# Advice for getting started with an 8n



## moparisthebest (May 15, 2011)

I've got about 8-10 acres of field that last year I just mowed every few months, this year the grass is growing up really tall and thick, and I'm thinking about harvesting hay out of it to save a little money on property tax and make some money from the hay. I have a good running 1951 Ford 8n (~25hp), and a Ford sickle blade that came with it.

I think I would only need to buy a hay rake, a baler, and possibly a wagon (I already have an 18ft flatbed car/utility trailer?)

It seems like I might have $1500 to $2000 if I don't need a wagon, a little more otherwise, for example:
N.H. 51 Hay Rake - $400
Super 67 New Holland Baler - $750

But I have a few concerns I hope that some of you may be able to help me with:

1. Speed
The 8n is known for being a little fast, my options are the following gears:
1 - 3.7 MPH
2 - 4.8 MPH
3 - 6.5 MPH
I've used the sickle bar before, will it cut decently at that speed? What about the baler? I wouldn't think the rake would matter, but I don't know about that either? Throttling down isn't really an option since it will also slow the PTO speed (which is about 545 RPM from what I can find).

2. Equipment
I really have no idea what kind of equipment I should be getting, I know nothing about the rakes and only that round balers seem to be more expensive than square ones.

3. Output/Profit
How much hay could I expect from these 8-10 acres in south-western Ohio, between Dayton and Cincinnati? I have more time than money, but I don't know if it would even make it worth my while to buy the extra equipment. Also, to qualify for the property tax CAUV discount, I have to make at least $2,500 from about 4-5 acres (at an estimated 3 cuts per year), is that a remote possibility?

I'd really appreciate any advice or helpful pointers anyone could give me about this, I apologize for all the uninformed questions.


----------



## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

I'll take a stab at some of your questions. Since I'm not from your area, of course the profit/money part, I can't really speak to. Since your limited somewhat by your tractor, I wouldn't consider a round baler. While I have very limited round baling experience, I know of no round balers that would fit your horsepower class. Most are in the 50hp range or higher. If i was going to bale with an 8n, I'd seriously consider a square baler that's pony motor driven. In other words, it has it's own motor, and you simply pull it with the tractor. I know of no current production models, but you can find them used at times. I run an older tractor for squares sometimes, and while it's larger, it essentially operates the same as an 8n, just at over twice the HP. It can really be a challenge at times. The rest of the equipment you mention should suffice for now.
Regarding your yield, that just depends on how much your willing to put into your field, and what your growing, plus some good fortune from mother nature. I think 4 tons/ac/yr would be a reasonable expectation on nearly anything you plant if your willing to put the effort and expense into it. What profit that commands is very dependent on your area, so maybe someone else can guide you in that area. Probably would be helpful if you have a county or statewide ag market bulletin to get an idea, or even better, a local to give you some advice and tips. Just my $.02


----------



## Horseshoe Hay (May 12, 2011)

I got started with an 8n about 23 years ago. We pulled a NH268 baler that we picked up for $100 and cut and baled small acreages for people, mostly native grass hay. The biggest problem we had was that the tractor didn't have a live PTO so if you push the clutch in, the PTO stops. So, in heavy hay we would have to throw the tractor into neuteral, let the clutch out so the PTO would start again and let the baler munch up the hay, then shift back into gear, move ahead a few feet, put the tractor in neutural and so on. Kind of a pain, but only in really heavy hay, otherwise we just chugged along. As far as the feasability of purchasing the equipment for cheaper taxes -- I don't know about that. If you have a really good market for hay and if you can put up a good quality hay and get 4 Ton/acre/year then I would say you would probably barely gross $2800 per year (4X8=32Tons per year X $90/Ton = $2880). Without knowing if you have any kind of irrigation or what kind of forage you have I could be way off. You may want to consult your county extension agent to help you with the question of tons/year. They could also help you with what the hay is worth. I am in Wyoming and on irrigated ground we do three cuttings and average 5.5 Tons per year of alfalfa and alfalfa/grass mix and our current market for good quality hay is $160/Ton in small sqare bales or about $120/Ton in round bales. For a small acreage like yours I would definately go with a square baler. Hope this helps


----------



## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

If you are cutting grass take the bar out of your sickle mower and replace all of the sections if your guards are rounded at the cutting point dido. In alfalfa the blades are forgiving not so in grass. The 8N is fine for cutting and raking but the baling ??? as stated above the speed and pto will work against you... keep your windrows light and an eye out for a older say Ford 4000 or equivalent. If your trailer is a lowboy it should be fine for picking up by hand on 10 acres. If you can find a accumulator cheep that will save you a lot of walking time picking up and loading. JMHO Good luck and have fun!


----------



## TessiersFarm (Aug 30, 2009)

I do about the same thing as you are talking about except I feed my hay out to beef animals. What I know for sure is if you rake right baleing is no problem, if not it is painfully slow and tedious. A lot of people make up for poor raking with HP and Independent PTO. Pushing a clutch in 1000 times a day is no more fun than kicking it into neutral after the first day. It is quite rewarding to me to make my own feed, however I can make more money, at least in my area, working a couple of weekends at my regular job than haying all summer.


----------

