The price of baling hay has gone up dramatically in the last few years because of all the innovative equipment and technology. On a small tractor this constant jerking motion can be somewhat fatiguing. When it comes to choosing a baler, there are many choices. Let's get started! Dealer Inquiries Welcome for Maschio Gaspardo and SFI Forage Equipment! 2625 N. Loop Dr., Suite 2430 This means they are safer to operate on hills, and tractors of any size can easily pull them. Wheel rakes are a more economical choice and offer similar raking quality to parallel bar rakes. There are a few reasons why this will not work. The action is the same as a set of barber's clippers cutting hair. Our Homesteader Hay Package includes all three implements for just $9,999! Square balers never have to stop to wrap or tie a bale, so are able to bale a maximum tonnage in a given period of time. The gentle rotary-raking action minimizes leaf loss and provides a uniform windrow for good bale formation. Even within the various categories of balers there are important distinctions. Bales can’t be rained on. If you are baling steep slopes or have a very small tractor, a square baler’s weight can become hazardous. Showing 1–36 of 4655 results. The standard drum mower has two counter-rotating drums. From plowing and planting the field to cutting, baling, and storing the hay… Repair expense. Animals grazing in the field could nudge the bales to roll them over, exposing fresh hay. From there twine or wire is wrapped around the compressed hay and periodically tied off and cut, and the process continues. We work diligently to support our customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. An example of this type of mower is the DCM ltalia 150, a 5 foot mower. This dish does not rotate with the rest of the drum assembly, but rather slides along the ground and can rotate freely in either direction depending on the surface it slides over. Its horsepower rating and weight are the most important specs, but in some cases you may need to know the width or other details. IEMVT (1992) describe and recommend several drying structures for small-scale farming use. Blade repair. One other advantage of twine wrap is for the farmer who wants to leave the bales in the field for grazing animals to eat through the winter. Less motion = less dust. High ground speeds. Their disadvantages: Drum mowers, though widely used in Europe for 40 years or more, are just recently becoming a popular choice in the us. The size of a mini round bale is roughly the same as the small square bales most people are used to seeing. Are parts for the equipment readily available and in stock? A rotary rake's mechanical drive enables to move heavy, wet crops. Where can it be purchased? Getting them dry enough to stack in the barn the next day can take time. Introduction of Mini Chaff Cutter. These include a "Canadian tent," which is built from two A-frames with a ridge pole and one or more poles on the sides; tripods; and a "Scandinavian fence" of posts and wire. SB541 Matches high-production needs of large-scale producers for maximum capacity. Generally there are two free-swinging blades bolted to each disc. For the same raking width, belt rakes are much more compact in size, making them much easier to use and store. This is extremely helpful with larger windrows and/or short tractors. For most small scale homeowner operations, simply mowing and baling an existing pasture is more aligned with their goals and budget. Portioning livestock feed is fast and easy with a scale. Until recently this one factor kept many people from choosing a disc mower. Because the drums are very heavy, it is not recommended to hang the mower out over a downward slope. There is nothing more disheartening than having a field full of ruined square bales, that now weigh 100 pounds each, and knowing you have to get them off the field and piled somewhere. HayTools.com markets hay equipment and tractor implements for compact tractors used on smaller farms to large commercial operations. Natural sisal twine was used, which rotted off the bale over time, allowing the grazing animals to get to the interior of the bale. Most small farmers do not have a large enough tractor in either weight or horsepower to consider a big round baler or big square baler. We prefer all of our customers to call us for support when they receive their new equipment if our staff does not personally deliver it. This can make maneuverability and transport difficult if there is not sufficient weight holding the front wheels of the tractor down. The belt rake is also the easiest of the rake types to use. Drum mowers have a significantly different design from the other two types of mowers. If you are mowing ditch banks, sickle bars are the only hay mower style specifically designed to work well below (or above) horizontal. Marketability. Apart from the "Victorian Fram" technique, does anyone know off any small scale hay make equipment that we could power from or behind a small tractor. It is a common misconception that hay can be baled directly from the windrow or swath created by the hay mower. It has an adjustable raking width from 5 to 6 ½ feet and requires very little horsepower to operate. Family owned and operated since 2006, we are dedicated to providing you with unmatchable support in sales and service. There are a few advantages to net wrap. Resale. Figure 10. Technology for haymaking on large, mechanized farms is developing rapidly. However, most take a great deal of work to switch from one to the other, costing you valuable time, usually when you don't have it. Expense of repair. Hay Equipment Sale. This system ejects the cut hay out the rear of the mower in a spread-out and fluffed manner, allowing the hay to dry where it sits. Different regions of the country seem to prefer different styles of rakes. They can sustain a pressure load of almost 30 tonnes. Small square bales are generally a hobby farmer’s better choice. Maybe you're constantly disappointed by the quality of hay available. This potentially saves an additional trip through the field with a rake or tedder and can shorten drying time by up to a day. Fast-forward a few years to 2016, we added one of the most popular rotary cutters, Bush Hog, to the lineup of the equipment we have to offer. For the sake of brevity, we will concentrate here on hay mowers that are meant to be mounted to your tractor's 3-point hitch. Falling Hay Production, Rising Prices. Furthermore, the windrow will not be as light and fluffy as those produced by rotary rakes or belt rakes. hay making equipment, including mowers, bale sledges and hay turners; loaders and attachments, such as bale spikes, muck forks, bale grabs and buckets Because of the smaller pickup of a round baler and the need to stop when tying a bale, production rate with a mini round baler will only be about 1/3 to ½ what is possible with a square baler. Practically speaking there is no difference, but people tend to stick with what they know. Although some farmers get by without a tedder, it is smart to have a machine that can do this important job if and when you need it. These rakes are capable of handling both wet forage and dry hay, giving them greater versatility than wheel rakes. This action exposes the hay on the underside of a pile to air and sunlight, speeding up the drying process. CHAPTER XII SMALL-SCALE FARM HAY IN THE FUTURE. Very low horsepower requirement. Because of their diminutive size, their actual pickup width is only about 30 inches. A mini round baler needs only around 15 horsepower to operate. Though first a stationary machine, the square baler eventually evolved in the late 1930s into the machine we know today. Square balers can work quickly and continuously, dropping a new bale in the field as often as every 10 seconds or less. Low power consumption. Information on this equipment is readily available elsewhere. There are some situations, however, when you might want to steer clear of a disc mower. While round balers and large square balers can pick up more hay in a single pass, those larger bales typically require a tractor or another piece of hay and forage equipment to move them. Using the right scale can save you time and money, and also help you ensure the quality of the hay. Wheel rakes can flip a windrow over, or can agitate hay that is spread in the field, but they tend to leave clumps of hay that don't dry well. The sickle bar mower was the first mechanical mower and was originally pulled by horses. The key to success is selecting the right equipment for your tractor and your property. To learn more about our other packages click here . Pat Goodwin at Tractor Tools Direct suggests that in addition to the above information on selecting the right hay equipment for your operation, there are other important questions to ask yourself prior to any purchase. Contour mowing. One of the main drivers of the trend is that less hay is being produced, leading to … Small-scale farm haymaking, as has been so well illustrated in the case studies, relies on age-old, traditional methods, equipment and crops; how and where can improvements be made in the context of small-scale farms' socio-economic conditions? Depending on the model, either 3 or 4 free-swinging blades are attached to each of these discs. This pickup width is wide enough for most windrows, yet still only requires 17 PTO horsepower to operate. These powered rakes create a uniform and fluffy windrow, which allows crops to dry faster. These rakes are built for speed and productivity when handling dry hay. Drum mowers are designed to be very robust, simple machines. Determining the appropriate scale for your equipment may be the most essential step when integrating mechanical systems into your farm. 3. One company, Galfre, has solved this problem with their “Black Hole” conditioning system. Disc mowers, when damaged, can be extremely expensive to repair. Each piece of hay equipment is an expensive investment, even for a small farmer. That means you can make larger windrows, resulting in fewer trips through the field and more consistent bale density. Each back and forth action shears off any grass or vegetation that is between the stationary fingers. No clogging. This can be a safety hazard because of the much heavier cutter bar compared to a sickle bar mower. About Small Square Balers. This feature gives you improved visibility of the baler's pickup, and also prevents hay from getting hung up on the underside of your tractor. Thalman and Hammann are among the growing ranks of the do-it-yourself hay producers. That means you can rake a bigger windrow, reducing the number of passes through the field with both your rake and your baler. This used to be a common practice for farmers who baled with the Allis-Chalmers Roto-baler. Another possibility with drawbar connection is the option of running the baler out to the side of the tractor. Rotary rakes come in a wide variety of sizes for just about any size of tractor. Stacking. Making Hay on a Small Scale Summertime is a wonderful time of year, a time for making hay for homestead livestock. Hay being taken to market, above Lhasa, Xizang, China. Moving forward into 2010, we introduced Korean built, TYM tractors with the main focus being on the lower horsepower tractors, to best suit our compact hay equipment. Some mowers even allow you to work in the vertical position for trimming hedges or trail edges. Though a sickle bar mower’s design is a bit antiquated, its advantages are: That being said, the disadvantages of a sickle bar mower include: Disc mowers were invented as a logical progression from the sickle bar design. If your tractor does not have hydraulics, you won't be able to lift the cutter bar vertically to get through gates and other narrow areas. They also can be either 3-point mounted or trailed, allowing them to be used by most tractors with a PTO. Whether investing in a seeding drill will make sense will depend on how much land you’ll be planting. Clogging is also more of a problem when blades begin to get dull. Their conditioning system fluffs and spreads the cut crop for faster drying time. Our main goal is to provide our customers with the most exceptional service that there is to offer. These machines are equipped with voltage capacities of 220 to 380V and do not consume excess power. Wheel rakes are physically large, so they take up a lot of space when stored. The advantage of the 3-point connection is that they can be lifted over obstacles like windrows, and they can be more easily transported. Though many of these old rakes are still in use throughout the U.S., if you are considering a new rake purchase, another design will likely suit your needs better and provide you with more versatility. They can handle both wet and dry forage; they make a fluffy, consistent windrow; the tines do not touch the ground, reducing contamination of the forage; and they come in a wide variety of sizes. We raked with an old 2-cylinder John Deere 720 Diesel. Jaylor Mixers were also introduced in the last couple of years to help broaden the range of customers we can serve. For more information regarding on-farm safety, visit http://www.abe.iastate.edu/extension-and-outreach/agricultural-health-safety/. Iowa State University of Science and Technology. Tractor Rating System This requires you to either make very small windrows, or miss a lot of hay. The hay must be cut, dried, raked and then baled with different pieces of equipment and all this equipment must be attached to a tractor. While disc and drum mowers create a vortex of moving air across the blades, sickle bars have relatively little motion. They become easily dogged when working in very dense, lodged, or already cut material. These large-sized, high-capacity automatic small hay equipment are equipped with features such as 4 line … For every hour that square bales sit in the field you are also risking a rain storm. Welcome to Small Farm Innovations, one of the country’s largest providers of compact hay equipment! Utility tractors are built for small farms where you need an all-around workhorse to help with the chores and maneuverability to handle tight quarters. Page 1 of 1146. A tedder is a machine that spreads and turns over loose hay in the field. If there is any chance the bales may stay in the field for any extended period of time, mini round bales will hold up much better to rain and dew. Now, moving onto the most current and exciting addition, as of January 1, 2019, Small Farm Innovations has become the TYM Tractor Distribution Center for the Central United States. Some machines are specifically built to convert between raking and tedding. For most small farmers, the drawbar connection is the better choice. For reliable, consistent results, calibrate your scale frequently. With gathering wheels, the effective pickup width is increased by half again as much. Hydraulic lift allows you to go from working to transport and back again without leaving the tractor seat. If your tractor is very lightweight or has very little front weight, a sickle bar is the lightest weight hay mower and therefore your best (and safest) option. Drum mowers also do not pivot enough to effectively follow extreme contours like a sickle bar will. They also can be run with modest horsepower. Furthermore, if you have a conventional drum mower other than a Galfre with a conditioning system, the windrow created by the mower will not dry unless spread cut or turned over. A square baler has the following advantages: As with any farm equipment, practicing proper farm safety measures are crucial. Small size. Called by many different names in different regions of the U.S., these machines are relatively simple, with a design that dates back over 100 years. Rotary rakes and belt rakes are similarly-priced and have additional benefits, such as the ability to produce fluffy windrows in all crop conditions. Once a rare oddity, many small farmers are finding that they are the best choice for getting their hay in the barn. Abbriata makes square balers in 3 sizes. Even with these drawbacks, wheel rakes are very popular due to their low cost of purchase and maintenance. This windrowing effect eventually must be spread back out with a tedder or rake In order for the hay to dry properly. Square balers are quite heavy compared to a mini round baler. Square balers are distinct from round balers in that they create easily stackable bales, which are often better suited for transport. Abbriata square balers, however, can be operated with tractors of as little as 16 PTO horsepower and weighing as little as 2000 pounds. Square bales have no resistance to moisture, acting like a sponge in wet conditions. The mini round baler can be connected to the tractor either by the 3-point hitch or by a drawbar. In 2006, Small Farm Innovations opened its front door importing compact hay equipment from IHI, Japan, selling it all over the country, as well as, exporting to multiple countries including Australia, Panama, and Iraq. It only takes one afternoon to have as many as 1000 bales or more spread out across a hay field. Before you shop for equipment, make sure you know the specifications of your tractor. This article does not imply an endorsement by the Acreage Living newsletter of Tractor Tools Direct. Though there are very small drum mowers, if you have an older compact utility tractor like a Kubota 5000 or 6000 series, a sickle bar mower will be your best bet. 2150 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011-2031 (800) 262-3804, Iowa State University | These machines are easily maneuverable and closely follow changing field contours for clean raking. State & National Extension Partners, Small Farm Sustainability Costs for shipping? Thanks for stopping by and we look forward to best serving you! Maybe you're tired of paying high prices for hay. Square balers “kick” up to 90 times per minute. Lowering the rake with a simple adjustment of the wheels allows the tines to aggressively contact the ground, which is great for dethatching lawns or preparing a seedbed for planting. Here we take you through the step-by-step process of how to select the best equipment for your needs. This practice would not be feasible with square bales, which would spoil much more quickly if left in the field as they absorb and trap moisture. All rights reserved. From where? Speeds of up to 15 mph or more are feasible, though very few tractors can do this safely. The cost per bale with twine is around 1o cents versus around 30 cents for net  wrap. They can mow a wide swath, but maximum speeds are only about half of other designs. The compact round baler works on the same principle as its bigger cousin, rolling the hay inside a chamber until it reaches a certain size, and then wrapping the bale with either twine or net and ejecting it out the rear of the machine. Pine Straw producers are starting to use these machines to produce bulk bales so they can re-bale the … Switching from rake to tedder with this machine only takes a few seconds, and they truly spread the hay evenly as a tedder should. This guide will help those with compact and subcompact tractors determine which baler is the best choice. However, this information is useful for small farm owners looking to invest in their own haying equipment. 3 Function Rake: Tedder, spreader, and hay rake. The scythe blade must be kept razor sharp. Damage due to hitting an unknown obstruction can be expensive to fix. 14x18in bale chamber with 15-40 in length variance. Once the drums are up to speed, they do not draw a lot of power from the tractor to keep spinning. Many tractors are not capable of lifting something this heavy, so turning corners could be a problem with a 3-point mounted baler. “Here at Tractor Tools Direct we can set you up for small-farm hay production with one of our hay baling packages designed to work with subcompact and compact tractors.” These packages include a mower, rake, and baler at a discounted package price. Your tractor's manual should have this information. This is a time-saving feature when mowing several small fields. As the blade needs regular sharpening, a belt holder for the stone is useful so it is easily to hand whilst cutting. Re: What equipment for small scale hay? Copyright © 1995-var d = new Date(); var n = d.getFullYear(); document.write(n); Is there a parts book? The bales from the last baling of the season would be left spread across the field. Farm Equipment Small Hay Where Is Baler Farm Machine Equipment Quality Small Farm Atv Hay E… However, its direct contact with the ground can cause dirt and stones to be introduced into the hay, decreasing overall quality. Easy-to-handle bales. Look on You-Tube for videos showing how to … Secondly, the path left by the hay mower will generally not be conducive to pick up by a baler, resulting in a lot of missed hay. You operate a small farm, own a compact tractor and have decided you want to make your own hay. Weight. We are willing to and prefer to, stay on the phone with our customers the first time they operate their equipment until they are 110% comfortable and fully understand the process. On flat ground, even lighter weight tractors are sufficient. The tying mechanism of a baler is a wonder to behold, even 70+ years after its invention. Round balers are simpler machines than square balers, with fewer adjustments required and fewer parts to break. In 2009, we introduced Atespar drum mowers and hay rakes to better our customers hay baling experience. They are available in a wider range of working widths, from over 10 feet down to 5 feet making them ideal for working in tight spaces like orchards and pine plantations. We specialise in used small farm machinery suitable for smallholders, hobby farmers and horse owners including:. Since most drum mowers windrow the cut crop, it will not dry in the field without being spread out or double-raked. Square bales that get rained on can be completely ruined. Instead of powering the cutting blades from the cutter bar, the "drums” of a drum mower are powered from a gearbox above. Airplane; Auger; Construction; Crawler; Feed Mixer; Gravity Wagon; Haying Equipment; Irrigation; Lawn Mower; Ornament; Steam Engine; Tillage; Tractor; Combine; Implement; ... 1/64 Scale. The four most prominent styles are wheel rakes, parallel bar rakes,  rotary rakes and belt rakes. The smaller sizes also make terrific leaf rakes, further increasing their value on the small farm. At a total width of 66 inches, it will still fit through a 6-foot gate. The required equip… Third, if the bales will be handled multiple times, net wrap will hold the bale together better, with less material loss. The disadvantage of the 3-point connection is that some tractors may have trouble lifting them. Mini chaff cutter, also called silage/forage chopper, as its name says, is a small size fodder cutting machine used in small scale farms to chop dry or wet grass, corn/wheat/cotton/soybean stalk into small pieces to feed the cow, horse, pig, rabbit, sheep, and chicken.Its production capacity is 400-1200kg per hour. Using the right scale can save you time and money, and also help you ensure the quality of the hay. In 2009, we introduced Atespar drum mowers and hay rakes to better our customers hay baling experience. When blades become dull, sharpening or replacing them can be time consuming and expensive. The Abbriata Mini is a slightly wider baler, with a pickup width of 42 inches, 6 inches wider than the Mini/S. It is also an indispensable machine for spreading hay out to dry after a rain. Better weather resistance. Is the equipment in stock? The discs are driven either by a shaft or gears that are inside the cutter bar. Mini round balers use standard twine which is readily available at most farm stores and is fairly inexpensive. It hardly makes sense to grapple with costly, cumbersome standard equipment to hay our smaller, hobby-farm fields. Square bales left in the field overnight will tend to soak up dew and moisture from the ground.
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