The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: NethertonSH on July 11, 2016, 03:01:26 pm
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Hi, looking for some advice on which baler to buy. This will be my first time every making hay and will be doing 10-15 acres a year.
The main question is should I buy a newer one that costs more and hopefully get less hassle with it or just buy an older one and learn how to fix it if it breaks? Prices seem to vary a lot with them and I guess you can't really tell how well it will bale until you try it.
Been offered New Holland 370 at what seems like a very good price. Does anyone know if this is a decent baler? Theres also a NH Hayliner 68 nearby but this is about 4 times the price of the 370.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
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The 370 is a much newer baler than the 68.
Sounds like the 370 could be worth a gamble. Are you able to see it working ? Has it lived indoors or outdoors.
If you've never used a baler before I'd suggest you could do with someone who has to show you how to go on.
You can test a baler by putting a bale through it, a round bale is ideal, you can roll it out in the yard and get the seller to bale it.
I'd suggest buying the newest you can afford, you don't have time for fixing when the hay is ready for baling and rain is forecast
Its a lot of bales to shift...are you considering flat 8 bale sledge, loader and grab ?
Worth a read...
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=34829.0 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=34829.0)
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I'm not sure if the seller would be willing to run it for me, I'll ask. He said the previous owner had left it outside but said it was working really well the last time he used it a few years ago and only had to replace a timing needle.
He has a sledge that he'll sell me as well and also a bale grab.
You're right I could do with someone who knows more to show me the ropes.
I think the difficulty in buying is that the price doesn't really tell you how good a baler it is. The price this guy wants for the 370 is far less than some are going for as non runners/spares.
Thanks for your input! You don't happen to live in the central belt do you? ;) :fc:
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With regards to price, you may find that the older hayliner may be attracting a 'vintage' value because of its age, especially if it's running well. Whereas newer machines won't have this value.
Suffolklab
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Good point, thank you.
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BH says the NH 370 is a very very good baler.
My observation is that balers - and other tractor-driven devices - break down, often because of the ground or something that's picked up in the grass or whatever they're processing. So you have to learn to fix 'em anyway ;)
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BH says the NH 370 is a very very good baler.
That's just what I wanted to hear since it's well priced.
Good point about learning to fix things as well. Making hay myself is mainly about not having to rely on other people so it would be good to not have to rely on others to fix the baler when it breaks. 'When' being the key word there I'm sure.
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What do you call the central belt ? (I'm guessing I don't live there as I've never heard the term before !)
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What do you call the central belt ? (I'm guessing I don't live there as I've never heard the term before !)
Somewhere in the corridor between Glasgow and Edinburgh pushing up to Stirling and down to Lanark. I'm as central as you could be at Harthill.
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So have you taken the plunge ?
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Yes waiting on delivery of the NH 370. Looking out the window at the grass getting longer and longer and the rain never stopping I'm starting to wonder what I'm getting myself into. At £350 for the baler I thought it's worth a punt.
I've got my mum on the case of tracking down one of her friend's uncles who was renowned for fixing old balers.