One summer, many years ago I bucked hay. My friend’s dad offered to pay me for my help and I was a poor highschooler. So, I went out to their property to take part in this rite of passage. The whole family participated – mom drove the tractor while their dad and children bucked bales quickly and efficiently at a rapid pace. Despite the heat, sweat, and toil they quickly loaded the trailer.
I was also there.
For every bale I brought to the trailer, everyone else brought two to three. I’d huff and puff to get the bale up to the trailer deck and one of the people stacking would encourage me – “Great job! Just one thousand more!” or “Hard work, huh?”. Back and forth we would go and I would give side-eye to the hay bales waiting to be collected. Eventually we loaded the trailer and I saw my opportunity to escape. So, for two-ish hours, I bucked hay. Actually, looking back I see why I was a poor highschooler.
I was itchy, scratchy, sweaty, a hundred dollars richer, and I left with a deep respect for those who worked with hay. Of course I had just taken an infinitesimal part of one of the steps. All of that hard physical work was the result of hard physical work that took place days, weeks, and months before. Their experience and preparation made each task doable and their teamwork made the task go quickly. Having the right equipment to accomplish each task was vital too.
Having the right Hay Equipment ensures all your hard work pays off. At BRIM we have the Haying equipment for large and small farms, but I want to focus on the small farm like my friend’s.
What Hay Equipment for Small Acreage do you need to get the most of your haying season?
Tractor – You of course need a tractor that can do it all. The 45HP New Holland Boomer 45 or the 75HP New Holland Workmaster 75 are both great selections, especially when equipped with a cab. With tractors this size you can easily mow, tedder, rake, and bale without switching machines. For the attachments and implements you’ll want to select the best tool for each step.
Mower – the first piece of equipment you will use is a mower and at BRIM we recommend the New Holland 108M Disc Mower. By cutting closely and cleanly, DuraDisc mowers leave less crop behind to increase tonnage with every cutting to boost profitability.
Tedder – Like me, you may wonder what this step actually does. Why use a Tedder on your hay? An article I found to be useful in understanding why we use Tedders is “TEDDER? I DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ HAY TEDDER!” by Derek Bontrager. The biggest benefit of using a tedder is that is improves the quality of your hay. At BRIM we carry Tedders like the New Holland ProTed 3417 or Krone KWT 1300 Trailed Rotary Tedder.
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Rake – When you are ready the New Holland ProRotor 3114 Rotary Rake can be equipped to build your windrow. The New Holland ProRotor 3114 Rotary Rake provides superior consistency and shape which allows the windrow to feed smoothly into all types of balers for easier baling and more uniform bales every time.
Baler – New Holland introduced the first automatic self-tying baler that revolutionized baling; celebrating 50 years of innovation in Hay baling, New Holland has been the top name in baling year-after-year. For small acreage the New Holland Hayliner 265 Small Square Baler offers the same time-tested performance and reliability that farmers have relied on now for generations.
When you don’t have a poor highschooler – New Holland Stackcruiser 103 Bale Wagon offers the versatility to handle a wide variety of bale sizes — small square bales, large square bales, or both! No more relying on flabby teenagers! The Stackcruiser also offers 35 pre-programmed and room for 20 customizable bale stacking patterns to take the stress out of your day.
BRIM Tractor is the place to find hay equipment for any sized acreage
The sales, service, and parts teams at BRIM actually know about all the equipment, implements, and attachments you’ll need to have a successful haying season. At each dealership throughout Washington and Oregon, the staff at BRIM has the expertise, professionalism, and honesty to provide you with the best solution for your needs. Call or visit today to start your haying season off right and maybe give your local, weakling highschooler a chance to buck hay!