# New (to me) used haying equipment



## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

A few days ago, I completed dragging home used haying equipment including a NH 326 Hayliner (wire tie) with an attached Hoelscher 1000, 10 bale accumulator and the accompanying grapple, a NH 488 Haybine cutter-conditioner, and a 4-wheel (on each side) ground driven hay rake with the intention of making my own idiot bricks of alfalfa. I did not purchase a tedder. With the alfalfa stems being broken (conditioned) and with the freshly cut hay laid as wide as possible using the Haybine, do you think I will need a tedder to help dry the alfalfa?
Now if you got a good laugh out of the thread "3rd cutting. How can one person screw up so much," wait until I attempt to cut and bale for my first time, knowing nothing about running the cutter and baler. I'm okay with raking, accumulating, and using the grapple, but I'd better memorize the manuals on the Haybine and Hayliner and hope that I can get it done right. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

If you are a person that can understand the basics of how your machines work, and can learn from things that go wrong, then you will be just fine.

In 2008 I bought a round baler to start a custom baling business. I had never made a round bale in my life until the first bale came out of that baler. If I can do it, just about anyone can.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Mishaps and screw-ups are how we learn. We've all had them.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

What Gearclash said.

I picked up my starter junk.....er, used equipment in Feb. '11, haybine, 3ph mounted (4-wheel) rake, & JD 530 baler. First round bale I ever baled came outta this one. I have run equipment before, but it was about 30 years ago.

And --



> If I can do it, just about anyone can.


 including me.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

One big tip is make sure your haybine has good guards and sections....it'll save alot of frustration and four letter words

I have pretty much taught myself how to run all our equipment and how to do things. You'll get a great boost when you are successful


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Round bailers are one thing, small square bailers are another. Lots of things to screw up and everything must work correctly or your frustration level will be comensurate with the person wo invented the first knotter.... I think he went insane....

For the most part I quit buying used when my nerves would not take the strain any longer. specially small square bailers. As a rule people don't sell a square bailer if it's doing a good job, they sell it because it has issues, not all the time but enough of the time to be a consideration

I not so fondly rmember my first square bailer a NH66 Hayliner. Looked ratty but the farmer that sold it to me assured me it ran fine. It 'ran' real well, wouldn't make a bal though. Got it for a really good, almost scrap price and the turned around and 'invested' some serious money in it... and then it made a bale. Not too fast, but a bale. least when I sold it, it was still making good bales so I didn't have to fib to the fella that bought it.

Had a roper rake too (side delivery). That didn't last very long, about one season and then I bought my first rotary, an old Geihl. Still have it btw. I bet it's raked thousands of acres in it's lifetime, must be 60 years old. Still works just fine. Not pretty but functional Makes my almost new that I bought new Kuhn look good.

Used equipmnt is fun to learn on but hard on the nerves because haying is about windows and oftentimes the window is narrow so I want equipment that runs pretty faithfully. That pretty much eliminates used from my vocabulary.

You are about to embark on the science of progression. Progression from second hand stuff to new stuff and payment books. It's fun. I know.


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

Good for you Dr. Haby! The only advice I'd give is like you stated, study the manuals. Also, keep the knives sharp on that baler and you'll be surprised at how much easier things work. Best of luck!

Regards,

Steve


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## blainalbin (Jun 14, 2011)

vHaby I've taken the same road you're on with no experience and used equipment. My JD 1209 moco was the worst purchase I've made in my life. Didn't know what to look for when buying and got stung. A lot of repairs and cursing later and it's working pretty well now. I second the suggestion on good guards and sharp sections. A tight drive belt is also something to check for. Hopefully you're mechanically inclined because there will be repairs required.

I would also suggest finding a mentor. I have a couple retired farmers next door to me, one of whom was a commercial hay producer. They have been a wealth of information. Especially on the small square baler. I would invite that mentor to look over your equipment now and then have them there the first time you run it next season. It will get you productive much quicker than groping in the dark when problems come up.

Be patient and find a good local parts dealer. You'll get through and probably, like me, become addicted to trying to make good hay.


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## 5050racing (Apr 20, 2012)

The FIRST THING IS SAFETY!!!! Read the books on your equipment ! Shut the tractor OFF or pull pto shaft off before getting involved! One string in a broken bale around your shoe not seen kicking hay into baler,everyone done it I keep a pitch fork on baler if I can't drive up to bale it,cleaning a jammed haybine pull pto shaft off take 3 seconds,many other tips but just don't put your hands on it with out one method to keep it from killing you!


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

IHCman said:


> Mishaps and screw-ups are how we learn. We've all had them.


Maybe that's why I feel so well educated!

I allow my students, employees and horses to make small mistakes. Costs me less to fix them up and they learn to think before they screw up.

Ralph


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Horses make mistakes? Never knew that....lol


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

5050racing said:


> The FIRST THING IS SAFETY!!!! Read the books on your equipment ! Shut the tractor OFF or pull pto shaft off before getting involved! One string in a broken bale around your shoe not seen kicking hay into baler,everyone done it I keep a pitch fork on baler if I can't drive up to bale it,cleaning a jammed haybine pull pto shaft off take 3 seconds,many other tips but just don't put your hands on it with out one method to keep it from killing you!


Gee im the most unsafe farmer


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

IHCman said:


> Mishaps and screw-ups are how we learn. We've all had them.





rjmoses said:


> Maybe that's why I feel so well educated!
> 
> I allow my students, employees and horses to make small mistakes. Costs me less to fix them up and they learn to think before they screw up.
> 
> Ralph


Don't forget watching and learning others mistakes. Thats how I learned alot


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## 5050racing (Apr 20, 2012)

You may not get away forever,just think how many farmers get them self's in trouble and how much experience we all have,lost a VERY experienced guy two years ago in the corn chopper. JUST STOP AND THINK it can happen.I hope all those farmer missing fingers and so on we're not just trying to learn something?Stop and think how many farmers you know are missing parts?


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

5050racing said:


> You may not get away forever,just think how many farmers get them self's in trouble and how much experience we all have,lost a VERY experienced guy two years ago in the corn chopper. JUST STOP AND THINK it can happen.I hope all those farmer missing fingers and so on we're not just trying to learn something?Stop and think how many farmers you know are missing parts?


Actually not many missing parts around here. More Amish missing parts than anyone


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Fortunately for me, I purchased my used NH 488 Haybine from Texas Twist near Trenton, TX, and got to meet Mr. Steve Thompson. Steve is an excellent hay equipment mechanic. The haybine works well for cutting alfalfa as long as I take it slow.

Why I mentioned the above...I tried to use the NH 326 Hayliner to bale the first cutting. Made two frustrating rounds and went after the borrowed JD baler to finish. I took the 326 to Texas Twist for repairs, got it back Thursday and am using it on the second cutting. It's making excellent bales. Had some wire issues and am getting a quick education on threading, etc., thanks to Mr. Thompson.

Also, the used Model 1000 Hoelscher accumulator is now operating properly- accumulating 10 bales and dumping. Getting this accumulator to work properly required a call to Hoelscher Company and following the adjustments outlined in the manual available on the Hoelscher web site.

Finally located and purchased a second hand Krone tedder in April and it is like new- couldn't be without it for alfalfa.

Like many of you indicated, this has been, and continues to be, an education in small square baling. Thanks for your input. And thanks to Hay Wilson for his method of determining when to start baling according to the relative humidity down at the windrow using a hygrometer.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

IHCman said:


> Mishaps and screw-ups are how we learn. We've all had them.


Still doin' them, still learning.

Ralph

If I had a dollar for every time I said "@#$^@&*", I'd break even.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

vhaby did you visit Brinkley's in idabel???

Sorry after checking this one was a NH575

https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=3861&aid=95160&lid=25116087&title=NH-575-SQUARE-BALER-WIRE-W-HOELSCHER-BALE-ACCULATOR-BALE-GRAPPEL


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Go to a big farm show you'll see plenty of guys who've lost body parts to machinery...

Later! OL JR


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

I pride myself that at 65 I still have 10 digits and they work.


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

Doc,

Glad it went well.


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