# Best round balers for $10,000 or less



## T&LSkaarfarms (Dec 11, 2011)

I farm around 150 acres in northcentral WI, mostly being hay ground. I bale and sell almost all of it. I bale with a NH 270 small square baler which works great and have a JD 410 round baler. The 410 is OK but is kind of a pain having to back-up to dump a bale and pull the rope to switch hydraulic function... My wife does most of the round baling and I think before next summer I will be getting a much updated round baler for our opperation. We round bale with an IH 966 so I would think it would have enough power for just about any baler. I really would like wome input on getting a good round baler for under $10,000. Can it be done? I am open to all brands. Case, Deere and Vermeer have close dealers. Also, is net wrap worth the extra cost? Remember, I sell all hay so I really mant something that will bale nice looking bales for the customers! I will only be looking for 4X6 balers to because of hauling widths... Thanks for any and all input!!!

BTW. I have recently discovered this site and love all the feedback from everyone. The information on here has already solved some of my square baler issues


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

I picked up a NH 648 for a lot less than $10,000. Have not had any major problems with it. I know it is not a 4X6 but a 4X5. If you sell most of your hay what is the market? If you sell to the horsey crowd, most of them will not have a tractor large enough to handle a bale bigger than 4X5. I had to look for several months to find a baler in the condition and price that I liked. Net is not on the baler I have but it makes a nice square firm bale. Also our bales are stored under cover so net is not a must have here. Just my 2 cents.


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## T&LSkaarfarms (Dec 11, 2011)

I have researched the 648/658 a little. Is yours an autotie? Have you had problems with that? Autotie is really the only minimal complaint I have heard about those. Yeah, I sell mainly to horse people and your right, they tend to have smaller equipment which is another reason I stay with a 4 foot wide bale. I just figured I would get a 4X6 baler and only bale 5 foot tall bales if that is what the customers want. Besides, around here smaller rounds go for way more money per wieght than the big 5X6's do...








Thanks for the advice!


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Bite the bullet and get at least a NH644 or a BR740 if you can swing it. I traded off a NH 846 for a NH644 while only making around 70 acres of hay, more than worth it. The NH644 had the full bale command with net or twine.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

For a lot less than $10,000 you can get a nh 644 and you wife will love ya! No problems with the auto tie imo. Good hardcore bales that are nice to haul.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Now that I think about it, carcajou is right, a very good 644 should be able to be had for less than 10K. Can't recall what I was given for mine on trade in, guessing around 8K+ but it was cherry, always stored inside and washed n waxed once every season and all the tin was straight.


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## T&LSkaarfarms (Dec 11, 2011)

Can any of you guys tell me what the difference is between the New Holland 640/650 series round balers are? They both look like they make a 4 foot wide bale... Is it just the years they were made or something? It looks like the 660 series goes up to a 5 foot wide bale... Not sure though.


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

The only problem I have had with the autotie was the very first bale. The baler had set outside at a dealer and the trip/drive assembly had rusted and didn't drive the twine arms. I made sure I wasn't under the gun when I went to use the baler for the first time so the 1/2 - 1 hour it took to free it up wasn't a big problem. It also needed to have the twine knives replaced but they worked 95% of the time. I paid $7K. It wasn't cherry but a very good baler.


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