and turns loose hay in the field. This exposes the hay on the bottom of a pile to air and sunlight, speeding up the drying process. Tedders use a twisting motion to grab the hay with spinning tines and eject it out the back of the machine.

Heavy hay in humid climates can dry faster with haymaking. It is also an indispensable machine for spreading hay to dry after a rain. Although some farmers can do without a tedder, it’s smart to have a machine that can do this important job if and when you need it. If you have a conventional drum mower other than a Galfre with conditioning system, the swath produced by the mower will not dry unless it is spread, cut or turned.

Tedders come in all sizes, from 6 feet wide to over 20 feet wide for large tractors. They don’t use a lot of horsepower, so they can be powered by almost any tractor with a PTO. They are available in drag chain versions as well as in 3-point connection. The advantage of the 3-point connection is that they can be lifted over obstacles such as windrows and transported more easily. The downside of the 3-point hitch is that some tractors may have lifting problems.

Some rakes also serve as turners with varying degrees of success. Wheel rakes can topple a swath or kick up hay spread in the field, but they tend to leave clumps of hay that don’t dry well. Some machines are specially built to convert between windrows and tedding. However, most require a lot of work to switch from one to the other, costing you valuable time, usually when you don’t have it.

A rake design for use as a tedder is the belt rake. Going from rake to tedder takes just a few seconds with this machine and they really spread the hay evenly like a tedder should. If you don’t want to buy a separate tedder, the belt rake is a good option.

Choosing the right hay rake

In order to bale hay, it must be raked in swaths. It is a common misconception that hay can be baled directly from the swath or windrow created by the hay mower. There are a few reasons why this won’t work. First, in most climates, hay does not dry well unless it is fluffed, turned, or turned with a tedder and/or rake. Second, the trail left by the hay mower is generally not suitable for being picked up by a baler, resulting in a lot of hay being missed. Third, you can typically rake at least two mowing swaths in a baling swath, resulting in fewer baler passes across the field and higher quality, more evenly dense bales.

The choices for hay rakes are many. Different regions of the country seem to prefer different types of rakes. The four best-known types are wheel rakes, parallel bar rakes, rotary rakes and belt rakes.

wheel rake

These rakes are designed for speed and productivity when handling dry hay. Wheel rakes are simple machines that require minimal adjustments to operate properly. The economical ground drive simplifies operation and reduces costs. However, direct contact with the ground can introduce dirt and stones into the hay, affecting overall quality. In addition, the swath is not as light and fluffy as with rotary rakes or belt rakes. This means that there is minimal drying after the hay is raked, so raking cannot occur until the hay is fully cured. Also, using a 3-point rake takes some practice, especially if your field has a lot of curves or corners. Wheel rakes are physically large and therefore take up a lot of space when stored. Despite these disadvantages, wheel rakes are very popular due to their low purchase and maintenance costs.

Rake for parallel bars

Called by many different names in different regions of the US, these machines are relatively simple, with a design dating back over 100 years. However, this type of calculation is being replaced by other types of calculation. Rotary rakes and belt rakes are similar in price and have additional benefits such as: B. the ability to produce loose swaths in all harvesting conditions. Wheel rakes are a more economical choice and offer similar raking quality to parallel bar rakes. Although many of these old rakes are still in use across the US, if you are considering a new rake, a different design will likely suit your needs better and give you more versatility.

rotary rake

These powered rakes create an even and fluffy swath that dries the crop faster. The gentle rotary rake minimizes leaf loss and ensures an even swath for good bale formation. These rakes are capable of handling both wet forage and dry hay, giving them greater versatility than wheel rakes. The mechanical drive of a rotary rake makes it possible to move heavy, wet crops. It also keeps the tines from touching the ground, minimizing the amount of debris getting into the crop. This results in a higher quality forage. Rotary rakes come in a variety of sizes to fit almost any size tractor. These machines are easy to maneuver and closely follow changing field contours for clean raking. They can also be either 3 point mounted or towed allowing them to be used by most tractors with a PTO.

belt rake

Belt rakes have all the advantages of a rotary rake. They can handle both wet and dry feed; they form a fluffy, even swath; the tines do not touch the ground, which reduces soiling of the forage; and they come in a variety of sizes.

However, belt rakes have a number of advantages over rotary rakes. With the same raking width, belt rakes are much more compact in size, making them much easier to use and store. Their compactness and lighter weight also make them easier to lift by your tractor, simplifying transport and navigating rough terrain. They are available in a wider range of working widths, from over 10 feet down to as little as 5 feet, making them ideal for working in tight spaces such as orchards and pine orchards.

The versatility of a belt screen cannot be matched by any other type of screen. Changing from rake to tedder is as easy as removing the hay stopper and adjusting the wheels, which takes seconds and no tools. Lowering the rake with a simple adjustment of the wheels allows the tines to aggressively contact the ground, which is great for scarifying lawns or preparing a seedbed for planting. The smaller sizes also make excellent leaf rakes, further increasing their value on the small farm.

The band rake is also the easiest type of rake to use. Because it’s so compact and works right behind the tractor, the operator spends less time turning around and checking where his rake actually is. And because it’s powered by the tractor’s PTO, it keeps running when stationary or reversing, so you can use the rake in reverse in tight spaces. It also gets around corners better and doesn’t pile up hay like a wheel rake when turning. You end up with a straighter, fluffier, more even swath that dries better and is easier to track with a baler.

Choosing the right baler

When it comes to choosing a baler, there are many options. There are also important differences within the various baler categories. For the purpose of this discussion we will focus on compact round balers and square balers as they are well suited to compact and mini tractors. Most small farmers don’t have a tractor big enough to consider a large round baler or large square baler. Information on this device is readily available elsewhere. This guide will help compact and mini tractor owners decide which baler is the best choice. Figure 5 at the end of this section summarizes the various criteria for selecting the right baler for your compact tractor business.

Mini round baler

Mini round balers, also known as roto balers, are becoming more and more popular. Once a rare oddity, many small farmers are finding that they are the best choice for getting their hay in the barn. The compact round baler works on the same principle as its larger cousin, rolling up the hay in a chamber until it reaches a certain size, then wrapping the bale with either twine or netting and ejecting it out the back of the machine.

The size of a mini round bale is about the same size as the small square bales most people are used to. They generally weigh 40-55 pounds and can easily be lifted by one person.

The mini round baler can be connected to the tractor either via the 3-point hitch or via a drawbar. For most small farmers, the drawbar connection is the better choice. Not only is it much easier to connect to the tractor, but the drawbar connection does not require you to lift the baler off the ground when cornering. Many tractors are not capable of lifting something that heavy so cornering could be a problem with a 3 point baler.

Another option with a drawbar connection is the option of extending the baling press to the side of the tractor. This feature improves visibility of the baler pickup and also prevents hay from getting caught on the underside of your tractor. This is extremely useful with larger swaths and/or short tractors.

Another feature to look for in a mini round baler is whether it has gathering wheels on the sides of the pickup. Because of their small size, their actual pickup width is only about 30 inches. This requires you to either make very small swaths or skip a lot of hay. With gathering wheels, the effective pickup width is halved again. This means you can rake a larger swath and reduce the number of passes through the field with both your rake and baler.

Most mini round balers are also available with the option of wrapping the bale in net instead of twine. Mesh wraps have a number of advantages. Firstly, the tying process with net tying is much faster as the bale only needs to be turned 2-3 times to wrap instead of 8-12 times. This means you are stopped for a shorter period of time while the bale is being wrapped, increasing production rates by 25% or more. Secondly, the net wrap provides excellent protection for the bale from rain. Studies have shown that bales of net left outside for long periods of time still only spoil on the first few inches of the bale. This means the urgency of getting the bales off the field and into the bam is reduced. Third, when the bales are handled multiple times, the netting keeps the bale together better with less wastage.

The main advantage of yarn winding is economy. Mini round balers use standard twine, which is readily available at most farm stores and is fairly inexpensive. The cost per bale of twine is about 10 cents versus about 30 cents for net tying. Another benefit of twine wrapping is for the farmer who wants to leave the bales in the field for grazing animals to eat through the winter. This used to be a common practice for farmers baling with the Allis-Chalmers roto baler. The bales from the last baling of the season would be left scattered across the field. Animals grazing in the field could nudge the bales to turn them over and reveal fresh hay. Natural sisal twine was used, which rotted away from the bale over time, allowing grazing animals to get inside the bale. This practice would not be feasible with square bales, which would spoil much faster in the field as they absorb and trap moisture.

Advantages of the mini round baler are:

Very low power requirement. A mini round baler only needs about 15 hp to operate.

Lighter weight. Round balers weigh significantly less than square balers. This means they are safer to operate on hills and can be easily towed by any size tractor.

Simpler design. Round balers are simpler machines than square balers because fewer adjustments are required and fewer parts can break.

Smoother operation. Square balers “beat” up to 90 times per minute. On a small tractor, this constant jerking motion can be a little tiring.

Small size. A mini round baler actually fits in the bed of a pickup truck. When stored, it takes up about a quarter of the space of a square baler.

Better weather resistance. If there is a possibility that the bales will remain in the field for a long time, mini round bales will withstand rain and dew much better. The mesh wrap offers an even higher level of protection.

Disadvantages are:

Lower output power. Due to the smaller pickup of a round baler and the need to stop when tying a bale, the production rate with a mini round baler is only about 1/3 to ½ of what is possible with a square baler.

marketability. If you sell hay, you may find that your customers who are used to square balers will not like the round balers. Practically speaking there is no difference, but people tend to stick with what they know.

Stack. These mini round bales actually stack well. But they will never stack as tight as a stack of square bales. This really only makes a difference if you need to stack 15 or 20 feet high.

square balers

The first machines to press hay into square bales. Although initially a stationary machine, the square baler eventually evolved into the machine we know today in the late 1930s. The design of the square baler has changed little since the International Harvester square baler went into mass production in the 1940s. The basic concept is still the same, with tines that pick up the loose hay and feed it into a chamber where a piston reciprocates, compressing the hay into a rectangular chute. From there, twine or wire is wrapped around the compressed hay and periodically tied and cut, and the process continues. The tying mechanism of a baler is a marvel, even more than 70 years after its invention.

Square balers can operate quickly and continuously, dropping a new bale onto the field every 10 seconds or less. It only takes an afternoon to spread up to 1000 bales or more in a hay field. Getting the bales into the stable is a high priority at this point. Square bales left in the field overnight tend to soak up dew and moisture from the ground. They may take some time to dry enough to stack in the barn the next day. For every hour square bales are in the field, you also risk a rainstorm. Irrigated square bales can be completely ruined. There is nothing more disheartening than having a field full of wrecked square bales that now weigh 100 pounds each and knowing you have to get them off the field and stack them somewhere.

Most standard square balers on the market require 35 horsepower at your tractor’s PTO and a minimum tractor weight of around 3000 pounds. This means that they cannot be driven with today’s compact tractors. However, Abbriata square balers can be operated with tractors with as little as 16 hp PTO power and weighing as little as 2000 pounds. Lighter tractors are also sufficient on level ground.

Abbriata manufactures square balers in 3 sizes. The smallest of the three, the Mini/S has an overall width of just 59 inches, making it the narrowest baler in the compact square baler class. The narrow width is great when you have gates or trees to navigate through. It only requires 16 hp PTO power and can be powered by almost any tractor.

The Abbriata Mini is a slightly wider baler with a 42″ pickup width, 6″ wider than the Mini/S. This pickup width is wide enough for most swaths, yet only requires 17 PTO horsepower to operate. At 66 inches overall width, it still fits through a 6-foot gate.

At a full 53 inches, the Abbriata M60 Super has the widest pick-up width in the compact baler class. This means you can create larger swaths, resulting in fewer trips through the field and a more even bale density. And the M60 Super can make up to 400 bales per hour, which is comparable to standard square balers.

A square baler has the following advantages:

High baling performance. Square balers never have to stop to wrap or tie a bale and can therefore bale a maximum tonnage in a given period of time.

Easy to handle bales. Quaderballen sind am einfachsten zu stapeln und mit einem durchschnittlichen Gewicht von etwa 40 Pfund für einen Abbriata-Quaderballen lassen sie sich leicht anheben und bewegen.

Wiederverkauf. Wenn Sie Ihr Heu verkaufen, werden die meisten Kunden die vertraute Form und die leicht fütterbaren Flocken eines Quaderballens bevorzugen.

Die Nachteile einer Quaderballenpresse sind:

Gewicht. Quaderballenpressen sind im Vergleich zu einer Mini-Rundballenpresse recht schwer. Wenn Sie steile Hänge pressen oder einen sehr kleinen Traktor haben, kann das Gewicht einer Quaderballenpresse gefährlich werden.

Ballen können nicht beregnet werden. Quaderballen sind feuchtigkeitsunempfindlich und wirken bei Nässe wie ein Schwamm.

Mechanisch kompliziert. Obwohl eine ordnungsgemäß gewartete Quaderballenpresse jahrelang ohne erforderliche Anpassungen läuft, muss eine Quaderballenpresse sorgfältig und ordnungsgemäß eingerichtet und zeitlich abgestimmt werden, um ordnungsgemäß zu funktionieren. Eine falsch eingestellte Ballenpresse kann beschädigt werden.

Wie bei allen landwirtschaftlichen Geräten ist das Praktizieren der richtigen landwirtschaftlichen Sicherheitsmaßnahmen von entscheidender Bedeutung. Weitere Informationen zur Sicherheit auf dem Bauernhof finden Sie unter http://www.abe.iastate.edu/extension-and-outreach/agricultural-health-safety/.

Pat Goodwin von Tractor Tools Direct schlägt vor, dass Sie sich zusätzlich zu den oben genannten Informationen zur Auswahl der richtigen Heugeräte für Ihren Betrieb weitere wichtige Fragen vor dem Kauf stellen sollten.

1. Ist die Ausrüstung auf Lager? Wo kann es gekauft werden?

2. Muss die Ausrüstung versandt werden? Wovon? Kosten für den Versand?

3. Sind Teile für die Ausrüstung leicht verfügbar und auf Lager?

4. Ist das Unternehmen ein erfahrener Händler der Geräte?

5. Gibt es ein Handbuch? Gibt es ein Teilebuch?

Den vollständigen Einkaufsführer für Heugeräte finden Sie auf der Website von Tractor Tools Direct unter https://tractortoolsdirect.com/buyers-guide/.

“How much hay can I expect from my ‘x’ number of acres?”

One of the most common questions we hear from our customers considering taking the leap into hay independence is, “How much hay can I expect from my ‘x’ number of acres?” Although we wish it was If there were a simple answer to this question, there simply isn’t one. Unfortunately, the calculation of hay yield depends on so many different factors that there is simply no single answer.

Even an average rule of thumb can vary widely depending on region, soil, and hay type. For us here in the Midwest, a mixed grass and legume hay can yield anywhere from one to five tons an acre for an entire season. In our mixed hay field we plan on good soils at four tons per acre, half or more of it in the first cut and the rest in the second, third and sometimes even fourth cut. At an average bale weight of around 40 pounds (using our Abbriata small square baler or one of our mini round balers), that’s 100 bales per acre for a first cut.

Aside from our operations, we can offer some guidelines to consider when attempting to predict the productivity of your hayfields.

Here are some of the factors that affect hay yield or how it is calculated:

The length of the growing season at your location. Shorter growing seasons mean fewer opportunities for hay cuttings. While growers in the southern United States can expect to mow hay 4 or even 5 times a year in an average season, those in the northern US may be lucky enough to get 2.

Shorter growing seasons mean fewer opportunities for hay cuttings. While growers in the southern United States can expect to mow hay 4 or even 5 times a year in an average season, those in the northern US can be lucky to get 2 times. The types of forage grown. Typically, perennial grasses such as timothy and fescue produce higher yields, while legumes such as alfalfa and clover produce lower yields. However, feed selection should not be based solely on yield, as legumes tend to score higher on the relative feed quality scale, which ranks nutritional value. In most cases, quantity should not be rung over quality.

Typically, perennial grasses such as timothy and fescue produce higher yields, while legumes such as alfalfa and clover produce lower yields. However, feed selection should not be based solely on yield, as legumes tend to score higher on the relative feed quality scale, which ranks nutritional value. In most cases, quantity should not be rung over quality. The fertilizer program used. Hay tends to grow best in soil that is rich in organic matter and contains adequate levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The required amounts of these nutrients can be controlled by appropriate fertilization or crop variation/rotation. The latter can be achieved by either planting nitrogen-fixing legumes alongside grasses or by planting seasonally.

Hay tends to grow best in soil that is rich in organic matter and contains adequate levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The required amounts of these nutrients can be controlled by appropriate fertilization or crop variation/rotation. The latter can be achieved by either planting nitrogen-fixing legumes alongside grasses or by planting seasonally. The timing and number of cuttings. The yield of a pasture should be calculated on the basis of an entire season or, to be more precise, multiple seasons. The amount of hay produced from each cut can vary depending on weather conditions, plant stage at cut and species planted. The best yield calculations are to find an average yield of many cuttings over multiple seasons.

Basically, the best way to determine a hay field’s yield capacity is to go out and bale it. Although some of the factors affecting yield are beyond the grower’s control – like weather – many others – like species and fertilization – can be tweaked over the course of multiple seasons to increase productivity. While there is no easy answer to the question, “How much hay can I get from my ‘x’ number of acres?”, there are simple steps you can take to keep your hay acreage at the highest possible level. Happy balling!!!!

The number of days per year that your cattle are fed hay depends on your climate and the quality of pasture available. If you have adequate space, quality grass and a long growing season, your cattle may only need hay during the winter months, while animals on dry plots or in colder climates may need hay year-round. If your cattle have sufficient grass from May to September but require hay for the rest of the year, this leaves a feeding period of around 210 days. Multiply this number by the adjusted daily requirement per cow – for example 210 times 39 for an annual requirement of 8,190 pounds.

How much does a hay bale weigh?

From the Hayforks.com team

Small double row square bale 14″ x 18″ x 36″ 18 kg to 27 kg (40 lbs to 60 lbs).

Small 3-wire square bale 16″ x 22″ x 44″ 100 lbs to 120 lbs (45 kg to 54 kg).

Large Square Bale 36″ x 48″ x 96″ 1200 lbs to 2000 lbs (544 kg to 907 kg).

Round bale 48 inches wide x 60 inches diameter. 600 lbs to 1,200 lbs (272 kg to 544 kg).

Hay bales can weigh from 18 kg to 907 kg. They come in two basic shapes, round and square. Round bales of hay are usually quite large, weighing between 600 pounds and 1,000 pounds. Square hay bales come in two size groups, small and large. Most small square bales can be handled manually. Large square hay bales and round hay bales require bale handling equipment such as a tractor with a bale jack.

Later in this article we will discuss the size and weight details of different types and hay bales. We will also look at the factors that affect hay bale weight such as density, moisture content and hay type.

Topics covered in this hay bale weight guide:

Weights and sizes of round hay bales

Square hay bale weights and sizes

How hay plant species affect hay bale weight

How hay bale density affects hay bale weight

How moisture content affects hay bale weight

How much does a round bale of hay weigh?

A 4 x 4 foot round bale of legumes such as alfalfa weighs about 272 kg. A 4’x5′ bale weighs 430 kg. A 5’x5′ bale weighs 540 kg (1,200 lbs) and a 5’x6′ bale weighs 680 kg (1,500 lbs). Grass bales, such as timothy grass, weigh 20% less than alfalfa bales. Moisture content can affect bale weight by up to 25 percent.

Round Bale Weight Chart – Pounds and Kilograms Length Width Height Diameter Weight lbs. Weight kg 4′ 4′ 600 270 4′ 5′ 950 430 5′ 5′ 1200 540 5′ 6′ 1500 680

Round bales, also called hay rolls, appeared in the fields about 40 years ago. Their handling and transport advantages have made them one of the most popular bales today. Round bales are normally handled with a tractor-mounted front loader that has a special spike attachment. Local transport is carried out with special wagons and trailers.

The long-distance transport of round bales presents some special problems. Being round, they are difficult to secure and there have been several accidents caused by bales falling from trucks. It’s also difficult to build a secure load with enough weight to keep shipping costs reasonable.

Square hay bale weights and sizes

Square hay bales come in two main size groups, small and large. Small square bales are the longest, over 100 years. They are popular with horse owners, small animal breeders, landscapers and anywhere manual handling is required or where only small amounts of hay are needed. High density small square bales are now being produced to reduce storage and transport costs.

Small Square Hay Bales – 3 types: 2 strings, 3 wires and high density

Two-row square hay bales:

Weight from 40 to 60 pounds.

Size: 18″ wide x 14″ high x 36″ long.

Two thread bales were the most common hay bale for many years. Small double strand bales can be easily handled by most people without special handling equipment. Bales of this type are often available in small quantities at your local farm shop and hardware store.

Square wire hay bales:

Weight from 80 to 120 pounds.

Size: 22″ wide x 16″ high x 44″ long

Three balls of wire are denser, slightly larger, and weigh about twice as much as two balls of string. They are often preferred when the bale is to be transported long distances as their density lowers transport costs and makes it easier to set up a secure load. Although heavier than two bolts of thread, they can be handled by one or two people without special equipment.

High Density Square Hay Bales:

Weight: 2 to 3 times the weight of a standard bale of the same size

Size:: 18″ x 14″ x 36″ — Weight: 120 to 180 lbs.

High density bales are made using what is called a High Density Bale Compression System. The baler takes hay from regular hay bales and compresses it so that it weighs 2 to 3 times as much as a regular bale of the same size. This is a great advantage for shipping and storage.

Large square hay bales

Weight: from 1,000 to 2,200 lbs.

Size: 3ft x 4ft x 8ft

Large square bales have been around for about 40 years. They have some distinct advantages over small square and round bales, are ideal for shipping and stack easily in storage areas.

The ability to be handled by forklifts and front end loaders is another important feature. These large bales have replaced their smaller counterparts on many farms and hay farms.

How plant species affect hay bale weight

Alfalfa Bales – 1,000 lbs.

Timothy Bale – 850 lbs

Alfalfa bales are approximately 15% heavier than timothy bales of the same size.

Hay is made from many different types of plants. The two most important types of plants are grasses and legumes. Legume bales are typically around 15% heavier than grasses for the same size bale, all other factors being equal.

A 4 foot wide x 5 foot high round legume hay bale can weigh 1,000 pounds. The same bale of grass would weigh 850 pounds.

How bale density affects hay bale weight

Typical hay bale density is 9 to 12 pounds per cubic foot.

Hay bale density is determined by how much the baler compresses the hay. Bale density is measured in pounds per cubic foot.

How moisture content affects hay bale weight

Fresh baled hay: 18% to 20% moisture by weight.

Preserved hay: 8% to 9% moisture by weight.

Hay bale moisture content refers to the percentage of the bale weight that is moisture.

Here is an example. You have a hay bale that weighs 100 pounds. They put it in a drying oven to remove all moisture. The bale now weighs 80 pounds. The bale had a moisture content of 20%.

Formula:

Weight Before Drying – Weight After Drying / Weight Before Drying = Moisture Percentage

(100 pounds – 80 pounds) = 20 pounds

(20 pounds / 100 pounds) = 20%

Most hay bales stabilize at around 8% to 9% moisture content. Freshly baled hay is usually between 18 and 20%. So for every 2,000 pounds (ton) of fresh baled hay you buy, you lose 200 pounds compared to moisture stabilized hay.

How much hay does a cow eat?

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After you’ve dumped the first cattle on your property, your next big concern will be how to keep up with the demand for food. Knowing a rough estimate of how much hay a cow eats will help you prepare. Grazing is best, but if you use a combination of grazing, hay feeding, and grain supplementation, you’ll quickly find that cattle have big appetites.

Square bales of hay are convenient to carry and distribute, but they are eaten up like appetizers by hungry cattle. Round bales last much longer, but of course they take up more storage space and are difficult to move without equipment. From the perspective of a small herd owner on a family homestead, I will tell you that feeding the cattle was our biggest concern. Feeding them so they wouldn’t feel the urge to tear down the fence and escape was our concern. Before we had cattle, we were dairy goat owners and breeders for many years. Horses were the first animals on our farm, so keeping livestock was no stranger to us. But boy, these cows are big. and always hungry. Raising cattle for beginners requires some planning.

How much hay does a cow eat?

In order to learn how to start a cattle ranch, one would need to know how much it will cost to raise the animals to market weight. Those cute calves that you bring home when they weigh a few hundred pounds have big appetites! How much hay does a cow eat? The recommendation I’ve used is 3 pounds of hay for every 100 pounds of weight. So your 250 pound forage calf needs 7 pounds of hay per day. A square bale won’t last very long at this speed! And remember, as you feed, the cows grow. Daily intake will continue to increase. Even if you decide to breed miniature cattle, hay and pasture will still be your biggest concern.

forage/roughage

The terms fodder and roughage refer to the plants that livestock eat while grazing. This can be pasture grass and plants or hay. Hay consists of dried grasses and legumes. The rumen needs food to process food. Options include pasture, hay made from grasses or legumes, and silage. In addition, some cattle farms will finish the cows with additional grain concentrate.

silage

Silage is often used on large livestock farms. Silage is an excellent source of protein-rich forage for cows in times of poor grazing conditions. However, silage is usually stored in an airtight silo building to protect the food from spoilage. Silage is usually made from a mixture of corn plants and grass hay or legume hay. It is reared when the moisture content is still relatively high, kept warm and fed as fermented feed. The problem for the small herd of cattle is the safe storage of the silage.

Some forage crops have a hard time drying enough to be kept as hay. Silage is the answer to this problem because it can be stored at a moisture content of 30 percent. Silage can be stored much longer than other cattle feeds. Properly stored silage has a shelf life of around 4 to 5 years. Because it is stored in a compressed form, it takes up less space than storing hay. The nutritional value of the silage increases with fermentation.

The disadvantages of silage for the small cattle production herd are mainly related to cost. While you can make silage and store it in heavy plastic bags, it is labor intensive. The bags must be stored under cover. Harvesting and storing the forage in the silo requires heavy equipment and a silo. It would not be cost effective for the landowner to raise a few cattle for the family dinner table. Buying large equipment for harvesting and storing silage is probably not the solution.

round bale

Round 4 x 4 bales of hay weigh close to 500 to 800 pounds. The way the round bale is made allows it to stand outdoors without being ruined. Cows can eat some wet hay or they can just tear it off the outside and get the dry hay inside. However, this is not a good feeding plan for horses, which can become ill from eating wet, decaying hay.

square bale

Small square hay bales weigh about 50 to 65 pounds on average. The smaller size makes them easy to carry. Square bales of hay are less economical to feed. It takes a few small square bales to achieve the pull-in force of a large round bale. Comparisons should only be made on a ton basis. The other thing to consider with square bales is storage. Square bales must be stored in a covered, dry area. Round bales can stay outside.

Feeding cattle with square bales makes little sense when you refer to the math used earlier in this article. Three pounds of hay for every hundred pounds of weight is quite a lot of hay for a finished steer. A 1200 pound cow ready for processing requires 36 pounds of feed per day based on the formula used here. 36 pounds of hay is roughly a small square bale of hay per day, allowing for some waste.

Conversely, feeding a large round bale of hay to two or three oxen or cows takes a few weeks.

Feeding your beef cattle round bales or square bales is a personal choice based on availability and your storage capacity. Keep in mind that the quality of forage needed to feed a beef cow doesn’t have to be legumes like alfalfa. Bales of orchard grass or other forage work well for a small herd of cattle.

How to feed the hay

You can place the hay directly on the ground for a simulated pasture feeding. The obvious problem with this is the waste from the animals walking on the hay, soiling parts of it with urine and manure. The hay pounded into the ground by heavy cattle walking on it causes the ground to become softer and muddy.

Consider using a round bale hay rack to catch the hay and prevent it from becoming soiled and trampled.

Some mechanical support is required to bring the heavy round bales of hay to the cow pasture or to the barn. A small farm tractor with a shovel can be used, or a forklift. The bales can be pulled with chains.

However you look at the cattle feeding process, knowing how much hay a cow eats helps you stay ahead of demand. Keep an eye on your storage, be aware of the weather and make sure your livestock are well fed. This will put you on the path to successfully raising some cattle on your small farm or homestead.

Knowing how much hay a cow eats, what do you prefer to feed her? Let us know in the comments below.

Ask most what hay is and they will tell you something along the lines of “dried grass fed to cows and horses in the winter.” Everyone has seen, either in real life or on TV, cattle or horses being fed hay. Hay is easily confused with straw – also used on farms. Hay is a very valuable crop with good nutritional value for animals. Here’s a blog that might clear this up for you!

Hay production has changed dramatically in the last 50 years. The hay itself – alfalfa and grasses – has increased in nutritional value. And there are even changes in baling.

Square bales can weigh 50-60 pounds. They have to be loaded onto a trailer by human hands and then taken to a barn where they are unloaded and stacked – again by humans. It’s hard work! Credit: Rachel Leege

In the 1950’s and 60’s most hay was piled up in square bales. These rectangular bales typically weighed 50-60 pounds. They were shaped to be stacked in a hayloft or barn until needed. Farmers cut hay in the field and let it dry in the sun for several days. Then they raked the dried hay in rows and ran balers across the rows. This is where the balls came from. Storage is key to keeping this crop ready to be fed to animals over the winter.

From the 1970s, new machines started a revolution in haymaking. Large round balers became available so now much of the hay brought up across the country is in large round bales. The round bales can weigh 1000 pounds or more.

Farmers began using large round balers in the 1970s to reduce human labor. The hay is cut, dried and then raked in rows. The baler rolls the hay into large, round bales. Photo credit: John Schutte

The only difference between square and round bales is the type of machinery used. The shape of the bale does not affect the nutrient content of the hay.

Why have most hay producers switched from small square bales to large round bales? This is mainly due to the labor requirements of making the smaller bales. These bales need to be picked up from the field, transported on a trailer and then stacked in a barn for storage. Ask anyone who’s had this job and you’ll quickly realize it’s hard, time-consuming work.

Round bales have the same amount of hay as about twenty square bales. They are designed to be moved with tractors. Instead of transporting twenty square bales from the field to the barn and then back to the livestock in winter, one large bale is moved with a tractor.

Large round bales of hay can weigh over 1,000 pounds and contain as much hay as 20 square bales. Credit: SV Fisk

The technology of making large round bales has turned a job that may require three or four people into a one-person job. For a farmer who can use or sell several hundred round bales in winter, that makes a big time and cost difference.

There are hay producers who continue to produce small square bales. Most of them do this primarily for the convenience of the customers who buy their hay. If someone has a horse and needs hay, small square bales are a more acceptable size to use. But for people who feed large amounts of hay, round bales are the norm. Even though round balers cost twice as much as a square baler, the labor savings on baling hay and feeding more than offset the added cost of the machine.

The next time you’re driving down a country road with big round bales of hay, remember that technological advances haven’t just happened in computers, medicine, and industry. Technology has also influenced agriculture.

Answered by Gary Bates, The University of Tennessee

About Us: This blog is sponsored and written by members of the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America. Our members are researchers and trained, certified professionals in the areas of expanding the world’s food supply while protecting our environment. We work at universities, government research organizations and private companies in the United States and around the world.

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This article was written by Pat Goodwin of Tractor Tools Direct. This article does not imply endorsement by Tractor Tools Direct’s Acreage Living newsletter. However, this information is useful for small farm owners looking to invest in their own hay equipment.

introduction

You run a small farm, own a compact tractor and have decided to make your own hay. Maybe you are tired of paying high prices for hay. Perhaps you are constantly disappointed with the quality of the hay available. Maybe you’re tired of the hay baler who doesn’t think your hay field is a priority.

Ultimately, you don’t want to rely on others for quality hay to feed your animals. You know you can do better, but you have a small tractor and everyone tells you it can’t get the job done. The key to success is choosing the right equipment for your tractor and property. Here we walk you through the step-by-step process of choosing the best gear for your needs. Let’s start!

Choosing the right hay equipment

Know your tractor

Find out about the technical data of your tractor before purchasing the device. Its power and weight are the most important specifications, but in some cases you may need to know the width or other details. Your tractor manual should contain this information.

If you don’t have the manual, traktordata.com is a great site where you can look up specs for almost any tractor.

Choosing the right hay mower

Hay mowers come in all shapes and sizes, from mini rotary mowers to the largest trailed mower-conditioners and even self-propelled machines. For the sake of brevity, we will focus here on hay mowers that are designed to be mounted to your tractor’s three-point hitch. These machines cover the needs of 99% of people who own a compact or mini tractor.

selection of the type

There are three main types of hay mowers: sickle beam, disc mowers. and drum. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. To select the mower that is best suited to your situation, first match the mower to the size of your tractor and then determine how you will be using it.

sickle bar mower

The bar mower was the first mechanical mower and was originally pulled by horses. The design is the same today as it was then. The mower operates with a reciprocating motion, moving triangular blades back and forth between stationary guard fingers. Each back and forth motion shears off any grass or vegetation caught between the stationary fingers. The action is the same as barber scissors cutting hair. This type of mower can be used for mowing hay as well as other general mowing tasks. The best rotary mowers currently in production use a double action where the guard moves in the opposite direction from the blades. This doubles the effective blade speed and greatly reduces machine vibration, making it quieter, more comfortable to use and more durable. An example of this type of mower is the DCM Italia 150, a 5-foot mower.

Although the design of a scythe mower is somewhat antiquated, its advantages are:

Requires little horsepower. If you have a very low powered tractor of 15hp or less then this option is really your only choice. Although there are very small drum mowers out there, if you have an older compact tractor like a Kubota 5000 or 6000 series, a rotary mower is the best choice.

Lighter weight. If your tractor is very light or has very little front weight, a sickle beam is the lightest hay mower and therefore your best (and safest) option.

Angled mowing function. When mowing ditch banks, crescent beams are the only type of hay mower specifically designed to work well below (or above) horizontal. Some mowers even allow you to work in a vertical position for trimming hedges or trailing edges.

Less movement = less dust. While disc and drum mowers create an air turbulence over the blades, sickle beams move relatively little. This means less dirt is thrown into the air and your freshly cut hay.

However, the disadvantages of a scythe mower include:

forward speed. The forward speed of a scythe mower is much slower than disc and drum mowers. You can mow a wide swath, but top speeds are about half that of other designs.

Constipation. It’s easy to get bogged down when working in very dense, stuck, or already cut material. Clogging is also more of a problem when the blades start to dull.

Blade repair. When blades become dull, sharpening or replacing them can be time consuming and expensive.

repair costs. Damage from hitting an unfamiliar obstacle can be expensive to repair.

disc mower

Disc mowers were invented as a logical progression from the sickle beam design. Instead of knives moving back and forth on the cutter bar, they are mounted on several small discs that rotate at high speed and are mounted on top of the cutter bar. As a rule, two freely swinging knives are screwed to each disc. The discs are driven by either a shaft or gears located inside the cutter bar. Like a sickle bar, the cutter bar essentially glides across the ground, which controls the height of cut.

The advantages of a disc mower are:

No constipation. Disc mowers effortlessly handle thick and stuck hay.

High cutting speeds. If you have the horsepower, there’s almost no limit to how fast you can go through the field. Speeds of up to 15 mph or more are feasible, although very few tractors can safely do so.

ease of transition. The hydraulic lift allows you to go from work to transport and back again without leaving the tractor seat. This is a time-saving feature when mowing multiple small fields.

However, there are some situations when you should stay away from a disc mower. Your disadvantages:

hydraulics required. If your tractor doesn’t have hydraulics, you won’t be able to raise the cutter bar vertically to get through gates and other tight areas. Until recently, this one factor kept many people from choosing a disc mower. At this time there is only one exception: the Galfre brand offers a 4-disc mower, the Model 165, with a 5ft 5in cutting width that does not require hydraulics to operate.

Weight. You’ve got the horsepower and the hydraulics, but your tractor is light. This can be a safety hazard due to the much heavier cutter bar compared to a rotary bar mower. When the mower is in the vertical transport position, the entire tractor may tip over unexpectedly.

repair costs. If you frequently mow in places where you could hit something solid like a boulder, old fence post, etc., repairing disc mowers when damaged can be very expensive.

drum mower

Although drum mowers have been popular in Europe for over 40 years, it is only recently that they have become a popular choice in the USA. Drum mowers have a significantly different design than the other two mower types. Instead of driving the cutting blades from the cutter bar, a drum mower’s “drums” are driven by an overhead gearbox. The standard drum mower has two counter-rotating drums. Each drum is essentially a cylinder, 10.14 inches in diameter and 15-24 inches long, with a large disc attached to the bottom. Depending on the model, either 3 or 4 free-swinging knives are attached to each of these discs. In operation, the entire drum/disc/knife unit rotates. This heavy rotating mass creates a lot of momentum that helps propel the mower through thick patches in the field. At the bottom of this assembly is a bowl that is mounted on ball bearings. This bowl does not rotate with the rest of the drum assembly, but rather slides on the ground and is free to rotate in either direction depending on the surface it slides over.

As a drum mower moves through the field, the drums rotate toward each other, causing the cut crop to pass between the drums and be deposited in a swath behind the mower. This swath effect must eventually be spread out again with a hay tedder or rake so that the hay can dry properly. This has been the main disadvantage of drum mowers so far. One company, Galfre, has solved this problem with its “Black Hole” conditioning system. This system ejects the cut hay at the rear of the mower, spreading it out and fluffing it up so the hay can dry where it lies. This potentially saves an extra trip through the field with a rake or tedder and can reduce drying time by up to a day.

Drum mowers are designed as very robust, simple machines. They only have a fraction of the parts of sickle beam or disc mowers. They can also be run with modest horsepower. Once the drums are up to speed, they don’t pull much power from the tractor to keep turning.

Advantages of drum mowers are:

No hydraulic requirement. You don’t have to have hydraulics on your tractor. For transport, the drums swing manually to the rear of the tractor.

Durability. Drum mowers are by far the most robust types of hay mowers. They rarely take damage, even when hitting an immovable object. This makes them a great choice for contract mowing in unfamiliar fields or mowing unruly pastures.

High ground speeds. A drum mower can operate at even higher speeds than a disc mower and twice as fast as a sickle bar.

energy efficient. This feature is especially important on older utility tractors with modest horsepower.

Disadvantages of drum mowers are:

contour mowing. Because the drums are very heavy, suspending the mower over a slope is not recommended. Drum mowers also don’t pivot enough to effectively follow extreme contours like a sickle beam would.

Weight. The heavy weight of the drum mower can be a disadvantage for tractors with light front ends. Drum mowers are very heavy compared to other types of mowers of the same width. This can make maneuverability and transport difficult if there is not enough weight holding the front wheels of the tractor down.

windrows. Because most drum mowers windrow the cut crop, it will not dry in the field without being spread or double raked. Galfre drum mowers are the exception to this rule. Their conditioning system loosens and disperses clippings for faster drying time.

Choosing the right tedder

A tedder is a machine that spreads and turns loose hay in the field. This exposes the hay on the bottom of a pile to air and sunlight, speeding up the drying process. Tedders use a twisting motion to grab the hay with spinning tines and eject it out the back of the machine.

Heavy hay in humid climates can dry faster with haymaking. It is also an indispensable machine for spreading hay to dry after a rain. Although some farmers can do without a tedder, it’s smart to have a machine that can do this important job if and when you need it. If you have a conventional drum mower other than a Galfre with conditioning system, the swath produced by the mower will not dry unless it is spread, cut or turned.

Tedders come in all sizes, from 6 feet wide to over 20 feet wide for large tractors. They don’t use a lot of horsepower, so they can be powered by almost any tractor with a PTO. They are available in drag chain versions as well as in 3-point connection. The advantage of the 3-point connection is that they can be lifted over obstacles such as windrows and transported more easily. The downside of the 3-point hitch is that some tractors may have lifting problems.

Some rakes also serve as turners with varying degrees of success. Wheel rakes can topple a swath or kick up hay spread in the field, but they tend to leave clumps of hay that don’t dry well. Some machines are specially built to convert between windrows and tedding. However, most require a lot of work to switch from one to the other, costing you valuable time, usually when you don’t have it.

A rake design for use as a tedder is the belt rake. Going from rake to tedder takes just a few seconds with this machine and they really spread the hay evenly like a tedder should. If you don’t want to buy a separate tedder, the belt rake is a good option.

Choosing the right hay rake

In order to bale hay, it must be raked in swaths. It is a common misconception that hay can be baled directly from the swath or windrow created by the hay mower. There are a few reasons why this won’t work. First, in most climates, hay does not dry well unless it is fluffed, turned, or turned with a tedder and/or rake. Second, the trail left by the hay mower is generally not suitable for being picked up by a baler, resulting in a lot of hay being missed. Third, you can typically rake at least two mowing swaths in a baling swath, resulting in fewer baler passes across the field and higher quality, more evenly dense bales.

The choices for hay rakes are many. Different regions of the country seem to prefer different types of rakes. The four best-known types are wheel rakes, parallel bar rakes, rotary rakes and belt rakes.

wheel rake

These rakes are designed for speed and productivity when handling dry hay. Wheel rakes are simple machines that require minimal adjustments to operate properly. The economical ground drive simplifies operation and reduces costs. However, direct contact with the ground can introduce dirt and stones into the hay, affecting overall quality. In addition, the swath is not as light and fluffy as with rotary rakes or belt rakes. This means that there is minimal drying after the hay is raked, so raking cannot occur until the hay is fully cured. Also, using a 3-point rake takes some practice, especially if your field has a lot of curves or corners. Wheel rakes are physically large and therefore take up a lot of space when stored. Despite these disadvantages, wheel rakes are very popular due to their low purchase and maintenance costs.

Rake for parallel bars

Called by many different names in different regions of the US, these machines are relatively simple, with a design dating back over 100 years. However, this type of calculation is being replaced by other types of calculation. Rotary rakes and belt rakes are similar in price and have additional benefits such as: B. the ability to produce loose swaths in all harvesting conditions. Wheel rakes are a more economical choice and offer similar raking quality to parallel bar rakes. Although many of these old rakes are still in use across the US, if you are considering a new rake, a different design will likely suit your needs better and give you more versatility.

rotary rake

These powered rakes create an even and fluffy swath that dries the crop faster. The gentle rotary rake minimizes leaf loss and ensures an even swath for good bale formation. These rakes are capable of handling both wet forage and dry hay, giving them greater versatility than wheel rakes. The mechanical drive of a rotary rake makes it possible to move heavy, wet crops. It also keeps the tines from touching the ground, minimizing the amount of debris getting into the crop. This results in a higher quality forage. Rotary rakes come in a variety of sizes to fit almost any size tractor. These machines are easy to maneuver and closely follow changing field contours for clean raking. They can also be either 3 point mounted or towed allowing them to be used by most tractors with a PTO.

belt rake

Belt rakes have all the advantages of a rotary rake. They can handle both wet and dry feed; they form a fluffy, even swath; the tines do not touch the ground, which reduces soiling of the forage; and they come in a variety of sizes.

However, belt rakes have a number of advantages over rotary rakes. With the same raking width, belt rakes are much more compact in size, making them much easier to use and store. Their compactness and lighter weight also make them easier to lift by your tractor, simplifying transport and navigating rough terrain. They are available in a wider range of working widths, from over 10 feet down to as little as 5 feet, making them ideal for working in tight spaces such as orchards and pine orchards.

The versatility of a belt screen cannot be matched by any other type of screen. Changing from rake to tedder is as easy as removing the hay stopper and adjusting the wheels, which takes seconds and no tools. Lowering the rake with a simple adjustment of the wheels allows the tines to aggressively contact the ground, which is great for scarifying lawns or preparing a seedbed for planting. The smaller sizes also make excellent leaf rakes, further increasing their value on the small farm.

The band rake is also the easiest type of rake to use. Because it’s so compact and works right behind the tractor, the operator spends less time turning around and checking where his rake actually is. And because it’s powered by the tractor’s PTO, it keeps running when stationary or reversing, so you can use the rake in reverse in tight spaces. It also gets around corners better and doesn’t pile up hay like a wheel rake when turning. You end up with a straighter, fluffier, more even swath that dries better and is easier to track with a baler.

Choosing the right baler

When it comes to choosing a baler, there are many options. There are also important differences within the various baler categories. For the purpose of this discussion we will focus on compact round balers and square balers as they are well suited to compact and mini tractors. Most small farmers don’t have a tractor big enough to consider a large round baler or large square baler. Information on this device is readily available elsewhere. This guide will help compact and mini tractor owners decide which baler is the best choice. Figure 5 at the end of this section summarizes the various criteria for selecting the right baler for your compact tractor business.

Mini round baler

Mini round balers, also known as roto balers, are becoming more and more popular. Once a rare oddity, many small farmers are finding that they are the best choice for getting their hay in the barn. The compact round baler works on the same principle as its larger cousin, rolling up the hay in a chamber until it reaches a certain size, then wrapping the bale with either twine or netting and ejecting it out the back of the machine.

The size of a mini round bale is about the same size as the small square bales most people are used to. They generally weigh 40-55 pounds and can easily be lifted by one person.

The mini round baler can be connected to the tractor either via the 3-point hitch or via a drawbar. For most small farmers, the drawbar connection is the better choice. Not only is it much easier to connect to the tractor, but the drawbar connection does not require you to lift the baler off the ground when cornering. Many tractors are not capable of lifting something that heavy so cornering could be a problem with a 3 point baler.

Another option with a drawbar connection is the option of extending the baling press to the side of the tractor. This feature improves visibility of the baler pickup and also prevents hay from getting caught on the underside of your tractor. This is extremely useful with larger swaths and/or short tractors.

Another feature to look for in a mini round baler is whether it has gathering wheels on the sides of the pickup. Because of their small size, their actual pickup width is only about 30 inches. This requires you to either make very small swaths or skip a lot of hay. With gathering wheels, the effective pickup width is halved again. This means you can rake a larger swath and reduce the number of passes through the field with both your rake and baler.

Most mini round balers are also available with the option of wrapping the bale in net instead of twine. Mesh wraps have a number of advantages. Firstly, the tying process with net tying is much faster as the bale only needs to be turned 2-3 times to wrap instead of 8-12 times. This means you are stopped for a shorter period of time while the bale is being wrapped, increasing production rates by 25% or more. Secondly, the net wrap provides excellent protection for the bale from rain. Studies have shown that bales of net left outside for long periods of time still only spoil on the first few inches of the bale. This means the urgency of getting the bales off the field and into the bam is reduced. Third, when the bales are handled multiple times, the netting keeps the bale together better with less wastage.

The main advantage of yarn winding is economy. Mini round balers use standard twine, which is readily available at most farm stores and is fairly inexpensive. The cost per bale of twine is about 10 cents versus about 30 cents for net tying. Another benefit of twine wrapping is for the farmer who wants to leave the bales in the field for grazing animals to eat through the winter. This used to be a common practice for farmers baling with the Allis-Chalmers roto baler. The bales from the last baling of the season would be left scattered across the field. Animals grazing in the field could nudge the bales to turn them over and reveal fresh hay. Natural sisal twine was used, which rotted away from the bale over time, allowing grazing animals to get inside the bale. This practice would not be feasible with square bales, which would spoil much faster in the field as they absorb and trap moisture.

Advantages of the mini round baler are:

Very low power requirement. A mini round baler only needs about 15 hp to operate.

Lighter weight. Round balers weigh significantly less than square balers. This means they are safer to operate on hills and can be easily towed by any size tractor.

Simpler design. Round balers are simpler machines than square balers because fewer adjustments are required and fewer parts can break.

Smoother operation. Square balers “beat” up to 90 times per minute. On a small tractor, this constant jerking motion can be a little tiring.

Small size. A mini round baler actually fits in the bed of a pickup truck. When stored, it takes up about a quarter of the space of a square baler.

Better weather resistance. If there is a possibility that the bales will remain in the field for a long time, mini round bales will withstand rain and dew much better. The mesh wrap offers an even higher level of protection.

Disadvantages are:

Lower output power. Due to the smaller pickup of a round baler and the need to stop when tying a bale, the production rate with a mini round baler is only about 1/3 to ½ of what is possible with a square baler.

marketability. If you sell hay, you may find that your customers who are used to square balers will not like the round balers. Practically speaking there is no difference, but people tend to stick with what they know.

Stack. These mini round bales actually stack well. But they will never stack as tight as a stack of square bales. This really only makes a difference if you need to stack 15 or 20 feet high.

square balers

The first machines to press hay into square bales. Although initially a stationary machine, the square baler eventually evolved into the machine we know today in the late 1930s. The design of the square baler has changed little since the International Harvester square baler went into mass production in the 1940s. The basic concept is still the same, with tines that pick up the loose hay and feed it into a chamber where a piston reciprocates, compressing the hay into a rectangular chute. From there, twine or wire is wrapped around the compressed hay and periodically tied and cut, and the process continues. The tying mechanism of a baler is a marvel, even more than 70 years after its invention.

Square balers can operate quickly and continuously, dropping a new bale onto the field every 10 seconds or less. It only takes an afternoon to spread up to 1000 bales or more in a hay field. Getting the bales into the stable is a high priority at this point. Square bales left in the field overnight tend to soak up dew and moisture from the ground. They may take some time to dry enough to stack in the barn the next day. For every hour square bales are in the field, you also risk a rainstorm. Irrigated square bales can be completely ruined. There is nothing more disheartening than having a field full of wrecked square bales that now weigh 100 pounds each and knowing you have to get them off the field and stack them somewhere.

Most standard square balers on the market require 35 horsepower at your tractor’s PTO and a minimum tractor weight of around 3000 pounds. This means that they cannot be driven with today’s compact tractors. However, Abbriata square balers can be operated with tractors with as little as 16 hp PTO power and weighing as little as 2000 pounds. Lighter tractors are also sufficient on level ground.

Abbriata manufactures square balers in 3 sizes. The smallest of the three, the Mini/S has an overall width of just 59 inches, making it the narrowest baler in the compact square baler class. The narrow width is great when you have gates or trees to navigate through. It only requires 16 hp PTO power and can be powered by almost any tractor.

The Abbriata Mini is a slightly wider baler with a 42″ pickup width, 6″ wider than the Mini/S. This pickup width is wide enough for most swaths, yet only requires 17 PTO horsepower to operate. At 66 inches overall width, it still fits through a 6-foot gate.

At a full 53 inches, the Abbriata M60 Super has the widest pick-up width in the compact baler class. This means you can create larger swaths, resulting in fewer trips through the field and a more even bale density. And the M60 Super can make up to 400 bales per hour, which is comparable to standard square balers.

A square baler has the following advantages:

High baling performance. Square balers never have to stop to wrap or tie a bale and can therefore bale a maximum tonnage in a given period of time.

Easy to handle bales. Square bales are the easiest to stack and with an average weight of around 40 pounds for an Abbriata square bale, they are easy to lift and move.

resale. When selling your hay, most customers will prefer the familiar shape and easy-to-feed flakes of a square bale.

The disadvantages of a square baler are:

Weight. Square balers are quite heavy compared to a mini round baler. If you’re baling steep slopes or have a very small tractor, the weight of a square baler can become dangerous.

Bales cannot be watered. Square bales are insensitive to moisture and act like a sponge when wet.

Mechanically complicated. Although a properly maintained square baler will run for years without the need for adjustments, a square baler must be carefully and properly set up and timed to function properly. An incorrectly adjusted baler can be damaged.

As with all farming equipment, practicing proper farming safety practices is vital. For more information on farm safety, see http://www.abe.iastate.edu/extension-and-outreach/agricultural-health-safety/.

Pat Goodwin of Tractor Tools Direct suggests that in addition to the information above about choosing the right hay equipment for your operation, there are other important questions to ask yourself before making your purchase.

1. Is the equipment in stock? Where can it be bought?

2. Does the equipment have to be shipped? About what? Costs for delivery?

3. Are parts for the equipment readily available and in stock?

4. Is the company an experienced dealer of the devices?

5. Is there a manual? Is there a parts book?

For the complete hay equipment buyer’s guide, visit the Tractor Tools Direct website at https://tractortoolsdirect.com/buyers-guide/.

1 Lifting capacity values ​​have been verified according to a test method standard established by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). The elevation is measured at the point where the loader is 500 mm (19.7 in) in front of the pivot point. The increase in 120R lifting capacity has been measured at 24%. The lift capacity of the 220R increases by 40%. The lifting capacity of the 300E increases by 34%. Results may vary based on test criteria and usage.

2To be absolutely level with you, there is no way a house of cards could be lifted up and down on a pallet and held upright. Doesn’t change the fact that our mechanical self-leveling loader stays level from lowest point to highest point. And vice versa. Well that’s level. Refer to your John Deere operator’s manual for specific instructions for your compact utility tractor, and add ballast as recommended in your John Deere loader operator’s manual. Shown with optional features. John Deere, the leaping stag symbol and the green and yellow John Deere trade dress are trademarks of Deere and Company.