# Help me Decide about balers



## HayMan133 (Oct 13, 2014)

Hey guys, Im new to this site and a new hay farmer, so forgive me if I have some dumb questions. I've been planning to start up a small hay operation for a few years now, and it has finally come to life. I recently obtained 30 acres near my home in North Eastern Indiana. I'm going to plant a mixture of alfalfa and orchard grass on the land, and sell the hay at local hay auctions. I am in the process now of buying my equiptment and Im having trouble deciding on what baler to use. I know I need a round baler due to this being a 1 man operation. And I would prefer a small round bale like 4x4 or 4x5 bales. But there are so many different kinds and the information I have read is so contradicting. Some people say the balers with the belts are the best and make a better bale and say to run away from the ones with chains. Then some people say the chain ones are the best, that you can bale up fence posts with them if you wanted to. Some say the fixed chambers are no good and advise to get a expanding chamber. Anyways, help me out here. I only have about 5k to spend on a used baler, so I know its going to be old and still use the twine to wrap the bale. Any help would be great i.e. brands, features, sizes, what to look for and look out for and so on and so forth.


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

In a 4 x 4 bale New Holland made a 630, 634, and 638 that was a good simple baler. Hesston made a 540, 740, and 840 that was roughly the same thing. There are more of these balers around where we live than any other kind. A pretty decent one of these would be in your price range. If you go to a 4 x 5 New Holland made a 640, 644, and 648, Hesston made a 745 and Vermeer made a 5400 Rebel series that is a good baler. Deere also made some simple basic balers. What you want a 4 x 5 or 4 x 4 depends a lot on your market and the equipment that you will use to operate the baler and handle the bales. What brand I would buy would depend more on which brand you can get the best dealer support for.


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## HayMan133 (Oct 13, 2014)

Thanks for that info, I really appreciate any help I can get.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Buy the 4x5 and then you will still be able to make a 4x4 if required.

Regards, Mike


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

If you're just getting started, perhaps you should think about hiring someone to custom bale for you. I cut & rake myself but hire the baling done. For my 20 acres, a baler purchase just isn't worth the capital expense. This year, I had 4x5 net-wrapped rounds made for $7.65 / bale.

Twine-wrapped bales tend to fall apart going down the highway to the auction yard and then on to the buyer's farm. A custom operator will have a late model, net wrap baler and the bales will hold together during transport.

Besides, $5,000 isn't going to get you a very good baler anyway - even a used one. In a few years when you're more established, you can spring for a new (newer?) baler - if you really want to. I thought I would buy one eventually but I've realized it still doesn't make economic sense.

Gary


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I think Gary nailed it. As long as there are balers working in your area, there's no sense in owning one for 30 acres.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Timeliness(rain) and convenience are great reasons to own a used round baler for small acreage....you can find a pretty decent 4x5 twine baler for 5G's.

Regards, Mike


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Vol said:


> Timeliness(rain) and convenience are great reasons to own a used round baler for small acreage....you can find a pretty decent 4x5 twine baler for 5G's.
> 
> Regards, Mike


No doubt about the timeliness issue. That's local-specific, though. HERE, I could call 20 different balers (seriously) who would come if available. (So why do I own my own baler... Good question) Also HERE, twine bales don't sell as well at auction. It's kind of silly, but it's a fact.

It could go either way. It's all about the local options.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Vol said:


> Timeliness(rain) and convenience are great reasons to own a used round baler for small acreage....you can find a pretty decent 4x5 twine baler for 5G's.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I saw a nice 504 Super I Vermeer at an auction last year. it had been gone over, new chains and sprockets. Sold for $5,000. I also agree that getting a 5 foot baler is the route to go.

Peace of mind and simply wanting to be non-dependent on others makes owning a baler worth it to me.

About fixed chamber balers vs variable chamber balers:

Can a 5 foot fixed chamber baler make a tight 4 foot roll? I am asking because a relative bought a 6x5 fixed chamber baler thinking he would make 5x5 rolls. He said he could not make a tight roll unless he was approaching 6 feet. He said when the chamber neared being full was when the roll got tight.

I have never seen that mentioned or discussed before.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Tim/South said:


> I saw a nice 504 Super I Vermeer at an auction last year. it had been gone over, new chains and sprockets. Sold for $5,000. I also agree that getting a 5 foot baler is the route to go.
> Peace of mind and simply wanting to be non-dependent on others makes owning a baler worth it to me.
> 
> About fixed chamber balers vs variable chamber balers:
> ...


Fixed means fixed. You can't make any 4' bale with a 5' fixed-chamber, tight or not. There is a bozo frequently at our local auction who tries (I guess he's doing it on purpose??) to make smaller bales with a fixed New Idea 5x4 baler. He makes bales as light as 300 pounds. It's kind of funny. It's also kind of sad. They don't really have a diameter. They're pancakes.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> Fixed means fixed. You can't make any 4' bale with a 5' fixed-chamber, tight or not. There is a bozo frequently at our local auction who tries (I guess he's doing it on purpose??) to make smaller bales with a fixed New Idea 5x4 baler. He makes bales as light as 300 pounds. It's kind of funny. It's also kind of sad. They don't really have a diameter. They're pancakes.


That makes sense about fixed meaning fixed.

Next question about fixed chambers:

I have read in several places that a fixed chamber makes a tighter core in a roll of hay. I have never understood how the core could be more dense since the roll does not seem to tighten up until the chamber is full. A variable chamber with hydraulic tension has a tight core from the beginning.

Does a fixed chamber make a tighter core?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Tim/South said:


> Does a fixed chamber make a tighter core?


Great question.....I have heard the same things that you have about the fixed core but I do not know that for fact.

Regards, Mike


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Vol said:


> Great question.....I have heard the same things that you have about the fixed core but I do not know that for fact.
> 
> Regards, Mike


variable makes the tight core fixed is soft


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Tim/South said:


> That makes sense about fixed meaning fixed.
> Next question about fixed chambers:
> I have read in several places that a fixed chamber makes a tighter core in a roll of hay. I have never understood how the core could be more dense since the roll does not seem to tighten up until the chamber is full. A variable chamber with hydraulic tension has a tight core from the beginning.
> Does a fixed chamber make a tighter core?


Maybe there is some confusion about "tight". The variable should make the denser core. When you open a bale from some fixed chamber balers they can almost explode. Maybe someone is looking at the outward pressure as being a tight core, even though it's just the outer layers releasing their pressure.


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## treymo (Dec 29, 2013)

In my area, there is an awful lot of Deere twine 530's and 535's that are in that 4K-8K range. Even some 566's that could get bought for that. I would watch the online auctions pretty hard, especially if you are mechanically inclined. If you aren't, I'd hire someone to bale. You can't by a 5K baler and not expect to work on it. Period.

If you want to maybe put up some hay up for custom, buy something with net wrap.

Trey


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## Fireman355 (Aug 15, 2013)

Tim/South said:


> That makes sense about fixed meaning fixed.
> 
> Next question about fixed chambers:
> 
> ...


I have a New Idea 4845, fixed chamber, I makes a soft core bale, you can tighten down on an adjustment on the rear door to make the bale tighter, however the core will still be soft. I use this to roll silage or baleage ever what you call it and dry hay as well, and it works great, it was a $5000.00 baler, now I would not take $20000.00 for it.

I have found that you can roll dry hay and put it in a barn or roll green hay and wrap it, these bales will cure evenly all the way through it.

One thing is for sure you can not make a bale smaller than the chamber it will not work. as stated above ounce you drop it, it will flatten out.

if baling dry hay and I don't think I have enough of a windrow to make a full roll, I simply go get the square baler and make a few squares, If rolling silage I roll what short windrow and place it between to full rolls as I wrap, that seems to work out just fine.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

endrow said:


> variable makes the tight core fixed is soft


I run a fixed chamber round baler that will make a moderately packed core, but it's no where near as dense as what I've seen variable chambers produce. I think the reason the baler I run does this is that the hay will not feed into the chamber properly unless the hay in the chamber is rolling. I'm not sure if this is true of all fixed chambered balers though. With a variable chamber, you have the hay rolling and pressure being applied to the core.


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