Weight of hay rolls

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kenny thomas

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How many of you ever weighed any of your hay rolls. I weighed 3 rolls that were supposed to be very close in size but from 3 different rollers and they were 700, 760, and 1000lbs. Hard to buy, sell, or even figure out what's needed like that.
I seen a post recently that said they rolled 32 rolls I think on 2 acres. I average about 4 rolls per acre.
What do your rolls really weigh?
 
We get a sampling of ours weighed every year by crop insurance, and sometimes we weigh with our own scales. It can change year to year even with the same baler. The one we have now averaged right around 1600 lbs last season, a little less the year prior.
 
Hay bale weights depend on a couple of things, whether you're buying, or cuttin' on halves. :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:
 
jehosofat":3g1wwamc said:
Hay bale weights depend on a couple of things, whether you're buying, or cuttin' on halves. :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:
Exactly my point. But what's a 4x5 roll of hay worth seems to be what I hear. Is it a 4x5 roll of weeds or really good grass. Weighing 700 or 1000.
 
Silver":z9z8sfh0 said:
We get a sampling of ours weighed every year by crop insurance, and sometimes we weigh with our own scales. It can change year to year even with the same baler. The one we have now averaged right around 1600 lbs last season, a little less the year prior.
The hills here don't allow us to roll that big of a roll. Sure wish I could
 
kenny thomas":bj261v0m said:
Silver":bj261v0m said:
We get a sampling of ours weighed every year by crop insurance, and sometimes we weigh with our own scales. It can change year to year even with the same baler. The one we have now averaged right around 1600 lbs last season, a little less the year prior.
The hills here don't allow us to roll that big of a roll. Sure wish I could

It's a double edged sword. The temptation is always there during feeding time to carry two bales in the loader, and 1600 lb bales don't do you any favours in that regard.
Why are the hills a problem? Horsepower issue or is there something else?
 
Very steep hills. And hp issues with the smaller tractors. But on some of the hayfields even my 100hp 4x4 has a hard time rolling a 1000 lb roll.
 
I generally run a few of mine across the scales every year to get an average weight. But around here nobody buys or sells hay on weight it's always by the bale, so as a seller I can make more by selling more lighter bales...
 
kenny thomas":1ht9o9bu said:
Very steep hills. And hp issues with the smaller tractors. But on some of the hayfields even my 100hp 4x4 has a hard time rolling a 1000 lb roll.

That sounds steep for sure. We have a field that is pretty steep sidehill, seems to me I tried baling it with a 100 hp tractor once and I was down in the basement gears. For some reason our tractors keep getting bigger so I don't think too much about it anymore. I do know when you kick a bale out going up that side hill you want to back up until the baler is 90 degrees to the slope or it will travel an awful long ways. Or if you are pointed down hill the bale will chase you lol
 
I bought some 4 x 4 rolls and didn't realize just how small they are. Mine is 5 x 5 and wish I had bigger and they were like toys on the back of my tractor compared to mine. Those little Heston balers that make a 39" bale are good balers, but you will have a field full of them. I think on the weight some balers make tighter, but type of hay and condition make a lot of difference in weight.
 
A few years ago I bought a 1tonne crane scales on ebay, can't remember exactly how much but under $200. I hang it from the loader and hook up to a chain around the bale and lift it, I tare off the chain first. It is very handy when buying hay, aids with negotiations, I find most sellers are dreaming about the weights of their bales. Only takes a few minutes to do.

Ken
 
wbvs58":3n2zlphp said:
A few years ago I bought a 1tonne crane scales on ebay, can't remember exactly how much but under $200. I hang it from the loader and hook up to a chain around the bale and lift it, I tare off the chain first. It is very handy when buying hay, aids with negotiations, I find most sellers are dreaming about the weights of their bales. Only takes a few minutes to do.

Ken
We have a tub grinder with a scale, we use it to weigh bales by setting them on top...works great.
 
Makes a big difference in the type of hay you are baling.Years ago, we planted some foxtail mlllet.Rolled it with a NH 846 4.5X4.5. Fine stemmed and rolled tight.Had been loading hay with a 861 Ford but it could barely lift the millet bales up to wagon height.
I run a 5X6 baler now.When I move 4X5 bales,I can really tell the difference.
 
type of balers mater tremendously picked up a chain krone rolled 4x5 no major issue then picked up one rolled in a john deere belt baler major difference on the lil mf I was using
 
kenny thomas":1yymffiw said:
How many of you ever weighed any of your hay rolls. I weighed 3 rolls that were supposed to be very close in size but from 3 different rollers and they were 700, 760, and 1000lbs. Hard to buy, sell, or even figure out what's needed like that.
I seen a post recently that said they rolled 32 rolls I think on 2 acres. I average about 4 rolls per acre.
What do your rolls really weigh?
Why I've always bought hay by the ton. Amazing how everybody's hay rolls weigh 1200 lbs...…. until they hit the scale.
 
TexasBred":2r50mywf said:
kenny thomas":2r50mywf said:
How many of you ever weighed any of your hay rolls. I weighed 3 rolls that were supposed to be very close in size but from 3 different rollers and they were 700, 760, and 1000lbs. Hard to buy, sell, or even figure out what's needed like that.
I seen a post recently that said they rolled 32 rolls I think on 2 acres. I average about 4 rolls per acre.
What do your rolls really weigh?
Why I've always bought hay by the ton. Amazing how everybody's hay rolls weigh 1200 lbs...…. until they hit the scale.
I will second that. I buy by the ton.
 
When we baled, I always weighed them. They ran from 1000 to 1200 pounds, with the average being 1075. Now I am stuck always having to purchase my bales. Amazing how many people want to sell hay by the bale; I try to buy it by the ton. It is much cheaper! I also test before I buy. 100 1100lb bales testing at 12% protein are more valuable to me than 100 1100lb bales testing at 8%.
 

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