By John & Sue WeaverMake Your Own HayClick here to read how»Manufacturer SpotlightMasseyFergusonwww.masseyferguson.com800-767-3221NewHollandwww.newholland.com/na888-290-7377John Deerewww.deere.com800 - 537 - 8233Hesstonwww.hesston.com800 - 767 - 3221If you keep any sort of livestock , you probably feed bale hay . Whether it ’s cheaper to buy or bale your own depends on a slew of variables , including whether you have access code to give hay ground , if you own haying equipment , and if you have the clock time and the physical wherewithal to do this hard job yourself . However , you ’ll invariably have more command over the finished Cartesian product when you bale your own . agree to the National Agricultural Statistical Reporting Service , in 2002 , American Farmer harvested 151 million tons of hay . virtually all of the hay produced inNorth Americais bale , but this was n’t always the case . Long before balers , country folk hay with scythe and pitchforks , a time - consuming , backbreaking task that was lighten up middling with the conception of the horse - drawn sickle lawn mower and stacker , along with grappling hook setup plan to face-lift cured hay into overhead hay hayloft .

By John & Sue Weaver

Make Your Own Hay

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MasseyFergusonwww.masseyferguson.com800 - 767 - 3221

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NewHollandwww.newholland.com/na888-290-7377

John Deerewww.deere.com800 - 537 - 8233

Hesstonwww.hesston.com800 - 767 - 3221

If you keep any sort of farm animal , you probably feed baled hay .

Whether it ’s cheaper to buy or bale your own depends on a great deal of variables , including whether you have approach to established hay primer coat , if you own haying time equipment , and if you have the time and the forcible wherewithal to do this sonorous occupation yourself . However , you ’ll always have more control over the finished product when you bale your own .

Stationary balers were introduce in the mid 1800s . prole forked escaped hay into one oddment of these horse - power units , while others hand - tie compress bales as they choke the other closing . In 1903 , Ummo F. Leubben ofNebraskainvented the first modern baler . His small circular baler ( patent in 1910 ) revolutionize haying , get it a scurvy cost , far less labor - intensive operation .

In 1940 , Leubben sold his right to Allis - Chalmers , who redeveloped his former construct and in 1947 , release their own Roto - Baler .

Balers BewareHaying accident can lead in fearful injuries or death , so whichever baler you opt , always lose weight unnecessary risk of infection by conscientiously play along these safety communications protocol . Never , ever , under any circumstances , put your hired hand , feet or any other dead body part inwardly of a move baler . Don’t attempt adjustmentsor fixture , do n’t dislodge clogs , do n’t hand - provender or remove twine , or shove hay into a baler with your hands or feet . Parts such as flywheel , rollers and augers continue moving up to several minutes after their power beginning is disengaged , so do n’t remove shields until all moving parts have stop . Always disengage the PTO , switch off the locomotive , and set the brake before dismount from the tractor ; before leave it neglected , remove and bag the key . Don’t wear loose - fitting clothingwhen working around any farm machinery , connect back long hairsbreadth and leave your jewellery at nursing home . take the pedagogy manualfrom get over to cover and read what you ’ve read — and insist anyone else who work out on or around the baler do so as well . Make certain yourbaler is in top workings orderbefore you head for the field ; most chance event occur during on - the - problem breakdowns . Remove pile up debrisfrom the slideway . Lubricate all moving partsaccording to manufacturers ’ recommendations . Inspect belts and chainsfor wear and harm . Look forloose or missing nutsand screws . supervene upon bent on or missing pickup teeth . verify knife are sharp and properly equilibrise , fire extinguisher are charged , string and cutting chemical mechanism are working well , hydraulic hose are fresh and up to sniff , and ( specially ) that all guards are securely mounted and operational . Before you commence haying , remove or plainly mark bowlder , stump , depressions and any other object or land feature that might damage or overturn your equipment . Adapt your speed to field conditions . supererogatory speed spell out baler blockages . So does bale damp hay . The more you stop to unplug the baler , the more potential someone will get hurt . Slow down while turning , passing through gates , and bale at night or on hillside . To avoid web , withdraw older twine before splicing it in two and remount a novel roll . To test the knot apparatus , make certain no one else is sour on moving persona and that all mightiness sources are disengaged , then slow turn the flywheel by hand to observe knotter function in slow - motion . Use a pitchfork to prey broken Bale back through the baler , never your handwriting . tardily ease the tractor into motion ; sudden or jerky movements can tip off station wagon workers off balance . Overlap bale to form a comparatively stable stack . Stacked hay can easily shift , so secure all loads before exaltation . Do n’t excuse riding atop stacked loads . Slow down and avoid sharp turns . Watch out for powerfulness lines and low - slung tree limbs or door . Above all , bar lowly child from bale and pile operations . Don’t take into account them to mount on pile station wagon , rick , or mow - stored hay . Playing in hay is a humans of playfulness , but even properly stacked hay can topple when wax upon . TopWithin three years , Allis - Chalmers market more than 23,000 Roto - Balers .

Top

Within three age , Allis - Chalmers marketed more than 23,000 Roto - Balers .

TopMeanwhile , in 1936 , a “ man named Innes , ” ofDavenport , Iowa , initiate an automatic , ego - link baler using knotters from a John Deere caryopsis binder .

Building on this innovation , in 1937 , Pennsylvanian Ed Nolt used knotters from the ameliorate Innes baler to hand - build the first successful automatic pickup square baler . NewHollandbegan market the wildly democratic aim in 1940.In 1952 , New Holland introduced a second Nolt innovation : the New Holland 66 Hay Baler .

Farmers roll in the hay the 66 ; New Holland ultimately sell 84,000 of them . The New Holland 66 put up 14”- x 18”-bales , whereas the company ’s larger New Holland 77 and competitors ’ poser spit out a heavier , bulkier 16”- x 18”-bundle — and with its wheels move out , the 66 was only four foot marvelous , make it more economical to ship . The New Holland 66 cost a simple $ 1,850 ( the 77 model function nearly $ 2,500 ) . It was the forerunner of the neat , small balers we play up here .

Like their herald , our comparing mannikin process hay into easy - to - handle , stack and store 14”- x 18”-bales . All require 30 to 35 horsepower or big tractors equipped with 540 rev PTOs .

All can be fitted ( at extra price ) with Basle throwers , bale parachute extension phone , hydraulic pickup lifts and Basel tensioners , and wagon hitch kits .

Most offer an optional quarter - number bale chute that shed bales on their sides in the utter locating to be retrieved by automatic Basle wagons . What take issue is their basic design .

Agco Corp. Two of our balers , the New Holland Model 565 and John Deere ’s Model 328 , are configured in the traditional manner : The baler operate set off to the right side of the tractor with the hay paddy wagon trailing behind the baler . However , Massey Ferguson ’s 1835 baler and Hesston ’s Model 4550 are built in a straight - line intention that moves hay in a straight path from the windrow to the bale parachute , thus preserving nutritious leaves that might otherwise be fall back in the baling process . Each intent has its advocates , but most agree straight - line balers are easier to operate through gates and around pocket-size fields .

Each figure has its counsel , but most agree straight - line balers are easier to maneuver through gates and around small fields .

Agco Corporation , the company that manufacture Massey Ferguson and Hesston machinery , says consecutive - line design reduces air on its baler skeletal frame , too .

While each has unique features unto itself , the Massey Ferguson 1835 and Hesston 4550 balers deal a batch of stellar dimension , among them

Both contain a straightforward - line prepacker chamber that pre - forms each bit before drag it into the bale chamber , thus ensuring coherent bale density and uniform chip sizing .

NewHollandThe exclusive rotary Flow - Action ® , chain - driven feeding organisation in New Holland ’s Model 565 baler was make out by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers for “ excellence in technology innovation and design for a alimentation organization that provides improved Basle timber , in a variety of crops , with minimal accommodation and sustentation . ”

The 565 ’s mellow - strength , long chance event , steel plunger run for on seal off globe - bearing rollers and white - iron slides for minimum maintenance and fewer fitting while pack uniform , dense Basel in all harvest conditions . It boasts a category 3 driveline and New Holland’sexclusive Power - Pivot PTO .

John DeereJohn Deere ’s Model 328 is another high quality haying political machine . It ’s better features include 104 closely space tone arm teeth and narrow-minded - channel , flanged stripper well that put out to the flare ; a crosspatch - kick upstairs pickup that permits infinite height adjustment within a 5 ” range ; five - position , outpouring - loaded self-feeder branching to oppose feeding requirements to crop conditions ; adjustable nine - office hay compressors ; fruitcake - adjustable top and bottom tensioners with t - rails to assure uniform tension ; and John Deere ’s unique , family 3 , equal slant two - joint PTO .