Best small baler

AndyD

New Member
I'm looking for a second-hand small baler for use on about 10 acres a year. Used to have International 440 which we sold before moving, but now we have sheep again small bales are so much better for feeding. Any advice on good buys and what to avoid?
 

Boohoo

Member
Location
Newtownabbey
MF 20. You'll do the 10 acres in an afternoon easily, similar to your old IH. No need for anything more modern/expensive.(y)
I used to have an MF 20, got a 124 now. I wouldn't want to go back to the 20, too slow, any damp lumps stuck at the top of the pick up and it was forever breaking shearbolts in heavy rows. If you are on a budget a 124 is hard to beat, but they do like plenty of revs, 600 at the shaft gets the best out of them
 

blackbob

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
Can't you just hear those packers clicking?:)
10 baler.jpg

(taken 1984, MF 10 bought the year before when small balers were already going out of fashion up here, for £35!)
Used to pull this with a little Zetor 3511, but it had broke this day so was using single-clutch Major here:cool:
 
Can't you just hear those packers clicking?:)View attachment 28311
(taken 1984, MF 10 bought the year before when small balers were already going out of fashion up here, for £35!)
Used to pull this with a little Zetor 3511, but it had broke this day so was using single-clutch Major here:cool:
i had a 703 for a while(barn found and saved from the scrappy)
immaculate nick and worked perfect if you didnt want to do more than 2 bales a minute
 

carbonfibre farmer

Member
Arable Farmer
I'm looking for a second-hand small baler for use on about 10 acres a year. Used to have International 440 which we sold before moving, but now we have sheep again small bales are so much better for feeding. Any advice on good buys and what to avoid?
Depends what budget is!
Money no object new-ish Welgar.
But for 10 acres a year, am guessing probably not 000's to spend.... And why should you?
Older baler not a problem, massey, NH,JD, etc BUT as long as its not done 100's of 000's of bales and been abused to within a inch of its life. Buts that's true of any equipment.
Personally, got a Markant, and happy with it. Friends in area got JD, Welgar, NH. And all slate each others balers!
 

sleepy

Member
Location
Devon, UK
The best small baler would be a contractor, then he can turn up and bale it with a new baler in a few hours and you can focus on getting it collected up and in the shed before it pisses it down again.
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
The best small baler would be a contractor, then he can turn up and bale it with a new baler in a few hours and you can focus on getting it collected up and in the shed before it pisses it down again.

Assuming he hasn't got a bigger client's hay to bale first, doesn't have to go to a funeral, and isn't away on a course, etc.

All excuses I've had for being let down over the years. It is very comforting to have your own machinery to get your hay without having to rely on others, but it is nice to know the contractor is there too!

(And it's a Welger in the shed!).
 

sleepy

Member
Location
Devon, UK
Assuming he hasn't got a bigger client's hay to bale first, doesn't have to go to a funeral, and isn't away on a course, etc.

All excuses I've had for being let down over the years. It is very comforting to have your own machinery to get your hay without having to rely on others, but it is nice to know the contractor is there too!

(And it's a Welger in the shed!).

I concur, but for 10 acres you are only going to be able to justify a fairly crappy baler that is going to be pretty likely to go wrong and unless you are mechanically savvy it is going to let you down.

The number of times I have bales hay after it has been rained on multiple times after their own baler didn't get the job done is unbelievable, if you liaise with the contractor he shouldn't let you down.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
For that amount best baler would be a red New Holland if you can find one looked after. , in the glory years they were best you could get

Welger is good but do you really need to spend that amount for so few
 

AJR75

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
A vote for a JD baler here as that's what I run (456a) and can't fault it. But in all honesty if you do want t do your own and not use a contractor then decide on your budget and look at what's available, you won't go far wrong with Claas, JD, NH or Welger if you can find one that hasn't been completely trashed.

Get to know and understand your knotters inside out, it will save you a massive amount of headscratching when they do start mis tying
 

Cooper3075

Member
Location
North Derbyshire
Used a massey 124 and it would bale anything but when I wanted a baler they where more than I'd got to pay they where £1500 min for good one and only did few acres so bought a Bamford 159 not quite a mf124 but bales well and makes a good bale. Once used a Bamford bx7 and it was crap compared I couldn't get on with the knoters the 159 is a complete different machine now got more land and do odd bit of baleing for others and they all say it makes a good bale cost me £700 few years ago
image.jpg

image.jpg
 

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