# Round baler recomendations



## TheFastMan (Sep 3, 2011)

I'm considering buying a round baler this spring. I do mostly grass hay with some clover mixed in and occasionally I get to bale one of the neighbor's alfalfa fields. I'd like to do some straw, too. I wouldn't do a lot of round bales, maybe 50 or so a year, but I'm getting really tired of square bales and there isn't any custom guys (that I know of), and anyone with a round baler who can help me has their own hay to do, so I have to work around their schedule. I had two fields rained on this year after the guy I had lined up to bale them couldn't do them when I needed them done. I have a Case/IH, ACGO and a John Deere dealer around me. Although the JD dealer is just a lawn and garden dealer (they may be expanding to a full ag dealer though). The tractor I have to run it is a '69 JD 2020 gas which is about 50 PTO HP. It was rebuilt this summer so I'm assuming HP is about stock. I would like a 4x4 or 4x5 sized baler, belts not rollers, variable chamber would be preferred but not necessary I suppose and priced up to $4000 +/-. I'd like netwrap, but most balers with it are outside my price range. I should be able to outfit my tractor to run extra hydaulics if needed. The ones I'm looking at currently are New Hollands (630, 640, etc.), New Ideas (483, 484, 4844, etc.) and some Hesstons (530 mainly, 540 etc.). The AGCO dealer has a Krone KR125, but the closest dealer is at least an hour away. I was wondering if there are any I'm overlooking or if any of the ones I listed is good or bad. Also, is there any place to get general info on the balers I listed? Like bale size, variable v. fixed chamber, hydraulic v. electric tie, etc. I just can't find much info other than what I find on Tractorhouse. All help is greatly appreciated!


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Your on the right track with bale size for your hp. I have made 5x5 hesston with a ford 5000 but thats about it for that tractor. You can find in this area a 4x5 in decent shape but you will have to repair and maint. it with lots of tlc. In your price range a good machanic will be invaluable to you if you are not one. balers you mentioned are all good if well maintained and don''t forget my favorite Vermeer. 
good luck to you Martin


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Ritchies Specs may have info on the balers you listed: RitchieSpecs Equipment Specifications

As Nitram said, you are right on target with your baler size of 4x4 or 4x5.


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## C & C Cattle and Hay (Sep 6, 2011)

I second Nitram, Vermeer is the best in my opinion. I have a vermeer 504 super I, I believe it's a 1993 model and it still puts up a really nice bale!! I paid 5000 for it 4 years ago! Good Luck!!


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## TheFastMan (Sep 3, 2011)

Thanks for the input. I'll look into some Vermeers. What are some 4x4 or 4x5 models I can look for in my price range? That site is what I'm looking for, but it doesn't have the models I'm looking at unfortunately. I may just have to call the dealers with the equipment and see what they know about them.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I agree with everyone else, but you may want to look at that Krone KR125. They are pretty much bullet proof, have a fixed chamber, a lot less moving parts, and are pretty easy to work on. Any round baler you put on that JD 2020 is going to work it and the Krone is no exception, but it will bale pretty much anything you put in front of it.


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## TheFastMan (Sep 3, 2011)

It's an older model, they have it listed as a 1991. I asked them about it and they dropped the price on it recently and they said they usually price the oddball stuff cheap to move it out. Everyone around here seems to either have a New Holland or a John Deere. I was surprised to see they had a Krone on their lot in the first place. I looked up Vermeers on Tractorhouse and I can't find one in Michigan. Looks the same way with the Krones. I looked it up and the closest Krone dealer is 2 hours away. I guess I'm not opposed to it, but I'd feel a lot better if the dealer was closer. The KR125 isn't a belt baler right? It has rollers or chains? I've heard chains/rollers won't baler slick stuff like straw or grass as well. Are they electric or hydraulic tie? Soft core?


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Mine is a Krone KR250B, I don't know it's age but it was built by M&W which is the same baler with many interchangable parts. Probably older than the one you looked at. You can get the manuals for it at: Krone North America - Fixed Chamber Round Balers (EN)

I do mostly small squares but have the round baler to roll up weeds when I clean up a field or let it get too mature. I've never taken it to a dealer, because there isn't anything on it that I can't fix. Part numbers are in the manual and the dealer just has to x-reference to whatever the current part number is. Look on top around the hinge, that's where it'll rust if it was left outside. Mine is string-tie, very simple monitor, and I can run it with a 50 Hp tractor or 100 Hp tractor. The big tractor will just make tighter bales.

If I were really serious about round bales I'd either get a Vermeer, JD or NH in that order based on my limited experience with them and the dealers around here. With the few I do though, the Krone does everything I need and the price was right.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

You can also use Machinefinder.com its a JD affiliated site with many different brands listed


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## TheFastMan (Sep 3, 2011)

I'll have to look into the Krone more then. I was kind of turned off when I found the dealer was 2 hours away, but if they are reliable then I guess I wouldn't have to worry too much and I won't be doing lots of round bales anyway. I'm really more of a hobby farmer while I work my way through school. I may only do 50 round bales per year and maybe some straw if I can. The guy I bought my 479 from had a Vermeer round baler he was selling, too, but I'm sure its gone by now. There just aren't any around here. I did look on other machine sites and the closest I can find them are in other states. I don't really want to travel hundreds of miles for one either, though I should be able to truck one of these smaller balers back pretty easy on a car hauler. I actually found a couple of videos online of a guy running a KR125 with a JD 70 which is about the same HP as my 2020. How does the tie mechanism work on these? It looks like the guy pulls a string or something in the videos. Is this what they call a manual tie?


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