# Baling tractor



## gearhartfarms82 (May 10, 2015)

so what what is everybody's opinion of the best mailing tractor square or round?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Anything with a good gear selection (including something really slow in case you get into huge windrows) and a good cab. Color unimportant. No payments is high on my list too.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

White 2-110 on a BR740A silage special, 18 forward speeds, six reverse, 9 of those forwards work real well for baling. Most importantly have 44.7 degree air coming out of the vents with the A/C to max.


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

mlappin said:


> White 2-110 on a BR740A silage special, 18 forward speeds, six reverse, 9 of those forwards work real well for baling. Most importantly have 44.7 degree air coming out of the vents with the A/C to max.


 Well mlappin your half right in my opinion.... guess which half I agree with you about.. Here's a hint it sure as heck ain't the part be'n towed


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

mlappin said:


> White 2-110 on a BR740A silage special, 18 forward speeds, six reverse, 9 of those forwards work real well for baling. Most importantly have 44.7 degree air coming out of the vents with the A/C to max.


Lets add air ride seat and a good stereo to the cold air conditioning with a vent the right size to stuff an aluminum can of suitable beverage in....


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

White 2-105 and massey 1105 have been great baling tractors for me for years. You must have a dependable, low maintenace tractor with good ac and music for relaxation and stress relief. The white window handle doubles as a beverage holder.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

ARD Farm said:


> Lets add air ride seat and a good stereo to the cold air conditioning with a vent the right size to stuff an aluminum can of suitable beverage in....


Doesn't have air ride unfortunately, but it's also impossible to bale hay in Indiana for 18 hours straight like I planted beans for on Memorial Day, that tractor had an air ride.

Radios good as well in the White.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I don't run it as much now I have hay baskets behind the baler but my 50 hp Kubota with the hydrostatic is the best small square baler tractor I have ever run. Infinite speeds on a foot pedal. I imagine a newer IVT would be just as handy.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

This one works great for us. If it were a 5200 series it would have a neutral on the reverser which would make it even better. AC is cold enough, air seat works pretty good but has a squeak and the stereo works. PowerShift is sure nice, 16F/12R.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

The only real choice is a JD 6150R with IVT tranny


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Colby said:


> The only real choice is a JD 6150R with IVT tranny


Pretty sure I would have to sell my house to get one of those.


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

Oh c'mon guys! Everyone knows that small square bale experts wouldn't be caught dead in a cabbed tractor! Can't hear the baler!!!


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Grateful11 said:


> This one works great for us. If it were a 5200 series it would have a neutral on the reverser which would make it even better. AC is cold enough, air seat works pretty good but has a squeak and the stereo works. PowerShift is sure nice, 16F/12R.


I believe you win the prize very nice well kept tractor.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Ima have to agree with Colby, didn't say price was an object......don't think it'll get much better than a 6150r with IVT for a baling tractor.....or the agco equivalent.....for baling there is no comparison to a IVT


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## stickney farm (Jan 17, 2011)

greatfull11 I have a 5240. great tractor for baling(not as pretty as yours as the paint is faded) with the semi powershift and power reverser it is nice but being an early 5240 it has no neutral on the forward reverser lever. I do wish mine was that clean but I did get it for cheap from a local farm with a meticulous maintenance record.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Why is IVT so great? Expensive to buy, expensive to fix and I usually only bale in 10th, 11th or 12th gears in a 16 speed powershift. 
Save money for a applicator.  
Or maybe more after I saw them IVT prices... Whew!!!


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

JD- no personal experience but I am thinking they like the ivt like you like the auto trans in a truck. Both do the job. One is easier and more comfy.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

JD, productivity makes you money and that's what the IVT will give you. In and out of fields faster. Yes they may be expensive to fix but they don't break like people think they do. 
A true power shift tractor will work well. Like a 4455 power shift


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

I've had zero problems with mine in ten years and 4000 hours. I do change trans filters and fluid religiously.

I like the auto clutch when doing loader work. I also change the forward:reverse ratio when doing hay work. I slow the reverse down about 30% from the same forward speed. Makes for a smoother directional change when going to reverse while at rated PTO speed.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

After using an IVT I have to say it is very nice for square baling as you can find to that perfect sweet spot where the baler is getting just the right amount of hay......no over feeding in one gear and under feeding in the next. For round baling I don't see it being as big of a deal. However with the cost of buying and especially repairing(replacing) an IVT if something happens I can't say that I want to own one.....I do like using one though.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

cornshucker said:


> I believe you win the prize very nice well kept tractor.


Thanks Cornshucker. My late FIL bought it new in like '92 and when he passed away in '08 it only had 900 and some hours on it. It now has almost 1700 hours on it. When he bought that tractor, his first with a cab, his uncle flat told him it was lazy people. My FIL lost his father at 16 and he and mother took over the farm and he worked his butt off his entire life. Myself, my wife and son have often commented that we don't see how he done so much. It was a 30 some head dairy and raised all his of his feed except pellet protein feed. Truck farmed produce to local grocery stores. Raised a family and looked after his Mother all those years until she passed away at age 99. It kinda made him feel really bad when his uncle said that.

BTW: It's so clean in that shot because my wife decided to wash it before starting baling, don't ask.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

stickney farm said:


> greatfull11 I have a 5240. great tractor for baling(not as pretty as yours as the paint is faded) with the semi powershift and power reverser it is nice but being an early 5240 it has no neutral on the forward reverser lever. I do wish mine was that clean but I did get it for cheap from a local farm with a meticulous maintenance record.


I had always been told that all 5200 series had the neutral, learn something new everyday.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

For me in a baling tractor a powershift or some kind of shift on the go transmission that will allow you to change ground speed to match the baling conditions is a must. And enough slow speeds for square baling heavy windrows. At minimum a canopy is a must but a cab with air is better.....especially for round baling.


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

When you can buy decent true row crop, multi-speed trans, older tractor that is twice the machine of the newer, lighter, less powerful utility class machines so cheap I wonder how the price of modern transmission just for ease of shifting pays for itself? It's not like with baling you are shifting like a loader tractor. Seriously, with the price of hay a good baling tractor should fit within the economics of a true hay operation, I.e., $10 a hour to run vs. $50/hr before overhead cost of another $20 or so for a tractor that does the same thing just as good.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Once again I'll say.....the op didn't state price as an option, he said the best baling (ok maybe it was mailing but...) tractor


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

hayray said:


> When you can buy decent true row crop, multi-speed trans, older tractor that is twice the machine of the newer, lighter, less powerful utility class machines so cheap I wonder how the price of modern transmission just for ease of shifting pays for itself? It's not like with baling you are shifting like a loader tractor. Seriously, with the price of hay a good baling tractor should fit within the economics of a true hay operation, I.e., $10 a hour to run vs. $50/hr before overhead cost of another $20 or so for a tractor that does the same thing just as good.


X2... so why not go old school and get either a 656 or 826 or a 1026 IH hydro tractor ?? why cheaper than a new Deere with there IVT transmission


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

snowball said:


> X2... so why not go old school and get either a 656 or 826 or a 1026 IH hydro tractor ?? why cheaper than a new Deere with there IVT transmission


But it ain't as good Sno.......that's why. OP said the best baling tractor......


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

Devildawg.. I know what model yr you were manufactured.. Same time I was.. So remember when you were sweat'n by 9:00 run'n the baling tractor.. your AC was a light breeze out of the SW.. no power steering Tricycle front end and hoped to hell you didn't hit a chuck hole while you where take'n a drink of water from you greasy old water jug that you either hung on the light bar or was hang'n off the PTO lever.. and you were living large if you had a seat cushion that wasn't all torn up on your spring suspension seat Plus you hoped like hell that you had a tractor that had a good baling gear not fast not to slow...... Now That was a good baling tractor... NO air ride seat, or AC, or radio, power steering... Heck we just bale some small sq out of 4 tractors with Cabs and ac including a new New Holland the old Devil Tractor ( IH 666 ) got hooked to the baler cause it is a hydro you can fine turn that to the perfect speed and get max output out of the baler and count every stroke that plunger makes... Now that's baling


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

snowball said:


> Devildawg.. I know what model yr you were manufactured.. Same time I was.. So remember when you were sweat'n by 9:00 run'n the baling tractor.. your AC was a light breeze out of the SW.. no power steering Tricycle front end and hoped to hell you didn't hit a chuck hole while you where take'n a drink of water from you greasy old water jug that you either hung on the light bar or was hang'n off the PTO lever.. and you were living large if you had a seat cushion that wasn't all torn up on your spring suspension seat Plus you hoped like hell that you had a tractor that had a good baling gear not fast not to slow...... Now That was a good baling tractor... NO air ride seat, or AC, or radio, power steering... Heck we just bale some small sq out of 4 tractors with Cabs and ac including a new New Holland the old Devil Tractor ( IH 666 ) got hooked to the baler cause it is a hydro you can fine turn that to the perfect speed and get max output out of the baler and count every stroke that plunger makes... Now that's baling


I rode on the wagon behind that kind of scenario when I was a kid. It always seemed like we had to stop to fix something.
Those old "reliable" hay balers and tractors weren't all that reliable, BUT they were pretty easy to work on.


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

snowball said:


> Devildawg.. I know what model yr you were manufactured.. Same time I was.. So remember when you were sweat'n by 9:00 run'n the baling tractor.. your AC was a light breeze out of the SW.. no power steering Tricycle front end and hoped to hell you didn't hit a chuck hole while you where take'n a drink of water from you greasy old water jug that you either hung on the light bar or was hang'n off the PTO lever.. and you were living large if you had a seat cushion that wasn't all torn up on your spring suspension seat Plus you hoped like hell that you had a tractor that had a good baling gear not fast not to slow...... Now That was a good baling tractor... NO air ride seat, or AC, or radio, power steering... Heck we just bale some small sq out of 4 tractors with Cabs and ac including a new New Holland the old Devil Tractor ( IH 666 ) got hooked to the baler cause it is a hydro you can fine turn that to the perfect speed and get max output out of the baler and count every stroke that plunger makes... Now that's baling


my model year is right up there with you guys. One thing I've noticed about my and others reminiscing is we tend to forgot major portions of the sucky stuff......and maybe just in my case, but there was less to get done.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

I don't miss the dust sifting down my neck while waiting for the tie cycle.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Bonfire said:


> I don't miss the dust sifting down my neck while waiting for the tie cycle.


The good ole days weren't ALL that good ........ Think we might be living in the good ole days today


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## gearhartfarms82 (May 10, 2015)

Only problems i am having with power shifts is getting slow enough. Been thinking about ivts.


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

Bonfire said:


> I don't miss the dust sifting down my neck while waiting for the tie cycle.


REALLY???Bonefire ,, don't miss some of that either.. But I'am glad I know what it was like.. Makes a guy think about how good we got it today.. The MX 250 I just leased for the big sq baler even has a Butt cooler in the seat It's petty cool....almost feels like you peed your pants when it's turned on


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

> Butt cooler in the seat It's petty cool....almost feels like you peed your pants when it's turned on


I could use that...my Dodge truck has the cool seats and they are nice...


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

rajela said:


> I could use that...my Dodge truck has the cool seats and they are nice...


I didn't even know it was there and 1 day last week I must of hit the switch in the arm rest.. next thing I know I was looking around to see if I spilled my water bottle .. it's even got Blue tooth but that ain't go'n work to well with my 2008 model flip phone.. 35 mph road gear and air ride cab. hyd. suspension front axle and cruise control.. sure does make for a great bale'n tractor swivel seat. no more stiff neck.. if I want to bale @ 5 mph and 1740 rpms that want it will be all day long..... Until something does not function. right .. then I'am shut down untill the geick with the lap top shows up that's the down fall to all this @ 135. per hr. It's all great.. But I still think the old school way is more trustworthy and cheaper


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## longmeadow farm (Jun 26, 2009)

fascinating question.. probably asked to inflame the biases of many. I have looked at /read many responses on forums such as this and most seem to be biased toward HP. and less than scientific reasoning. The most HP needed is 55 to 65 PTO HP for any big round baler. Although if one is predisposed to burn copious amounts of diesel fuel I suspect a different response. At 74 years of age and many years of baling I would welcome the "wet behind the ears" response from those young whipper snappers for whom reality somehow escapes them...


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

The OP don't say what size of square baler, but I'm assuming small. But for me I once in awhile look into a different big square baking tractor. The other day the good folks at Massey Fergussen sent me a coupon for $15k off of a 7700 series tractor. It said it would go perfectly with my MF 2150 baler and I agree that it probably would. So I built one on the MF site. $15k off doesn't sound so good when the tractor list price is $195k for one with ivt and suspension cab. I feel a massy 7600 at $165k would work fine and my mind starts thinking what ifs. Then the what ifs land on the new emission stuff that ARD farms preaches against so often here on hay talk. I would like to bale with an IVT tractor someday. Maybe they would demo one for me all summer? Well until then I'll keep on using ole jd 7810, which is plenty comfy and can shift nicely. Plus I don't know if I would want to go through the hassle of setting up the baler different just to try another tractor. But until I could try sending a tractor climbing over a broken bale to see if anything would catch underneath I'll stay put. Haven't had anything catch yet on ole 7810 climbing over 3x3 bales if they break.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

longmeadow farm said:


> fascinating question.. probably asked to inflame the biases of many. I have looked at /read many responses on forums such as this and most seem to be biased toward HP. and less than scientific reasoning. The most HP needed is 55 to 65 PTO HP for any big round baler. Although if one is predisposed to burn copious amounts of diesel fuel I suspect a different response. At 74 years of age and many years of baling I would welcome the "wet behind the ears" response from those young whipper snappers for whom reality somehow escapes them...


I wouldn't want to run a round baler with only 55-65 PTO with hills. Did it for only 2 years and I was short on HP and weight, too. I don't think you need 150 or anything crazy like that. 
Now I am safer on hills with more HP and weight. I think there's a lot of fact based "reality" in that.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

snowball said:


> I didn't even know it was there and 1 day last week I must of hit the switch in the arm rest.. next thing I know I was looking around to see if I spilled my water bottle .. it's even got Blue tooth but that ain't go'n work to well with my 2008 model flip phone.. 35 mph road gear and air ride cab. hyd. suspension front axle and cruise control.. sure does make for a great bale'n tractor swivel seat. no more stiff neck.. if I want to bale @ 5 mph and 1740 rpms that want it will be all day long..... Until something does not function. right .. then I'am shut down untill the geick with the lap top shows up that's the down fall to all this @ 135. per hr. It's all great.. But I still think the old school way is more trustworthy and cheaper


Have you tried that 35 mph road gear with baler attached? The MF dealer here said they had someone wreck a baler and tractor trying to go 20 mph. The baler didn't have suspension I guess. Had to edit. cruise control? In a tractor. I thought that was just push the throttle up to where you want to go?


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

Teslan said:


> Have you tried that 35 mph road gear with baler attached? The MF dealer here said they had someone wreck a baler and tractor trying to go 20 mph. The baler didn't have suspension I guess. Had to edit. cruise control? In a tractor. I thought that was just push the throttle up to where you want to go?


I told you in another thread Teslan that you can road those balers at 20mph easy (probably 25) as long as you PAY ATTENTION to what your doing! I have pulled mine at 20mph to my farm that about 25 miles south I don't know how many times! And both of mine have been single axle (no suspension). BUT again, as aforementioned, if that baler sits for more that a couple days those high floatation tires will go out of round and you have to take it easy for the first 3 or 4 miles.

I can't remember if I mention this before, but my friends wife put their BRAND new 2190 in a canal for exactly that reason. She said that it was bouncing along, and she went to downshift a gear. Well, the MF7624 they have on it has a rocker swith on the throttle to shift the transmission, and she bumped the UPSHIFT instead of downshift. Broke the pin and the breakaway chains and veered off into the canal, tearing out the whole umbilical cord and half the tractor electronics on the ride. It was not a pretty picture.

But IF you're mindful, 20mph is no problemo, and I would guess 25, but I have no way to test that theory.


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

longmeadow farm said:


> fascinating question.. probably asked to inflame the biases of many. I have looked at /read many responses on forums such as this and most seem to be biased toward HP. and less than scientific reasoning. The most HP needed is 55 to 65 PTO HP for any big round baler. Although if one is predisposed to burn copious amounts of diesel fuel I suspect a different response. At 74 years of age and many years of baling I would welcome the "wet behind the ears" response from those young whipper snappers for whom reality somehow escapes them...


I have no experience with a round baler, so I can't speak to that, but I can tell you that I have baled hundreds of thousands of bales with a 95hp tractor in front of my small baler and it does get WORKED. Not to its limit, but it is worked hard. And I have no hills. Could I get away with a 65hp garden tractor? Probably so, and probably burn less gallons/hr doing so. But, if the job takes half again as long with that little toy tractor, I guess the savings on diesel are pretty much voided. Not to mention the cost of my extra time.

I'll throw my hat into the ring and say the ultimate small baler tractor would be something 90-100hp, 16+ speed transmission, 8500lb physical weight, good ground clearance, with MFWD and fat tires simply for ride comfort.

My pick? Deere 6410. Not a huge fan of the PowerQuad, but it is reliable and I really don't have to change speed all that much once I'm in the field.

Cab if you're a weinie, open station if your a real man and want to hear the baler work!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I'm guessing you haven't used a softcore round baler in some hills before. I have a 100 hp tractor on my 5x4 and it will make a little smoke when finishing up a bale. They also make a 6x5 version of that baler that would probably like to have more than 100 hp.

Our old hardcore 4x4 was ok on 50 hp but you had to gear down going up hill or it didn't have enough power to keep the rpm up.



longmeadow farm said:


> fascinating question.. probably asked to inflame the biases of many. I have looked at /read many responses on forums such as this and most seem to be biased toward HP. and less than scientific reasoning. The most HP needed is 55 to 65 PTO HP for any big round baler. Although if one is predisposed to burn copious amounts of diesel fuel I suspect a different response. At 74 years of age and many years of baling I would welcome the "wet behind the ears" response from those young whipper snappers for whom reality somehow escapes them...


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

longmeadow farm said:


> fascinating question.. probably asked to inflame the biases of many. I have looked at /read many responses on forums such as this and most seem to be biased toward HP. and less than scientific reasoning. The most HP needed is 55 to 65 PTO HP for any big round baler. Although if one is predisposed to burn copious amounts of diesel fuel I suspect a different response. At 74 years of age and many years of baling I would welcome the "wet behind the ears" response from those young whipper snappers for whom reality somehow escapes them...


I've had my BR740A silage special outright kill my 67hp tractor climbing a hill and getting a slug, have also had the baler push the tractor around going down a hill, forget about downhill and a turn, very unsafe. However my 110hp tractor has no problems with the weight of the baler in either turns whether they be uphill or downhill.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Big difference too in older round balers vs newer. My old 650 didn't take the HP that my 740A does.It didn't swallow the hay near as fast either. My guess is the gearbox ratio on the newer balers is different. Less reduction means more HP required but means it can swallow more hay cause everything is spinning faster.

I have been pulling my round baler with 65 HP(dyno tested last year) and I can tell you it isn't fun. Works the tractor too hard, not enough weight on the hills. Runs hot or close to it on 80 deg days. The list goes on. Of course if you put an old NH 850 chain baler behind my tractor you would be fine....


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

I like the 7920 with IVT on the round baler. I pull it 30 MPH down the road and its heavy enough to not let that heavy Vermeer push it around the corners.



I also like the 4440 on it. The quad range is nicer than the 8 speed jerkomatic powershift in some of the 4440s.


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

I went back and read the original post and realized that gearhartfarms82 didn't specify small squares or large.

My pick for an LSB (3x4 or 4x4) would be a Deere 8210. And I'll take a cab on this one since I'm too busy watching the monitor to even glance at the baler.

But, I'll probably make due with the ol' 4760, at least for a couple more years....


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## Dieselfume (Jul 20, 2014)

Got the 4630s on the new vermeer 605N baler and the new mower. Can't complain about not having enough power, and the bigger tractor handles the extra weight well. As for cost, you can't buy a much cheaper more reliable tractor than a 4630. can pick them up all day long for $15K


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

A 4630 is one of the best baling tractors out there. Cheap, powerful, comfortable, and easy to maintain!


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## Dieselfume (Jul 20, 2014)

Amen to that!

I've even got both of mine with the aneroid backed of on the injection pump so they can get more fuel/more power at the lower rpms without falling off. it belches a little more smoke, but that's fine with me.

For baling or light work, they'll run all day long for about 3gph


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## man of steel (Feb 1, 2010)

longmeadow farm said:


> fascinating question.. probably asked to inflame the biases of many. I have looked at /read many responses on forums such as this and most seem to be biased toward HP. and less than scientific reasoning. The most HP needed is 55 to 65 PTO HP for any big round baler. Although if one is predisposed to burn copious amounts of diesel fuel I suspect a different response. At 74 years of age and many years of baling I would welcome the "wet behind the ears" response from those young whipper snappers for whom reality somehow escapes them...


I just got done baling with my JD7200(92hp) and JD469 baler. Moderate-heavy windrows. Short hills of medium incline. Buzzer goes off at 59.5" and by the time I get stopped the bale size is 61.5-62 inches. Tractor running 1600 RPM, 540 PTO speed is met at 2100 Engine RPM. 7.5 MPH+/-


Level ground it's probably using your 55 hp
Gentle incline your 65 hp is all used up
Toss in a hill and your 65 hp is shifting down
Toss in a lot of the hills I end up doing and I'm shifting down with my 92 hp

I suppose I could loosen the tension up a little to simulate some balers out there but I prefer packing it in a little tighter. That takes a little more HP 

I do about 4000 bales a year between hay, straw, bean stubble, and corn stalks, and this "wet behind the ears" wouldn't mind a little more horse at times


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