New Toys!!

Or, should that be "new headache's"??
(At least, new to me.)

As some of ya might already know, I've got a 10 acre hayfield I planted about 3 1/2 years ago. I've gotten 3 cuttings off it now, at ~170 round bales each. BUT, it's a pain getting that small area cut & baled. Expensive, too, having to pay for it on "halve's". Been watching flea-bay & craigs list for a while, as well as local dealers for some equipment I could afford. But at $18,000 & up for just a good used baler from the dealer, no way. And nothing that looked worth looking at in the classifieds or other areas.
Until about a week ago, an ad in flEa-bay got my intrest---a rancher about 45 miles from me had a baler, & something just told me to call him.
Turns out, he also had a 9'9" JD MOCO 926, & if I buy both it and the DJ 530 baler, he'd throw in a rake!! Yea, it's all well used, & worn in places, but is still in good shape. The mo-co was still in the field it was last used in about a month ago, so I could tell it still did a decent job.
The man's real down-to-earth to talk to, easy to deal with, took a small down payment until I could get my hands on the rest of the money, & even let me use his 1-ton truck to get the baler to my house. (WAY to heavy for my 1/2 ton pu.)
And he volunteered to either come up and/or send one of his men to spend the day baling with me to make sure it's all running right & teach me some of the 'secrets' of putting up a good bale!!! He guarantee's that it will be right when he leaves.
SO, for about 5K, including a few small fixes (new blades & bolts for the moco, couple new hydraulic lines, etc), I can bale when the time's right & not have to make a dozen calls & wonder if somebody's gonna show up when they say.
The hay I was having to trade to get it cut, I can sell now, & I figure will have the equipment paid for with-in 2 years. If Mother Nature and 'Murphy's Law' will co-operate, maybe in 1 year!!

OH YEA, some pictures....

Good find Larry.

Sounds good to me! Is that a disc-bine? I'm pretty sure that rake will flip over so you can ted with it also. Three cuttings in three years? Should be more like at least three a year, or at least thats the norm around here. Until I got my own equipment, all I ever seemed to be able to get off was one cutting of over ripe hay (straw) a year also! Last year I got four. You'll love having your own equipment.

Thanks!
Yes, Red, its the disc-bine with the flail conditioner. I think I'd rather have the rollers, but I've never tried the flails before. Yea, I found a picture on e-bay that shows how to flip the rake over for tedding. I've cut about 1 acre of "trash grass" (stuff the cows won't eat) in a low area to see how it works, the 'Bota took the mower & ran with it. I think it's just the right size for the M7040, but I'm not sure it wants any more!
Then I tried the rake, it's gonna take some playing with to figure how it works best, but seems like it likes to go fast.
Was gonna try the baler, but one of the hydro cylinders has blown a seal, so I'll fix that before I get to play with it.
And yes, it should be more like 3 or 4 cuttings a year, but I need the $$$ for fertilizer to help with that. Also, like I said, it's been near impossible to get small areas done. From a business standpoint, I understand the guys baling for a living would rather do a 100 acre field instead of 10. But from the small farmer standpoint, it still hurts!
Last year I planted another 15 acres, but the dogfennels took over & I was not able to get em stopped before they messed up haying there, so I just bushhoged high and grazed it. Planning on doing better this year.

Nice find...congrats on your new to you stuff....Pardon my ignorance......But what are dogfennels??????

Kanook, ya'll might not have much trouble with dogfennel in your area. Around here, they can be a real pain. I had no idea there were so many seed in this pasture, but I guess when I disk it up to plant the hermathia, it gave em the chance they needed to grow. I kept waiting on one thing or another last summer, & they got too big to herbicide by the time I got the chance.

From the University of Florida: http://rcrec-ona.ifas.ufl.edu/in-focus/IF8-11-06.shtml

Them in my "hayfield": (in the first pic that's the 'soda apple' they are talking about on that UF article. The are a pain, too.)

Congratulations Urednecku. That sounds like a good plan. I wish I were closer and I would spray that ten acres with Grazon for youand stop that fennel from messing with your hay. I ordering 20 cases this week and will spray (the Lord willing) about 300acres with it this year. Not spraying isn't an option because the bitterweed just sucks the moisture and nutrients away from the grass. I have sprayed long enough to about eliminated most weeds though . I think the actual cost before mixing,is about $28 a gallon, 2-4-D is way cheaper - but I need residual. I use 1 or 1 1/2 qts GrazonP+D mixed with 17+ gallons of water per acre. It's restricted use but the new Grazon Next isn't. It makes a huge difference in the field.
We use to cut hay but no more. We just graze it. However, I still remember how to change those hay tine teeth - gravity will help a DIY'er a lot. Good Luck !! Bordercollie

Urednecku.....

Dogfennel, soda apple.....you southern folk sure do have some big weeds...Around here they would be nearly tall enough to warrant taking the chain saw to and cutting up for fire wood. Around these parts that rear cutter/mower is usually reserved for brush (small trees) not much taller than that stuff in your pics....I was always curious why you folk sprayed so much....Your pics tell the story..

and good luck getting that new gear of your into production...It's snowing like the dickens here right now....

Kanook said:

Urednecku.....

...It's snowing like the dickens here right now....

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Keep that white stuff up there!! Not to rub it in, but it's 80*f on my front porch right now....

urednecku said:

Keep that white stuff up there!! Not to rub it in, but it's 80*f on my front porch right now....

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We were at 66 this morning. Then the winds and rain came through. They warned us we'll be down to 40 by the end of the work day. High tomorrow will be 44. Yesterday we got to 70 and it was so nice out. We knew mother nature was just teasing us though.

Nice find Larry. that will make for a nice operation for you now. And to pay for the EQ. in two years. Awesome!!!!