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Farmall & IHC Tractors Discussion Forum
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Best suited hay bailer

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Pete_5959

07-16-2007 04:42:23




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I am closing in on retirement after serving 37 years in the Marine Corps and look forward to moving to the samll farm I have purchased in KY. My question is what was the best suited tractor put out by IH to run a small square bailer. I hope to bail about fifty acres. Thanks for all replies...

Semper FI!




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Hugh MacKay

07-18-2007 02:30:59




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
Pete: Go with the vet's two tractor idea. With 50 acres horsepower is not a big issue, however manpower is. You'll find in these modern times finding enough help is the big chalange.

Personally I'd make my two tractors about 50 and 30 hp respectively. George for example recomends 574, 584, etc., you may notice he also has Super Cs. I'd buy a 50 hp with live pto, go with baler and thrower along with a haybine, and to 50 hp will handle those nicely. then buy the SC for raking and pulling wagons in.

Forget the damn hydro, nothing but a bill of expence. They were designed for precission work, and baling is far from precission work.

I had three tractors I could bale with, namely Farmalls 300, 560 and 656. The 300 on my farm was never beaten on daily baling production, roughly 100 ton and the key was manpower to handle those bales. Just never had the manpower to give the two larger tractors a real test. Precisely why I went to round bales, and you will also.

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flying belgian

07-16-2007 19:21:26




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
Get one with the hydro trans. Everytime I small sq. bale with my 2440 JD I wish I had a hydro.



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ChrisAS

07-16-2007 13:36:30




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
If you are in the hills you need some weight to it.



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the tractor vet

07-16-2007 10:12:33




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
I don't like tryen to tell people what tractor they need but you will find that one tractor is not enough . Buy what you feel comfortable with and buy a good one not a painted up pice of junk even if ya have to spend a couple grand more , buying one in it's work clothes where ya can see where the oil leaks are and check on the ware points like clutch and brake pedals for flopyness what the holein the drawbar looks like is round or and oval look at the three point balls and amke sure that they are not ready to fall out the next time that they are used . If you are not realy up on what all to look at find someone that you can trust and take them along and buy them dinner best money spent. I see it somany times where someone goes out and buys something ant takes the word of the seller only to find out that that prize pice is going to cost them twice in repairs as they apid for it But it had a nice paint job paint is cheap Ya paint them after ya have them fixed the way ya want . I will say this that starting out your BIg tractor should be in the 70-85 horse range and a row crop style and the second tractor myself would be in the 45-65 Hp. utility with a loader that is a quick tach style . Now ya can get something done .

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georgeky

07-16-2007 08:51:09




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
Well, thanks for the service to our country. I am a 6 year vet of the army, should have stayed and got that check. Oh well. Since nobody has mentioned them I will. The 84 series are real tractors. Such as the 584,684,784 or even a 484 which I have baled quite a bit of hay with. These have wide fronts great hydraulics, 3 point, good steering and just all around handy tractors. If you prefer the old ones go with a 300/350/400/450 or even a 60 series. They also have IPTO and are great old tractors. Here is the kicker. You will not find a better hay and general use tractor than the 656/666/686. They have plenty of power for hay baling and are great mowing and tillage tractors. The 56 is a little harder to start if glow plugs aren't working they don't start very well at all. The 66 and 86 fire right up even in cooler weather. I guess it boils down to one tractor for anything I would go with a 666 or 686. These do still sell pretty good at anywhere from 5000 to maybe even close to 10,000. I lucked up on a real good 666 at auction 4 years ago and got it for 4400 bucks. Not big IH country here in Mt Sterling, Ky.

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Gary in Mozarks

07-16-2007 06:18:04




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
First off, let me say that after 37 yrs in the navy (kidding) you are ruined as a civilian. As in all things, it depends on how much you want to spend. You wern't to specific about what kind of hay baler you are talking about. If you are talking a big round baler like an older Vermeere, 800 series IH or simular, you need something in the range of 50+ horsepower, and I would suggest at least a 460, 560 706 etc. If you are talking small square bales then something as old as a MF #3 will work with 25 horsepower. There have been millions of bales put up with Super C's H's and M's. A baler with an engine mounted on it will work with anything that will pull it but finding parts when something breaks and you have hay down is impossible. For my money, and I know alot of people agree with me, nobody made a better baler than New Holland.

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Gary in Mozarks

07-16-2007 06:20:43




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Gary in Mozarks, 07-16-2007 06:18:04  
I stand corrected on the point you wern't specific about what kind of baler. I missed that the first time.



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GordoSD

07-16-2007 06:14:46




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
Absolutlely get a tractor with live PTO. TA is nice when you come to a big pile of hay on a corner, or rebaling busted bale. You are probably going to have a post hole digger, a box blade, sickle mower etc. For an acreage tractor you just gotta have the three point hitch, and preferably factory, with load and draft control. DOn't overlook the Ford diesels in the 50 hp range, the 801 series.

Gordo

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Brownie450

07-16-2007 05:42:08




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
Any tractor with a live PTO will work well on a baler. It depends what else you will be doing with the tractor. Might as well get a tractor that is sized right for your farm. If you're going to just have hay & a few horses or cows, you could get by with a 450--560---460--656. Handy to have a 3-point hitch also.



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Dick fm IA (used to be Da

07-16-2007 04:59:43




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 Re: Best suited hay bailer in reply to Pete_5959, 07-16-2007 04:42:23  
Hoorah, First of all as a civilian you only need to post things once, triplicate is one of the many things you'll leave behind in your sea bag. {Retired USN 27} Right after you join the VFW or American Legion (or both) look for an antique baler with a Wisconsin engine. Then no matter what size Famall you operate the baler will run it self AND you get another motor to putz/overhaul/cuss at. Self powered balers aren't very common but they can be a source of great satisfaction. My Nickel Dick Davis

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