To Buy New or Used Baler

[LRWright]

Hi All -

I'm looking for some advice on equipment. I'm in the process of taking over my family's farm. My uncle currently does most of the work and I'm taking on more and more as I learn from him. We make our own hay for the winter and already have two tractors, a tedder, a rake, and a baler. My issue is around the baler. Our baler (New Holland) is over 15 years old and is seriously falling apart. My uncle is very handy and can easliy fix the equipment and even he says it is time for a new baler. I am not at all mechanically inclined so equipment that breaks down often is a big deal for me since I can't fix it. My uncle and I are now looking into balers. The question I have is it more cost effective for me to buy a used baler that will require fixing or a new baler. A used baler would be cheaper but I would need to pay someone to do the fixing when it breaks down. If I buy a new baler, it would be more expensive but I wouldn't have to pay someone to do fixes since it would likely break down less often.

Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[1982vett]

Need more background info.
How many bales and acres are you planning to bale? Type of baler - round or square? Would your uncle be available to help work with you on any repairs needed?

 

[glover36]

buy new, me and my cousin bought jd balers 4 years ago new he got jd 467 and we got 457 we have put about 10,000 through it and they have put around 20,000 and they are going to trade theres in and it is just falling apart and a person buying it wouldn't know how many bales went through it or how many parts are worn out of it

 

[Beef08]

Go with a new one, and dont think twice.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Buy a year or two old that hasn't had many bales through it. Let someone else deal with the depreciation. Pay a little extra for an extended warranty of some type. A new baler is nice to have, but not at all necessary. I bought my 664 3 years ago, and it was a 1997 model that had seen 100 bales each year through it. I got it for less than 1/3 the price of new and have put exactly one bearing into it. Most new model balers will see thousands of bales through them before ever needing repair, so something thats only done a thousand bales or so will have lots of life in it before needing serious work.

Rod

 

[grannysoo]

I started with a used one for the first couple of years and it was not a good choice. You don't really know just how used it is or what you're really getting.

I bought a new green one and it was a good choice. When you buy a new one, you hear what it should sound like when it's working. When you know what it should sound like, you can tell if something is wrong by listening to it. Bearing going bad? Something scrubbing? Chain rattling? You will know.

Whatever you buy, make sure that you have a dealer with a service department that knows what they are doing. New ones tear up too...

 

[bigbull338]

if you can afford to id go ahead an buy a new baler.because the 2 3 an 4 yr old balers thats been traded.has baled no telling how much hay.an they could need alot of work tobe field ready.

 

[bandit80]

Buying a new baler is a lot like raising your own replacement heifers. You know what you are getting.

If you don't want to spend the money for a new baler, be sure to find these things out about the used baler you look at buying.

1. What do the belts look like. There is a smooth side and then a "treaded" side to the belts. The "treaded" side should still be fairly deep, as this is what grabs the hay to make the bale. Make sure there are no weak spots on the tread side. I.e. tread missing, worn very thin.

2. Pickup teeth. Are there several missing? If so they need replaced. This isn't necessarily an indication of extensive wear, but can be. Depending on your area, balers may break or wear off pickup teeth based upon the terrain. We will replace 12-15 pickup teeth on our baler every year due to baling waterways and on uneven ground. If you live in flat country and a pickup looks to be in really bad shape, better move on.

3. Tires. Be sure the tires are in good shape, with no cracks or cuts. Balers typically set for 7-8 months out of the year, some more than that depending on the owner. That is not good on tires.

4. Storage. Ask how the baler was stored. Was it stored in a shed or out in the open. If it was not shedded, I wouldn't buy it, discussion can end there. This will increase wear on bearings and rollers, and can also lead to rust if old hay on the baler gets wet.

5. Some of the newer balers have monitors with a lifetime counter on it. Our 2003 JD 567 has a lifetime monitor on it. I don't know if it would be possible to "match" the monitor with the baler somehow or not. Otherwise, someone could sell you a very used baler with a monitor that isn't very old. Hard to say.

All in all, you need to weight the pros and cons. The pros with a new baler are obvious, the cons with a used baler might be hidden. There are good used balers out there, but you don't want to be the one who gets stuck with a turd either.

 

[glover36]

you could finnance it up here we no no interest financing on a deal on some balers

 

[LRWright]

Thanks to everyone for all of the great advice. We only bale for ourselves and we usually do about 275-300 round bales (1200-1500 lbs) total for each year. I'm heading up to the farm this weekend and my uncle and I plan to look at a used baler he found and also at some new balers too. My uncle would be around for awhile to help fix stuff as it breaks but when he isn't, I'll definitely need a mechanic!

 

[dun]

My uncle would be around for awhile to help fix stuff as it breaks but when he isn't, I'll definitely need a mechanic!

If you're going to farm you better learn to be a mechanic, and an electrician, and a plumber, and.........................

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

If you're going to farm you better learn to be a mechanic, and an electrician, and a plumber, and.........................

Yep, exactly right. Something like a baler is a cakewalk to fix though. Teeth, bearings and belts are the 3 things that most often go wrong and are very easy to replace.

Rod

 

[R. John Johnson]

Lots of bargains out there on all used equipment. You need to have time to look and the ability to spot potential problems in a machine. I don't know what your financial situation is, but for me a new baler would be hard to justify for 300 bales a year.

John

 

[ChrisB]

In my area it seems like used baler prices have dropped a bit in the last year, I would definitely look that way first. If you do buy new, check out the Vermeer Rebel balers as someone already mentioned but they too will have bearings go out. To me a 15 year old baler that has only baled 300 bales a year shouldn't be giving you that many problems, but maybe it was used heavily before your uncle got it. If you buy used; go to a reputable dealer in your area. They will have gone through their used equipment and will have fixed anything they find. If you have any problems right away they will also stand behind their equipment. They may also let you demo it or rent it for a couple days and if you decide to buy it the rental price will go towards purchase. I like getting stuff at auctions, but the peace of mind you get from a good dealer is worth a lot.

Don't sell yourself short on being able to fix things. The hardest part is getting started. Once you get going on a repair you'll find that most things can be repaired with just basic tools and knowledge. As Dun mentioned, you'll eventually have to learn. I'm a terrible mechanic when it comes to engines and electrical problems but most of my repairs involve bearings, hydraulics, chains, and things of that nature; things even I can handle.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Lots of tips here on mechanical issues. The other area is hay quality...

A neighbor is very handy and was running an old Vermeer - - I think it was a 605 C. He "broke down" and bought a new baler last year - - only to find the CP of his hay went up over 2% with the new baler. That may not pay for a new baler but it is a big benefit.

 

[LRWright]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. I made hay this past weekend and our baler broke down 3 different times. I realize I will at some point have to learn mechanicall stuff but I really have no idea about mechanics or tools. I can use a screw driver, hammer, and that is about it. I have a lifetime of not being exposed to tools because my family didn't think a girl would ever need to know that kind of stuff.

I do plan to take a beginners class on mechanics but I really don't know much beyond how to use a screw driver. This is why I need good equipment that won't break down all the time! :lol2:

 

[1982vett]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. I made hay this past weekend and our baler broke down 3 different times. I realize I will at some point have to learn mechanicall stuff but I really have no idea about mechanics or tools. I can use a screw driver, hammer, and that is about it. I have a lifetime of not being exposed to tools because my family didn't think a girl would ever need to know that kind of stuff.

I do plan to take a beginners class on mechanics but I really don't know much beyond how to use a screw driver. This is why I need good equipment that won't break down all the time! :lol2:

Funny how one little bit of information can bring such overwhelming clarity.

 

[alabama]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. I made hay this past weekend and our baler broke down 3 different times. I realize I will at some point have to learn mechanicall stuff but I really have no idea about mechanics or tools. I can use a screw driver, hammer, and that is about it. I have a lifetime of not being exposed to tools because my family didn't think a girl would ever need to know that kind of stuff.

I do plan to take a beginners class on mechanics but I really don't know much beyond how to use a screw driver. This is why I need good equipment that won't break down all the time! :lol2:

Funny how one little bit of information can bring such overwhelming clarity.

Well now that does make a diferance don't it. It sounds like you don't need any "new" equipment, Just get what God gave you in good shape and get a good man to do the field work.

 

[john250]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. I made hay this past weekend and our baler broke down 3 different times. I realize I will at some point have to learn mechanicall stuff but I really have no idea about mechanics or tools. I can use a screw driver, hammer, and that is about it. I have a lifetime of not being exposed to tools because my family didn't think a girl would ever need to know that kind of stuff.

I do plan to take a beginners class on mechanics but I really don't know much beyond how to use a screw driver. This is why I need good equipment that won't break down all the time! :lol2:

Funny how one little bit of information can bring such overwhelming clarity.

Well now that does make a diferance don't it. It sounds like you don't need any "new" equipment, Just get what God gave you in good shape and get a good man to do the field work.

Buy a new baler and most any of the men here will be glad to run over there and run it for you. Does the tractor have A/C?

Seriously, now, do you feel confident running the baler? I know plenty of women who run machines as well as any man, but you may not be one of them. If you were kept away from these jobs, and you are just learning to run the tractor, you may not want to run a baler.

New machines break,too. Modern monitors help, but there is always going to be that element of the operator's experience. If you trash a $30 k baler, you are going to be sick.

 

[LRWright]

As strange as it sounds, I like doing field work and I like making hay. I've been making hay the last two years and run all the equipment...the tractor, rake, tedder, and our very old round baler. I can attach and detach all of the various pieces of equipment from the tractors. I want to do the physical work on the farm including hay, and only pay someone to fix major things on the equipment. I want to learn (and my uncle is teaching me) how to fix minor things. I'm pretty resourceful and believe that I can learn how to handle the minor things but I like the comfort of knowing that something won't break down every time I use it.

Just as an example, because our baler is old and always breaking down, when we made hay last week, we only cut down one field at a time to ensure we could get it up since we never know when the baler will break. Someone my uncle knows cut about 125 acres and then was going to bale it all...since he has a relatively new baler (3 yrs old, does about 1200 bales per year) he was confident that it wouldn't break before he got all of his hay up.

I've priced a Krone 610 baler at $18k brand new and while that is quite a bit of money, knowing that I won't have to fix much on it for a few years is a very comforting feeling. I do believe sometimes you get what you pay for.....I have a 10 yr old BMW that still runs great...it may have cost more upfront but it has been very dependable and still runs great so I see it as money well spent. I'd like to apply the same logic to the farm equipment.