# Wire tie, sisal twine or poly twine?



## mandysong (Jun 2, 2017)

Have you ever questioned which kind of twine is better, wire, sisal or poly twine? I always use poly twine while some of my neighbors and friends use the remaining two, so I just collect some perspectives from them. Here I want to share my view on these three common twines with you.

Like every coin has two sides in the reality, each of the three twines has advantages and disadvantages. First of all, I will talk about wire. The biggest advantage of wire tie is that it makes the bale considerably tight. With the metal tie, the baler could make the bales much more dense, while under the same pressure sisal and poly twines would break. When bale straw, one of my neighbors is always prefer wire tie. Though it is more expensive than the two remaining twines, hay bale snap during transportation is more terrible. Choice of my neighbor tell us the significant drawback of wire tie. It is expensive. For people who would do the math when calculate hay yield and profit, he may choose poly or sisal twine, especially if his bales are small squares. My neighbor told me that price for metal wire has rised recently, but poly twine is remaining steady. Another disadvantage of wire is that it may damage us when we operate improperly since the metal tie is very hard and sharp.

When baler is first invented, sisal was used in making bales. Compared with poly twines, sisal has an obvious advantage that it is 100% biodegradeble and sustainable. When poly twines are left in the farm and cattles eat them mistakenly, often does, these nonbiodegradable twines will kill cattles. Sisal twines just rot away in the farmland and field. Rotted readily brings the disadvantage of it, that it would break easily during baling and transporting. When hay is baled with sisal twine, transportation and storage loss are high. As a kind of plant fiber, sisal twine is that it would be chewed by rodents, such as mice. That could be a threat for the storage.

Honestly, I have a preference that poly twine is the best in the three twines. My reason is really simple, I always use it and never have a problem with it. In spite of this, I still list the advantage and disadvantage of poly twine. Poly twine is lighter and softer than wire, so it is easier on hands. It doesn't damage the tool or person if operate mistakenly. it is cheaper. Cheaper than wire and stronger than sisal twine, taken together, poly twine is a better choice. But under high pressure, poly twine my break while wire is still workable. So for big square and straw, some people will choose wire twines. It's important to notice that poly twines are created with different grades. Choose the suitable one could help us save cost and effectively tighten a bale. My preference is T&H baler twine. To bale straw and big square, I use 650 of it instead of wire. It is cheaper and bale the straw tightly. I have used it for two years and never have a problem.

Looking at both short and good sides, poly twine is a better choice. That is just my view. We need to find the right twine based on specific requirement. What's your opinion, do have any experiences or suggestions on this matter?


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

I see


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

Only make rounds here and it's net wrap or nothing. Our previous baler had run out of net and I tried cycling the twine arms but they were seized from never being used. Haven't tried it on the last two balers to see if they work either.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

We used to bale rounds with sisal, but it rots rapidly in storage underneath the bale when stored outside. Sisal is also gotten pretty expensive compared to poly. We quit sisal about 15-20 years ago and switched to poly and haven't looked back.

I tried the "biodegradable" poly twine, which is basically poly twine without any UV protection added to the plastic, so that it breaks down after about a year of sunlight exposure (I think it's called "Greenfield" and I bought it at TSC). I only used it about a year or so, because I found that like poly twine, it simply "rotted" when the bales were stored outdoors, only instead of rotting on the bottom where the sisal would stay damp from soil moisture wicking into the bottom layer of the bale, the Greefield twine would dry out and pop up on the top of the bale when it was moved out of storage... Then the bottom layer of the bale that had gotten damp and grody would fall off and take all the twine with it, and you had to come back and try to pull all that perfectly intact plastic twine that was embedded in the nasty crud from the bottom of the bale out by the dry-rotted plastic twine that had been on the sides and tops of the bale. If the twine stayed on the bale and any was dropped from the bottom of the bale, it was still as perfectly intact as the day the hay was rolled, because it had been totally protected from solar UV by being on the bottom of the bale. So basically, it would have to lay out in the field another year or two before it would break down... and even then, it simply breaks up easily, it doesn't really "go away" like sisal twine does. Basically, the WORST OF BOTH WORLDS in my experience... the "rots and breaks quickly" of sisal with the "hangs around forever if it's out of the sun" of poly...

We found it just easier to be more diligent about picking up the poly twine and keeping it contained so it doesn't get everywhere.

Later! OL J R


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

Location "Washington"?? My aching a$$!!!!

...unless "Washington" is somewhere in China?


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I use net wrap on round bales, used the stuff Luke mentions when using twine. Didn't like the degradable part at all. It's been 10 years and I still find some pieces that I didn't get off the bale before feeding.

Small square use poly for your reasons.

But as far as wire, I think you might have missed one more positive (at least in my past experience anyhow). That is there is a lot of things in MY neck of the woods that got 'fixed' with a good old piece of baling wire. Have you ever see someone weld with a piece of baling wire and a acetylene torch?

Naturally, YOUR neck of the woods could be different.

Larry


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

Wire will rust away before the poly twine will go away. Growing up sisal twine was unheard of,everything was wire. Poly has changed that,mainly because of the price but strong enough to handle 150# 3 string bale when they happen. As well as stories of feeding poly twine bales into a chopper without removing twine.

I do my best to pickup all twine,but have had cows grab hay as I am opening a bale and run off with a string. Some I have never gotten back and don't know of any problem they have caused.

I have a older but good wire baler in the barn. Been renting a twine baler(family deals that may bit you in the behind) because of the price difference between wire and twine.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

Sure sounds like some earlier posts advising us on how good one brand of twine is, the language usage and all..


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## muffntuf (May 1, 2017)

Hate wire- hate having to deal with it all the way around (as a consumer). AM okay with poly- just wish there was a way to recycle it back into the pool so it isn't so darned expensive. Sisal is okay with me too- at least then if the horses get a piece of sisal in their mouth by accident- it usually is digested and doesn't cause colic like poly will.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Poly expensive? Don't know where you buy but it's the cheapest twine ranging $25-$30 a bale. Sisal costs me $59 a bale. I use sisal, the extra dollar a bale is better insurance policy in my opinion. If I'm going to use any type of plastic, it will be net wrap. I don't net wrap bales that go in a barn.

I laugh at anybody that says they grab every piece of twine from a bale. I'm still finding that wonderful orange plastic twine that will never rot in my lifetime and it hasn't been used in 15 years. I will occasionally find a 12 foot strand of sisal that inadvertently gets left behind while choring in the dark.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

muffntuf said:


> Hate wire- hate having to deal with it all the way around (as a consumer). AM okay with poly- just wish there was a way to recycle it back into the pool so it isn't so darned expensive. Sisal is okay with me too- at least then if the horses get a piece of sisal in their mouth by accident- it usually is digested and doesn't cause colic like poly will.


It is recyclable, just not back into a spool.

For what you get, I think it has to be the best deal going. Another advantage of plastic is I can buy it in the big balls and dramatically increase the amount of twine my baler will hold without having to modify the twine box.


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## Jay in WA (Mar 21, 2015)

Your wrong on wire making heavier bales than poly twine. Back in the 70's when dad started switching to twine the truckers had to tell him to back off on the weight. Wire bales were never that heavy because they broke. Was standart practice when going thru a dip that had heavier dew to have several broken bales with wire. With twine that didn't happen. Today we have much better quality of twine than what we had back in the Eastman days. When Bridon twine came on the market it was an entirely different game.

Have you ever seen a cow magnet? Have any idea what its purpose is?


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

I always wondered how the dairies got the cows to come in to get milked.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

we switched from sisal to poly 3 years ago. Used the 7200 but the quality was getting so bad we switched to 9600 poly and saved about $10 per bundle the new baler kotters work better with poly according to my salesman. Can't see going back anytime soon


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

BWfarms said:


> I laugh at anybody that says they grab every piece of twine from a bale. I'm still finding that wonderful orange plastic twine that will never rot in my lifetime and it hasn't been used in 15 years. I will occasionally find a 12 foot strand of sisal that inadvertently gets left behind while choring in the dark.


You can laugh at me then. I would walk around bales removing the twine. Could not stand cutting then trying to find every strand. Just was easier.


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## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

mandysong said:


> Have you ever questioned which kind of twine is better, wire, sisal or poly twine? I always use poly twine while some of my neighbors and friends use the remaining two, so I just collect some perspectives from them. Here I want to share my view on these three common twines with you.
> 
> Like every coin has two sides in the reality, each of the three twines has advantages and disadvantages. First of all, I will talk about wire. The biggest advantage of wire tie is that it makes the bale considerably tight. With the metal tie, the baler could make the bales much more dense, while under the same pressure sisal and poly twines would break. When bale straw, one of my neighbors is always prefer wire tie. Though it is more expensive than the two remaining twines, hay bale snap during transportation is more terrible. Choice of my neighbor tell us the significant drawback of wire tie. It is expensive. For people who would do the math when calculate hay yield and profit, he may choose poly or sisal twine, especially if his bales are small squares. My neighbor told me that price for metal wire has rised recently, but poly twine is remaining steady. Another disadvantage of wire is that it may damage us when we operate improperly since the metal tie is very hard and sharp.
> 
> ...


Why not just say, "Hi, We are a manufacturer of twine looking to improve upon our product. What are some problems you currently have with the twine you are using? Would you consider trying ours?"

I don't use twine; however, IF I did you can believe I won't use T&H Baler Twine.


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## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

OP... Also consider the following: 牛的复数形式是牛。

"牛"的複數形式是"牛"，而不是"牛"。
"Niú" de fùshù xíngshì shì "niú", ér bùshì "niú".


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