inverter or merger or rake

Just curious about a New Holland 166 hay inverter and a miller pro hay buddy merger. Will either one replace a rake? I run a rotary rake now, and I like it, but I'm wanting to buy another tool to speed up my raking time. I mean I would still run the rake but I'm looking for something else for my dad to run at the same time so it only takes half the time to rake. I mainly chop or wet wrap the hay, so it doesn't have to get real dry. My problem is by the time the hay is dry enough to rake, it's just about dry enough to chop or wet wrap, but I still have raking to do. I thought with two machines running I could cover more acres in a day. I just don't know if I should buy another rake, or an inverter, or a merger. Any thoughts?

inverter or merger or rake

Newbie Need Info..

New to the forum so I posted under the wrong header but still got good advice.New RTV 900 owner. I justed added a winch which I have not hooked up yet. Also going to add a LED light bar. I noticed several vacant plugs under the hood. Are any of those capable of handling the light bar. Looks like I need a 20 amp switched circuit. I plan on running a separate relayed circuit for the winch.

Newbie Need Info..

Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year to one and all. May 2016 bring you all you work and wish for. Cheers!!! :beer:

Happy New Year!!!!

kuhns mfg accumulator

How do you guys who have them like them? Is there any used ones out there for sale? How do they work on some hilly ground? Also is it worth the investment? Thanks, G&GFarms

kuhns mfg accumulator

Thoughts on moisture meter....

Stumbled onto this site and made me think about checking what other people have to say....

 

 

 

Have been around haying for a few years (alfalfa 5 yrs)  and farming row crops all my life.  Just wandering, after doing some reading, what your thoughts are on using a meter for testing the moisture content on hay.  I have always gone by sight and  the"twist".  On a day when the weather is right...cut in the morning and putting it up before the sun goes down.  Granted, I am wondering if I am missing something here by not using the technology.  I for one am always on the "give it a little more sun" to be safe from spoilage.

 

 

Thoughts?  Or am I stewing over nothing....

Thoughts on moisture meter....

Replacing Kuhn Tedder arm

I am in the middle of what I thought would be a simple project, but it is not. I am trying to replace a tine arm on a Kuhn 440 Tedder. The top bolt on the arm has sheared and I can't figure out how to open up the rotor so that I can put in a new bolt. Do I have to remove the wheel? The bolts on the other arms have me confused, too. They are stuck, but they turn. And they seem to tighten when I turn left. Then there are two smaller bolts under the disc, pointing up, which are very hard to turn. Are these the key?

I am about ready to start splitting and drilling out nuts, but am I missing something obvious?

Thanks so much in advance, as always.

Service guy at dealer: "I hate working on tedders. " I'm coming around to his point of view.

Replacing Kuhn Tedder arm

f'n moles!

Do foxes eat moles? Or anything? Already lost a straight Timothy field and most of the yard. Cats don't touch around the house. We had a Aussie/German shepherd cross used to kill them but she's long gone.

f'n moles!

Insulated Garage door panels for shop walls

I am in the process of getting a farm shop built. I called a spray foam insulator today to get some prices on insulation. WE got to talking and  he started talking about selling me some garage door panel seconds that he gets from a supplier. He can supply me with 16 ft long panels. Basically stand them on end and screw them to the wall.My ceiling will be 16 ft. After the panels are installed he spray foams the back of the panels prior to installing the exterior siding. He can supply the panels to me for $.60/sq ft. Tradional seconds of metal siding runs $.40/sqft. About the only downside I see is the panels are 1 3/8" thick so I will lose some space and there will need to be some additional trim work done around door and window openings. the other down side would be the panels are pretty much captive and would be difficult to replace.

I didnt confirm this but I assume the panels are different colors so they would also need to be painted.

What do you guys think? 

Insulated Garage door panels for shop walls

Pasture Damaged by Rain

I am unfortunately going to lose a pasture at this rate of rainfall. I had to yard the whole herd into one as not to damage the others. Erosion is going to be pretty severe when cows are just trampling the grass under. I'm going to have to reseed next year so might as well get as much manure laid down as possible.

I'm drilling in the fall as normal but will be spreading about a hundred pounds an acre in late Feb - early March.

Pasture Damaged by Rain

We need. Rtv900

I recently purchased a RTV 900 work station model. I love the machine but it seems to be very weak in climbing hill with any speed. My drive is 1800' long with a steep incline and the most speed I can hold is about 10 mph in low. Seems to really strain the engine. I also know about backing out of the throttle to keep the RPMs up. It had about 15 hrs on it.

We need. Rtv900

Knife Sharpening - NH 570/575 and BC5060/70 Balers

Is it necessary or the preferred method to pull the plunger when sharpening the plunger knife on these balers?

Haven't seen a 570 or 575 up close, but have seen the newer BC5060 and BC5070 balers. The later BC balers have IMHO amazing access to pretty much everything one could ever service via the hinged doors. Do the 570/575 balers have the same access?

It seems that as everything gets newer and "better" with more electronics, on board computers, much design for fast FACTORY assembly without consideration for the end user's service needs, the New Holland BC balers IMHO appear to be really simple in design and service access.

But.....

On my 68, it's easier to pull the plunger to sharpen it's knife. How do you sharpen the plunger knife on your New Holland 570/575 or BC5060/70 baler and how often do you sharpen it? Has New Holland made this an easy chore?

Just curious.

Thanks!
Bill

Knife Sharpening - NH 570/575 and BC5060/70 Balers

Hay Loft above horse stalls? Will it hold the weight?

So framing up 4 horse stalls in my new pole barn for my wife Christmas present.  I drilled and concreted 4x4x12ft posts in for the stall fronts and 2 exposed sides inside barn.  Overall my hay loft above will be 24'x30'x6'6".  I'm planning on running 2x10x10's the 30ft length every 16" OC spanning 10ft between the stalls, and walkway(walkway divides 2 stalls on each side)  So I guess my question is will that hold all the hay up there?  If my figuring is right I'm  looking at roughly 200 bales per layer at 4 layers high so 800 bales total up there.  When I came up with this I'm thinking that's around 36,000lbs up there of hay?  Is this going to be safe/hold up?  Thanks guys

Hay Loft above horse stalls? Will it hold the weight?

New Mexico Dairy Farms Survive Blizzard, But 20,000 Cows Likely Won't

“Consider our average herd size is 2,300 cows, and we’ve got 150 dairies in our area,” he explains. “At 5% loss, that’s more than 20,000 cows.”.............

 

http://ift.tt/1MFXLqh

 

Looks like i did a repost. Didn't see Mike's post from earlier.

New Mexico Dairy Farms Survive Blizzard, But 20,000 Cows Likely Won't

The V Word.

Beef.....What used to be for dinner??

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1VovECA

The V Word.

Disc mower

I'm currently using a new Holland 451 7' sickle mower on my 3020 John deere. I'm looking to see what would be a good fit for me in disc mowers for my 3020 to handle. Wanting to stick the sickle on my little Massey Ferguson 35 and run the disc mower on the 3020. Looking in the range of $1500 to $3500 range. Any opinions appreciated on any mowers. Thanks

Disc mower

Massey/Hesston 2656a

Hey everyone this is my first post on here. Last week I bought a 2007 Massey ferguson/Hesston 2656a baler off big iron paid $7,600 for it. I bought it sight unseen cause it was last minute when I noticed how cheap it was others like it on tractorhouse were listed for 15k+. What are the pros and cons to this baler? What are the wear items that I might need to look at on this baler it has 10k bales on it

Massey/Hesston 2656a

RTV-900 FUEL PRESSURE

Any one know how much pressure, psi, the mechanical fuel pump (not injector pump) puts out?

RTV-900 FUEL PRESSURE

Square Baler Min HP - All Over The Place!!!!!!

As I posted over the weekend, the deal or lack thereof for a JD 348 wasn't something I was interested-in, so I'm window shopping again.

 

Spend some more time today with JD, MF and NH brochures and WOW - the hp requirements are all over the place!

 

Punching out the same 14" x 18 inch bale too!

 

New Holland BC5070 = 75hp minimum (3715 lb baler)

 

New Holland BC5060 = 62hp minimum (3400 lb baler)

 

New Holland BC5050 = 35hp minimum (3085 lb baler)

 

Massey Ferguson 1840 = 50hp minimum (3500 lb baler)

 

Massey Ferguson 1837 = 35hp minimum (3050 lb baler)

 

John Deere 348 = 35hp minimum (3110 lb baler)

 

What's the deal - why so much variance in hp MINIMUM horsepower requirements?

 

40 hp difference between the JD 348 and NH 5070 minimum hp requirements!

 

Remember this post from a few days ago on plugging a NH baler:

 

http://ift.tt/1Pti80f 

 

The International 633 racing around that field was pulling a NH BC5060 with an engine with gross hp of 52.  Gross ain't PTO, so the PTO hp was something less.

 

I'd hate to see what the maximum hp requirement is for the BC5070!  Really - 75hp minimum to put the thing in the field and bale light windrows?  Boggles my pea brain.

 

I've got 50 PTO to work with - the JD 348 is Deere's highest capacity baler and 35hp minimum req'd.  The BC5070 is 10 inches wider on the pick-up than the BC5060, same strokes per minute (at 93) and 13 more hp is required?  The MF 1837 has the same strokes per minute (100) as the 1840 - yet 15 more hp is required and I think they both share the same width pick-up?

 

The ONLY justification I can see for this minimum hp has more to do with the weight of a tractor at a given PTO hp for safety, as in going down a hill - than minimal hp to drive the baler.

 

I've read much about round balers pushing a tractor down a hill or trying to jack knife it when fully loaded.  Anyone had their square baler (without wagon or accumulator) push them down a hill.  I kind of see it a bit in the BC5070 at 3715 lbs, but maybe that's a stretch?

 

So what's the skinny on hp and the above balers, why the big variance in hp requirements? It sounds like I could NEVER run a NH BC5060 or BC5070 or MF 1840 on my little 50 PTO hp tractor and with it, just culled out a bunch of otherwise very nice balers.

 

I understand that when you double and triple up the windrows, crank up the speed and max out the reasonable capacity of the baler, the hp goes up and my 50hp  PTO tractor could never run the baler to capacity.  But something below that without destroying the tractor????

 

Any thoughts?  Just curious,

 

Thanks!

Bill

Square Baler Min HP - All Over The Place!!!!!!

Kudo's to the forum members

I've been on many owner forums over the years, but have never seen one with so many knowledgeable, helpful and active members.

Great bunch you are!!!!

Kudo's to the forum members

Oliver 1850 PTO

My neighbor asked me if I could overhaul the PTO on his 1850. I am wondering how big of job and what all I would need to do to it?

Thanks, Luke 

Oliver 1850 PTO

2015 1100C service/parts manual

Does anyone know of a source for service/parts manuals for my machine? The dealer quoted me $300 ballpark for a service manual alone. Seems spendy!! I want the real deal, not some knock-off.

2015 1100C service/parts manual

Anyone near Kingston PA?

Just seeing if anyone on here would be able to help out a fellow haytalker.
I'm trying to buy a IH 450 3 bottom plow that is down in Kingston PA, I get the feeling the people aren't used to selling farm equipment and don't have a way to load it. Driving down and getting it is no problem.
I just want to be sure I can load it before paying for it, or if someone on here could pick it up and hang on to it for a week that would be even better. Trying to buy it for my dad since he has always said they are the cats meow, kind of a late Christmas present.
Figured it's worth asking!

Anyone near Kingston PA?

Beef 2015

Market lessons.

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1MD5xB7

Beef 2015

Beef 2015

Market lessons.

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1MD5xB7

Beef 2015

rtv 1100 no start problem

Hey everyone. wondering if someone could help me out. I have a rtv 1100 that wont start, thought it was a fuel delivery problem but when I removed the shut off solenoid it started and ran like a top. so I bought new shut off. Same thing. any ideas??? thanks

rtv 1100 no start problem

RTV X1100 air controls

I went out this morning to do chores and i can't get the defrost control to switch from center vent to defrost. the knob turns freely but the flapper in the dash isn't moving to redirect the air. does anyone know if the control is electric vacuum or cable??:angry3:

RTV X1100 air controls

Hesston 4570 inline baler

Anyone running a 4570 Hesston? Looking at adding another small square to the lineup and I keep coming back to the inline Hesstons. Had an 1839 but sold it 2 years ago to buy my 2756A MF. Biggest regret to date.

I know all about I lines, just curious of any issues with this particular model.

http://ift.tt/1JCHimC

Hesston 4570 inline baler

Snow traction in an earlier time

Only 85 years old:
http://ift.tt/1R2sa8r

Snow traction in an earlier time

NH 1412 Discbine

Looking into a nh 1412 discbine with flails. Wondering wat the hp requirements would be? Im still just running an oliver 1755, hoping to eventually get something closer to 100hp. Are these 1412s good machines? Thanks

NH 1412 Discbine

When to cut Millet for hay

Hi

 

I have a 5ha paddock of Shirohie Millet that is from 250mm to 500mm high and was wondering when the best time to cut it for hay is, I will be round baling it.

Is it like Oats that you would wait for the head and cut it at the milk stage or should it be cut before running into head?

 

Thanks

 

James

Attached Thumbnails

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When to cut Millet for hay

When is enough enough?

Commodity prices are down if you guys haven't noticed, so farm income is a lot lower this year, with that being said, when is it time to ditch my POS mower

My Kuhn GMD 77hd is toast. I rebuilt the cutter bar last year and dumped over 3000 into a machine only worth 2500. Now I spun another, brand new bearing, broke the float spring and the bolts holding the tarp to the gear box stripped thru. Quoted would be another 4 to 5k if I fix it myself. I'm pretty sure the mower is totaled.

I recently purchased a new Baler and bale wagon and really don't have the funds to upgrade mowers. So I may be forced to down grade. Is there any good options for cheap mowers or other alternives? Hiring a custom guy is out of the picture due to my distances between feilds and size of feilds. I'm not afraid to go back to a sickle machine for the time being. I have located a nh 479 that looks real nice. Not sure what he is wanting out of it. It has been sitting in his she'd for quite a few years and he seemed stunned when I asked if it would be for sale. Also found a JD 1600 for $2500 with a minor problem (as if I didn't need another @$$ ache).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

When is enough enough?

Deere 348 - A Few More Questions

Going to look at a JD 348 square baler today and have a few questions on these....

Multilube system - is this reliable and works as advertised? Do the lube lines get in the way of servicing the knotters? I assume you can flip up the knotters, like my New Holland, but do the lube lines cause problems there?

Hydraulic bale forming - is this self contained to the baler or powered by a remote from the tractor?

I'm concerned with the ability of the 348 to handle lighter windrows, when encountered, either sporadically or just in light 2nd or 3rd cuttings. Sure we can rake windrows together, but even then they can be light. It doesn't take much to jam full the New Holland 68's pickup due to the low capacity of it. The 348 is day and night compared. How do you deal with lighter cuttings and make consistent brick bales with the 348?

I'm to understand the 348 has some kind of side doors to provide bale tension? Do you use them and when?

I realize the 348 is overkill for us, but they are the same basic, if not exact, footprint as a 328 or 338, so if I can make hay in our smaller quantities and occasional light windrows, confident that we'll get bricks out the back - IF the price is right, I might buy this baler.

Any sage advice/info is appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill

Deere 348 - A Few More Questions

Kuhn tedder reviews

Going to inquire about a Kuhn GF 502 tedder for sale.  Owner asking $5100.  Never owner a tedder but they are very popular in East Texas and it might be a help in my Bermuda horse hay operations when the weather window is compressed.  I only sell small squares of horse hay quality.  Tedder is a Kuhn GF 502 for $5100.  Anyone have experience or knowledge about this particular tedder and is $5100 about right for a good used one?  Any recommendations/reviews would be appreciated.  Merry Christmas

Kuhn tedder reviews

Any 1100C owners in Alaska?

Just bought a new 1100C from the Fairbanks dealer. Need input from folks that have operated these things at 40 below or colder.

Any 1100C owners in Alaska?

Any 1100 owners in Alaska?

Just bought a new 1100C from the Fairbanks dealer. Need input from folks that have operated these things at 40 below or colder.

Any 1100 owners in Alaska?

engine option for nh311

Looking at my parts manual I see that there was a factory option for an engine on the 311, but it never lists the engine just all the stuff it would take to mount it and hook it up. I have googled and googled and not been able to find what type or size it would have been. The closest I came was somebody on here mentioned that the 273 had a 4cyl. Wisconsin on it at about 28 hp.

 

After reading the posts about the 3 string balers and how the guys that run them say a separate engine is the only way to go I got curious. We just picked up a 1049 stacker this year so it will be the first time we can regulate our baler speed by something other than how fast the guy/guys on the wagon can stack.

 

Any help would be appreciated. 

engine option for nh311

Merry Christmas and Happy Hayin'

Uploaded a short video my Massey Ferguson model 32 sickle mower at work making our first cutting of 2015. It is being pulled with my trusty Massey Ferguson model 50 diesel tractor.



Hope everyone has a great Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Bill

Merry Christmas and Happy Hayin'

RTV-900 FUEL PUMP Q.

Has anyone replaced the mechanical diesel fuel pump with an electric one?
If so, are you having any issues with that set up?
How many psi pressure is put out by the OEM mechanical pump?
THANKS.

RTV-900 FUEL PUMP Q.

Vermeer baler 1565

New to the forum.
I was looking at purchasing an older vermeer 1565 round baler and was wondering if anyone has any imputed on these machines. Pros and cons. ? And things I should look at before purchasing. ?
Thanks.

Vermeer baler 1565

Cattle Prices Headed Back Up

Cattle futures have jumped $17 cwt. since Monday (three days). I have never seen them make that kind of recovery before.

The adjusted USDA report and the repeal of COOL seems to have put the market in a good mood.

Cattle Prices Headed Back Up

Global warming, climate change or excessive winter annuals

Ok, agreed that you are having too much fun in the foxtail forum and obviously many are bored stiff so here goes....

 

There is empirical evidence of climate change or global warming.  If you don't believe, go walk your fields in the Southeast and middle Northeast.  covered with winter annuals growing like a vengeance. Better up your line item $ for control in March-April.  JMHO but I have seen the evidence and it ain't pretty.  Mullein on a tear as are henbit and chickweed.  Too much warm weather and adequate moisture.  76 here tomorrow in northern Va on Christmas Eve.  Ridiculous.  

Global warming, climate change or excessive winter annuals

Winter Solstice +1

Sunset along the French Broad River in East Tennessee.

 

Merry Christmas, Mike

 

 

You can see the fog beginning to rise up off the river in the middle of the pic.

Winter Solstice +1

Profound discovery!

Don't drive the tractor into the shed bucket first if you expect snow! DUH! We were gone for a couple of days so I put the tractor in the shed. Drove it in... and we had about 2 feet of wet heavy snow. Grrr... I got the thing out and promptly got it stuck while building an ice road with the box scraper. Hard to dig with one of those. I dug out and finally got the thing turned around and backed it into the shed for the real effort tomorrow. Two feet of wet heavy snow is tough going for a BX24 going backward! :pat:

Profound discovery!

Unrolling round bale machines

Anyone using either of these or others out in the fields vs bunks etc?  Curious how much better than just unrolling like I do now. 

http://ift.tt/1U5zX4L;

http://ift.tt/1J5kOzL;

Unrolling round bale machines

Merry Christmas to Everybody !!

Today I get Christmas tree and with this video want to wish everybody Merry Christmas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ys0Cksi3XE

.

Attached Images

 

Merry Christmas to Everybody !!

Swather/MoCo

This subject has probably been beaten to death long ago but I'd like some opinions on hay cutter/conditioners such as rotary vs sickle.
I want to quit using the custom guys and start cutting my own but not decided on what to buy

Swather/MoCo

Moving Squares

Yep, I'm selling my RB and getting a square just so I can do this...

http://ift.tt/1O8Hmjw

Moving Squares

What have I gotten myself into?

After a couple of seasons of struggling with solo small square baling using the old NH s68, I realized I really needed to get a baler with a thrower. So I just picked up a JD 24T with a thrower for a pretty decent price. The knotters look to be in good shape, everything for the most part seemed pretty tight, and the only obvious issue was a hydraulic leak at the kicker cylinder. Probably an easy fix.

Anything else I should look for when I get it in my shop to clean it up and fix the hydraulic leak? Any potential operational issues/suggestions I should know about?

Thanks!

What have I gotten myself into?

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May God Bless and watch over you always. Please remember to keep Christ in Christmas.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

City Hall....

Coming from political low lives near you....

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1Pi8NGA

 

 

City Hall....

Polish Windshield

My used 900 came with a plastic Kubota windshield but it looks like someone tried to clean it with fine grit sandpaper. Has anyone tried to polish these windshields with any success? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Polish Windshield

This Weeks Hog Slaughter

This one is for our good buddy up in Virginia.....Mr Goodfire.

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1U14tN3

This Weeks Hog Slaughter

Square Baler - Hydraulic Tension and Bale Chute Extensions

Couple more baler questions if I could - and much thanks for everyone's replies to all my questions, the info is much appreciated.

Those of you that run hydraulic bale tension (probably the better word is bale density), is this a one time per day set it and forget it deal? In other words, I set my bale density/tension at 1 pm when I start baling and at 7 pm as the sun goes starts going down, I've got the same density bale spitting out the back if the baler as I had when I started - and since the bale length doesn't change, the weight of the bales are therefore the same too? I assume one would reset/re-adjust each day out?

Bale chamber extensions - when are these necessary and what is their purpose?

Just curious.

Thanks!
Bill

Square Baler - Hydraulic Tension and Bale Chute Extensions

Hay Plan Help

I am settling on my farm next month and wanted to run this plan by this forum. This will be my first year farming so please be gentle.

I will be growing about 40 acres in southern New Jersey, and since I don't own it yet, all planting will need to be done in the spring.

About 20 acres have an old but viable alfalfa crop that I plan to overseed orchard grass into using a no till drill to increase yield for the next 2-3 years. The remaining fields are weed with a little OG so they need to be completely overhauled. Plan for 15 of the acres is to kill then no till drill OG. The remaining 5 acres will become paddock and pasture and will get an endophyte friendly tall fescue or fescue OG mix after killing using a NT drill.

I'll take any help I can get. What OG variety do you recommend?

Thank you

Hay Plan Help

Anyone Ever Plugged a NH570/575 or BC560/70 Baler?

Posted this on another forum, but thought you might find it an interesting topic here too.....

Check out this video. Not sure how much more hay you could cram into a baler and it keeps pounding out the bales! OTOH - the IH tractor is getting a workout, getting into the governor and letting loose some black smoke from time to time.
Anyone ever brought a New Holland 570, 575 or BC5060 or BC5075 to it's knees?



Bill

Anyone Ever Plugged a NH570/575 or BC560/70 Baler?

The Line Between Wagons, Accumulator and Bale Bandits??????

Just curious for you folks using accumulators and bale bandit type equipment vs thrower or stack wagons - where did you draw the line in the sand from a quantity standpoint and say, enough, it's time to move away from wagons to an accumulator/grapple system and then say the accumulator is to slow for this qty volume of hay and move to a bale bandit type system.

We are all stack wagons now, maybe next would be an EZ trail wagon to eliminate labor stacking the wagon and everyone could hang out at the barn. At some point, it might make sense to use an accumulator/grapple set-up. Bottom line is time is more limited than labor available - outside the day job hours.

Just window shopping/planning ahead as I feel as we open up more acreage, the wagons might get old in a hurry.

Thanks!
Bill

The Line Between Wagons, Accumulator and Bale Bandits??????

Teenagers.....and cats.

Quotes about Cats & Teenagers:

For all of you with teenagers or who had teenagers, you may want to know why they really have a lot in common with cats: 

1. Neither teenagers nor cats turn their heads when you call them by name. 

2. No matter what you do for them, it is not enough. Indeed, all humane efforts are barely adequate to compensate for the privilege of waiting on them hand and foot. 

3. You rarely see a cat walking outside of the house with an adult human being, and it can be safely said that no teenager in his or her right mind wants to be seen in public with his or her parents. 

4. Cats and teenagers can lie on the living-room sofa for hours on end without moving, barely breathing. 

5. Cats have nine lives. Teenagers carry on as if they did.

 

 

Regards, Mike

Teenagers.....and cats.

Tonutti Eagle 10 wheel

Anybody ever used one,been around one? What do you think?

Tonutti Eagle 10 wheel

Foxtail in hay

Ok Fellas, educate me on foxtail in hay. Due to a poor second cutting we had to buy some large squares to make sure we had enough to get through winter. After cutting a bale open I find what looks like foxtail throughout the hay. I am not familiar with foxtail as its either not in our fields thankfully or just not an issue in our area. For your horse customers how big of a deal is this stuff. We have 5 horses and I definitely don't need to be vetting 5 horses due to mouth ulcers from hay.

Foxtail in hay

Massey Ferguson 1840

I went and looked at a used 1840 and it seems there is very little tire clearance on top . Less than 1 inch. Is that normal? Also seems as if when you hook it to the drawbar it would be running down hill, I have checked the specs and the tires are the right ones. I can't see anything bent.

Massey Ferguson 1840

buying a grapple but not an accumulator?

We are an operation That does about 12k bales a year, 4K of which we do for custom baling. For our custom jobs we just bring our tractor and baler (2013 NH) and they supply the racks we stack right behind the baler. We will hopefully have 10k or so bales of our own this year to handle, so we were thinking about getting a grapple to unload our racks.
My question is have any of you had experience with using a grapple to unload hand stacked racks? We do quite a few small or hilly fields that an accumulator wouldn't really work for, and it's out of our affordability for another couple years anyways. would it be a good idea for us to get a grapple to unload our hand loaded racks? We only have 6 racks that hold 140-170 bales right now, with 2 running gears to be finished up. I figured that if we got a grapple, we wouldn't have to build any more racks, which would save us money, and the grapple could save us a lot of unloading and a need to hire an extra hand or 2 every time we bale.
I was hoping I could get some suggestions on sizes, and brands. I saw some decently priced kuhns grapples that were somewhat close to our operation. A problem that might come up with using a grapple I've noticed is not really made for the typical hand stacked rack, just for an accumulator drop.
any advice or experienced shared would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
jason

buying a grapple but not an accumulator?

Diversification

We talk about it.....here is how it's done....these folks are not too far from swmnhay.

 

Merry Christmas, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1Pg4A81

Diversification

Must Have Tools

by Dan Anderson.

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1PetGnL

Must Have Tools

massey ferguson 135 steering box

I am looking for a steering box for my massey ferguson 135 my housing is broken I am in the process of getting the tractor ready to restore.

massey ferguson 135 steering box

Scientific Advances In Forages

AgWeb...

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1Jgmtx9

Scientific Advances In Forages

TPP

From AgWeb.

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1PaCYPS

TPP

COOL Primer

a historical perspective.....

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1QtWslT

COOL Primer

New Born Crippled Calf

Thanksgiving Day morning a first-calf Brangus heifer delivered a bull calf that is crippled in the hind legs. A travelling bull used on mature cows jumped the fence and bred the heifer. The calf cannot use its hind legs that are considered "wind swept," that is, the legs tend to hang to the right side and remain almost touching each other. The legs are not paralyzed. When the calf is rolled on its back, it can kick these legs. The calf cannot get up on its own. When I get the calf up and hold it up by the tail or its flanks it can walk using its front legs but it either drags the rear legs or attempts to hop while keeping the hind legs together. This is not a selenium deficient area, but at times the calf stands straight on its hooves and sometimes the hooves are bent back.

 

One veterinarian indicated (sight unseen) that this calf will never recover use of these legs. Another veterinarian, on physical inspection of the calf, indicated that it should recover the use of these legs. My questions: Has anyone on HayTalk ever owned a calf with a similar abnormality? Will this calf ever walk, or am I being too optimistic?

New Born Crippled Calf

side by side hay rake hitch

hello all. I was reading and looking through posts and I found a side by side hay rake hitch and was curious if anybody had any experience with using them. I would think it'd be pretty simple to make at least until I find the parts enough to make my own hydraulic bridge hitch. my rakes do not have dolly wheels so certain things are out of the question. I can't seem to find out what they're called or who makes them and there's no videos on YouTube of any of them being used. I would think they're too wide to go through many places but my fields are right on the farm.I've seen pictures here of people that just weld a hitch off to the one side of the side of the rake and pin a second one but as I said I have no dolly wheels. I will attach a picture or two of what I'm talking about just trying to streamline production as much as possible thank you so much. also in regards to the bridge hitch as i call them what size and length of pipe would you use for the top I don't want to make it too light but knowing my luck I would go over kill

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side by side hay rake hitch

RTV 900 XT cold start issues

Unit has 400+ hrs. on it. Recently started having cold start issues, i.e. appears that the glow plugs are not heating. Dealer states there is a relay for the glow plugs but after that they want to see the unit. Kubota online parts list shows 3 relays labeled: RELAY (# K7561-62310); RELAY,STARTER (#K7561-62410) and TIMER, Key stop #T0070-31410) (not a relay?). Tried to narrow it down by disconnecting the relay(s) one at a time & checking the glow plug light but the light stays on w/the relays disconnected. When I can find a helper I'll check voltage at the glow plugs (I assume they are 12v). So, can anyone confirm that I'm on the right track?
Thanks in advance!

RTV 900 XT cold start issues

Lets talk portable loafing sheds...

We are kicking around the idea of building steel loafing sheds on skids. We've made a couple custom for local people in the past. We know a few guys that do it in other regions and have a pretty good business in doing so. Logistics seem to be the down fall, it remains pretty much a local product, due to obvious trucking headaches. Most of these shelters are 12' wide and up to 40' long. 36' was the biggest one we built, however, what's another 4'.

So here's my questions for you guys...

 

1. Any of you have them now, pros-cons?

 

2. What if we made the 102" (8 1/2') wide? That would cut down on oversize freight permits.

 

3. What if we built a heavy duty bolt together kit? Something we could easily sell to farm stores and co-ops. Something stout, that could still be dragged around the pasture and could be easily erected with a couple buddies, a loader tractor,and a case of cheap beer.

 

4. How about a model with wheels? Removable wheels and tongue. Could be 8 1/2' or 12' wide, and potentially go down the road with an SMV sign displayed.

 

Thanks!

 

Lets talk portable loafing sheds...

New Lambs

First two lambs of this season. Everybody eatin, healthy, n happy.







73, Mark

New Lambs

Heavy duty suspension springs

Does anyone know if there is heavy duty front springs for the 1100's? My springs have a blue mark on them. My plow only is off the ground about 2".

Heavy duty suspension springs

Grass Fed Toy Cows

Coming to a Toys-R-Us near you??

 

Regards, Mike

 

http://ift.tt/1IVvFvY

Grass Fed Toy Cows

Hay Auction

Goes back a couple months for sure they were selling fresh cut flowers with two auctioneers prior to the start of the hay sale at Weaver Land Auction

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Hay Auction

Best disc mower-conditioner

I'm looking at trading my mo-co by the end of this year. I currently have a NH 499 12' center-pivot machine. I really like it and would purchase another one if I could but it was discontinued in 2012. Been pricing out a new NH 14' H7150 online and was shocked at how much they want for a new sickle machine. I do mostly alfalfa with my mo-co and really like the clean cut I get with a sickle machine. But just for comparison I did a build-and-price on a new NH 313 discbine and it is basically the same price as a sickle machine.

 

So now that has got me to thinking about getting a disc mo-co instead. So that's what my question is - what brand/model is the best one available right now for mostly alfalfa cutting? I am absolutely color-blind for this machine - I pretty much have any brand dealer within 30-40 miles from me. MacDon, JD, Case-IH, New Holland and MF/Hesston are all fair game as far as I'm concerned. I think there is even a Vermeer dealer not too far from me.

 

Some downsides that I have heard over the years about using a disc mo-co in alfalfa have been: 

 

1. Doesn't have the nice clean cut of a sickle machine and thus retards the regrowth of the next cutting of alfalfa

 

2. In light crops, it doesn't get all the hay thrown into the conditioner rolls

 

3. Higher maintenance costs

 

Possibly some or all of these concerns have been addressed with the newest machines now available? That's why I'm asking questions.

 

Are steel rolls or rubber rolls better on these machines? I have had good luck with the chevron-type rolls in my NH 499 over the years.

 

I think most (if not all) brands have the double gearbox swivel-type hitch now. Is the drawbar or 2-point type the best?

 

I think some brands now use hydraulic drive vs. mechanical drive - is one or the other better?

 

Any other options that I should look for on these machines?

 

Thanks a lot for any input!

Best disc mower-conditioner

RTV1100-motor is done

So my motor gave up on me,2011 rtv100. I bought it with 50 hours. It now has 2610 hours in 4 years. Been running a turbo kit on it for 3.5 years. !one piston has a hole in it and the other 2 are cracked. It hasnt had alot of cold starts either.using a block heater and a stick on oil pan heater. Any others out ther with these issues? Its a work horse on the farm, runs every day.

RTV1100-motor is done

3pt quick hitch adapter opinions.

I'm looking at getting my uncle a 3pt quick hitch adapter for his JD compact tractor (it's a Cat I) for Christmas and wanted to get opinions from you folks.  I purchased a Cat II version for my tractor a couple years ago and like it with the exception of the top hook.  It seems like the one I got has a top hook that is too "short" and allows the pin at the top of the implement to slip over the top of the hook sometimes. Yes, I have played around with adjusting the position of the different pins, but if I move the hook up to the next level, then the bottom to pins don't get locked into place.  By the way, the one I bought is from Northern Tool (NorTrac is the brand).

 

The other brands I've looked at so far are Landpride and AgriSupply.  I like the looks of the Landpride, but I called the local dealer and they want $425 (he was pretty sure they had one in stock).  The Agri Supply one looks a lot like the NorTrac from Northerntool, but I don't know for sure.

 

Anyway, thanks in advance for any pros/cons or other information.

 

Northerntool - $110 plus shipping - http://ift.tt/1mmh2YH

Landpride - $425 no shipping - http://ift.tt/1P5jw6Y

Agri Supply - $100 plus shipping - http://ift.tt/1mmh2YJ

3pt quick hitch adapter opinions.

Baling Cornstalks 101

Moderators please move this thread if its in wrong subforum.
Thanks for taking a minute to look at this thread. Pre-apologize if it offends anyone in any way.
I got a call from a friend who is planting 50 acres of corn next season. he wanted to know if I'd be interested in baling the cornstalks. I have "101" level questions, so here goes:

Cutting:
Aren't cornstalks cut with a typical batwing rotary mower?
If yes, I've noticed "cornstalk kits" for them. Are these kits a necessity? Is it an extra blade or shield? If my CX-15 doesn't have a cornstalk kit, can I still cut them?

Raking:
Are the cornstalks then raked into windrows (roughly like hay would be raked)? Is my rotary hay rake suited for the task? Or are they not raked?

Baling:
Is my NH BR760 sileage special baler the right baler for cornstalks?
Will it need any modifications to bale cornstalks into marketable round bales? Do I need to wrap the cornstalks more times to keep them in a tight bale?

Marketing:
I'm pretty sure some of my mushroom growers buy them, but unknown. I dont know what theyre worth and that is my biggest concern (are they worth baling)? If mushroom company wont buy, then who else buys them? I assume COW. Who else buys them and what is the general price range for a 4x5 bale.

Sorry for the incredibly elementary questions. I have no mentor to show me here in person, so I rely on reading to learn and a dose of common sense.

Equipment damage:

Does cornstalk baling wear out the equipment faster or is it too rough on the equipment to be worth doing?

Baling Cornstalks 101

Orchard grass turning yellow??

I planted 25 acres of persist orchard grass at the end up August. Soil test said I didn't need any fertilizer or lime, besides the 30 units of nitrogen for establishment. I went ahead and put 30-30-40 on it. Got a awesome stand it's 8"-12" tall super thick. My question is it is turned kinda yellow this winter. Is this normal for persist?

Orchard grass turning yellow??

Wet baling for $

I need you folks thoughts on this one. The farmer a cross the road has helped me bale dry hay when my baler has broke . That been said I have baled for him when his broke too. This past spring he wanted to wet bale tricale . So I said I would bale it . He cut it . I then I baled it with my baler. Used the other tractor with the bale squeeze and another tractor hooked to a single bale wrapper . 3 tractors involved on my side. The problem was after it was done , never thanked me or made an effort to pay which I only asked him to pay for the plastic wrap and everything else was on me .
He has asked Sunday what he owes me for baling to send him a bill.............which was was baled in May.
He has a field of rye planted now and Iam sure he wants me to bale it next spring but I sure as hell don't want to bale his hay when I need to worry about my hay . He has no wet baler no wrapper only an old haybine to cut it. I don't think I should wear out my 30 plus thousand dollar on his hay . That beening said I work a full job first
So my time is very limited . I know this sounds snobie but my friends told me to tell 20 bucks a bale next year so he won't get me to do it.

Wet baling for $

John Deere 5303 Noisy PTO Clutch

Hi
I Have read quite a bit on this site and often found advice very handy. Now I got a problem so I decided to join and hope you guys can help.
I bought a John Deere 5303 FWA 2008 model tractor. Got 2600 hours on and I really enjoy the tractor, especialy the FEL . But my clutch started making this terrible dry screeching noise, so I put a new clutch in. The old clutch was actually not bad. Anyway replaced bearings as well as had the flywheel machined, which was not really necessary. To my disapointment it made the same noise. Everything works perfect, normal clutch PTO engage and disengage, but when you press the clutch pedal about halfway down you hear that noise. As soon as the clutch pedal is all the way down it stops. When you drive say 2 nd gear and depress clutch pedal to change gears you hear that noise, As soon as pedal release no noise. We sure the noise is coming from the PTO part of the clutch as you can feel friction on te PTO shaft if you hold it in your hand (beiing disengaged off cause)and depress thr clutch, Then it stops when the clutch bottoms out/ Have changed rear transmission oil so sure the oil is good. There must be some adjustment on the clutch for the PTO shaft. I have disengaged the PTO lever that engages the PTO clutch totally and it still makes that
noise. Hope you guys can help me with this,
Thanks
Hendrik
Western Australia

John Deere 5303 Noisy PTO Clutch

John Deere 8200 drill question

Hey guys,

 

I know this is a bit short notice, but I am going to look at a John Deere 8200 13' drill tomorrow, and other than rust, any suggestions on what I should look for. I am not new to farm equipment, so I know to look for worn bearings and disc, but this will be my first grain drill.

 

John Deere 8200 drill question

Kubota RTV 900 help needed

Hello Everyone, and thank you in advance for any help or guidance.
I have a 2010 kubota RTV 900 with 2500 hours on it. The problem is that suddenly it would bog down whenever it was in mud, encountered a hill, or basically any time it wasn't going down hill. That being said I am a mechanic at a dairy and this one has me stumped. I did a complete service including the transmission, checked for fuel flow, checked for fuel at the injectors, recently replaced the injectors (after this started actually), jacked the rear end up and did the neutral test (putting it in high gear and pushing the throttle lever to check for wheel movement), checked all the linkages, checked the brakes, checked to ensure all wheels moved freely out of gear. Whenever i drive it, unless I have it at only 1/2 throttle, the engine bogs down terribly and the entire unit slows to a crawl. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated! thank you!

Kubota RTV 900 help needed

baler hitch not compatible

LOL my 3 year old grandson was busy while we were eating breakfast this morning. I know recently the topic has come up baler hitches not being compatible with the tractor drawbar. My wife wondered who took the twist tie for the English muffin bag. I think I figured out who took it

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baler hitch not compatible

Kent Hay Monster, Deweze HayHog/MoBale

Does anybody still run one of these or know where any are sitting?

Kent Hay Monster, Deweze HayHog/MoBale

2006 RTV900 stuck in M

This is the second time that this has done this. Is there a manufacturers fix for this? Maybe a recall?

What is a 2006 model worth with 600 hours that is stuck in M? Plastic top with no windshield. I was thinking $5000....

2006 RTV900 stuck in M

Skidsteer or Forklift for stacking in barn

Evening everyone!

 

After struggling to find labor to efficiently get our hay (~60 acres of grass and alfalfa in small squares) in the barn, we're looking at moving to a grapple/accumulator system for the 2016 season. I've been digging around and looking at specs for various skidsteer models and was wondering if I'd have issues stacking 10 layers high (on the flat/strings) with a skidsteer? Seems like it would really be pushing the limits of the skidsteer to get that high. Would a forklift be a better option here? Our hay barn has an asphalt floor, so there wouldn't be any issues with running a forklift inside the barn, but the skidsteer has a lot more functionality outside the barn (including helping load wagons with the grapple etc.)

 

Thanks in advance!

Skidsteer or Forklift for stacking in barn

Ag Machinery Forecast

Interesting read:

 

http://ift.tt/1QngdeI

 

I wonder what the charts would look like if they included 2005-today's data?  Specifically 2009-11.

 

Ralph

 

Ag Machinery Forecast

Looking for advice on buying hayland

First post!  Thanks for the resource.  

 

We want to expand our cattle herd and reduce the summer grazing we do.  We have some cash on hand for this.  We could buy/lease more pasture for grazing and start cutting our irrigated meadows.  I don’t like this idea because of our short growing season (one cutting only!), my incompetence with mechanicing, and we don’t have any haying equipment beyond one good tractor and one smaller, ok tractor.

 

What I’m think is buying irrigated hayland and leasing it out.  Part of the lease is that we would get between 250-500 tons of grass/alfalfa mix.  Then we would rough our stock through the loooooong winter on a mix of stockpile forage and alfalfa/grass (we do this now with our small herd and it works well for us.)

 

Farm leases are way out of knowledge base, but I’ve heard about 1/3 - 2/3 agreements.  Locations of hayland could be highly variable. Places that grow great grass and get 3 cuttings a year would be best. SD, Nebraska, Kansas to the east or ID, Wash to the west.  We would have to pay to truck the hay, so I don’t want it too far.  

 

In my early searches I’m finding the competition between row crop vs. hayland might be a problem for some places like Kansas and Nebraska.

 

Ok, might be a crazy idea.  And if it is I would like to hear about it!  If doable then ideas on how to structure leases would be appreciated greatly.

Looking for advice on buying hayland

Moisture monitor on round baler

I do about 400 acres of haylage a year for customers they want it rolled at about 50 to 60% they ask what the moisture is when Im baling I cant tell them because I don't  have a moisture meter that will read up to or close to 70% I have checked Ag Tronics  they don't have anything that reads that high Im wanting one that I can mount on my roller any help would be appreciated Thanks

Moisture monitor on round baler

phoenix 107850

I bought a New Idea 4865 baler. The monitor was supplied and I have hooked it up to the baler using a 12v power supply. As expected, it moved the twine needles and said No Twine or something like that.
Oh ok, the “as expected” part was a lie...   I had a Vermeer 605D and upgraded to a IH241 (this year) which are the farthest things from needing a computer. I had no idea what to expect. 

Here's my problem... I think the computer is gonna work and the manual refers to a different computer than I have. I have researched a little and believe that I have the “premium” controller (not covered in the book)

Bottom line, I have searched and can find no manuals on-line or for sale which will even tell me what all the hieroglyphics mean. I would like to have a manual or a photographed page or two of a manual which would get me farther out of the dark ages.

I know I am way behind the learning curve... I feel that everyone here is using computers while I'm asking type-writer ribbon and carbon paper questions.

 

Please don't type too fast... I read kinda slow too

 

Thanks and 73, Mark

phoenix 107850

Replacment Diesel Engine for Mahindra 2525

i got a mahindra 2525 from a family member, had a bad knock, rand it for about 45 mins and it thru a rod through the bottom of the engine. I can't find parts for this tractor, is there a place that sells a replacement engine? is it worth fixing? I have a bucket, and the rest of the tractor is in good shape.

Or should I just part it out, the hydraulics,the bucket and rest of the tractor are in great shape.

Willing to use an aftermarket if it fits?

Replacment Diesel Engine for Mahindra 2525

Ford 501 Sickle Bar Mower On A Newer Tractor?

Hey guys. I found a really good deal on a perfectly functional Ford 501 with three extra complete blades, but understand they don't work on the newer style tractors 3-point. Is there a retrofit for this, or a known easy fix for someone good with a welder?

 

Any help would be great!

 

Thanks,

 

Chris 

Ford 501 Sickle Bar Mower On A Newer Tractor?

Hay prices in Illinois - 12/8/15

Here's a cut and paste from the two hay auctions I watch for central Illinois.  Note the sm. sq. alfalfa prices at Madison.

 

Note: The USDA has stopped officially reporting at Madison, so these are estimated tonnage, quality and prices.

 

Ralph

GX_GR313
Springfield, IL   Tue Dec 8, 2015   USDA-IL Dept of Ag Market News

Hamilton's Madison County Ag Hay Auction-Bethalto, IL Dec 5, 2015

Demand was good for moderate offerings. This was the first auction of
the season and had very good buyer attendance.  

Receipts: 1380 bales              
         
Alfalfa                      Premium Quality              Comments
Small Squares                8.70 per bale
Large Squares 3x3's          96.00 per bale
              
                             Good Quality                 
Small Squares                5.10 per bale

                             Fair Quality   
Large Squares 3x3's          50.00 per bale

                             Utility Quality
Large Squares 3x3's          31.00 per bale

Alfalfa-Grass Mix            Premium Quality
Small Squares                8.60 per bale

                             Good Quality
Small Squares                6.50 per bale

Alfalfa-Orchard Grass        Premium Quality
Large Squares 3x3's          95.00 per bale

                             Good Quality
Large Squares 3x3's          80.00 per bale

Mixed Grass                  Good Quality 
Small Squares                3.50 per bale
Large Squares 3x3's          40.00-46.00 per bale               

                             Fair Quality
Small Squares                2.10 per bale
Large Rounds
4x4's                        29.00 per bale
4x5's                        35.00-40.00 per bale
5x5's                        48.00-53.00 per bale

Orchard Grass                Good Quality
Small Squares                3.60-5.60 per bale  
  
Wheat Straw                  Good Quality
Small Squares                4.20-4.50 per bale

========================================================================================

GX_GR312
Springfield, IL    Tue Dec 8, 2015    USDA-IL Dept of Ag Market News

Arthur Sale Barn Weekly Hay Report-Arthur, IL Dec 7, 2015

Compared to last week's auction which was held in a steady rain, 
alfalfa hay traded mostly .50 higher. Mixed grass hay and wheat 
straw both traded 1.00 higher. Trading was active, with good demand, 
for moderate offerings.

All prices are noted as dollars per bale.

Receipts: 1055 bales     Last Week: 863 bales     Last Year: NA
         74.22 tons               62.36 tons            

Alfalfa            Tons   Premium Quality         Weighted Average
Small Squares      6.05   5.00-6.50 per bale      5.84 per bale

                          Good Quality            Weighted Average
Small Squares      5.20   3.00-4.25 per bale      3.94 per bale

Alfalfa-Orchard Grass     Premium Quality         Weighted Average
Small Squares      1.50   8.25-8.50 per bale      8.33 per bale

Alfalfa-Mixed Grass       Good Quality            Weighted Average
Small Squares      1.80   3.60-3.75 per bale      3.68 per bale

Large Squares     15.00   30.00-48.00 per bale    36.81 per bale
(3x3's)

Orchard Grass             Good Quality            Weighted Average
Small Squares       .72   5.25 per bale           5.25 per bale

Mixed Grass               Good Quality            Weighted Average
Small Squares      5.90   3.00-4.00 per bale      3.52 per bale

Large Squares      3.00   28.00-38.00 per bale    31.20 per bale

Large Rounds      18.00   27.00-32.00 per bale    28.41 per bale
(5x5's)
                          Fair Quality            Weighted Average
Large Rounds       9.80   18.00 per bale          18.00 per bale
(5x5's)

Large Squares       .75   17.00 per bale          17.00 per bale
(3x3's)

Oat Hay                   Good Quality            Weighted Average
Large Squares      3.75   32.00 per bale          32.00 per bale
(3x3's)

Wheat Hay                 Good Quality            Weighted Average
Large Squares       .75   35.00 per bale          35.00 per bale
(3x3's)

Wheat Straw               Good Quality            Weighted Average
Small Squares      2.00   4.00-5.50 per bale      4.21 per bale
 

Hay prices in Illinois - 12/8/15

Alley Scales

I'm looking for livestock scales for alley ways. Portability is ideal so I can use on other farms. I want the best bang for the buck whether it is pre kit or a combination of manufacturers. Need the DRO, load bars, and floor. Don't need tag identifiers or anything fancy since I'm fine with penciling in my spreadsheet.

Alley Scales

Balewagon or bale baron

I just purchased another 1200 acres of hay ground all within 3 miles of my barn storage. Is 3 miles to far to travel with balewagons or would the baron be a faster way to get the hay moved 3 miles up the road. The 1 farm thats 3 miles away has a 320 acre hay field so it would be alot of trips with a balewagon. Which 1 should i buy? Thanks

Balewagon or bale baron

Kubota 1100C Door adjustment

I had damaged the driver side door and had it replaced under the insurance. The new door was damaged as well when they put it on. They had returned the machine and said they didn't see the dents. While waiting for the new door to come I had slid on some ice in March and damaged the passenger side door.

The Dealer came and got the machine and replaced the drivers side door again. It is not aligned properly. You have to slam it hard to get it to latch and then it moves almost 1/8 inch and rattles because it does not pull in tight. Looks like the pin on the post is a little low. Where do I adjust it? I can't see an adjustment and don't want to take something apart that I shouldn't. I am getting tired of the rattle and the door being so hard to get to latch.

Just as a side not, they returned it and the new door on the passenger side had a chip in it with rust already when they brought it back. They didn't notice it. They had the machine for almost 4 weeks.

It has been here for almost a month since the dealer returned it. I'm not sure what the dealers plan is. I know I have the insurance check and I am not signing it until I am satisfied with the work.

Kubota 1100C Door adjustment

THE BEAST

The BEAST.... Howard Rotavator E Series II Selectatilth.
Everyday is a another small victory that brings me closer to completion! New C shape tines and I think am ready to go after some considerable welding and straighten out of this and that. ..Small leak in chain case probably a seal at bearing. I heard that replacing the 90 gear oil with a EP Grease 00, apple sauce pouring consistency, would eliminate the leak and work fine..Any thoughts on this matter would be appreciated.

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THE BEAST

Hay Applicator Questions - Hope to help

Good Day All,

 

First, I want to complement you all on the information and support that you all share and provide on this forum.  Our company signed up a few years ago, and has started to try and contribute where appropriate over the past season.  Hopefully we have done some good. 

 

I am starting this thread as a place for people to come with questions and comments that they may have regarding application systems for Baled Hay and Silage.  If you don’t know, our company manufactures application for the purpose of applying hay preservatives and silage inoculants.  We may not know all of the answers, but I do feel that our years of experience may allow us to be helpful to some of the Hay Talk members. 

 

To be clear, we are not trying to sell or promote application systems through this thread – I will admit we are in business to sell applicators – we just want to help support the industry that supports us.  We do not promote or endorse any specific Hay Preservative or Silage Inoculants, we just try to know enough to help producers apply it correctly. 

 

The reason that I wanted to start a thread for this specifically is that in other threads that we have contributed to some users begin to ask their specific questions which can easily derail the thread.  In addition to that, a thread like this may provide a good resource for other users that are searching for information.

Again, we may not have all of the answers, but hope to provide some value through support.

Hay Applicator Questions - Hope to help

Merger pickup feeding poorly

We picked up a Gehl 1150 front mounted merger this summer for making haylage.  It's great for harvesting lighter crops faster and even for heavy crops as it allows you to take two swaths to the back and one to the front for example.  This way you can always be full at the front, saving time for the guy hauling wagons.  For haylage, we typically lay a 5' swath (10' discbine) and then harvest it without raking to minimize leaf loss and stones.

 

Anyways, the pickup teeth on the merger are bad for pulling hay partially down into the slots at the back.  This causes it to feed poorly onto the belt resulting in a pretty lumpy swath that occasionally will stop the harvester pickup.  The harvester pickup doesn't have this problem.  My brother added some pieces of plastic to close the slots off as much as possible but it didn't seem to make much difference.

 

Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do about it?

 

Thanks!

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Merger pickup feeding poorly

Looking for Teff ot alfalfa to be delivered to northern va area

I'm looking for either Teff hay or alfalfa. I go through about 300 bales a month and am looking for a supplier that can deliver square bales to Great Falls,Va. Please contact me at leslie.fredrick@verizon.net

Looking for Teff ot alfalfa to be delivered to northern va area

Dairyland alfalfa

Anyone have the experience with one of their wet varieties in clay specifically. Or broadly, any of their varieties as a whole. How did it perform. Any issues with customer service?

Dairyland alfalfa

Salting damp green square bales

   I have read on here about people putting salt between the layers of bales when stacking in the barn I put some hay in the barn with a NH balewagon and the bales are questionable thought about restacking with the grapples and putting some salt on them so how much salt and what kind of salt maybe get a bag of the salt that we give to cows,will the salt desolve and will it be safe for horses,if this works thinking about how to rig up some kind of spreader on the wagon that puts out some salt on each layer of bales on the second table but the salt might be bad on the machinery. http://ift.tt/1FFYYw6

Salting damp green square bales

Baleage

How much would you charge for 2015, 2nd and 3rd cutting alfalfa/mix 4x4 baleage?  

Baleage

Horse Quality Hay - Calling Card

In my neck of the mountains, it's hard to get the horse folks (or anyone else for that matter) to drive an hour or so to buy my hay - as there is ALWAYS for sale "orchard grass" hay for sale somewhere in between where they live and where I sell.

 

I find that "orchard grass" around here can mean anything from mixed grass, weeds to absolutely beautiful second cutting orchard grass.  IMHO - the buyer is lucky if they know what they are getting and especially lucky if they get horse quality hay.  It's more about the price 1st, green color 2nd and we can soak our hay if has a "little" dust and is brown, but not outright molded 3rd.

 

Bottom line is - if you live where I do and you're selling "orchard grass" hay, you've got some steep competition and a decent price is difficult to sustain - and yet lure the customer a distance to quality hay.

 

This is why we went with Timothy when we reworked out fields this fall.  I feel confident we can sell Timothy hay and glean a good price.

 

IMHO - "calling card" type horse hay is Timothy, Alfalfa and Teff.

 

We know about Alfalfa and Teff - and will probably plant Teff this spring in our new fields to tie us over until next fall when we can put in a variety that is not an annual like Teff.

 

Question is - what is in your opinion/experience a good mid-Alantic "calling card" hay type that one might consider other than Alfalfa, Timothy and Teff?

 

Any sage advice is much appreciated.

 

Thanks!

Bill

Horse Quality Hay - Calling Card

Kverneland 3pl wrapper error help

Hi,

We're having some trouble with our wrapper. Comes up with LP on the 7575 controller, Kverneland Australia won't reply to my emails. I can wrap by bypassing the table rotate solenoid and turn on and off tractor hydraulics.

Heard relay chattering in controller, replaced that still no luck.

Anyone else had this problem?

Kverneland 3pl wrapper error help

Best way to handle bales for your own use?

Currently we make about 5000 small squares of hay and 4000 of straw a year for our dairy operation.  It's all stacked on flat racks behind the baler, unloaded onto an elevator, stacked in the mow, thrown out of the mow as needed and stacked in the barn for final use.  Some of the bales are probably handled close to 10 times so it's not very efficient.  Usually my brother, my mom, sometimes my sister, and most times myself unless I can't get away from work.  Mom probably should not be handling bales as much as she does, and we'd probably do a better job in the barn on haying days if we weren't beat from handling bales.

 

Hiring labour is a pain so we are looking at alternatives, likely either an accumulator/grapple setup, or 3x3 large squares.  We want own the equipment ourselves, even if it doesn't entirely make financial sense, and are pretty decent mechanics.  The livestock is out from under the mows, so the floors could be removed/modified to allow tractor access for storage.  We had a neighbour make some big squares for us the last two years and the hay isn't too bad to use, the straw will take some kind of bale chopper to work well in the barns.

 

Does it make any sense to stick with small squares if we are not selling them?  It seems most guys with automated handling systems are selling small squares because of the price premium. 

 

Can an older big square baler be kept running by competent mechanics without big $$$ in parts?  I realize we'd make less than 1000 bales per year with it.

 

Can big square bales match the small ones for quality?  We have an aeration floor in the mow that has probably saved a lot of tough hay for us.  I've figured out the cost of electricity to run the fans and we could put on a fair bit of perservative for the same $$, but I don't know if the cows would like it as well.

 

Currently we can average 400+ bales an hour in a decent crop, would an accumulator and grapple setup slow that down?  We've picked up and stored 120 big squares in an evening and even that gets pretty tedious with only one loader.  I'm guessing a grapple and bundles would be quite a bit slower.

 

Can a 100 hp 4wd 11500lb tractor handle a big square baler?  We are fairly flat and don't have to travel on the road.

 

Sorry for the long post and all the questions, but this is the time of year to sort it out!!  I've read a lot of posts on here and agtalk and I'm smarter, but just as undecided!  Part of me is tempted to chop the straw with the harvester, store it in bulk, and just buy the hay.  Let someone else deal with hassle of making dry hay in our humid climate!!

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

Best way to handle bales for your own use?

135 diverter valve problem.

Trying to fit a diverter valve on to the two bolt outlet plate area on top of the g. box.Took plate off and oil pipe came up enough to stop the new valve going down flush on top of box. It won't come out and won't go down.Iv'e wriggled it to find it's seating hole to no avail.I took the P.T.O. plate off at the other side hoping to look across and see what was wrong but can't see anything for shafts and cogs et. Hope I don't need to take the g. box top off! Any suggestions? Regards. Colin.

135 diverter valve problem.

Inoculant sprayer on small, square baler

I've been making small square hay bales for a few years and have just bought a McHale 995LM small wrapper.

I've been thinking about adding an inoculant sprayer to my baler to improve wrapped bale quality. I've spoken with a few inoculant suppliers and they haven't a clue about small bales. They're happy to sell boxes/bottles of concentrated inoculant for specially made dispensers on big round balers but can't tell me anything about mixture or spray rates for a DIY sprayer.

 

I was planning on buying a 15 litre (approx 4 gallon), battery powered back pack sprayer to fit to my baler with a switch on my tractor dash to turn the inoculant spray off and on as required.

15 litres might not sound like much, but we're usually only baling 100 - 200 bales in a day (due to wrapper bottleneck and also that's the usual size of my paddocks.).

 

Has anyone here fitted their own inoculant sprayer to a small baler ?

Any tips ?

Inoculant sprayer on small, square baler

HayMap App | Buy & Sell Hay on your iPhone

Hi everyoyne-

Marketing hay is an issue we all deal with regardless of where we are located. My brother and I started hauling hay in high school and one thing led to another and we've been growing & harvesting hay for about 15 years. We think there has to be a better way for hay buyers & sellers to connect. So we began working on an app called HayMap a couple of years ago. It will be released in January 2016 and will be available on iPhones & iPads first and Android devices shortly thereafter.

 

Below is a list of things we look to accomplish with HayMap.

-Allow buyers to find local hay for sale.

-View pictures of the hay along with details such as type of hay, price, quantity available, bale size & weight, loading options and more.

-Sellers listing hay for sale on the app will be able to list it one of two ways:

 

1. As Already Baled Hay that is stacked in the field or in the barn.

This option is pretty straight forward. You enter all the details of the hay and how many bales/tons you have for sale and the payment types you accept.

or

2. Hay that will be Baled Soon. (Already cut or will be cut soon)

This option is similar to the above option but you will estimate how many bales/tons you expect to produce. (Better to underestimate than over.) and set a projected time you plan to start baling.

 

Next...

Buyers will see your hay listed on a Google Map View or can toggle to a List View. They will click on your listing and select how many bales they wish to buy. They will then click on a button to 'Reserve' your hay. You will receive an alert on your phone that says 'John Doe' would like to purchase 25 square bales for $X.XX Dollars and a time he would like to pick it up. At this time you will accept or decline the offer to buy your hay. You will both have each others contact information (Phone, Text, Email) after you accept the offer.

 

After a buyer picks up their hay from your farm, ranch or feed store they will be able to give you feedback on the transaction. You will also be able to leave feedback for them. We expect this feedback system to build trustworthiness between buyers & sellers that have never dealt with each other before. Especially in drought years when hay is being trucked 100's even 1,000's of miles in all directions.

 

We plan to help increase on farm profits for producers by allowing them to bale more square bales to sale when harvesting but don't because they lack the barn space to store the hay or they fear buyers won't show up to actually pick up the hay which happens frequently.

 

There is also a payment system built into the app to allow buyers to pay sellers directly through the app with PayPal or a credit card.

 

We've talked with some FFA programs about opportunities that will be available for young kids coming out of high school wanting to haul/truck hay and learn about producing hay & forage. We've also talked with the USDA Agriculture Marketing division about working together to provide better hay market reports. 

 

We've been talking to fellow producers & buyers at sale barns, barrel races, farm shows, etc. to gauge interest in our app to see how many people are interested. So anyone that has any ideas, concerns or feedback about our app comment below or email me, Shaun Baker directly at support@haymap.com 

For more information you can also visit our website www.HayMap.com it has links to all of our social media accounts if that interests you. 

 

 

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HayMap App | Buy & Sell Hay on your iPhone

PTO shaft keeps coming off

Have a telescoping PTO shaft on my manure spreader. It comes off 1 or 2 times each load I spread a load. The slip tube moves in/out freely and its all been greased. The connection between PTO shaft and tractor PTO stub seems to slide on nice and easy. Seems like when I go over a hump, big bump or a sharp turn, it slips off about 300' later.
The PTO connection has the collar that slides up/back 1/2". Once its on, I cant pull it off, but fire up the PTO and start driving/spreading and it eventually slips off.
I dont have this problem with baler, discbine, etc. so its not the tractor stub.

Any thoughts?

PTO shaft keeps coming off

Round Bale Mover?

Greetings fellows:

 

Vermeer dealer in northeastern Nevada here.  We used to sell the 5 and 7 bale mover that Vermeer marketed for Highline.  We  haven't had those for awhile and I'm starting to look at getting a replacement machine to sell and I'm looking for feedback and experience you fellows have had.  I've seen the Tubeline unit, one made by Bridgeview, the Buffalo unit and Allied/Farmking.  Are there others out there?  What has been your experience?  I appreciate your help with this.

Round Bale Mover?

information on 1017 backhoe

have a 1017 backhoe for my 1045 2wd MF . want to relocate hoses correctly and to know the length of the hoses so I would not have to remove them before making new hoses. any information or where to look would be great. private message please.
thanks .

jim

information on 1017 backhoe

Vermeer 504n vs Vermeer 6640

Looking at getting a new round baler, want to stay at 4 foot width with around a 5 foot diameter. Any recommendations between these two? What are the differences other than the 5 1/2 foot bale diameter of the 6640? Both seem to be heavy duty balers. Looking at net wrap with what ever I get. Thanks for any comments.

Vermeer 504n vs Vermeer 6640

More bites the dust

Was looking at 3 signs today probably 750 acres of high yielding farm land coming to the end of its farming days. And you wonder why ,our county voted Friday to raise all real-estate taxes 40%

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More bites the dust

Need a bucket for old Sherman backhoe (on Ford 8N)

Looking for a bucket for an old Sherman backhoe--the kind that is commonly found on Ford N series tractors. Can't find on Craig's List or Brokentractors.com. Any other ideas?

Need a bucket for old Sherman backhoe (on Ford 8N)

Panorama 10 wheel rake

I purchased a panorama 10 wheel rake this weekend. I was wondering if anyone had a copy of the manual on how to set the rake. I understand that panorama went out of business in 04. Or if another mfg. used the same design. I was wondering how to set the tension/ ground pressure on the wheels.

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Panorama 10 wheel rake

FROST SEEDING ???

I'm in western Kentucky . 15 miles from ohio river . And I know the answer to this I think but the upcoming weather window of being able to get over the fields with fert makes me want to see if anyone has tried this and their results . Needing to over seed some med red clover onto some grass and I usually do this in early feb . WOULD IT BE CRAZY TO DO IT NOW ??? temps are low 50's in the day and 30ish at night . Will the seed survive till spring ??? anyone done this in dec ? Fert is going on reguardless but thinking of doing this with fert and buggy instead of UTV in feb .  Any comments are appreciated

FROST SEEDING ???

source for clutch master cylinder on s 1049

I have looked through the forum and can't find any mention more specific than it crosses with a ford. Has anybody changed one and figured out what model it came from? NH has a "repair kit" for $100 bucks if I can't cross it.

 

Thanks

Jake

source for clutch master cylinder on s 1049

Lurker to poster ratio???

Anyone wonder why there are soooooo many visits to a thread compared to posters???? Maybe it's just me??? :)

It's one of those things that makes you go Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...... :)

Lurker to poster ratio???

Unrolling bales

I have found that the best way to feed hay for me is to take the bales to the top of a hill and let them roll off and unroll. Some of the bales unroll good and others don't. I do not have a 3pt bale unroller, what are some tips for unrolling the bales. Do they need to be turned a certain way?

Unrolling bales

Kicker for JD 530 round baler

Does any one know if you can get a discharge kicker for the John Deere 530 round baler?

Kicker for JD 530 round baler

Cat. 1 vs Cat 2

Will a Cat 2 farm implement work with a Cat 1 Tractor. Kubota L4330? Got my hands on a Cat 2 Howard Rotovator. Thought I would post this here as well. Thanks in advance

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Cat. 1 vs Cat 2

Cat 1 vs Cat 2

Will a Cat 2 farm implement work with a Cat 1 Tractor. Kubota L4330? Got my hands on a Cat 2 Howard Rotovator.

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Cat 1 vs Cat 2

Cattle leasing?

I have an elderly friend and neighbor who mentioned purchasing several heifers from me "if he was able" as he put it in the spring to replace some older cows. I guess I'm wondering how it may be arranged where he leases heifers and a young bull he likes so he is happy and I retain ownership in case his health deteriorates etc.  Trying to keep him "in the game" but want to be fair to both of us. Any suggestions/ideas? 

Cattle leasing?

X1100 Work light wiring?

I have my lights. The wiring comes out in the normal location on the roof. The fuses and relays all seem to be in place. So, when I reach into the radio hole in the headliner, I can find a cable with a square plug on it. I'm not sure what to do with this thing. I have separate switches for front and rear lights that fit nicely into the switch panel.
Does anyone here have pictures of their rig with the headliner out? I know I'll have to remove it to do this project, but I would rather see what's up there before I remove the liner. The cable doesn't seem to have the same color code as the wires coming out of the roof. I also want to add some wiring for a second rear light while I have the liner out anyway. I am using LED lights, so the total wattage will be within the capacity of the wiring and relays and fuses.

X1100 Work light wiring?

Spring planted Timothy

I need to plant 25ac of Timothy this spring. I have good irrigation and about 40-60 days between hard frosts and summer heat.
I think it's normally planted in the fall around here, am I asking for trouble??

Spring planted Timothy

OK how come I hear how hard it is to hook up certain disc mowers?

I need to buy a disc mower this winter and have always ran Krone 9'2" disc mowers.I think I want to try a NH.The Krone's  seem easy enough to hook up to tractor.I have heard other brands like NH,Kuhn are hard to hook up.

Why are these brands harder to hook up and will I regret getting any other brand than Krone when I take off and on tractor?   

OK how come I hear how hard it is to hook up certain disc mowers?

Hydraulic hook-up

Hello, I recently received a hydraulic pruning shear for my rtv 900. When I hook it up the the tilt outlets, I can make the jaws open and close with the tilt controls, but the lever on the pruner does nothing. I've switched hoses, and tried the control in "flow" position but nothing happens. Am I missing something or is something wrong? thanks. serial number is 55147 if that matters.

Hydraulic hook-up

hydraulic hook-up?

Hello. I recently received a hydraulic pruner for my rtv 900. When I hook it up to the tilt couplers, The pruners will open and close with the bed tilt controls but the lever on the pruner doesnt do anything. I've tried switching the hoses, and putting the control lever in"flow" position, but nothing happens. Am I missing something or does something need repair/adjustment? thanks. Also I haven't been able to locate any fuses, as the lights aren't working... The serial number is 55147 if that helps.

hydraulic hook-up?