# How many tractors/acres do you have in your haying operation?



## JD3430

*How many tractors do you run in your haying operation *​
One87.08%Two3934.51%Three3026.55%Four2118.58%Five76.19%Six87.08%


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## JD3430

I wanted to do a double poll, but couldn't do it. 
I'm trying to get an idea of how many tractors you run in your operation and the size of your operation. 
In order to make the poll work, I would include a self propelled discbine or haybine as a tractor. 
I run 2 tractors and have 150 acres under contract. 
How about you?
Can you put your acreage in a post since poll only allows tractor answer?


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## 8350HiTech

2 (and a skidloader) covering 220 acres (although some of that is a single cutting). A third could be handy, but not necessary. Even on days when dad is around to help, we would still have one tractor parked.


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## JD3430

I use 2 tractors at once during baling. One has rake, other has baler. I could see having a third for tedding during difficult weather/humidity.


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## jd4230ps

I cut just under 800 acres bermuda, most of it three cuttings. Use three tractors


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## Teslan

I use regularly when dealing with hay 3 actual tractors. But then if we are talking motorized equipment included I run 6 pieces. 3 tractors, one swather, one stacker, and newly next year one compact wheel loader. Also my dad uses a little tractor for weed spraying, bush hog. That isn't used with hay though unless something happens to the raking tractors. Currently that covers 190 acres of our own land. Varied acres of custom stuff. In 2016 it will add 150 more acres (which is why I have been buying some newer equipment over the last couple years). Yes we are over tractored compared to many of you guys. But I like it that way. I suppose we could eliminate a tractor and use the tractor with the FEL as a raking tractor, but I like the duals on it for stability loading big squares of hay and duals are not good when raking. But we have them and they are all paid for. So why get rid of one? I added the compact wheel loader for loading hay out of another hay barn that will be built this next fall so I wouldn't have to move loader tractors all over the place when people come for hay. I wasn't planning on it this year, but the good deal came up.


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## Circle MC Farms LLC

I cut about 700 acres every year and this last year counting all the cuttings, (some made 3, some made only one) I cut approximately 1600 acres with 1 tractor and a 10.5 foot disc mower.


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## ARD Farm

2 Kubby's and a partridge in a pear tree....... 

Acreage wise, it always varies depending on how much custom work I get. Right now, maybe 75 for 3 cuts but thats volitale.

My owned ground is all rented... to row cropping.


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## Hokelund Farm

40 Acres - 3 tractors. Farmall 460 and 560 for raking, cutting, and small squares, IH 1086 for round baling


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## slowzuki

2 tractors on getting close to 150 acres. Worst pain is the mower conditioner is fully mounted so a bit of a pain taking it on and off every day. Would like the convenience of a pull type or an extra tractor so it could wear the mower all season. Front mount disc mower conditioner would be nice, just leave it on all the time!

We also have to ted everything multiple times so there is a lot of hitching/unhitching.

Luckily have a truck for moving wagons, used to have to use tractors for that too.


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## Lewis Ranch

I did run 2 tractors and a windrower, one tractor raking and one baling but this next year I will be down to one with the new rake baler combo. Cut 3,000 acres +- a little and hope to double that next year with mostly custom cutting.


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## hog987

This last year I did about 450 acres of hay, cutting raking and baling. Also put up 210 acres of straw with one tractor. My kubota 8560.


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## Supa Dexta

Of just hay ground probably approaching 250ac 2 tractors, and 2 cuts on half of it usually.


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## broadriverhay

Three tractors on 34 acres of Bermuda. I get four cuttings , about 5000 to 7000 square bales. JD 2510 ,JD 3010, and Kubota 7040. Real nice having 3 tractors so I don't have to ever unhook the rake or the baler all season.


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## endrow

I am not telling you guys put me to shame we have to many tractors


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## PaMike

I am actually surprised how few a lot of guys have. We have 3 on 80 acres, but my 3 are worth about 1/3 of what one tractor is worth for most guys...


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## JD3430

Yeah Lewis ranch doing 3,000 acres with 2 tractors.........I couldn't imagine the logistics of moving equipment around that large of an area.....


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## DSLinc1017

Have around 85 acres of hay land, 3 tractors, and two trucks do most of moving of hay to the barns.


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## Lewis Ranch

JD3430 said:


> Yeah Lewis ranch doing 3,000 acres with 2 tractors.........I couldn't imagine the logistics of moving equipment around that large of an area.....


It's hard on tires! You know starting out you do lots of moving long distances but I try to set my jobs up so we work in a big circle, although it tends to never work out that way. Every now and then we add another tractor when I get behind or when needing to load hay but that doesn't happen to often.


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## deadmoose

endrow said:


> I am not telling you guys put me to shame we have to many tractors


If you have too many you could always sell one off... 

Guessing you mean enough with possibly some to spare?


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## rjmoses

Three: For as much as 110 acres plus some custom.

NH TS135A -Mowing/baling/hauling/loading/heavy shredding/discing/drilling

NH TS110 --Mowing/tedding/raking/loading/feeding/medium shredding/manure loading/ditch work.

JD 4710-----Tedding/raking/light shredding/light ditch work.

Ford F250 heavy hauling.

F150 runabout/light hauling.

Ralph


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## haybaler101

Well, we have about 40 counting all of dad's antiques, which we still use a few of for various jobs.
CIH 7220 stays hooked to 3x3 square baler.
NH 8670 stays on 13' disc mower.
IH 966 or 806 on 14 wheel rake.
IH 806 or Super M on 6 basket Tedder.
IH M with loader
IH Super M with loader
NH TL100A with loader, also might rake or ted if I feel like a/c.
NH L218 skid loader.
All three tractor loaders are Westendorf quick attach so all buckets and spears interchange.
Run about 150 acres alfalfa at 5 cuttings and 40 acres grass at 3 cuttings per year.


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## Trotwood2955

Four tractors and 125+/- acres. But the old 3020 is semi-retired and only used for odd jobs (moving wagons, unloading bales). Could get by with two, but sure is nice having 3 when you are really busy. Especially for those Sunday afternoons when you blow a tire or a hydro hose. And our newest is 12 years old, so like someone else said I probably have less tied up in our low hour used ones than one or two brand new ones. All of ours are also used for things beside hay - mowing pastures, feeding cows, etc.


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## Troy Farmer

Two. JD 5083 E w loader; JD 2155 no loader. A little over 100 acres. I would like to have another tractor with a loader.


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## urednecku

I use the 'Bota only for cutting & bailing. The tired hydro system on the MF 165 would not pick up the mower. Or the hydro for the round baler either. But the Massey I think uses less fuel & doesn't tear up the ground like the tread on front of the 'Bota does AND, I think it enjoys running the tedder & rake.

I do ~25 acres of my own, ( & some of my uncles a couple miles down the road. He has 3 fields, -- 2 -20 acre fields & 1- 9 acre field. I cut & baled his last year, but the weather didn't let me this year. )


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## BPatrick

Two tractors...kubotas, M110, M7040... M110 used for disc mower, and NH 570 and Steffens accumulator. M7040 used for NH haybine and rake and steffens grapple. Currently 25 acres alfalfa and 175 acres grass.


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## carcajou

We managed with the two JD 7410's, and the old MF 1155 for all of the 1st cut till the JD 7510 finally showed up. I don't want to do that ever again. Too much work changing implements over. Our discbine is SP so that works well, but if the haying weather was less than perfect or a tractor broke down i would have been screwed bigtime. Another tractor is in the works for next year and i may make a SP hayrake scrapping a New Holland TR85 for the power unit, cab and drive system.

For us extra tractors make more sense being that our land is spread out somewhat and moving iron during the day costs valuable time.


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## slowzuki

Moving tractors is a real problem, we are only spread over a few miles but in the few days of overlap of moving between farms tedding and raking and baling at both places on same day gets to be a pain. On the road as much as in the field with only 1 tedding/raking tractor.


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## treymo

Well.. It depends really. I have two designated hay tractors, a John Deere 4850 and 4230. John Deere 4995 rotary swather. Then whenever dad has a tractor free I will usually take advantage of it. Either 8410 or 8100. I even put his 8360R on Highline 14 bale wagon to get some cornstalks moved out of the way for wheat drilling. 10,000+ bales a year mostly custom. I do know that I baled 500 acres of sudan, 1,300 acres grass, 1,100 acres straw, 520 acres oats, 1,050 acres of cornstalks, 120 acres of alfalfa and 300 acres of crabgrass.

Trey


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## Grateful11

4 Tractors

Kubota L3940: Loading bales in the field, stacking in the sheds, all round utility and used for feeding on the feed lot everyday.

John Deere 5065M with Cab: Used with Discbine, Tedder, Rake, Grain Drill, 7' Bush Hog and 3 point sprayer.

IH 686 turbo with canopy: Used with HayBine, Manure Spreader, Pull Type Sprayer, IH 82 Combine, New Idea Corn Picker and grinding feed with the CIH 1250

CaseIH 5140 Maxxum with cab: Used with JD round baler, DiscBine, 11' Amco Bog disc harrow, 14' CaseIH 475 Disc, and 12' field cultivator.


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## IHCman

Between Dad and I there are 8 tractors here. Only 5 are used for haying. Acreage varies from year to year but I totaled up the owned hayland between the two of us and its around 800 acres of which 400 are in alfalfa and the other 400 are native prairie grass. We do usually hay some CRP on the managed haying and grazing but most of that is coming out to be farmed and hay some pastures some years. Also bale some straw. I'd say an estimate would be 1000 to 1400 acres a year and the alfalfa ground is cut twice.

Case IH 7220 on the baler

4 IH 5088s one on the V rake and one hooked to the hay hiker all summer, other one always has a loader on it, and mine has a 3 point sprayer on it or is hooked to the baler.

Case IH 5240 loader most of the year, double rowse mower during haying

IH 656 standard, double mower all summer, parked inside for winter

IH 460 single rowse mower, parked inside for winter


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## OhioHay

JD r450 swather
JD 4640 on the 3x3
JD 4230 on the round baler
JD 4030 on the 6 spinner tedder and small square baler and accumulater
JD 4440 with loader for loading bales in field
Case Ih jx100 u on the twin rotary rake
jcb telehandler unloading at the barns

500 acres of hay. Two to three cuts. Sometimes four. 100 acres of straw. 100 acres of corn stalks. 
Depending on the year some custom work too. Probably over tractored but works for us as we are very spread out with many small fields.


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## mlappin

This year around 170 acres.

One of my White 2-110's on the NH1431.

My grandfathers 1600 Oliver to ted with.

Either a 1755 or 1855 Oliver to rake with.

My other White 2-110 to bale with.

JD 401C loader in the field to load bales.

JD400 Backhoe at home to stack bales.


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## JD3430

Looks like two tractors is running away with it. 
I would love to have a 3rd tractor, a dedicated baler tractor, as the round baler and applicator are a pain in the ass to hook/unhook. Or even better would be a SP discbine with a 12' head and 2 tractors, but SP's are a little impractical around here until ~500 acres


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## hillside hay

JD 2940, JD 4030: 150 acres of hay 2 cuttings. 150 acres row crop. One odd thing. My 2940 absolutely loves being hooked to the 4x18 plow. Once she is warmed up will pull that heavy iron pig across some pretty heavy ground 6 mph 10-12 inches deep. Only burns a little under 3 gph doing that. That's a good Manheim right there.


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## cornshucker

150 plus acres got 4 tractors most of time use 3, one on rake, one on baler, and one on pull type bale wagon, when round baling use just 2. One tractor with loader. All of our tractors except for one 2007 are from 1981 on back.


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## Teslan

I'm happy to see more guys are chiming in with quite a few tractors for relatively small acres. The guys with big square balers generally have one tractor that stays on the baler the whole summer. So then they would need at the least one more for raking and if they have a PT swather.


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## RockmartGA

30 acres in grass hay, one tractor, and a bunch of previously owned rust that nobody wanted, lol.

I did have a second tractor, a Ford 3000 that I used to pull the hay rake and do light bushhogging. Buddy kept bugging me to buy it, I named a price and he took me up on it. I've regretted it ever since.


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## RockmartGA

haybaler101 said:


> Well, we have about 40 counting all of dad's antiques, which we still use a few of for various jobs.


FORTY tractors? You're my new hero...


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## haybaler101

The list that will run includes: John Deere '35 B, '51 A, 50, 2 - 60's, & 70. Farmall Cub, Cub 154, A, H, Super H, 5 - M's, 3 - Super M's, 3 Super MTA's, 2 - 300's, 450, 230, 806, 966. CIH 7220 and NH 8670 and TL100A. I guess that only came to 30 but there are a few more in various states of renovation including a 1066, the only new tractor ever purchased on the farm.


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## JD3430

RockmartGA said:


> FORTY tractors? You're my new hero...


Is 40 tractors considered "over tractored" ?
I'd feel like king of the world with FOUR tractors. Haha


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## Teslan

JD3430 said:


> Is 40 tractors considered "over tractored" ?
> I'd feel like king of the world with FOUR tractors. Haha


Nah not over tractored if you have that many "classic" tractors. Now if you had 40 newer then 1980 tractors I would wonder.


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## IH 1586

I am currently haying about 100 acres, but with the custom haying about 450 total. Could double easy in about 2 years. I quite often have equipment in 2 different places at once and up to 30 miles away, so having 4 tractors makes thing a little easier. This year we had 3 running at same time, baling, raking, and picking up bales. Still could use a couple more to be even more efficient, especially when I get the labor to work in 2 places at once.


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## JD3430

IH 1586 said:


> I am currently haying about 100 acres, but with the custom haying about 450 total. Could double easy in about 2 years. I quite often have equipment in 2 different places at once and up to 30 miles away, so having 4 tractors makes thing a little easier. This year we had 3 running at same time, baling, raking, and picking up bales. Still could use a couple more to be even more efficient, especially when I get the labor to work in 2 places at once.


Thats what is about to happen to me. Im going to need to have 2 sets of equipment if I get a big parcel being offered to me. Might have to get someone to cut it for me, then tow the baler/rake/tedder over with my 550


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## bluefarmer

New holland Tn 84 4x4 
New holland Ts90 cab 
New holland 1411 disc mower
8 wheel v rake
Jd 466 round baler 
400 acres


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## matador

We currently have one tractor- a White 2-105. We do about 110 acres with it, and it does everything. There are two of us, though, so we'll be getting a second machine over the winter. Our haybine, baler, and wagon are all pull-type.

Having two tractors will be nice! I don't know how we do it all with only one.


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## IH 1586

JD3430 said:


> Thats what is about to happen to me. Im going to need to have 2 sets of equipment if I get a big parcel being offered to me. Might have to get someone to cut it for me, then tow the baler/rake/tedder over with my 550


I move most of the hay equipment with my truck. I usually only have two of the tractors on the road. Leaving the others around the farm to work with. As I purchase new equipment it will be added to the current line instead of traded.


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## IH 1586

matador said:


> We currently have one tractor- a White 2-105. We do about 110 acres with it, and it does everything. There are two of us, though, so we'll be getting a second machine over the winter. Our haybine, baler, and wagon are all pull-type.
> 
> Having two tractors will be nice! I don't know how we do it all with only one.


After I auctioned everything off and restarted the business I only had one tractor and probably covered close to 200 acres. Looking back I don't know how I did that and work full time by myself.


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## stack em up

Allis Chalmers 200 w/factory cab to run the 499
Agco LT75 on the New Idea 5407 disc mower
Allis Chalmers D19 Diesel on the HT154 rake
Allis Chalmers WD45 nf on the tandem 256 rakes
Challenger 665 on the Gehl 1200 chopper.

These are the ones that once hooked up, don't get unhooked till I'm done.


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## carcajou

Stack em up I remember going to my 1st Ag show as a kid and seeing a brand new AC 200. I fell in love with that tractor. I have never seen another since. Just something about that pre 7000 series i really like.


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## stack em up

I have a picture of the day my dad brought ours home. I rode with him from the dealer. Got it 7 years old and a 5 bottom 2000 mono frame Allis plow, paid $8500. Love any tractor as long as it's orange...


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## carcajou

That's a picture i would like to see posted.


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## SVFHAY

3 tractors, sp disc, 400 of hay 2 or 3 times and 100 straw.

Carcajou, tell more on the rake project.


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## Bgriffin856

Depends. Usually use three or four. When we have a good stretch of weather and alot of ground to cover we will use all six plus both skidloaders maybe even a pickup.


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## Bgriffin856

stack em up said:


> I have a picture of the day my dad brought ours home. I rode with him from the dealer. Got it 7 years old and a 5 bottom 2000 mono frame Allis plow, paid $8500. Love any tractor as long as it's orange...


Allis is all it seems they use on the tv show Alaska The Last Frontier oh and a johnny popper


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## Orchard6

I use any of the orchard tractors that are available on the farm for mowing my 20 acres, 2 6420's, 5105m, 5525, 5300 or before we sold it the 2555. Tedding is handled by my '49 Farmall C and raking is done with either the C or my '49 McCormick O-6 and the square baling is handled by either the C or O-6 as well. My mom likes raking hay with the O-6 so if she's raking the C is doing the baling but if I rake and bale myself the C rakes and the O-6 bales.


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## FarmerCline

About 90 acres of hay this year cut multiple times. I currently have 3 tractors but usually use 2 for haying. JD 3020 for mowing, tedding, raking, and the 4020 for baling. I also have an IH 986 but I don't like baling with it as well as I do the powershift trans of the JDs and it's kind of overkill for the haybine, tedder, and rake. The 986 is usually hooked to the sprayer, disc, or something else anyway. I wouldn't want to be without 2 tractors in the hayfield and really wouldn't mind having another mid size tractor to do the tedding and raking.......one can never have too many tractors.....right?


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## deadmoose

Bgriffin856 said:


> Allis is all it seems they use on the tv show Alaska The Last Frontier oh and a johnny popper


And the Kubota. And all sorts of other brands between tractors excavators and dozers. Don't forget the old Ford.


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## deadmoose

Hay 45 acres. One swather and one tractor. But I use my brothers as well. (25 of 45 is his). One would do but more is better.


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## foz682

2 tractors and 150 acres, about a 70/30 split of baleage/dry hay. If we were making more dry hay we'd likely add another tractor just for raking/tedding. We're not spread out very far so 2 tractors works good, but it can be a bit of a pain switching the rake and tedder on the NH and needing it for loader work somewhere else at the same time.


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## Hayman1

JD- all in how you ask the question. Maybe better to ask how many mechanized pieces of equipment do you use per 1000 small squares, but then looking at the answers that might be all over the place. seems to me it is important if you ted multiple times and roll over your windrows on baling day or cold rake from flat hay. We could never do that here, ted on average 3 times, rake at end of day, flip the next morning at 11-12, bale at 1-2. that is much more tractor intensive than these guys out west or in texas with low humidity. just saying, a tractor is not a tractor.


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## JD3430

Yeah you're right about that. 
Hay that must be teddered would require at least the understanding that another tractor might be needed.
I noticed when I was in Utah almost all hay farmers used self propelled haybines and if you asked one if they used a Tedder they'd look at me like "what's a Tedder?"


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## Ray 54

That is very correct JD, I don't think I have ever seen a tedder other than a picture.It has been 10 years since I have been to the big Farm Equipment Ag Expo here in Ca ,and back then they didn't have many if any.Since 84 I have been cutting with a NH SP windrower ,no conditioner because of sticks and rocks.Never used a rake on it ether,until the drought the last 2 years.One tractor on the baler and a self propelled NH bale wagon.Used to us a JD A on IH 56 baler ,moved up to NH 290 making16x23 bales.Doing as many as 10000 of the 120# bales ,all in wire.The 290 could get to be way to much for the old A as you couldn't hold it back going down to much of a hill ,then would use a AC HD5 crawler or one custom job used the customers D 2 Cat.For the last 10 years been baling with a White 2-60 FWA . The last 5 years mostly baling with a cousin who has a pair of NH 500 's that are twine, as the price of wire was twice as much as poly twine per bale.The acres have been very changeable from 250 to 30 .


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## OhioHay

Not only does having to Ted and rake at least once and maybe multiple times make a difference, but also field sizes and distances make tractor needs different. Our 500 acres is in more than 50 fields. Farthest fields are 15 miles from home and in four different directions. This is why we like to have one tractor for each implement. The swather, rake, and tedder rotate from farm to farm. The baler always comes home to a barn unless baling a couple of days in a row without any weather threats.


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## Bob M

We hate un hooking tractors and are spread out over 20 miles. Usually have 10 tractors and 2 self propelled stackers and do 400 ac hay cut 3 to 5 times a year and 500ac straw. Having said this all our tractors are old and so are the stack cruisers.


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## Dill

3 tractors and a skidsteer, 75 acres of hay ground and 1 operator with a full time job.


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## T & R Hay Farms

4 tractors and 1 skid loader to cover about 500 acres of ditch hay and then roughly 100 acres of river bank hay.

Also we cover about 1,000 acres of wheat ground for baling and about 1,000 acres of corn ground for Cornstalks.

It is nice in Cornstalks to have a raking tractor, 2 tractors round baling, 1 tractor loading and then a skid loader at the stack unloading.


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## T & R Hay Farms

Skidsteer really sped up unloading this year! 

(5X6 large round cornstalks roughly wearing 1400 lbs a piece)





  








IMG 1565[1]




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T & R Hay Farms


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Nov 20, 2014


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## PackMan2170

In my neck of the woods, this is like someone asking how much $ is in your bank acct.....


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## Hokelund Farm

PackMan2170 said:


> In my neck of the woods, this is like someone asking how much $ is in your bank acct.....


So how much $ is in your bank acct???

That is the same here as well, but its different when you aren't talking to your neighbors.


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## bluefarmer

T&R hay, what brand/size skid steer


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## T & R Hay Farms

Bluefarmer:

It's a Case 430 with loegering after market tracks. Oh and you can't see it, but there is 400lbs of suitcase weights on the back.

But it handled it fine hydraulic wise. Sometimes would get light upfront, but just need to be a smooth operator.


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## PackMan2170

Hokelund Farm said:


> So how much $ is in your bank acct???
> 
> That is the same here as well, but its different when you aren't talking to your neighbors.


Ok Hokelund Farm, you got me there, so I'll bite.

I'd rather not divulge acreage, but its enough to keep me busy. I have 3 tractors and my swather dedicated to haying, but frequently borrow 2 more that are supposed to be for my row-crops.

And they're all GREEN, baby! (Except for the swather, that is.....)


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## PackMan2170

T & R Hay Farms said:


> Skidsteer really sped up unloading this year!
> 
> (5X6 large round cornstalks roughly wearing 1400 lbs a piece)


That is a pretty bad-a$$ skid-steer T & R Hay Farms


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## T & R Hay Farms

I wish I could learn how to post videos since a still photo doesn't do it justice....


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## Teslan

Many of us have a list of our equipment at the bottom of every post.  Maybe we should add acres also?


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## panhandle9400

Teslan said:


> Many of us have a list of our equipment at the bottom of every post.  Maybe we should add acres also?


WHY ?


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## Teslan

panhandle9400 said:


> WHY ?


I was kidding. I guess what I thought was humor didn't come through to you. There were people commenting saying asking how many tractors and acres you have is like asking how much money is in your bank account. But many of us put our equipment on our posting signature. Why not add acres? The adding acres was the joke part.


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## NDVA HAYMAN

I run 3-JD 6430, JD 5320, JD 3010, Ford 4100, Int 1486, JD 4960, new JD 5100M Bobcat T300 and may use my tillage tractors if neede. I don't use my antique tractors for work anymore. We do 3-4 cuttings on 580 acres of hay and between 2-300 acres of straw but that will be down to 120 acres of oat straw this year.


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## German Farmer

hay machine tractor

baler tractor

tedder/rake tractor doubles as loader tractor some of the time

industrial loader tractor to load bales when we are spread out

multiple cuts of alfalfa (5 cuttings) and grass hay (3) we ran across about 400 acres

All three tractors are involved in grain farming, manure hauling, and animal feeding


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## OneManShow

Three tractors and a 1075 bale wagon. We're usually between 140 and 200 acres.


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## Uphayman

Enough to get the job done, usually. True story . Two years ago cutting tractor on a 1475 16' hydraulics pukes, can't lift header. Unhook and get same model unit only mf wd w/loader, fuel sender pump pukes in the driveway going to field. Get another smaller tractor , hooked up start cutting, happy happy happy.....snapped the pto shaft on the tractor off , on first round. 3 dead in 12 minutes. Considered hooking the ranger 620 on the truck and hitting Green Bay for walleye. On second thought... Boat would have probably sunk.


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## deadmoose

Uphayman said:


> Enough to get the job done, usually. True story . Two years ago cutting tractor on a 1475 16' hydraulics pukes, can't lift header. Unhook and get same model unit only mf wd w/loader, fuel sender pump pukes in the driveway going to field. Get another smaller tractor , hooked up start cutting, happy happy happy.....snapped the pto shaft on the tractor off , on first round. 3 dead in 12 minutes. Considered hooking the ranger 620 on the truck and hitting Green Bay for walleye. On second thought... Boat would have probably sunk.


Only thing to do there is grab a beer and write a country song.


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## Bgriffin856

Uphayman said:


> Enough to get the job done, usually. True story . Two years ago cutting tractor on a 1475 16' hydraulics pukes, can't lift header. Unhook and get same model unit only mf wd w/loader, fuel sender pump pukes in the driveway going to field. Get another smaller tractor , hooked up start cutting, happy happy happy.....snapped the pto shaft on the tractor off , on first round. 3 dead in 12 minutes. Considered hooking the ranger 620 on the truck and hitting Green Bay for walleye. On second thought... Boat would have probably sunk.


Sounds about like our year this year


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## PaMike

Uphayman said:


> Enough to get the job done, usually. True story . Two years ago cutting tractor on a 1475 16' hydraulics pukes, can't lift header. Unhook and get same model unit only mf wd w/loader, fuel sender pump pukes in the driveway going to field. Get another smaller tractor , hooked up start cutting, happy happy happy.....snapped the pto shaft on the tractor off , on first round. 3 dead in 12 minutes. Considered hooking the ranger 620 on the truck and hitting Green Bay for walleye. On second thought... Boat would have probably sunk.


My wife cant understand how one day everything at the farm is good, the next I am stressed,overworked and pulling my hair out.

Your story right there explains it....


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## AaronQ

uphayman,

dont worry we all get those once in a while. but way to go on having enough sense to realize the boat probably would have sunk. haha. just look at how much character that experience built for ya.... 

we're currently running

2 7810 john deeres with 840 loaders

1 7400 john deere with a 725 loader

a 9260 16" double roller hesston discbine

4 348 deere balers

busy when its all going.


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## JD3430

PaMike said:


> My wife cant understand how one day everything at the farm is good, the next I am stressed,overworked and pulling my hair out.
> Your story right there explains it....


Tell her you aren't always in charge of outcomes. Mother Nature can be a stubborn partner in your business.


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## PaMike

Yeah, no kidding. Kinda like the day I thought "man things are going well, I will be done mowing in record time." Not 5 minutes later the 4 bolts the hold the end of the cutterbar sheared off. The entire end of the cutterbar swung out from under the machine....


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## JD3430

Or the time the weather forcasted 1/4-1/2" of rain and we got 3" of rain and flooded the field where I left about 150 round bales with 2' of muddy water? lol


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## PaMike

What I really love is the people tha dont know you and find out you farm. They always ask "What do you plant/grow?".

I repond with "All my ground is in pasture and hay". They look at you like you arent a "real" farmer cuase you dont plant beans or corn...

I take more trips over the field in one cutting of hay, than a lot of guys do in an entire season of corn. But you cant explain that to the dummy...


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## deadmoose

PaMike said:


> What I really love is the people tha dont know you and find out you farm. They always ask "What do you plant/grow?".
> I repond with "All my ground is in pasture and hay". They look at you like you arent a "real" farmer cuase you dont plant beans or corn...
> I take more trips over the field in one cutting of hay, than a lot of guys do in an entire season of corn. But you cant explain that to the dummy...


What could you explain to said dummy?


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## Bob M

PaMike, I just tell them I'm not very smart. We still milk cows and bale a lot of small bales of hay and straw. We do grow corn to feed the cows and double crop some beans behind straw ground.


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## Teslan

PaMike said:


> What I really love is the people tha dont know you and find out you farm. They always ask "What do you plant/grow?".
> 
> I repond with "All my ground is in pasture and hay". They look at you like you arent a "real" farmer cuase you dont plant beans or corn...
> 
> I take more trips over the field in one cutting of hay, than a lot of guys do in an entire season of corn. But you cant explain that to the dummy...


I always find it tedious every year to explain to those that know I farm and know I farm nearly all hay that I don't have to be plowing and planting everything every year. That springtime is not my busiest time of year. Nor is fall. And I don't have "harvest" to do in the fall. Then they also give me that look that I may be a farmer, but I'm not all right in the head. Also tedious is when it's raining non farmers assume I love it all the time. I know people just talk to me about farming as small talk. I most times wish they wouldn't talk at all.


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## Teslan

One of the enjoyable things though about talking to non farmers is about farm equipment. They have no clue on how much equipment costs. When a guy goes and blows 55k on a brand new 2500 truck with custom rims and a lift kit to pull his dirt bikes once a month to the mountains and feels proud of himself. I just let it be known I have a 16 year old tractor that is worth more then that truck was when it is brand new. In addition to other older equipment worth twice as much as that fancy truck that is losing value by the day.  Then depending on the guy hint that I'm thinking of buying a tractor worth more then his house.


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## SwingOak

If I hadn't already let the cat out of the bag in older posts about how many acres I'm haying I'd keep quiet, because I'm clearly a mouse among lions...

I have 6-1/2 acres of hay and two tractors on our little farm we bought last year. I'm looking to rent more land next season if I can, but there's nothing nearby that I've seen available so far.

When I was a kid we farmed 70 acres, rented another 40 for hay, and I worked on a 450 acre hay farm full time. We had one tractor on our farm and the hay farm I worked on had three.


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## JD3430

I started with 9. Now I'm at 150. 
Gotta start somewhere


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## Josh in WNY

This year I topped out at 44 acres. The tractor line up is:

JD 4020 - usually used for mowing, any tillage work and possibly the 1033 stacker wagon, but sat out this year with a bad rear main seal and an injector pump issue

IH 784 - runs the baler, is sometimes used to rake and can also run the mower if needed (the PTO went out late this year, so it got relegated to a raking tractor)

Ford 5000 - Will do just about everything, but is usually on the stacker wagon (used to have a loader on it, but has been taken off)

JD 2520 - This is our main loader tractor now and does the big part of the raking, have also had this on the JD 336 baler a time or two in a pinch.

On top of that, there's my full time job...


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## AaronQ

JD i'd be interested to see a poll on how many guys work off the farm as well as comparative hours spent between both the off farm job and the farm.


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## JD3430

I still have to supplement my dream of being a full time hay farmer with construction work and snowplowing, but I really don't mind too much. 
With no livestock to feed other thAn my neighbors little herd, or real serious winter farm work, its a great way to earn extra $. 
I'd really like to only build barns or garages if I could chose.


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## OhioHay

Worked off the farm for the last 13 years as a crop insurance adjuster. With much prayer and petition quit insurance back in June. Full time farming since then and loving it. There are challenging days, but wouldn't trade it.


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## Ray 54

Great thought that Teslan,PaMike,and others expressed about if non farms would just stop asking questions that they don't understand just what they asked. It would be fun to ask them questions that put them on the spot in the same manner. But being just part of a herd they cannot figure out the information you give them any way.


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## Bgriffin856

Try explaining the dairy business especially reproduction and dry cows to non farmers. I seriously give up on that


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## R Ball

This coming year we will be running 2 NH T5050's , Fôrd 6610 , Fôrd 3910. For pulling wagons and hauling we use a 97 fôrd 1 ton and a Kubota RTV x1100..


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## R Ball

Sorry, we cut and bale ~100 acres three times. Would like to do more if we found the right ground.


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## barnrope

I use Dads JD8200 or my 4440 on the discbine, JD7920 on the round baler, 4440 or 4020 on 14 wheel rake, 4020 powershift with loader, 4620 on Highline round bale mover, 3010 on small square. Also run a 93' Ford F350 pickup with a bale fork and hydraulics on rear for pulling a smaller 12 wheel rake on long distance jobs. WD45 Allis, JD 620 or 720 on little side rake for the small square baler. Its nice to have plenty of tractors around. We joke about welding on the hitch pins some time.

Not really sure on acres. Some of it is custom. 6500 5x6 rounds last year. 2000 small squares.

We also run row crop acres with corn and soybeans so the larger tractors are multi use.


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## shortrow

endrow said:


> I am not telling you guys put me to shame we have to many tractors


What's wrong with that? An extra tractor or two.............just means you're prepared. You never know what will happen.


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## Hank- in or

4 tractors total, 2 raking tractors and 2 tractors on big balers.


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## aawhite

When the dairy was still going, we ran 14 tractors, not counting skid steers. We mixed and matched a lot: tedder tractor may get moved to a feed wagon, big tillage tractors also hauled silage, ran 2 pull type disc conditioners, etc.

Hauling sialge was the biggest user: 2 mowers, 1 on big v rake, SP chopper, 3 to haul silage, 1 on the silage bagger. When we still ran the old bunker silo we had 2 on blowers and one packing.


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## G&GFarms

we have normally 3 tractors. Agco 9650 for cutting and raking if one of the others is doing something else, we just sold our second challenger: 2011 mt545b with loader, and i have the 806 for raking. We also have a ford 8n but everything is way to big for it. we do maybe 300 acres thats with second crop. My neighbors sold the dairy herd so we will be doing probably all there hay which is close to 5-700 acres in all for just first crop.


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## JD3430

Did you sell the Challenger because you didnt like it?

Its on my list as a possible tractor to buy to replace my small Kubota.


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## G&GFarms

no of course not! why would it be our second one?  we loved it! We just want a bigger one do to the fact that our agco has 2500 hours now which is low for a 1993 but, we want a big to replace the lovely agco. each challenger weve had has gotten bigger then the next.


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## JeffMNY

Just two tractors here. Mow, round bale and square bale with 856 with M&W turbo. Usually ted, rake and move bales or haul wagons of squares with 666. 666 also has a loader on it. Cover right around 80 acres once and as much of that as possible a second time. Also work road construction full time and am out of town quite a bit. I have a friend that will mow for me during the week and I can usually con one of my sons to either rake or help unload squares.


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## hay rake

this is our line up, mowing; white 2-180 and ih 1086 on 16 foot mowers. tedding; ih 856 on vermeer te330 tedder. raking; ih 856 on kuhn 6002 rotary rake. baling; ih hydro 100 on nh 575 small square, ih hydro 186 on nh 740 round and steiger 9230 on c/ih 8580(hesston 4900) 4x4 big square. when we are haying other than the tedder we very seldom lift a pin everything is pretty much married. we also have one ih 656, two ih 856s, and one oliver 1855 in reserve. we hay a little over 900 acres. we also have two ac d-12s to mow about three acres of lawn. then for the collection we have a farmall super m-ta we used on the farm until we couldn't, a super m, ac 190 and ac 220. then a ih 856 for pulling you can never have enough toys.


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## R Ball

I would think 900 acres in Maine is big time. What kind of customers you got


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## FarmerCline

hay rake said:


> this is our line up, mowing; white 2-180 and ih 1086 on 16 foot mowers. tedding; ih 856 on vermeer te330 tedder. raking; ih 856 on kuhn 6002 rotary rake. baling; ih hydro 100 on nh 575 small square, ih hydro 186 on nh 740 round and steiger 9230 on c/ih 8580(hesston 4900) 4x4 big square. when we are haying other than the tedder we very seldom lift a pin everything is pretty much married. we also have one ih 656, two ih 856s, and one oliver 1855 in reserve. we hay a little over 900 acres. we also have two ac d-12s to mow about three acres of lawn. then for the collection we have a farmall super m-ta we used on the farm until we couldn't, a super m, ac 190 and ac 220. then a ih 856 for pulling you can never have enough toys.


 Do you have trouble getting hay dry enough in Maine to bale in a 4x4 big square?


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## hay rake

we just shipped our first load to prince edward island that will end up in newfoundland and ship to indiana going west. we do horsey people and all kinds of exotics with small squares and rounds. mostly beef and dairy with round and big squares. we have found a niche market doing low potassium dry cow hay for dairies and that is where our long shipments go. we also grind and deliver to local dairy farms. we also still ship horse hay long distances too. unless we have a problem we start baling at 13% with all balers and will spray down to 10% with the 4x4 because we are packing the bales so tight. we make a 1800 to 2200 lb bale with the big square. grandfather had one of the first balers around back in the forties and they were doing custom baling with a 44 john deere back then and being irish he just had to have race horses so there was a market to sell to. i'm just the third generation dumb enough to keep on going. but i still wonder what gramp would say if he could see us now. sometimes i look at the equipment we use today and don't believe it myself. that super m-ta i mentioned was my horse when i was a kid. i started mowing in the morning then went to the rake until it was time to start baling then we would change tractors and i'd hook to the baler and then a wagon to pick up. now it just sits in a garage and can't even pull a tedder, not enough hyd power. guess the only constant is change


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## mjedd12

250 acres 7 miles south of farm to 5 miles north. all fields In between. 4 tractors 2 trucks + 3 pickups ( moving bale wagons)

jd 4430 (mowing square/round baling)

jd 2955 (mowing round baling)

jd 6410 ( bale spear on loader)

jd 2355 (raking tedding)

FL70 (round bale hauling)

Pete 330 (round bale hauling)

yamnar 45 mini excavator (wrapping/stacking bales at home)

normally have most all rigs on the move when weather is good between CT's frequent thunderstorms

Seems like overkill compared to everyone else's posts but honestly between local farms we do the most with the least... larger operations in our areas run 6-7-8


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## GOOD HAY

We do about 200 acres, most of it twice. We have a 2350 Deere with cab and air that we cut and bale with, Case Ih JX80, rops, that we ted and rake and pull the bale wagon. Also a Case IH 495 that we can use for odd jobs or ted with if we have more help. We stack the hay with a Clark fork lift with bale grapple. All tractors are 2wd and seem well suited to the job, the John Deere would be better with more power but is OK for now unless we make more changes down the road. Been doing this for over 20 years, the business just seems to evolve from year to year. Nobody ever cuts back on horses and rarely does a customer ever leave.


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## rankrank1

PaMike said:


> What I really love is the people tha dont know you and find out you farm. They always ask "What do you plant/grow?".
> I repond with "All my ground is in pasture and hay". They look at you like you arent a "real" farmer cuase you dont plant beans or corn...
> I take more trips over the field in one cutting of hay, than a lot of guys do in an entire season of corn. But you cant explain that to the dummy...


Good post and I am glad you posted this. My few acre piddle patch is in all hay too and I never really considered myself a real farmer either until your post here. What you stated certainly made me think. By the time I cut the hay, tedd it twice, rake it once, and then bale it I have made 5 trips over my fields (actually 6 trips if I drop the bales on the ground). Furthermore if you lucky enough to be in an area where there are 3 cuts a year then this becomes 15 to 18 trips over the field.

In comparison, a modern day row crop soybean farmer who no till plants, hires a pro to spray it, and a custom operator to combine it will make 1 trip over the field. Even if he sprays himself, and combines it himself it is still only 3 trips.

Note: I am leaving out the fertilize trip over the field as I consider that a wash with either type cropping operation.

Again darn good thought provoking post!


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## rankrank1

Well I did not consider myself even worthy of posting in this topic until Mike PA had me do some thinking. Hay roughly 5.5 to 8.5 acres every year. (Average 3 cuts per year. Some years are 2 cuts but others are 4 cuts). I own 7 tractors (all of them old). That said, I usually use 2 or 3 of them for the haying.

1946 Farmall M: This will be my primary tractor for the Hesston model 1120 9' mower conditioner and also my primary to run the NH square baler going forward.

1951 Farmall H: My backup moco or baler tractor. Primary purpose going forward will be tedding duty and raking duty otherwise.

1950 John Deere model A: Have ran the moco with it, but will pretty much only use it to rake hay going forward.

1977 Kubota L285 have ran the baler and raked with it. I actually did everything with this one little tractor when I first started this masochist hay hobby as it was only tractor I owned at the time. It will still do everything but run the moco if I needed it to.

1948 Case DC-3, 1953 Ford Jubilee, and 195? Ford 850 ( the wife just bought) all need some tinkering to become productive so they have yet to chip in on haying help. That said, I expect each of these will see some rake duty if nothing else once fixed - simply to get some run time for them.

Note: When you run old scrap pile types of equipment you need back-ups. I have 7 tractors, 3 ways to cut, 1 way to truly tedd, 2 ways to improvise tedd, 2 ways to rake, and 2 ways to bale. Any one unit can break down and I can still gett'r done.


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## hog987

rankrank1 said:


> Good post and I am glad you posted this. My few acre piddle patch is in all hay too and I never really considered myself a real farmer either until your post here. What you stated certainly made me think. By the time I cut the hay, tedd it twice, rake it once, and then bale it I have made 5 trips over my fields (actually 6 trips if I drop the bales on the ground). Furthermore if you lucky enough to be in an area where there are 3 cuts a year then this becomes 15 to 18 trips over the field.
> 
> In comparison, a modern day row crop soybean farmer who no till plants, hires a pro to spray it, and a custom operator to combine it will make 1 trip over the field. Even if he sprays himself, and combines it himself it is still only 3 trips.
> 
> Note: I am leaving out the fertilize trip over the field as I consider that a wash with either type cropping operation.
> 
> Again darn good thought provoking post!


One thing I like to do sometimes to get people thinking. When they ask how big my farm is. I tell them how many acres I farm. Now if I get 2 cutting here iam still going over the field 10-12 times each year. So right now I hay 350 acres but I cover about 3500 acres a year!


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## man of steel

I voted "2" then read you wanted SP haybine included so switch that to "3"

I do about 4000 4x5 a year. Hay, bean stubble, straw, and corn stalks


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## northern Ohio baler

White 2-155 on discbine
Case ih WD 1203 windrower
Oliver 1650 on rake
Oliver 1850 on rake
IH 86 hydro on rake
Ih 1026 hydro on baler
Ih 186 hydro on baler
Fendt 712 on baler
Fendt 714 on double baler hitch
Case ih 9330 on krone 1290 baler
3 nh 1089 balewagons
2 nh 1049 balewagons
450 acres of hay
3,200 acres of straw
And a partridge in a pear tree


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## central va farmer

Hi everybody I'm new on the forum but have looked at it several years before joining. I have approx 50 acres of alfalfa, 100 acres of Timothy, 100 acres of orchard grass, 750-800 acres of mix grass, 200 acres of pasture, 500 acres of wheat straw I custom bale, and 500 more acres of mix grass I custom bale, and 2 50×700 poultry houses (turkeys)
I cut alfalfa 4-5 times
Timothy 2 times
Orchard grass 3 times
Grass hay 2 times
Wheat straw 1 time
Grass I custom bale 2 times
Bushhog pasture 1 time
I cut with new holland hw340 with 16 ft head (self propelled discbine)
Rake with ford 8600 and krone 1401 swadro rotary rake
Ted with ford 8700 and 6 basket krone Tedder
Big square bale with ford 8830 4wd and new holland bb960a
Round bale with ford 9700 and new holland br7070
Small square with ford 5200 (5000 rowcrop) and new holland 575
Move hay out field with new holland c238 skidsteer, john deere 4020, and John deere 5300
Haul hay with 94 ford L9000 and 53 ft dropdeck, 2005 Chevy 3500 and 20 ft gooseneck, 2013 Chevy 3500 and 24 ft gooseneck, 89 ford f250 and 16 ft tag along, and several straight trucks.
I figure just cutting, raking, baling I go over close to 4000 acres.
We are spread out over about 30 miles


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