# Square bailing scenarios



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I have an opportunity to square bale a neighbors field with my NH 66. I have two scenarios I need advice on.

#1 I bale his field with my tractor and baler. (No mowing and no raking) How much should I charge per bale?

#2 Neigbor uses my baler to bale his field. How would I charge for that?


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

In my book unless that neighbor is close family, or possible life long friend depending on how good a friend he is, scenario #2 isn't happening. Best way to lose a friend/good neighbor is to let him use your equipment.

As to how much to charge.... If you need hay could go 50/50 or some other percentage that you both agree upon, if you want the money how valuable is your time? How badly do you want to do it? How close is the neighbor? How many acres? Are bales going to the ground or unto a wagon?There was a similar thread last summer I am not opposed to helping a neighbor or someone in a bind but I tend to shy away from just baling hay for others for money as I value my family time more. That being said I would want to at least rake that way I would know the windrows would be the proper size for my baler/tractor combination, nothing more frustrating then a poor windrow that someone else has made.

Sorry for the rant and not giving you an exact price.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

1$ per bale.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I do trust the guy and he's a family friend. I wouldn't be excited about him using my baler but I have a regular job and he's a full time farmer. If it needed to be baled and I was unavailable that would be a last option if need be. He lives about 4 miles away so not that far. I can also communicate that I have a low capacity baler and he would adjust the windows accordingly. I would just leave the hay on the field. I was leaning towards $1 per bale but I wasn't positive that was a good number.


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## RuttedField (Apr 24, 2016)

I am in the same situation as your friend, and for what it is worth I am being charged $12.50 per bale...though 4X5 Round Bales. You can do the conversion from that to square...


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

About 18-20 squares to a 4x5 round. $12.50/18= 0.69 per square


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> I do trust the guy and he's a family friend. I wouldn't be excited about him using my baler but I have a regular job and he's a full time farmer. If it needed to be baled and I was unavailable that would be a last option if need be. He lives about 4 miles away so not that far. I can also communicate that I have a low capacity baler and he would adjust the windows accordingly. I would just leave the hay on the field. I was leaning towards $1 per bale but I wasn't positive that was a good number.


I'd go a dollar a bale if you are operating it. Is his baler broken? The elite best of the best farmers have their hall of shame moments, if you end up letting him operate your baler make sure you have something in writing that if your baler should some how get damaged HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT TO THE WAY IT WAS WHEN YOU RENTED/LOANED IT TO HIM. Amazing how a broken piece of equipment can ruin the best of friendships. Been there done that. The only person you can trust to be looking out for your best interests is you.


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## RuttedField (Apr 24, 2016)

A few years ago when the Amish first arrived here they were really up against it. Some legal issues withthe farm they were buying put them here in July and so second cop was really pushed back. However the good Lord gave them good weather in October which is rare for us, so they borrowed a tractor and went to work.

Coming down a steep hill something let go in the tractor's transmission and the tractor went down over a hill with square baler and wagon behind it, through a rock wall, out into a swamp where it hit a tree and literally broke in half. Immediately they put on their Sunday best and got all into a group and knocked on the farmer's front door in which they borrowed the tractor from.

"As we speak, we are getting teams of horses together to pull the tractor out of the swamp and just as soon as we have the parts we will put that tractor back together again", the declared, but the old salty farmer from Maine threw them for a loop.

"Never mind that", he said, "Its October in Maine and we'll have all winter to fix that tractor, you need to borrow my other tractor and get your hay in."

The Amish said after that they realized they moved to the right area.

I have never worried about people using my equipment with some discretion of course. But for the most part, things steel things can be fixed, its body parts and peoples feelings that cannot. I have know people to be pretty sore at some people who have long since been dead. Sometimes its better to fix a busted tractor then nurse a hurt friendship for years.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Good advice.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

Last year we had someone cut and bale our hay; $25 per acre to cut, a little over $55 to bale 3x4's.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Thanks for the information


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

I will also say a buck a bale. Do a search (for your state) and most states offer a list of farming cost/charge services related to farming and specifically haying...inclusive of cutting, raking, baling, tedding, round baling, square baling, etc... and it will give you an idea of what the going rate is in your area. Also, it also gives a shortcut to figuring all of the depreciation, fuel, twine costs to get a shot-in-the-dark idea of what you have in hay according to what the going rate of each task sums.

73, Mark


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

And to answer your question Yes his baler is broken currently. I think $1 per bale is plenty. Even if it is low I have some favors to repay to some local farmers who have helped me out a time or two. What comes around goes around


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> About 18-20 squares to a 4x5 round. $12.50/18= 0.69 per square


compareing rd bale rates and sm sq bale ing rates is like compareing apples and oranges.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Yes I know... It was just something to compare.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

If I recall you posted pictures of your NH66 and it was almost a museum piece of equipment. I personally would not let someone borrow such a classic machine. It is old, but even old machines can use TLC and it's capacity is limited, so you would not want someone pushing it. Just my 2 cents, for what it is worth.

Larry

PS you could almost charge for admission to see such a machine working.


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I'm sorry r82230 I guess I don't even realize the significance of my baler. It seems like a few people are pretty impressed with it's condition. I plan on taking excellent care of it because it costed a sum of money which was significant to me.

After hearing all the feedback regarding to me I am starting to have mixed feelings about using it.... but in the end I bought it because it could make me a square bale...

Would anyone care to guess it's value range to the right buyer? Also if such a range is guessable could you suggest a baler in that price range that might better fit my property needs? I am saying... if this piece is better fit in a collectors barn instead of being worked I would consider it... I just need a baler that I can work. If I can sell the NH 66 and replace it with something else more functional it might be worth it.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

No need to apologize, I was just thinking your baler is like a classic car, to be used, appreciated and respected. A classic car person, drives their car, lets you look at it, but normally does not want it touched (let alone someone borrowing it). Loaning your baler is just like loaning any equipment, it is YOUR risk, that YOU need to be comfortable with in the end.

If your baler makes bales YOU desire, at YOUR pace and fit's YOUR needs by all means keep it, as long as you plan on staying small and / or enjoy using it.

If you have plans on getting larger, then maybe you might want to get something with more capacity, IF you desire. Some people like working with classic or older (usually cheaper and easier to fix also) equipment.

Your baler seems to FIT your situation for now and could very well into the future, DEPENDING upon your goals.

Larry


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Perhaps I'll just take a day or two off work if need be to get it done


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

How many acres in the neighbour's field? How many bales do you expect? Up to 1000 bales might be good for your machine, really get it working smoothly. Your own 40 bales now and then is barely enough to keep it exercised. Any more than 1000, and I think you might be over-using it. Take the time off to do it yourself because you need the experience operating it yourself so you can understand it better. If you are worried about taking the time off maybe see if your neighbour can do some other job for you instead.

That 66 is a good fit for your needs. You don't need any more baler than that unless you plan on going bigger. The one you have is in good condition and you seem to want to keep it that way. Nothing keeps them useable like using them. So hang onto it. Read the manual. Learn how to adjust it and operate it, and you will gain enjoyment from it.

Roger


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I think I will keep it. I will say that the 40 I baled was from the smallest field on my property. We also had 28 large round bales from first cutting. So if I did all squares I'd guess from first cutting I could have done 700+.


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## Three44s (May 21, 2016)

One other thing to consider is that you can't just trot off to your local NH dealer and buy just any part for your "66" ...... in fact, you likely can't get hardly any parts for it and the few that are available will have to be shipped in ......

........ the moral of that is that niether love nor money can fix your 66 and it could be quite some time before you could source used parts and then there is the issue of the condition of those parts.

I realize that you have been extended favors by your neighbors and I think your taking time off to run it yourself is the best path forward.

What you charge for a job here and there is minor to keeping your hierloom baler working.

Best regards and good luck

Three 44s


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## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Going out in a bit to work on it


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

At this stage I don't think you know and understand the machine well enough to use it for custom work. Get some experience first, it will help a lot and give you more peace of mind.

Roger


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

bool said:


> At this stage I don't think you know and understand the machine well enough to use it for custom work. Get some experience first, it will help a lot and give you more peace of mind.
> 
> Roger


I would agree with Roger. This is my first year putting up our own hay, and it has be quite a learn curve. I am so glad I did not take on any custom work this year; I am having a hard enough time getting our own hay put up. You never know what kind of problems you may have with equipment. I did not expect to the problems that I had with my baler, but we are finally getting the kinks worked out.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

As far as selling or keeping your baler. I have an older IH that isn't a classic at all. It's only worth is what someone would pay so they could make bales or for scrap iron. Because of it's age, and the fact it never was a popular baler I don't believe a salvage yard would give me more than scrap prices. IMHO International doesn't want to support older equipment by selling parts. If I was to order a part for the baler the parts guy would first look like a deer in headlights having no idea what that model number is, then he, most likely with help, would look it up and tell me "I'm sorry we can't get that anymore". Then there professionalism would kick in, not by offering solutions, but by trying to keep a straight face until I get out the door. If they can wait that long, the door closing would start the recounting of the story to each other, slapping each other on the back and saying something like "He wanted to order parts for WHAT?". My options are selling it as a running baler, run it and have some widget go bad and be down until it can be repaired/ made, or go until something breaks that can't be patched back together without parts. I figure it's worth a bit more running than scrap so it's time for it to find a new home. If you want to bale and not be a collector that maybe something to consider, but I do understand paid for and having some knowledge about it are also factors.


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