OT Bale size

Steve A W · May 7, 2016

What is the standard size of a small square bale?
My 10yr old daughter saw something on straw bale gardening.
Couldn't find farmer bales. Only guy I know of near me wasn't
home the three times I stopped. I ended up at the "Yuppy" feed
and seed.
A kid brought the bales from somewhere in the back and loaded
them in the back of the suburban for me.
I got home and unloaded them, now it's been thirty five years
since I've thrown bales, I about hit my fist on the ceiling.
Doggone bales are only three foot by maybe sixteen inches.
Cost $6.75 a bale.
It's tuff having little girls!

Steve A W

kub6040 · May 7, 2016

Standard square in louisiana is 14x18x36 and sell for 5-8 dollars at feed stores in the feild for about 3 .

RGMartin · May 7, 2016

Same here in PA except for $2.50ish off the wagon if you take a whole load. Packed as tight as the baler will make and not brake twine.

David G · May 7, 2016

I think you should make them a "little" smaller, people can lift them and you can make a few more.

markct · May 7, 2016

Sounds like about a standard bale to me, and straw bales are generally a bit lighter than grass. Price is about right for feed store too, around here in Connecticut seems to be 4 or 5 bucks from the farm or 6 to 8 bucks from the store

Bill VA · May 7, 2016

There is no standard size. Most balers make a 14x18 inch bale x whatever the length might be for that particular operator/producer. Length is all over the place IMHO. Other small square balers are 16 x 18 inch x some length. My bales are 14x18 with a goal of 32 inches long - tightly packed.

CenTex Farmall · May 7, 2016

I haven't touched a square bale in 20+ years and don't plan on starting!

I don't know about size but remember well putting hay in the loft that Grandpa had baled. He had an IH baler and the bales weighed 60 or 70 pounds and there was no chance you would be able to get your fingers under the wire.

I helped my uncle a few years back picking some twine tied bales out of the field. You had to be very careful not to break them. I think they weighed maybe 20 lbs a piece. He was well aware his old baler has about had it.

SHALER · May 7, 2016

Agree with kub6040. If there is such a thing as a standard size, it would be 14*18*36.

RedGreenGuy · May 7, 2016

Baled 12,000 small squares per year for the horse market. 14x18x36 was about 60 lbs. Just right for female horse owners. Piggy backed several trailer loads to
little Rock area. Avg $5.00 per bale after my shipping costs. 450 bales per 53' enclosed trailer.

VicS · May 7, 2016

We try to keep bale lenght under 36". Sell for $5 out of field. $6 in barn and you load. Have sofar sold out. Take scale to field. Keep bales as close to 50lb. As possible. But under 60 always. You got a deal!

flying belgian · May 7, 2016

I would say the standard size is twice as long as they are wide so you can criss-cross them when stacking on the wagon. When Pa first got his baler he made the bales only about 20" long so my sisters and I could handle them up in the mow. They didn't stack worth a darn on the wagon but it saved him from paying some hired help. All it cost him was more twine but twine was cheap back in the 60s.

Roy in UK · May 8, 2016

IH tried a prototype baler on our farm that made 16" deep bales. I think New Holland made (makes? ) a similar baler too but the norm seems to be 14" deep. For stacking purposes they MUST be twice the width in length. Having said that I have never touched a 'small' bale since 1985! ( and since 1975 we had mostly big bales)

Bruce from Can. · May 8, 2016

The percentage of moisture in the bale dictates the weight of the bale. A fresh from the field bale will weigh more than a bale that has been barn stored for two years. 14x18x36 is perfect for loading

showcrop · May 8, 2016

As others have said standard is 14x18x36, so that they will cross up properly when stacked. Bales coming out of a baler with a kicker however will usually be a good six inches shorter, so that they are less likely to bend or go round when they have a hard landing.

Ken Macfarlane · May 8, 2016

Depends where you live, areas with kicker wagons tend to standardize on 32-34" while other areas are 36-40"

DoubleR · May 8, 2016

A friend of mine baled a bunch of small bales for a Yuppy supplier one time. He said never again. He had a heck of a time stacking them and getting them to stay put on a flat bed to haul them to the big city.
I buy hay and straw all over the place for my own use and to resale. I would say 36 inches long is pretty much the standard. I have one guy that makes a 40 inch bale. He gives me a good price and I use them for my own use so I don't mind. But I can't get as many on my trailers and they don't stack as well in my enclosed trailer.

Bud Sather in MT · May 8, 2016

I like mine 14 x 18 x 42. Makes a very nice load on the hay wagon. Most are 80-90 pounds. Bud

Hay hay hay · May 8, 2016

I use most of my hay here on the farm. Make my own bales 42" to 44". Then sell my excess for $4/bale.

But this year I had a guy complain...said the bales were too long...hard to stack on his trailer.
He asked if I could "make them 6" shorter next year, for the same price?"
I decided in this case to help this buyer out by making shorter bales!!!!!!!
It was a tough decision....took me all of 10 seconds.

keh · May 8, 2016

Most small squares are 14 x 18 as stated above. Larger balers like the old NH 77, 282, etc made 16 x 18 bales. The same reasons for making them 36 inches long applies, better stacking.

KEH

wolfman · May 8, 2016

For good stacking 14X18 in bales, make them 42in long then three 14s on edge =42.

Andy Martin · May 8, 2016

We always assumed 30 bales to the ton. 67# per bale, but when custom baling we always spot weigh to verify bales per ton. Now people can't handle 67# bales and I get no complaints with 50# bales. I get complaints with 60# bales. Price is always based on local availability.

I had an old Ford baler that was 16"x18". NH bale wagons will accommodate them but they sure don't fit in a pickup bed like 14"x16" bales.

OT Bale size

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