# which baler would be best?



## yardbird (Apr 5, 2011)

I am a small time operation. We bale maybe 2500 square bales a year. We are looking to upgrade our baler. I found a New Holland 273 and a 276 for sale. Both appear to be in field ready condition with no known problems, and the sellers seam to be honest. The 273 is a supersweep with 3 joint PTO. Both have a kicker. Which model would be more desirable? We would be baling 1500 bales of wheat straw and remaining bales would be grass or alfalfa. It should be noted the combine has a 36 ft head and makes a big pile of a windrow.

Thanks in advance.
Yardbird


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

I have 2 273 balers and bale about 7000 bales of Bermuda a year. I don't think it would handle the size windrow you are speaking of. The supersweep pickup is 5 ft. wide and probably just cant handle the volume. However the balers are pretty simple to work on.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

If a 273/276 is an upgrade for baling 36' combine windrows, what are you using now? I also can't imagine trying to cram that much of anything into one of those narrow pickups.


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## yardbird (Apr 5, 2011)

I have an old International 37. Its very old but works ok. It certainly didn't like the windrow and wouldn't take all of it the first pass. Also had to run very sloooow.


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## yardbird (Apr 5, 2011)

Made a clerical error. It is a 26 foot head on the combine. That's a big difference. Sorry.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

While the 273 baler is a great baler, and I'm lost on where the 276 falls in line. I can say that the 311 had some great improvements over the 273. Particularly in keeping the timing in check, I believe the long chain drive was replaced with a shaft. 
Please fellow readers chime in if I'm wrong!
My point being...... I see a lot of 311's selling for similar price to the 273. 
On the flip side, a 273 in good order should be a charm compared to your 37. I've seen a few 273's sell for near nothing in these parts and have been tempted to think a second spare small square back up baler would be a good idea... Reality quickly sinks in....


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I would take the 276 over the 273. The 276 was considered a fairly high capacity baler around here back in the mid '70's. We ran the next size up, the 278 and it was a great baler for us. I am thinking the 276 is a newer baler style than the 273. Not for sure though.


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