Hay Baler

Pastor Dave

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Has anyone had any experience or luck with a stationary hay baler that sits on saw horses that is manually fed? I can't find a recently made model. The ones I read abt are antiques. It sure seems like it would beat buying a square baler and maintaining it.
 

Pastor Dave

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I am weighing the pros and cons. I either have to wait for someone to mow, rake, and bale at the moment, or get a bigger tractor and pay too much for a baler I can pull around. I also do not have a rake.

So, I thought on my little 3/4 to 1 acre I could get a Swisher offset 44" mower that's self-powered, and rake it by hand into windrows, and then collect it in my pickup and dump it by the manual stationary baler, and start feeding it.

I hate having to wait until someone has time to come mow, rake, and bale it for me. I would like to eliminate some of the dependence on someone else. :he
 

Sara Ranch

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@Pastor Dave - I know this is an old thread.

Curious what you ended up doing?

I've had the same dilemma - I don't want to buy a larger tractor and all the attachments needed to cut/to bale hay.

I have (in the past) cut the tall grass with a riding mower or a tractor. Then raked it.

Where I am at now, with as many animals as I have, that is not a viable option for next year. So I'm probably looking at a scythe to cut it, hand rake it, and then bale it. So looking for a cheap baler. (Barefoot gal won't work here. No pickup truck either.)
 

Pastor Dave

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Actually, I am still working out all the details. I have a friend that may bale for me. If I had a decent way to cut it, I could buy a hand baler. Just don't know yet.
 

Sara Ranch

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A hand baler....just googled it. I am impressed. It's either labor intensive or expensive. :)

I'd love to hear what you decide to do!
 

Mini Horses

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Part of the problem is also the cutting. If it isn't something with some length, it won't bale well & hold together. I have a swisher cutter and it will chop like a bush hog. To be honest, the bush hog I have lays out some decent cut length if it is tall grass to start.

For rabbits you can use/handle the shorter grass and I can see that you could hand bale 1/2 acre or so. When I'm looking at several tons, well........

BUT, I do have building plans for 2 hand balers One stand up type & another like the decorative bale maker shown, just larger. Will share if anyone wants. Personally, the stand up looks easier to use. Now, when I am down to only a few goats, I'd sure consider cutting & hand baling. You could cut an acre & bale it in a couple days. Do another acre another week, etc. Even if it only helped with 1/2 hay needs, its $$$ saved. Some of us have more time than $$$. :)

The gal using a cardboard box is meerly showing that hay is JUST good quality dried grass, compressed and tied. It may not stack well or be tight but, it will work. Years back they made hay stacks!
 
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