Can an M bale hay?

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

This is probably a dumb question for most of you, but watch a Green Acres show and you'll think of me. . . .

I bought a 1945 M last winter, and now I'm having so much fun with it I got to wondering if it is big enough to bale hay. If so, what hay baler should I be looking to buy? I have an area about 2 or 3 acres I could hay. Thanks for everybodys' patience with me on this.

jjamna · Jul 17, 2008

Most certainly. Stick with a small square baler. The M Farmall was one of the biggest of it's time. I have baled with mine but it is geared a little high. Unless you are lucky and have one with a M&W 9 speed . I would stick with small win rows. Thats my 25 cents worth (inflation has hit everyehere)

dhermesc · Jul 17, 2008

With light winrows it will bale just fine. Make sure you have an over riding clutch on the PTO so the tractor doesn't get shoved around by the baler's flywheel.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

Buy a small square baler with a motor. The "M" does not have live power.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

Don't know of any balers that don't already have an overrunning clutch built into the drive line.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

Oak,
You sure can, the M was "THE" tractor of its day. For balers stick to something similar to JD 24T, IH 46, NH 68 or their newer counterparts, and definitely get a manual, a baler can drive a experienced "baler" to tears withhout an adjustment reference.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

The M worked great on a NH68 wire tie.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

When I was growing up we baled about 60 acres a year with a C pulling an old McCormick 45 square baler. I would not recommend it (the 45 or pulling it with the C), but it can be done. Obviously an M would do a lot better since it has roughly double the power of the C.

Dave S. · Jul 17, 2008

I am using a MF #10 PTO driven behind a H and have plenty of power. The problem is the H is to fast in 1st gear, the baler cannot handle the heavy windrows that swathers bigger than 10' make(mostly because of increased production of hay crop this year). If you have a motor driven baler this shouldn't be a problem. Just something to think about when buying a baler.

SuperCpuller · Jul 17, 2008

Me and my dad ran a JD 336 small square baler with an 1941 M and it did alright. We ran in first but where the windrows weren't that big we tried second and it handled it. Don't if it would be my primary baling tractor but it did the job.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

Thanks for the input guys!

I have a brand-new over ride clutch on the PTO. My Dad (a real farmer!) insisted on that the very first thing when I bought the tractor.

Any idea what one of these small square balers might set me back?

GordoSD · Jul 17, 2008

I bought a New Holland 275 two years ago for 1100$ Another 200 for new parts.
The NH balers are the best bang for the buck. And you can get manuals for them.

Gordo

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

Yes, it will. But it is a mystery to me why anyone would want to own and maintain a baler for 2 or 3 acres of hay.

Allan in NE · Jul 17, 2008

Hayin' season would go really fast. :>)

Allan

mkirsch · Jul 17, 2008

Oh heck yes it will run the baler!!! I've related this story a couple of times, but the park lock in the 1066 fell apart, rain was coming, and the Super M was sitting there with 2 loads left to bale. He hooked it on the old 430 IH baler, and ran those two loads on before the rains came.

If a Super M can do it pulling a loaded wagon, an M can certainly do it with just the baler, and can probably pull a wagon too...

I'd love to be able to own and maintain a baler for 2-3 acres of hay. Put the old Super H to work dropping them on the ground, and put the old guys in the RC club to work picking them up

55 50 Ron · Jul 17, 2008

I bale about 80 bales per year, two cuttings, from less than two acres just to keep my feet in the dirt" (actually feet in the hay) since I grew up on a farm but went away to college and a job as an engineer and now like to re-live the farm life stuff on a real small scale.

about 40 bales is just right to whet the appetite. I found a NH 68 in great shape for a few 100 dollars and it"s fun to adjust and use when I don"t HAVE to use it to make a living since I"m now retired. Friends get the bales for their horses.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2008

Yes, by all means. Go for it. I personally baled several thousand bales with an M and an IH 45 baler before we got an IH 46 and then a JD 14T. After a couple of years of that, Dad decided I was big enough to ride the rack and stack the hay. The Oliver 88 that we got later was a lot easier to run.

Janicholson · Jul 17, 2008

Just a bit of info. The 9 speed adds gears between 4th and fifth. They work for some light fast tasks, but do not change the ground speed of the first 4 gears. JimN

tcanthonyii · Jul 17, 2008

My buddy picked up I think a New HOlland square bailer , wire tie, for a hundred bucks at the salvage yard down the street from his place. He also has an old oliver he paid about the same for. Go to farm auctions. Probably pick one up for scrap price,a bout 1-200 bucks, put a couple hundred more in it and you will be good to go.

He bails with an H so the M would be just fine. We're gonna run my M up there when I get it going perfect to run hay.

T.C.

CenTexFarmall · Jul 17, 2008

Last summer I baled close to 30 bales with an old New Holland round baler and a '50 model M. It was all it wanted but it did it!

If you haven't baled anything before though, I have to warn you that you become one busy dude with no IPTO or live hydraulics! You have to get a little bit of a running start at the windrow and then pull out of the windrow as you finish the bale. It takes a little maneuvering!

kossuth · Jul 18, 2008

Wow, you actually got the M to run a round baler... Most M's anymore are in the neighborhood of 40-50 hp (being when they were overhauled they were eithor bored or had high altitude pistons installed) on the PTO. All but the smallest of round balers require 60+ hp. As for a small square baler, the M will run right along with just about 95% of em wagon or not. As long as you're not trying to bale up 14' wide windrows it'll do just great with a skilled operator. It's kinda tough and requires a quick left foot and hand to master the two step method. Which is kicking the tractor into neutral yet while keeping the PTO speed up to keep the baler from plugging up in heavy hay/windrows. If you're not so good at this step and you'll find out real quick and often how well adjusted your slip clutch is and just how many spare shear pins you have left in the baler tool box. We used a M with a NH 68 for years doing 3000-5000 bales a year when I was a kid stacking the hay on the wagon pulling behind the baler. We could do an average of 100-125 bales an hour with that setup. Sometimes we'd get close to 200 an hour depending on how things were going.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 18, 2008

I understand - but there's no logic to any of my 'farming'. I'm just having fun playing farmer. If I were younger, I would love to take this seriously (and farming today is definitely serious business). At my age, I'm just enjoying being active and with this old-time equipment, I'm also enjoying not having to justify the bottom line on everything I do. I don't golf, so I guess maybe this is the next best place to waste my time and money. Keeps me off the streets and out of the bars most of the time, anyway.

CenTexFarmall · Jul 18, 2008

This one is just a stock M as far as I know, but it was an older, smaller round baler. I think the bales are in the 800-1000 pound range. The cows don't seem to care!

I didn't have much luck with the two step method for this one and found it easier to just pull out of the windrow as I was finishing and tying. I didn't shear any bolts, but as soon as I put any pressure on that old clutch, it would slow or or even stop fairly quickly.

I managed to plug the baler a time or two while starting bales, that's where the disadvantage of not having the IPTO or even a TA showed up. I had a couple of heavier windrows that I sweated, but it ate them up without too much trouble.

I thought about doing squares, but that stacking-loading-unloading-restacking......More work than I wanted to do!

Elmers Grassman · Jul 18, 2008

My first two years here I cut 30 acres with my H. I run a 7 ft 990 and allis 444 square baler. I would love an M. Good luck have fun.

georgeky · Jul 18, 2008

We have pulled a 6X5 baler since the early 80's with a 52 HP IH 584 tractor. Have ran it in a pinch with the 484. 42 HP. Pull a 535 JD now behind a 65 HP 666. I also know a guy that pulls a 241 IH roller behind a 35 MF. I was surprised by that but I seen him rolling hay with it several times.

georgeky · Jul 18, 2008

If you will get a higher capacity baler such as the NH 275, 315 or IH 430/440 you will bale hay as good as anyone can. We have baled thousands of bales with a Super C and 230 Farmall pulling both a Super 68 and IH 430 baler.

The small low capacity balers will be harder to pull in thick hay without live PTO and slower gears.

georgeky · Jul 18, 2008

Balers have their own over running clutch on the flywheel. No need for it on the tractor unless you have your shaft welded to the flywheel.

IndianaRed · Jul 18, 2008

My Grandfather ran a custom haying outfit for 40 years, plus his own cow/calf farm for going on 88 years now. Says he baled 5 million bales over his lifetime, mostly with his Super H, until the 70's when they moved up to the 706, and then an 826. Thought he was putting me on, but he was serious.

He lets me wake up the old M when I go out to bale the brome and alfalfa, bounces me up and down a lot, but has no problem pulling the JD 336 with an accumilator behind. Just hard since it's not a Super and no live PTO. Sure isn't as easy as he always made it look, but then he was on the Super H.

Going out in a week for the 2nd cutting! I love hayin like a fat kid loves cake!

Smith1000 · Jul 19, 2008

I bale using a Super MTA with a Hesston 5500 "Rounder" baler. The baler says it needs a minimum of 50 HP at the PTO. From what I have read, the Super M has about 43.9 max HP at the PTO. The round baler will make 5 X 5s, but I make them shorter. I estimate the bales weigh about 600-650 lbs. Last year, I made them at around 700. The baler will make bales up to about 1,000 lbs. Making them somewhat smaller is easier on the M and and the baler belts. The M has no difficulties with this size bale. If I make the max size, it will struggle some, especially if pulling on a slope. This baler is notoriously difficult for starting bales, regardless of HP. Have to hit the windrows in higher gear to get the spin going. Once spinning, generally there are no problems. It clogs now and then in heavier windrows. The narrow front helps push the windrows down some. I would like to buy a smaller round baler at some point, possibly one that makes a 4 foot wide bale, with a max height of 6 foot. Some of the smaller round balers are rated at 40 HP or less.

Kippster · Jul 19, 2008

Heavens yes she'll run a small square baler and never miss a beat. I pull an IH 47 baler, and a big loaded kicker box behind a 48 farmall H and she never bats an eye except for trying to bale heavy hay going uphill. It's a joy to operate, just don't get in a hurry. Its a hobby that you are looking into and it should remain fun. Good luck and enjoy your tractor.

TMonton · Jul 20, 2008

Oh yeah ... can it ever.

Years ago we used to put up 1000+ bales a day between two H's. This was working a model 45 baler and pulling a body behind on the wagon. We would load those wagons as high as we could stand it too.

This was all on rolling hills and I never worried if we could carry the load. The whole caravan would pull well in 2nd gear about 3/4 throttle.

In a previous post this same baler was mentioned being notorious for knotter problems. Our experience too ... it took a third body to ride the twine box, pull twine when it slipped out of the fingers and tie bales before they pound past you. I usually drove but pulled this duty as well and it got pretty dusty back there.

Although true, the H or the M doesn't have a live PTO but knowing your equipment, you can quick feather the clutch and gear box into neutral without a jerk or missing a beat of the hammer. Timing ....

Do use the bolt on draw bar tongue ( I don't know the formal name of this peice ) otherwise you will rattle and beat your swinging draw bar to pieces after while. Use a heavy well fitted draw pin and it runs amazingly smooth considering whats going on behind you.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 22, 2008

The farm all H was the standard baling tractor on all the farms around me in the 1950s.The M will do it better..

charles todd · Jul 22, 2008

I do not know why there is even a qusetion if a M can bale. I know 2 tractors that have both ran a Vermer 504C and a NH Hayliner (no.??). The Farmall 504 C and a Massey Ferguson 135, both diesels. These two have made 300-400 5x4 round bales a year for 30+ years. One in East Texas and one in NW Louisiana. We do not crimp the hay. We cut with PZ mower (5ft and 7ft) in Ryegrass and Coastal Bermuda. They never miss a beat uphill, full bale it 2nd gear.

Can an M bale hay?

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