# How Many Tractor Hours to Make a Bale of Hay?



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

How many actual tractor hours does it take to make a bale or roll of hay?

Not counting field work like spraying or fertilizing, just the time spent cutting, tedding, raking baling. I know it will vary on the type of hay, the yield and the type of bale.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Just a rough estimate but i figure cutting, raking, baling, and loading out...... about 6 minutes a bale. Average crop, average conditions. 5x6 bales.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I think there are way too many variables to give a ""very accurate answer"" such as production in tons per acre,hp of tractor,size of cutter,size of rake,ted or not ted,size of bale,smoothness of field which tends to help dictate implements ground speed.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

carcajou said:


> Just a rough estimate but i figure cutting, raking, baling, and loading out...... about 6 minutes a bale. Average crop, average conditions. 5x6 bales.


You must be able to travel a lot faster than I can in the gopher/fire ant infested fields around me.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

His average yield must be phenomenal, his equipment is huge, or he flies. Variables. On a side note smaller tractors working harder will add hours faster.

In terms of operator on tractor hours, that's a hard one to say because it could be 10 minutes per 4x5 bale one cut and 30 minutes per 4x5 bale next cut. I work in acres covered, not the hours it takes me. My variables will average 45 minutes per acre to do the job.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Using the following variables:

2 tons of hay per cutting, per acre (4,000 pounds), 3 round bales per acre (5x5, at 1,333# each). Cutting with a 9' 3" discbine (8 acres an hour), tedding with a 4 basket, 18' tedder (8 acres an hour), raking double windrows (10 acres an hour), baling 7 acres an hour (21 bales an hour, in almost perfect conditions have done 28-30 bales) and moving off the field 16 acres per hour (real, real short moving distance).

Cutting - 2.5 minutes per bale

Tedding - 2.5 minutes per bale

Raking - 2 minutes per bale

Baling - 2.88 minutes per bale (my average*)

Moving - 1.25 minutes per bale

Total - 11.11 minutes per bale **

* have done 2 minutes per bale in almost perfect conditions, takes about 15-17 seconds from clutch in to clutch out net wrapping/ejecting bale, leaving 1 minute 45 seconds to make another bale. Better be some long, heavy windrows.

** My time should decrease to 10.27 minutes this year with a six basket tedder (verses 4 basket last year). My next step will be moving to a 10 foot discbine. With an off-farm job I am over-equipped, time being a precious commodity.

A problem with this calculation (IMHO) is I did not account for all the 'prep' time, travel time, nor any other time (fetching parts or re-hydration / refueling of the operator). 

All of this is at the mercy of Mother Nature naturally (plus maybe some luck of no breakdowns, woodchuck holes or other PITA type things). :angry:

My area and conditions, YOUR area could be different.

Larry


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Tx Jim said:


> You must be able to travel a lot faster than I can in the gopher/fire ant infested fields around me.


No gopher holes, mole hills, rock etc. In Southern Ab, we can only go about half as fast so our time would be almost double.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

BWfarms said:


> His average yield must be phenomenal, his equipment is huge, or he flies. Variables. On a side note smaller tractors working harder will add hours faster.
> 
> In terms of operator on tractor hours, that's a hard one to say because it could be 10 minutes per 4x5 bale one cut and 30 minutes per 4x5 bale next cut. I work in acres covered, not the hours it takes me. My variables will average 45 minutes per acre to do the job.


Average crop, big iron and as fast as we can sit in the seat! Gonna have a lot less acres to do this year so maybe we can slow down some.


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Tx Jim said:


> I think there are way too many variables to give a ""very accurate answer"" such as production in tons per acre,hp of tractor,size of cutter,size of rake,ted or not ted,size of bale,smoothness of field which tends to help dictate implements ground speed.


Got to add size and shape of field and time moving from field to field. Our rate per hour is all over the place depending on these variables.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I had never considered actual tractor hours from cutting to baling.

I cut 25 acres Monday. A small construction crew was working near and saw me cutting. Tuesday I ran the Tedder. When I finished I stopped to see what they were building. They were more interested in what I was doing and the whole process of hay making.

This led to one asking how many hours would I spend in the field and how much hay I would make. I had never thought of it in tractor hours before.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Price of hay just went up! Lol


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Very rough figures but last year did about 2500 bales per baler, each baler tractor put on maybe 125 hours. So average 20 bales per hour or 3 min per bale. 5x6 round. In the field I see about 40 bales per hour so we waste a lot of tractor hours.
Edit to add: raking takes half the time per bale as baling. This is in corn stalks.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

60 horse power tractor 6 foot drum mower 2 basket tedder new holland 256 rake 4x5 round bale about 23 minuits total per bale. That allows for break downs water break phone calls and so on pluse I'm in no big hurry.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

I'll have my total time Wednesday evening....

So far, 5hrs to cut & fluff 8ac, 4 different odd fields, that includes 30minites swapping from cutter to fluffer with the same tractor..

My odd shaped fields & I don't travel as fast as some do....

And I almost forgot, a few minutes chasing a baby deer...

Raking the first time with a rollabar this year tomorrow so who knows what that will add up to LOL...

Chris


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Finished totals, JD2030, NH648 4X5, Krone 9' disc....about 8ac...

cut & [email protected] - 5hrs same day

rake with 9' rolabar - 3hrs

bale 4X5 rolls - 1 1/2hrs

22 rolls with baler maxed out on size & pressure..

So, how'ed I do???

Chris


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

SCtrailrider said:


> Finished totals, JD2030, NH648 4X5, Krone 9' disc....about 8ac...
> 
> cut & [email protected] - 5hrs same day
> 
> ...


Does that put it at almost 26 minutes per bale?

I have begun keeping track of actual time. I had 15 minutes per bale in one field. Had 29 minutes in a lower yielding field I was mostly cleaning up.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Yea, and figure fuel, fertilizer, spreading it myself, weed spraying, it all adds up!!

looks like it's a bit more than one thinks per bale cost wise... at least it's for my own animals..


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

SCtrailrider said:


> So, how'ed I do???
> 
> Chris


Or you can think of it (as it has been mentioned), about 71 minutes per acre. Naturally, with heavier hay your time would come down, lighter hay time would go up some (the biggest variable being baling). Also the other un-known variable would be the field size, shape and possible obstacles. IMHO

The bottom-line with your numbers, using a (what I think) conservative number of $100 an hour for equipment/operator/fuel, you would be close to $119 per acre ($43 per bale cost). But if you enjoy making hay (as I do), then forget the cost(s), the enjoyment could be 'priceless'. 

Larry


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## muffntuf (May 1, 2017)

It will be interesting to put this data together and then compare to tonnage prices. How many do not take their machinery time or even labor into account for per bale?


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

I do enjoy the work and I take pride when locals comment how good my fields are compared to where they buy hay, and I don't sell any..

For me it's all about providing for myself & cridders so I don't need to purchase rolls of junk...

And I don't think about the cost of any of it, ya can't take it with ya and I'm happy...


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

SCtrailrider said:


> I'm happy...


"Priceless"    

Larry


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

the original post got me to thinking, actually had no clue. so I kept records for the batch i did this week, 3 fields, 7, 3.5, 6.5 ac respectively, 17 ac total usual (for me) obstacles and shape. Made 1360 bales, 45-55#.

mowing- 5-5.5 hrs

ted twice for total 4 hrs

rake 3.5 hrs

baling 6 hrs

transport 1 hr

20 hrs total (felt like a lot more)

0.9 min per bale

as noted by others, there is the other costs, fertilizer spraying and hauling wagons to customers or stacking in barn but none of that adds tractor hours for my operation. 9-3 discbine, 4 basket tedder, 38T single basket rotary rake, NH570 baler with thrower, 5 wagons, 115 hp tractor for cutting and baling, 60hp tractor for tedding and raking, plus transport to barn. Truck pulls wagons to customers.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Hayman, thanks for posting this. I was wondering the tractor seat time on square bales and how that compared to round bales. It looks like you have 54 seconds of tractor time in each bale.

If your squares average 50 lb. each then that would convert to 17 squares to make an 850 lb. 4x5 roll. My figures show that converts to 15.3 minutes to bale 850 lb. of squares. About the same as rounds in good hay.

Obviously there is going to be more grunt time with squares but the difference in profit is going to be much higher with squares.

850 lbs of squares here would sell $85. That is double what a round bale would bring.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Tim/South said:


> Hayman, thanks for posting this. I was wondering the tractor seat time on square bales and how that compared to round bales. It looks like you have 54 seconds of tractor time in each bale.
> If your squares average 50 lb. each then that would convert to 17 squares to make an 850 lb. 4x5 roll. My figures show that converts to 15.3 minutes to bale 850 lb. of squares. About the same as rounds in good hay.
> Obviously there is going to be more grunt time with squares but the difference in profit is going to be much higher with squares.
> 850 lbs of squares here would sell $85. That is double what a round bale would bring.


For me the ratio is $102-120 vs $65. Unfortunately, all the other costs (seeding, fertilizer, spraying, cutting,tedding and raking are the same. Hard to leave $120-150 per ton on the table in order to do rounds.


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## haystax (Jul 24, 2010)

Big bales on 2ton hay I'd say 8hrs cut, 6hrs rake, 6hrs bale, 8hrs stack. So 28 machine hours for ~350 bales is about 4.8 minutes per bale or 6.7 minutes per ton.

3-string is 8hrs cut, 8hrs rake, 20hrs bale, 12hrs stack. So 48 machine hrs for ~5000 bales is .57 minutes per bale or about 11.5 minutes per ton.


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## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

Tx Jim said:


> I think there are way too many variables to give a ""very accurate answer"" such as production in tons per acre,hp of tractor,size of cutter,size of rake,ted or not ted,size of bale,smoothness of field which tends to help dictate implements ground speed.


Agree! I have one field I cut for a guy and best I can do is 5mph (cut/ted/rake/bale) because of how rough it is, and I'd better be wearing my seat belt at that speed if I don't want to kiss the roof of the cab.

I have another field I cut for a guy and it is butter smooth. Can get a quality cut at 8mph (on ePTO), tedder and rake at 10mph+, and bale as fast as the baler will eat (4x5 round).


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Depends on yields, size of equipment and smoothness of field.

I mow 13' at 8-11 mph.

I ted two 13' rows with a six basket tedder, not sure of speed.

I rake 25' at 8-14 mph.

Bale at around 5.5 mph on heavy first cutting. Pick up at least a gear on the next cutting and the next. Have baled at 11mph on last cuttings. If I need to slow down because the field is rough, it needs to goto corn one year, beans after that then plant back to alfalfa.


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