Our new hay barn just burnt along with 300 rolls of bermuda hay and our hay baler (Outch). I am now looking for another round baler. We had a NH 688 for the last 5 years and it was a pretty good baler. We have a 6415 JD tractor (85HP). I am currently looking at the JD 566 for 567 (twine) but have heard good things about the Vermeer rollers. I like the idea of the JD's having their own hydraulic system. Do the vermeers have their own hydraulic systems? I am wanting to spend around $15,000. What do think of these rollers and any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for all that reply.
Need a new round baler
- Thread starter jon1matt
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mtncows
Well-known member
Sorry for your loss.Use the search feature on this board and type up round balers.There is a lot of info.Most advise to go with the baler you can get parts and service for best.As far as I know, the Vermeer balers are fine.
grannysoo
Well-known member
jon1matt":3tr2vemn said:
Sorry for your loss.
At $15K, I think that you're wanting to buy a good used baler. I don't know about the others, but a new JD 467 with netwrap is going to set you back about $30K.
In my area, it's pretty much JD and Krone. Make sure you buy something that you can readily get parts and dealer support on. And my 2 cents worth is to buy a system with netwrap. You can bale twice as fast netwrapping as you can with twine.
Earl Thigpen
Well-known member
For what it's worth I just picked up a practically new NH for $14k.
Sorry for your loss. What caused the fire, any ideas?
Sorry for your loss. What caused the fire, any ideas?
1982vett
Well-known member
jon1matt":3iyhnvtv said:
Fuel used and time spent stitting still tieing a bale can be used to bale hay. The more hay baled the more netwrap pays off.
grannysoo
Well-known member
jon1matt":3ch9eyao said:
Using JD coverage, you're looking at about $1.00 per roll for netwrap. If any of it is going to be shipped/hauled, they love it over twine wrap. Takes me about 8 seconds to netwrap a completed bale vs. 60 seconds to twine wrap. By the time you finish twine wrapping, I'm ready to wrap another bale.
Earl Thigpen
Well-known member
I see folks here talking about the low cost of net wrap but my research shows something completely different.
First off, the net wrap hardware added to your baler will run the cost up more that $4000.00. So a string wrap baler costing $30K will cost you $34K or more just to get the net wrap. Go check it out if you don't believe me.
Depending on the size of the bale and now many wraps of net you apply you may only get a hundred bales for a roll of the net wrap. And so far I can't find any net wrap for less than about $300.00. So doing the math it adds about $3.00 to the cost of each bale you roll up.
Lastly, according to some research by universities the net wrap adds practically nothing to hay freshness or storage ability over string.
The up side is that it takes only one or two turns of the bale in the chamber to wrap the net versus 15 or so turns for string. BIG time saving if that's important to you.
Not trying to be a horses behind but YOU do the research and if you still want the net wrap and you've got the bucks, go for it. The bales sure look pretty but that's about the extent of it.
First off, the net wrap hardware added to your baler will run the cost up more that $4000.00. So a string wrap baler costing $30K will cost you $34K or more just to get the net wrap. Go check it out if you don't believe me.
Depending on the size of the bale and now many wraps of net you apply you may only get a hundred bales for a roll of the net wrap. And so far I can't find any net wrap for less than about $300.00. So doing the math it adds about $3.00 to the cost of each bale you roll up.
Lastly, according to some research by universities the net wrap adds practically nothing to hay freshness or storage ability over string.
The up side is that it takes only one or two turns of the bale in the chamber to wrap the net versus 15 or so turns for string. BIG time saving if that's important to you.
Not trying to be a horses behind but YOU do the research and if you still want the net wrap and you've got the bucks, go for it. The bales sure look pretty but that's about the extent of it.
john250
Well-known member
dun":i448b3by said:
Claas 66 (94 model) here. The netwrap was included in the price and a $300 roll will do just under 300 rolls.
I have never used the twine boxes. I don't want anything but net. When we have freezing rain, it can be a problem. That is when we feed out of the barn or the tarped hay.
The bales don't fall apart! Maybe 2 in 500, and that is usually because the loader guy screws up.
Guess you can tell I like net.
ToddFarmsInc
Well-known member
I really like my newholland rnd baler. Also I got the oppurtunity to evalutate a net wrap baler for one summer. I liked them pretty well. When you pick up a bale sometimes the outside roll on a twine tied bale will pull off and they don't do that with the wrapped. Also a net wrapped bale unwraps easier. But it's true, if they get a coating of ice on them, they are just about impossible to unwrap.
DiamondSCattleCo
Well-known member
You won't like switching from a 688 to a Deere of any model. The greens are simply not the baler as the old 688s were. I can roll into a heavy field faster and make more uniform, heavier bales than any JD that I've had to bale beside. The new BR780s are ok, however the external greasable bearings on the rollers are not all they're hyped up to be. You may not blow as many bearings, however when you do lose one, you often take the stub shaft out of the roller as well. I know many custom guys who wished they'd stuck with their 688s instead of upgrading. For the casual baler, less than a thousand bales a year, the BR780s are just fine though.
Another thing to look at is a Hesston 956/956A or the Massey equivalent. I had the opportunity to bale beside one last year, and their pickups are simply second to none. I had my NH pickup set as good as I could get on a light windrow, and I was leaving behind a few sticks. The 956 I was baling beside wasn't leaving anything behind at all. They appear to have slightly higher pickup RPM, not to mention a much heavier pickup than either the NH or the Deere. Overall, the entire machine is built heavier than either a NH or a Deere. The brand spanking new 956s utilize 2 bearings per roller side (total of 4 bearings per roller), which I think is a better option than the external grease types. I talked to a custom baler who had switched and he'd done 20,000 bales without losing a single bearing.
As a side note, I work at a Massey dealer doing parts these days. We sell bearings and teeth for all makes and models since we're the only dealership for 60 miles, and I brought in several sets of bearings for the 956s (including the earlier model ones with only one set of bearings per roller) and I sold two lousy bearings to a first model year 956 with 14,000 bales on it. I think thats impressive. Whether I continue to work at the Massey dealer or not, my next baler is going to be a 956, probably the the A model with the self contained hydraulics and the auto-everything. Very nice in cab monitor, better than the Deere or the NH by far.
Its another option to think about. Having said all that, there are plenty of low bale 688s around that sell cheap these days.
Rod
Another thing to look at is a Hesston 956/956A or the Massey equivalent. I had the opportunity to bale beside one last year, and their pickups are simply second to none. I had my NH pickup set as good as I could get on a light windrow, and I was leaving behind a few sticks. The 956 I was baling beside wasn't leaving anything behind at all. They appear to have slightly higher pickup RPM, not to mention a much heavier pickup than either the NH or the Deere. Overall, the entire machine is built heavier than either a NH or a Deere. The brand spanking new 956s utilize 2 bearings per roller side (total of 4 bearings per roller), which I think is a better option than the external grease types. I talked to a custom baler who had switched and he'd done 20,000 bales without losing a single bearing.
As a side note, I work at a Massey dealer doing parts these days. We sell bearings and teeth for all makes and models since we're the only dealership for 60 miles, and I brought in several sets of bearings for the 956s (including the earlier model ones with only one set of bearings per roller) and I sold two lousy bearings to a first model year 956 with 14,000 bales on it. I think thats impressive. Whether I continue to work at the Massey dealer or not, my next baler is going to be a 956, probably the the A model with the self contained hydraulics and the auto-everything. Very nice in cab monitor, better than the Deere or the NH by far.
Its another option to think about. Having said all that, there are plenty of low bale 688s around that sell cheap these days.
Rod
Earl Thigpen
Well-known member
I checked with JD, Vermeer and NH dealers on the net wrap and ALL told me pretty much the same thing. $300 per roll of net wrap, 100 bales (depending) and $4500 to add the option on the baler.
I did not check with Heston, Class, M&W or any other baler manufacturer because there are none of those guys around my neck of the woods. I did not check any other source of net wrap outside the dealerships. Wouldn't know how well the $100 roll of net wrap would hold up until I tried it and by that time I would already be $5K in the hole only to find out the cheap stuff doesn't work.
300 bales out of a roll of net wrap? Wow, how big are your bales, how many wraps do you put on and how much net wrap is on the roll? That's great you can get that many.
Guys, I'm not trying to start a pi$$ing contest. I'm just giving the gent that asked the question more of a true picture of what he wants to know.
I did not check with Heston, Class, M&W or any other baler manufacturer because there are none of those guys around my neck of the woods. I did not check any other source of net wrap outside the dealerships. Wouldn't know how well the $100 roll of net wrap would hold up until I tried it and by that time I would already be $5K in the hole only to find out the cheap stuff doesn't work.
300 bales out of a roll of net wrap? Wow, how big are your bales, how many wraps do you put on and how much net wrap is on the roll? That's great you can get that many.
Guys, I'm not trying to start a pi$$ing contest. I'm just giving the gent that asked the question more of a true picture of what he wants to know.
bigbull338
Well-known member
i dont know if you want to go the new baler rout.or what kind of baler you prefer.but i saw where vermeer came out with 2 big round balers this year.the 604M bales weigh 2000lbs.an the 605M 2400lbs.
DiamondSCattleCo
Well-known member
Personally, I'm with Earl on the net wrap thing. I buy a box of twine for $28.00 and that does 50-60 bales with the maximum number of wraps on my 664. Bales don't keep any better net wrapped and its harder to get off the bale in the dead of winter. Makes a bigger mess too. About the only real plus to net wrap is the wrapping speed, but it only takes 20 seconds or so to tie a bale with twine, and I'm not in _that_ big a hurry in the field.
Rod
Rod
hurleyjd
Well-known member
I wrap with twine have been doing it for 25 years. The time saved reminds me of the story told about the old farmer and the county agent. The county agent was telling the farmer if he followed his advice he could get his pigs to market 2 weeks early. The farmer replied what is time to a pig. That is me I have more time than anything else. I hopeDiamondSCattleCo":2y1zntr8 said:
One advantage to net is that you can bale much drier hay and have it stay in the bale. Our net wrap bales also stay tight and stack better the nthe twine tied bales. But the twine is done on a JD 435 and the net is on a Vicon so there may be just a variation in adjustment or tightness of the bale to start
jon1matt":1t34bhxu said:
The JD 566 should be a good baler. I have a 567, which is just the next newer model. (JD has since come out with a 568, basically the same with just a couple of additions.) All adjustments to the baler can be made from the cab, and it is all electronic. My 567 has been trouble free.
As far as net vs. twine. I personally think the net wrapped bales keep better, and are much easier to haul and stack. They are also faster to wrap, but sometimes that isn't as important. If you do custom work for others, the net is a good assett because you can bale many many more bales in a day because you aren't waiting on the twine arms. If time isn't that big of a deal and you like twine, don't spend the money for the net wrap mechanism. It was I believe a $3800 option when I bought my current 567 baler back in 2003. I'm sure the price hasn't gone down since then.
And as far as comparing JD's, New Holland, Vermeer, Krone, etc., they all make good balers, but I'm sure you will always find people that say X brand is the best. I have only had JD, and have never had a problem with either of the balers I have owned. (Other than operator error!) My 567 makes 5.5 x 5 bales that weigh 1800-2100 lbs depending on the hay, and they are good and tight. I am nothing but satisfied with it. It will also suck up the hay like a high powered vacumn.
