Jared:
I too am in southern Illinois (Macedonia). I raised cattle most of my adult life and understand where you are in your questions. Any of the major brreds will do well in our area. The question is what is most popular. In the early to late 1980's I raised Polled Herefords, and there were a lot of other people around here that did too. There were a few Angus herds, but not as many as Polled Herefords. Now the opposite is true. You can hardly find a Polled Hereford herd in southern Illinois. Everyone, including me, has gone black. That has been driven by the market. Sale barn buyers and individuals alike are paying higher dollars for Angus (or anything with a black hide).
I truly enjoy my Angus herd. I have found them to be just as easy to handle as my past Hereford herd was. They are hardy and bring good money at sale time. You will pay a little more on the front end, but the Angus breed seems to avoid some of the problems with the Herefords (Pinkeye, poor udder quality in mature cows, etc.).
There are some good Angus producers in southern and central Illinois as well as west of St. Louis. Talk to some of them and ask their experience. Find someone still running Hereford and do the same. Then talk to those guys raising Simmentals and their crosses. Once you have done that, buy the breed you are most comfortable with and you like the best.
I would also agree that you would be better off just buying your hay. In the long run, you can't afford to own the equipment to bale your own when you compare the cost of buying it.
Good luck.