# moisture testers



## jenkinsfarmsinc (Dec 8, 2011)

I know there is tons of info about moisture testing here, but I did not notice any that specifically mentioned using a tester in a large square baler. Would the Delmhorst fx2000 work in one? Is there a better way other then the gazeeka $8000 dollar tester?


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

2nd best is harvesttech with the starwheels


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## maknhay (Jan 6, 2010)

Better check with a Gazeeka dealer again. I understand they have dropped the price on those units from when we bought ours in 2010. And for the sheer accuracy and the capability to mark wet bales.........I've long forgotten about what ours cost.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

*And for the sheer accuracy and the capability to mark wet bales.*........

I suspect you will find the "Gazeeka" monitor the compedative with the older styles used for small square balers , on a cost per ton and time.

The high dollar system is more accurate, and cost effective considering the tons per hour that will be monitored. 
I expect you realize the difference between dew mosirure and stem moisture. 
It is possible to have an average hay moisture of 14% but still have 20% moisture inside the stems. This is why most reading site is located on the cut side of a small square baler. Then you are getting mostly a stem moisture reading. 
With a small square baler it is nice if the stems are <10% moisture and the leaves are >20% moisture. Reverse that and you can end up with a bundle of moldy stems for bales. 
A small square bale can handle higher stem moisture becouse that moisture has less distance through a less dense mass to find dry air.


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## maknhay (Jan 6, 2010)

The OP was asking about a moisture tester for big balers but I totally agree with you on the small squares. I use the Delmhorst in the sm sq as a reference guide more or less. The readings shown us by the Gazeeka also help in setting the application rate for the Silo-King. Note: we do not have those units linked together.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

hay wilson in TX said:


> It is possible to have an average hay moisture of 14% but still have 20% moisture inside the stems. This is why most reading site is located on the cut side of a small square baler. Then you are getting mostly a stem moisture reading. With a small square baler it is nice if the stems are <10% moisture and the leaves are >20% moisture. Reverse that and you can end up with a bundle of moldy stems for bales.


Just out of curiousity, why not put sensors on both sides of the baler?


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

*why not put sensors on both sides of the baler*?

You can. It could be some nice to know information.

For the more or less central part of Texas, we can figure on baling fully cured hay during the daytime as the over night humidity decreases in the 70% thru 50% range. Here we are interested in the moisture in the rehydrated leaves. For this reason sampling on the non cut side of the bale will give a damper reading than sampling on the cut side. I can bale bermudagrass, no problem, with the meter reporting 20% moisture with an occasional 22% maybe even 24% moisture. Not saying it does not make me nervous.

In the more humid and rain prone parts of the country there is a couple of problems. One is they want to start baling as soon as the hay is finally dry enough to bale with out burning down their barns. These are the folks who are prone to baling hay that averages low enough to bale, but their leaves are dry enough but the stems are probably still on the damp side. 
Then there are the folks who are blessed with really high humilities during the heat of the day. My family originally farmed not far from where George Washington Crossed the Delaware River. My father talked about days during the summer when the temperature may not get above 80º but the humidity did not go below 80%. A real temptation to put hay in the barn that has enough moisture to heat enough to burn down the barn. They loose stacked hay, in the barns, in those days.

On the opposite side of the coin, in the Pecos Valley of NM, there are days that the humidity never gets up to 60% during the day or night. In that case it is a temptation to bale while the stems still have some moisture and hopefully retain the leaves. 
In the arid west some spray water on a windrow ahead of baling to help retain the leaves. There is even a steam jenny that steams the hay just in front of the baler. 
Shoot during August 2011 there were days even weeks here that the humidity never got above 50%. Even if we had irrigation it would have difficulty growing hay let alone harvesting.


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