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

Lazy-Farmer

Member
Mixed 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.
 
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!!
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
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.

P1020624.jpeg

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.
 
Last edited:

Bramble

Member
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
 

daveydiesel1

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co antrim
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.

View attachment 900844
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?
 
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.
 

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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