First baler on a serious budget. Whats good whats not?

[Lazy-Farmer]

I'm shopping for a baler, don't have a lot of baling to do and will likely upgrade in a few years but to start with I need something under £5k that's a good machine. Don't mind a bit of work to get it right but a machine that's reliable and simple would be good. Bear in mind that although I have worked on farms and in farming all my life somehow I made it through having never run a bailer.

My main question is what to avoid and what is or was a good machine?

Spec.
- Round bailer
- Must do wrap not string
- Will be doing Hay/Haylage/Silage
- Run on 140hp 6 cyl (don't expect that to be an issue)
- If I could id have a variable chamber belt bailer but don't expect to get one for the cash.

 

[Pringles]

New Holland 648 would do you just fine.

 

[Stw88]

Vicon 1601

 

[Wellytrack]

RP220 Mastercut.

 

[Matthew Britton]

You should get a tidy New Holland or Vicon or Case (same as New Holland) variable for your budget. Just keep an eye on bearings and chains and Make sure the belts look reasonable. All of the belts on these can be repaired if necessary. Avoid John Deere like the plague though!!

 

[daveydiesel1]

Vicon is good baler with superb intake

 

[Cowabunga]

I have a NH belt baler that I would sell. I'm collecting some pickup tines for it this afternoon, the first its ever had as far as I remember. Average of less than 200 [yes two hundred] bales per year and I am waiting for the weather to break so that it can bale the only seven acres it is likely to bale for me this year. Worked perfectly last time used and don't foresee any problems for this year, although there's always some little issue. The only problems we've ever had have been the packer bearings which have no grease nipples and require changing every few years.
Sold as seen, but you could see it working if not in a hurry. It has a very good net wrap system that is never any bother and also has a string system, which hasn't been used in years.
£4500 collected. It can make 5ft bales of hay or straw or standard 4ft haylage/silage. New tyres two years ago. Would sell before I do the seven acre field if you are in a hurry. No problem if you aren't interested as it will do here until I retire.

Can be run on 90hp tractor easily. It also has a chopper, or more accurately a 'crop cutter' which we never bother with and may require a few new knives [small and similar to combine cutterbar knife blades] to work efficiently.

 

[Bramble]

NH 658 available here, good condition overall. 50k bales, new belts 18 months ago. Goes well, advertised in the classifieds, looking for £3500

@Cowabunga has given a very fair appraisal of the baler. It's simple and can be repaired by a farmer. I bought a Claas Variant 360 as a replacement. It's a faster baler but a more 'delicate' to operate. Already had to have a Claas engineer out, and send some of the electronics off for repair. The NH never had an engineer out to it in the 13 years I have owned it

 

[jpd]

any opinions on the claas 540 series?
the promo for it looks they have all the inadequacies of previous balers from claas addressed

 

[Pringles]

@Drumbroider, @Cowabunga and @Bramble have let you know all you need to know.

If the op is not intending doing thousands of bales per year then a NH baler (as is available above at sensible money) will be way more user friendly than anything with a Claas badge.

 

[daveydiesel1]

I have a NH belt baler that I would sell. I'm collecting some pickup tines for it this afternoon, the first its ever had as far as I remember. Average of less than 200 [yes two hundred] bales per year and I am waiting for the weather to break so that it can bale the only seven acres it is likely to bale for me this year. Worked perfectly last time used and don't foresee any problems for this year, although there's always some little issue. The only problems we've ever had have been the packer bearings which have no grease nipples and require changing every few years.
Sold as seen, but you could see it working if not in a hurry. It has a very good net wrap system that is never any bother and also has a string system, which hasn't been used in years.
£4500 collected. It can make 5ft bales of hay or straw or standard 4ft haylage/silage. New tyres two years ago. Would sell before I do the seven acre field if you are in a hurry. No problem if you aren't interested as it will do here until I retire.

Can be run on 90hp tractor easily. It also has a chopper, or more accurately a 'crop cutter' which we never bother with and may require a few new knives [small and similar to combine cutterbar knife blades] to work efficiently.

How does belts work with lush grass?

 

[Pringles]

Perfectly well if the grass is given a chance to wilt/dry a bit before baling.

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Aren't you up in Scotland, a guy up at airdrie had a 2006 claas 254 or 250 for sale for 5, maybe take less, lv a 250 and it makes great bales but always needs a roller or baring now and again, it cost 5500 from kerr 7 years ago.

 

[Cowabunga]

How does belts work with lush grass?

Depends how dry it is and what you mean by lush grass. No baler like very fine sticky grass and these are no different.

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Probably a welger 220, but maybe to expensive.

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Western farm services has a 220 welgar for 5995, but probably take abit of it,

 

[Boohoo]

Before buying a Welger you'd need to find a way of getting parts that doesn't rely on Agco. If it was my money I'd buy a Vicon.

 

[David.]

I think a Claas Rollant 46 would do just fine, about as idiot proof as it gets.

 

[Matthew Britton]

I think a Claas Rollant 46 would do just fine, about as idiot proof as it gets.

Not variable though.

 

[Greythundercloudys]

My neighbours has a 46 and can't get uniformed bales as the box isn't buzzing when it should.