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Anonymous
Not that hard I figure when we get 80% of our annual rain in 3 months and everything is sand. Maintaining a layer of soil is a chore in itself sometimes
Ouachita
Well-known member
Yes Sir it does seem that way. Everyone's situation is different, but I have put pencil and crayon both to the Big Cheif tablet and can't make it work with less than 100 head where I'm at. I may be figuring on more maintenance, time, fuel and etc. than I should, but I can't sharpen my pencil enough to justify the cost of equipment, much less the maintenance and time involved. This will always weigh on my mind, but I won't do my own hay until I have excess time and money :lol2: or decide to be a full time cowboy. And even then I expect I would need to custom bale for others to justify the expensehooknline":19rdbyrl said:
This year I helped a little with bailing and the guys I was working with had thee tractors running. A 100hp bailing and one raking and one fluffing. One day we had only one tractor fluffing and I went to catch a bull with them and the next day they bailed 2/3 of it running the rake and the bailer together with the fluffer in another pasture and we only finished probably 10 acres. Granted the deciding factor was the rake.. it was a bit dated, but it is time consuming, although if you could sell enough you could bail some cheap hay for yourself. Sounds like you don't have too bad of a deal.. if you ever get tired or pick up a spare tractor than I'd say its make sense to start haying.
lavacarancher
Well-known member
Hook, someone may have already said it but IMO there is no way you can buy new hay equipment and come out ahead on small acres. I have nearly $50K in haying equipment not counting the tractors and that will buy a LOT of hay from hay producers, even at $100/bale. The only advantage to owning your own equipment I can figure is that you can cut/rake/bale when YOU need to, not on some custom balers time clock. Then there's the issue of equipment breakage and downtime.
I guess what I'm saying is you need to sit down and put the pencil to it and see where your break point is, weigh the cost/benefit and then make your decision.
Good luck, my friend.
I guess what I'm saying is you need to sit down and put the pencil to it and see where your break point is, weigh the cost/benefit and then make your decision.
Good luck, my friend.
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Anonymous
I think you're right lava. I thought I read somewhere that a old used round baler, a rake and a old cutter could be found relatively cheap.
Thanks everyone for the input
Thanks everyone for the input
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Hook over the years I have found that you can pay for good equipment and work it, or buy cheap equipment and work on it.
Tim/South
Well-known member
I suffered through two "good used" round balers before I got frustrated and bought a new one. I told the Good Lord that he could call me home any time and I would not complain. But if he called me home in a hayfield I would not be covered in dust and sweat working on a "good used" baler on a 100 degree day.Jlane":31h28huu said:
When it is time to make hay the last ting anyone needs is honing our mechanical skills.
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
You could get a plenty good cutter, rake and baler for about 10k, thing is you need atleast 65pto hp to run it.hooknline":3j4lpud5 said:
Phil in Tupelo
Well-known member
It took me a number of years to decide there were somethings I could do cheaper and even better than paying others to do it. And there were some jobs that paying someone was in fact better and cheaper. Some years these items even flipped flopped a little. Buying hay vs baling myself was always one of the paying jobs. My thoughts also is that a good cutter will take about 50 to 60 hp. 50 will make you earn it while 60 will allow you to get it done. Same with baling except it moves to about 65 to 75 hp. 65 lets you do it but it is slower than 75. 75 hp lets you get it done and go on to something else. Like moving the hay you just baled. Good Luck.
M.Magis
Well-known member
I did my own hay this year with an old Ford 3000, and my land around here is nothing close to flat. Though maybe not ideal, I think with flat ground you could get by with the tractor you have. You'll just limit yourself to a 4x4 baler. I bought a very nice NH 488 for $1700 and an older NH bar rake for $1k (after I put new teeth, brackets, and paint on it). I did have to borrow a baler, but around here I can find a decent one for $2500 or less just about any time I want. I don't feed much, but it won't take me many years for the equipment to pay for itself. I suppose if I could hire it done I would be tempted, but there just aren't many people around here that will do it. The few that will, obviously focus on getting their own done first, so it can be August before they get to someone else's fields. At that point the quality isn't good and there's no chance of getting more than one cut. With my own equipment I can control what I cut and when I cut it, and I don't have to haul hay. I'm at the mercy of no one but the weather, though that's the one big down side of doing your own around here. It's tough to get 3 or 4 dry days in the months that hay should be done.
Cabo
Well-known member
Hook, one thing that I didn't see mentioned is what your plans are for future expansion. For 120 rolls a year I think you will be hard pressed to save anything by doing it yourself not even counting your labor if you can buy good Bermuda delivered for 50 a roll or less. On the other hand, if you plan to expand your operation to use 2 or 3 times that much then in my opinion it would make sense to go ahead and start getting your own equipment in place and possibly baling some for others. A lot depends on how much free time that you have. I am retired and do a lot of custom baling which justifies the dollars that I have invested in equipment.
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Anonymous
Cabo, I'm on the hunt for expansion land, so it's a possibility. I may just keep an eye out for more deals and get what I need as I see a deal. One is something I don't have a lot of right now. Between the business and the cows. 4 more years and I can have Codey run the business and focus on the cows and expansion
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Tell you what, I have a full line of hay equipment and the tractors to pull them with. Only $200,000 and I will split the delivery charge with you. hahaha
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
No no, pick me, I can sell you 2 tractors, a baler, rake and mower for $100k does it matter if it's only worth about $60k? :lol2:kenny thomas":26snc6kj said:
kenny thomas
Well-known member
See I was gonna add the 3rd tractor and a gooseneck trailer for only an extra 100,000. They are worth at least 12,000.denvermartinfarms":11e3gxjo said:
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
Thought you had me? I can add a 8n and a gooseneck for $50k and have it there in 24hrs.kenny thomas":2bhqz944 said:
kenny thomas
Well-known member
There you go. How about I penhook mine to you and then you can sell both groups to him.
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
Your the best! But I'm gonna need a pretty good discount on that yellow baler incase I get stuck with it :lol2:kenny thomas":2uikes6o said:
