Posted by ridgeandvalley on January 29, 2019 at 09:13:41 from (174.124.123.97):
Seems cold days free up the mind and get people to thinking... about the past and the future. So here's mine... thinking about making hay and the next few years.
I own about 8 - 10 acres of ground I can cut hay off. For years I had neighbors make hay from this land and I took shares, or just paid them to do it for me. Then it got harder to find anyone willing to do it (small squares), plus I was always "last on the list" when it came to cutting hay. I understand that. I'd take care of my own stuff first too, but it was hard never quite knowing when / if my hay would get done.
Luckily, some of my in-laws decided it was time to take on the job. So, with a hodge-podge collection of old haying equipment that had to be pulled 10 miles to my place, we started to make it a family affair. It was kind of fun, as some of them are long retired from farming, while some had farmed as kids, but hadn't continued. They'd all show up and re-live old times... and about 1/2 the time we'd get the hay in without any major breakdowns LOL. I even got to use my old 8n tractor to do a little raking and pull some hay wagons around. I don't really have a farm background, but I've been learning as I go.
A few years ago, I had a chance to pick up an old NH haybine, and that eliminated one piece of equipment that had to be pulled 10 miles up the highway (and then 10 miles back... twice a year). It's been working well. Then last year, the tractor we had been relying on suddenly developed problems and we had to scramble and borrow a neighbor's tractor as there was no way my 8n could handle the job, and my father in law's Farmall M didn't have live PTO... so I started to think about picking up a bigger tractor. In just a matter of weeks, a Ford 960 almost fell into my lap... live PTO, power steering, remote hydraulics, and a seller willing to deliver the tractor for no extra cost. Used it just once last year to do second cutting of hay, and it seems like it's going to get the job done just fine (I do have a PTO problem I have to address this spring once its warm enough to work on it).
Now for the "future" part... I know for the amount of land I have, and the amount of hay I need for my small hobby farm, I could probably just buy hay and not have to deal with the expense and hassle of equipment, but I do kind of enjoy the process, and it's nice to feel like my land is providing for the needs of my livestock. So, bit by bit, I would like to pick up some more haying equipment so I don't have to borrow as much. Maybe one piece each year. I was thinking the first thing I would look for is a rake. I have been using a side delivery rake and it seems to do the job just fine, but I don't know if that's the best option to look for or not. I only do 2 cuttings of mostly grass hay each year, and the first cutting tends to be pretty heavy. In terms of ease of use, etc... do you think I should stick with a side delivery rake, or should I consider a smaller wheel rake. I see some smaller 3 or 4 wheel rakes that sell for pretty low prices. Never used one and don't know much about them... just curious what people's thoughts are in comparison to the side delivery rake I'm used to.
One other rake question as well. I've been looking at auction results at tractorhouse to get an idea of cost. I want to find something for less than $1,000, and it seems like quite a few go in that range. If I found something local, it would be no problem, but how much of a hassle is it going to be if I find something 100 miles away or more? Assuming you can't just haul one down the highway without ruining something. Can they be loaded onto a trailer easily for hauling? Or should I just keep my eyes open for something closer to home? I'm not in a huge rush, because I do have access to a rake I can borrow, but want to get educated in case something does pop up that seems like a good buy.
Eventually I may also be asking similar questions about a small square baler, but I'm leaving that for last since they still intimidate me... still seems too much like "magic" the way they take the hay in and produce a tightly packed bale LOL.
Thanks in advance for any "old hay equipment" insight. Sorry for the long post... if you made it all the way to the end, I'm impressed. :lol:
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