Small bale wrapper

[GAM]

I'm going to purchase a small bale wrapper for haylage, advice on makes, and Pro's & Con's of making haylage...

 

[hang-on]

I have a tanco wrapper gets on ok on 375 wrap. As long as the bales are over 25kg under that and you'll be forever holding them on and that's a nightmare. How many are you intending on making? It's a slow process lol

 

[GAM]

I have a tanco wrapper gets on ok on 375 wrap. As long as the bales are over 25kg under that and you'll be forever holding them on and that's a nightmare. How many are you intending on making? It's a slow process lol

Not sure at this stage, Im hoping to do possibly 200 a year to start with, I sell hay, and Im always asked for haylage.

 

[multi power]

Far harder work with wrapped small bales than with hay

 

[betternextyear]

You dont know what hard work is, till you buy a small bale wrapper. Good luck though.

 

[ploughman1963]

Round here the job has now been done to death - going rate for bales is less than it was back in late 90's. Local facebook page is swamped with wrappers /balers eager to undercut each other every time someone asks for a price to bale and wrap their horse paddock of yorkshire fog and docks

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

This system looks to be the boss of the job:

Otherwise you'd be better getting a flat 8 sledge and grab and then wrapping them indoors later on a quiet/wet day?

 

[renewablejohn]

I have a mountainpress wrapper. Great for wrapped hay but haylage I cannot lift well not after the first 5. Mine is electric but if I was doing haylage all the time the pto version in the field might be a better option with some sort of lifter.

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

Could it not drop them off the table into a loader bucket?

 

[bobk]

Harder work than logging .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I have never seen so many for sale, as new wrappers that have quite clearly been bought with the thought , "theres money to be made here" , only to find one harvest latter, "there is more to life than money sod this" , it reminds me of the log craze,

 

[yellowbelly]

If you get a small bale wrapper you can cancel your gym membership.
Had a McHale when they first came out, it was a decent machine, but as has been said above, the job has been done to death round here. Sold ours 5 or 6 years ago and don't miss it one bit
If you're only doing 200 it won't be so bad if you can pick a secondhand one up from the ones that FT says are for sale.

 

[KMA]

It is bloody hard work, keep the weight at least 24kg. We try very hard to persuade folk to go for hay instead

 

[Grassman]

I have never seen so many for sale, as new wrappers that have quite clearly been bought with the thought , "theres money to be made here" , only to find one harvest latter, "there is more to life than money sod this" , it reminds me of the log craze,

Small bale haylage market is over supplied.
Big bale haylage market is over supplied.
Hay market is over supplied.
There just aren't the animals about to eat it nowadays.

 

[renewablejohn]

Could it not drop them off the table into a loader bucket?

I cheat and use the grab on my forwarding trailer. My days of lifting heavy weights is long gone when I have mechanical alternatives.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

No rye grass would be a start. Yorkshire fog is fine. Proper professional of application of grazon pro will get rid of docks & thistles & ragwort (if you are careful) & this is applied at the right time.
Good haylage is like gold dust along with good small bale hay. Folk who are knowlegable & diligent about their horse fodder will always return to a quality product.
There's a rising problem with laminitis & any grass that harbours sugar.
Timing of the cut & grass species is paramount for top quality. On this subject; In the USA, farmers would not buy unless they knew the profile of the grass on sale irrespective of how it is packaged.
SS

 

[bobk]

What's the wrap cost of a small bale ? how many layers .

 

[renewablejohn]

Harder work than logging .

Certainly a lot less profitable.

 

[davidroberts30]

What's the wrap cost of a small bale ? how many layers .

500mm wrap at 6 layers is £1.10a bale inc vat

 

[bobk]

500mm wrap at 6 layers is £1.10a bale inc vat

Thought it was 375mm for little bales .