FAQ: What Size Tractor Do I Need To Cut Hay?

How big of a tractor do you need to cut hay?

Most standard square balers on the market require 35 horsepower at your tractor’s PTO, and a minimum tractor weight of around 3000 pounds.

What equipment do I need to cut hay?

Hay Equipment A compact tractor is the staple of every operation, but mowers, conditioners, hay rakes, balers, and sometimes hay tedders and bale wrappers are also needed.

Can you bale hay with a compact tractor?

Most standard square balers on the market require 35 horsepower at your tractor’s PTO, and a minimum tractor weight of around 3000 pounds. That means that they cannot be run with today’s compact tractors. If you are baling steep slopes or have a very small tractor, a square baler’s weight can become hazardous.

Can you cut hay with a rotary mower?

Putting up the best hay possible hinges on timeliness — from cutting at the appropriate stage to baling at the right moisture level to efficient hauling and storage.

How big of a tractor do I need to run a round baler?

Round balers also require large expensive tractors to run them—a minimum of 55 horsepower and ideally up to 90 horsepower for the 5’x6′ round balers.

Is hay dried grass?

Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep.

How do you cut hay for baling?

You’ll always cut a hay field clockwise so the tractor tires are not running down the uncut grass whereas the blades may not be able to get underneath. One of the most important aspects about mowing is having a smooth field to cut. The smoother, the faster the process.

What is the best small square hay baler?

In my opinion the Inlines (hesston, agco, mf, cat) are the best all around machine out there. They are much more consistent, less leaf loss, easier to work on, much more maneuverable, easier to transport and just make a good looking bale.

How many small square bales can you get per acre?

With an average bale weight of around 40 pounds (with our Abbriata small square baler or any of our mini round balers), that’s 100 bales to the acre for a first cutting.

How big of a hay rake do I need?

If you want to rake two swaths on one the basic math would be to take your mower width (18 ft) + swath width (6 ft) + some wiggle room ( 2-3 ft) = about 27 ft, so 30 should work. We run a 14 ft mower, drop a 7 ft swath, and rake with a 23 ft rake.

How does a small hay baler work?

The hay enters the baler through the pickup, and the teeth gently rake the hay from the ground to prevent the loss of leaves and ingestion of rocks or debris into the baler. The chamber feeds into a spring tension section that keeps the bale tightly compressed until enough hay has been processed to complete the bale.

How much hay can one acre produce?

The average U.S. dry hay yield (all types) dropped from 2.52 tons per acre in 2016 to 2.44 tons per acre in 2017. For alfalfa and alfalfa-grass mixtures, the average yield declined from 3.45 tons per acre in 2016 to 3.32 tons per acre in 2017.

How much do hay bales cost?

From the hay market, square bales, on average, will cost you between $3 and $10 per bale, but some farmers prefer selling their hay per pound, in which case such a bale will be around 50 pounds.