What kind of small square baler is best?

[True Grit Farms]

Shouldn't be a problem with finding cheap help down there. But aiding and abbeting a criminal is a crime and should be a mandatory 30 days in jail to anyone that is caught working illegal criminals.

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

alfalfa= to pretty bales 348 wins. Big rows or heavy double raked rows , where speed is needed or large average NEw Holland wins. We are south of Albuquerque. We get about 100,000 small bales a year.

Ya 100,000 bales, that's alot to do in a year

 

[JackAngus]

If I ever got back into making squares a Heston inline is the only way I would go. Better bales, less moving parts, easier to transport, dont have to narrow a tractor up, etc.

Thinking about it. An in line wouldn't require moving bales in a non raked field.

 

[Aaron]

Hesston inline all the way, or if you are poor like me, New Holland. Stay away from John Deere. Haven't known many dairy men that swore on them in a good way.

 

[ohiosteve]

Hesston, Massey or Case in-line balers are awesome. They are all the same and make the best bale just because of the design, instead of packing a bale from the side they pack it right from the center of the window. The capacity is amazing, I've baled some huge windrows of first cutting where I couldn't believe how fast the bales were being tied. I had a 4570 that I wish I would have kept but I was offered a trade just to good to pass up. As many bales as you put up, I would highly recommend an inline baler.

 

[JackAngus]

I agree JD balers are to slow

 

[Richnm]

Which inline is quickest and makes the best bale ? The NH cranks out about 10 bales per minute. I also believe the best way to get a good bale is to rake the rows. The old wire balers made much better bales.

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

Hesston inline all the way, or if you are poor like me, New Holland. Stay away from John Deere. Haven't known many dairy men that swore on them in a good way.

I am gonna talk to the local hesston dealer about trying one out this year. I don't mind spending little extra on a baler if gonna make better bales and do the task i ask. I don't know about the dairymen uve talk to but the ones I've talked to and myself included love the John Deere balers. The only complaint I hear is about the kickers are dangerous. Me i Don't want a kicker I'm just dropping on the ground. New Holland equipment is garbage in my opinion and all the dealers have been nothing but jerks so I plan to stay away from that brand in general

 

[Aaron]

Hesston inline all the way, or if you are poor like me, New Holland. Stay away from John Deere. Haven't known many dairy men that swore on them in a good way.

I am gonna talk to the local hesston dealer about trying one out this year. I don't mind spending little extra on a baler if gonna make better bales and do the task i ask. I don't know about the dairymen uve talk to but the ones I've talked to and myself included love the John Deere balers. The only complaint I hear is about the kickers are dangerous. Me i Don't want a kicker I'm just dropping on the ground. New Holland equipment is garbage in my opinion and all the dealers have been nothing but jerks so I plan to stay away from that brand in general

I am talking about balers made 30-40 years ago, nothing brand new. No one would ever buy a new small square baler here. Old square balers are cheap and can buy several good working ones for a few hundred dollars. Last one I seen sell at auction was $125.

 

[Richnm]

The only reason we're so big on the small bales is $$$ good alfalfa comes out to $400 a ton , cow hay $300 a ton. I figure a new back will cost me $50k lmao

 

[skyhightree1]

Looking to update my old Ford small square baler. I think I have it narrowed down to a John Deere 348, but I have seen the massy (hesston) in line balers are good to. Looking for some input.

There's no such thing as a good square baler

 

[Richnm]

I have 5 BC5070 New Hollands , 2 575s, and 2 348s. The Deere makes a perfect square pretty bale. The Holland's will make a very long bale if you go to fast. The Holland is faster by far. Had a dealer bring me an inline once. Made me feel like a city boy I sent it back. I get more money for the Deere bales hay. $12 a bale 65 pound bales. Big rows New Holland.

May I ask why so many balers?

5 cuttings a year , 1000 acres. Machines are always on just about.

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

Looking to update my old Ford small square baler. I think I have it narrowed down to a John Deere 348, but I have seen the massy (hesston) in line balers are good to. Looking for some input.

There's no such thing as a good square baler

Ya except for the sell faster get paid more for them and you don't have to worry about your tractor being gelled up in the winter to feed ur cattle. Other than that your right square bales ain't good

 

[True Grit Farms]

Looking to update my old Ford small square baler. I think I have it narrowed down to a John Deere 348, but I have seen the massy (hesston) in line balers are good to. Looking for some input.

There's no such thing as a good square baler

Ya except for the sell faster get paid more for them and you don't have to worry about your tractor being gelled up in the winter to feed ur cattle. Other than that your right square bales ain't good

I couldn't imagine having to feed a ton of square bales a day, I'd quit before I did that.

 

[skyhightree1]

There's no such thing as a good square baler

Ya except for the sell faster get paid more for them and you don't have to worry about your tractor being gelled up in the winter to feed ur cattle. Other than that your right square bales ain't good

I couldn't imagine having to feed a ton of square bales a day, I'd quit before I did that.

I vowed as a kid id never feed square bales if I had cattle when I got older ... That's for the birds ... that being said I do bale squares to sell but have a stack wagon to get them out the field but usually sell right out the field. It is profitable selling squares however using them myself not going to happen like you said I will quit first

 

[dl slattery 8257]

Looking to update my old Ford small square baler. I think I have it narrowed down to a John Deere 348, but I have seen the massy (hesston) in line balers are good to. Looking for some input.

I just bought a MF 1840 Square baler. I have baled 6,000 bales and it didn't miss one bale. The only problem I have with the MF in line baler is that it keeps loosing set screws and nuts and bolts. First day out with the MF1840 in line baler I lost a key stock in a sprocket due to a set screw not being tightened at the factory. The next day a nut came off a bolt and the arm that comes up to tell the baler to die fell off. I had over a thousand bales to bale each day. I called the dealer S&H equipment out of Lockwood, MO. and told them to send a qualified mechanic to go over the baler and check all set screws and nuts and bolts. The mechanic was 62 yrs. old and has been with S&H for 23 years. The mechanic knew exactly where to look and what to tighten as I watched him go over the machine. He found many loose set screws and bolts and some set screws totally gone, had never been installed. I made one mistake about buying the MF 1840 in line baler. THIS BALER WAS MADE IN CHINA, YES CHINA. I asked the salesman about it, and he had no idea that it was made in CHINA. The mechanic knew where it was made and didn't commit much about the issue. I don't blame him. I never would have bought the MF1840 if I had known where it was made. AGCO Corp.
I went back to the dealer, S&H to trade the MF1840 baler in and get a New Holland Baler like I traded them. I would only loose $10,000 on the MF1840. I guess I will have to use it for awhile. I would not recommend the MF1840 baler that is made in CHINA.

Dennis Slattery
816-520-8056
Baler was purchased new June- 2024.

 

[SBMF 2015]

We run a JD 336 wire tie. Once I learned how to tune it. It runs like a sewing machine. I'd love to have a JD 348 for the wider pickup, but until I wear this one out I can't justify it.

 

[littletom]

I am always looking for a new source of income or side gig. A few years ago i went through with always wondering about selling horse hay. I found a new never used jd 348 in a barn. Guy was doing a bunch thought he needed a back up to his 348 never did. I bought it made a bunch of bales. But realized it meshed awful with tobacco farming. Sold it for 2 thousand more than i payed. Still have some nice orcahard grass i roll for the cattle. That thing was a monster never gave any trouble. If i wanted a baler thats what i would buy.

 

[Warren Allison]

Won't square bale with anything other than a NH, if I can help it. I ain't gonna haul horses or cattle, or anything over an hour away with anything but a Ford either, if I have a choice. Not gonna tournament fish on any boat other than a Ranger, if I can help it. I won't own a dirt bike that isn't Honda, nor a V-Twin cruiser that ain't a Honda. I am not a mechanic at all. If I were, I might ride a Harley or drive a Chevy, or use JD equipment!

 

[1982vett]

Won't square bale with anything other than a NH, if I can help it. I ain't gonna haul horses or cattle, or anything over an hour away with anything but a Ford either, if I have a choice. Not gonna tournament fish on any boat other than a Ranger, if I can help it. I won't own a dirt bike that isn't Honda, nor a V-Twin cruiser that ain't a Honda. I am not a mechanic at all. If I were, I might ride a Harley or drive a Chevy, or use JD equipment!

Guess somebody has to do it that way…