# Looking for a 3x4 big baler



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

This year we are going to cut, and bale our own hay. The custom guys around here are just getting to high with there prices, so I decided to buy some equipment. I am now looking for a 3x4 baler. Can anyone tell me what I should be looking for, and what is the best baler out there. I am looking for used at this time.

Thanks in advance.

Jay


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## hay rake (Dec 31, 2011)

what a can of worms this will be. there will b a million different answers. i'm not saying they are the best. but for my money i'd stay with agco/hesston. simple, dependable and easy to fix. not knowing how many acres you are doing after you get a baler you may see why their prices are getting high. remember a horse to haul it. if you are going to use them yourself you may want to look at a 4x4. just that many less bales to handle and depending where you buy sometimes less expensive.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

CowboyRam said:


> This year we are going to cut, and bale our own hay. The custom guys around here are just getting to high with there prices, so I decided to buy some equipment. I am now looking for a 3x4 baler. Can anyone tell me what I should be looking for, and what is the best baler out there. I am looking for used at this time.
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Jay


A few things should help as Hayrake asked:

Acres, cuttings, yield, etc.

What is pulling it?

Who is going to fix it?

And of course, how much $$$$$.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

We have about 60 acres alfafa, I have a Massey Ferguson 2745 tractor with a turbo charger. As far as fixing it, we will most likely be doing any of the maintenance. I don't want to spend anymore that $40000, or less.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/8/5/858-massey-ferguson-2745.html

140 PTO hp and about 12.5k -19k # weight.

Where is yours on the weight scale? Someone will chime in how power and weight will do on a big square.


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## hay rake (Dec 31, 2011)

hp is a little light but will probably work. put the weight to it. we do all our own work so all u need to do is find some good parts suppliers. again this is why i like the hesston. i will say this. your price range is going to probably put you into a high usage used baler. we don't do enough to buy new big square balers so we run used. at that price you are going to have to be very careful. like everything these puppies are not cheap to work on and the parts can put you way out of your budget. we put about 5 grand in our 4x4 last year 2500 the year before and i figure that's about normal. that just parts not our labor,we don't track that it would just scare us. but we also keep it in about new condition, i'm picky like that. we did a lot of knotter work last year, i don't know your situation but for 60 acres id let someone else own the baler.


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## MFSuper90 (Jun 26, 2015)

Big balers are a whole new ballgame. I have been wanting a big square Baler but I personally can't pencil it out. I was in the same price range as you and figured $5000 per year for upkeep and maintenance. In addition to that, a 40k Baler is going to have around 40,000 bales on it, just over its half-life. If financed, your payments are going to be around 10k per year in addition to 5k for maintenance and upkeep. Add that to twine, fuel usage and that's a lot of money. That's also not including cutting, raking, stacking, and rent if you have it. I personally want to invest my money in small squares. Better price per ton, I can afford to pay more for rent, and with a 40k budget be able to invest in bale handling equipment. Not to mention room for expansion on the custom side of things, due to the fact that nobody wants to mess with small bales anymore.
If you're dead set on big squares, I would look for more ground and custom jobs to help offset your risk on one feild. One bad rain could put a guy in the red real fast.
Just my two cents tho


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

The tractor weighs in somewhere between that 19k to 20k. I may start doing some custom work, not sure one that one, and maybe look for some more ground. Only time will tell where this ends up at, but I have to start somewhere. My tractor does have the M&W turbo charger, so that should get me a little more horsepower.


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

hay rake said:


> hp is a little light but will probably work. put the weight to it. we do all our own work so all u need to do is find some good parts suppliers. again this is why i like the hesston. i will say this. your price range is going to probably put you into a high usage used baler. we don't do enough to buy new big square balers so we run used. at that price you are going to have to be very careful. like everything these puppies are not cheap to work on and the parts can put you way out of your budget. we put about 5 grand in our 4x4 last year 2500 the year before and i figure that's about normal. that just parts not our labor,we don't track that it would just scare us. but we also keep it in about new condition, i'm picky like that. we did a lot of knotter work last year, i don't know your situation but for 60 acres id let someone else own the baler.


X2 if your sure about doing this I would stay away from the NH and try to find a hesston Agco, I don't think you will get into a MF for that kinda money.. stay away from a rotor cut you don't have near enough tractor for that.. in fact depending on your ground I wouldn't want too many hills with that 2745 on the front it will be a load on flat ground in good hay you will feel every stroke that plunger makes


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I don't have to worry about any hills. I have found a 1999 Hesston 4790 for under about 30K. It looks like it is in fairly good shape, the dealer said it is field ready; I think the bale count is about 30K. This baler is local. I have also found a 2006 or 2007 Krone 1290 for around 40k. I would have that one trucked to my location. The dealer that has the Krone also has a 2004 Krone BP128VFS for 22K. I was told by someone to stay way from those early model Krone's.


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## thendrix (May 14, 2015)

Why not go with a big round baler? Something in the 6x5 range? Yes the bales are smaller but the bills are to and you have more then enough hp to run it. Then later on if you still want a big square baler you can upgrade. The money you're talking is a damn nice round baler that's practically brand new


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## hay rake (Dec 31, 2011)

i run 235 hp each flake is good for 50 rpm drop. the 20 k weight is good a lot of front weight and duals. the 4790 would be my choice. hillary for prison 2016. i'd vote for that


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

CowboyRam said:


> I don't have to worry about any hills. I have found a 1999 Hesston 4790 for under about 30K. It looks like it is in fairly good shape, the dealer said it is field ready; I think the bale count is about 30K. This baler is local. I have also found a 2006 or 2007 Krone 1290 for around 40k. I would have that one trucked to my location. The dealer that has the Krone also has a 2004 Krone BP128VFS for 22K. I was told by someone to stay way from those early model Krone's.


Stay away from a Krone unless you have a very good dealer near you.. just remember (Make Hay When the Sun Shines) you don't want to be waiting on parts....JMO but we run 3 balers in our operation 2 Hesstons & a NH we are thinking about adding another baler which it will be a hesston or a MF.. do your self a big favor .. Call Maze Corp. in Ka. talk to Roger and tell him what you thoughts are He can help you out alot That is whom I will use to find our next baler.. there are other members on here that will tell you the same thing... Maze Corp. knows more about Big square balers that most of us put together on here


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I have duel, but i don't have front weights. Am I going to need front weights on my tractor.


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## hay rake (Dec 31, 2011)

two wheel or four. with a two wheel drive i ran more weight baling than doing tillage. if four wheel drive you can get away with less. the tongue weight on a big square is very surprising. that's on a single axle. iv'e never pulled a tandem. the only way to tell is pull it then start putting on more weight until your happy. i run a steiger 9230 in front of a hesston 4900 and i still know its back there. i started with a white 2-180 at 22k lbs 1300 of it on front. the baler could still shake that tractor like a dog with a bone. of course most of that came from the accumulator.


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