Small Square Baler

Silverdream

I've been offered an old New Holland 276 small square baler. It made bales a few years back but sat in a shed since then. I've never used one of these before and am wondering is there much to it. I've a couple of handy meadows that would suit me to bale myself. I'm also wondering how many bales in a 4 X 4 or better still how many would a sucker cow eat per day.

I was also told that you don't have to have the hay as fit as you need for a round bale, is that true? I know you've the headache of gathering them but I'm only talking about 8 to 10 acres max

mr.stonewall

The hay has to be better ready than a round bale. Some folks around here would make 100-200 small squares every year but would still get the contractor to roundbale the rest. Often they would leave the middle of one field for the square and it has a good few advantages. Straight runs with the baler, less moving of bales when turning, but the big one is the hay would be the best in the middle of the field. Small squares are handy in small numbers but any thing after that would be hardship.

On the bale count its approx 10 squares to a good round bale, but this will vary according to grass and the density of the round bale.

If the baler is for small money, it's worth a shot and should be easy to keep going

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058350458/small-square-baler

We've a NH 370 square baler and a claas 46 round baler, I've re-baled a few of the rounds into squares when I was a few short on bales that I sold. I get about 11 -12 squares from the round, but a NH276 produces smaller bales than the 370 and a Claas 46 produces smaller / less dense 4x4's than any modern 4x4 baler. So there will definitly be a few more of your 276 bales in a modern 4X4.

There is a lot more involved in working and maintaining a square baler compared to a simple round baler like the Claas 46. But it's not rocket science either, could be handy if you know someone who's operated one to go through some knotter and timing issues to give you an idea of what's involved. Plus remember the extra labour involved, would be better with a flat eight bale slay and grab.

I'd say hay should be fitter before considering square baling it (Or perhaps all hay should be proper fit anyway). Apart from anything else it's no fun handling heavy squares, but rounds that are a little less than fit can be left sitting in the field to mature a bit but little squares would become dung very quickly.

Silverdream

Thats interesting to hear the hay has to be fitter, I always thought it would be the other way around as you'd be putting so much more into the round that it would be prone to heat more.

I'm going to take the baler as its only 500 euro and it could be a handy yolk to have about if only to pick off small amounts that the contractors wouldn't do. I'll have to learn the mechanics of it so at the very least it'll be a learning exercise

Base price

@Silverdream Have a look at this video from Just a Few Acres Farm. It's not the same model NH as yours but similar as most of the older NH's had the same working parts. He goes through in detail how a square baler works. We had a 276 years ago and one beak on the knotter used to give problems. Anyway, enjoy the video and best of luck with the baler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq_M5jRZW8E

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122103157#Comment_122103157

I think it's really down to that leeway you get with rounds to leave them out to breed for a fortnight if needed.

At €500 it will hardly break you to give it a go for a small bit. I'd say you'd get your money back to move it on too, especially if you can demonstrate it working. I presume you already have a mower and a turner/thedder, so you can knock small bit's to suit yourself if/when that weather window appears?

Silverdream

That makes sense as I've had rounds that I stacked in the shed after making heat on me. I have mower, haybob etc so all good. €500 is small money but I wouldn't be moving it on as the whole Parish would have it that I took advantage!!

The reality of living in the valley of the squinting windows where I am 😂

Omallep2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122108220#Comment_122108220

Those same neighbours will all want a few hundred made in june

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122103157#Comment_122103157

I would be of the same opinion that Hay needs to be fitter to round bale as they are packed so tight that no matter how long they are left out air will not get to the middle of the bale.

Get away with slightly less fit for square baling is the way we operate around here and neighbours would have same mentality.

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110720#Comment_122110720

But the square bales pack tighter into a shed and definitly cannot be left out for any period of time, especially not if weather is breaking which is the most likely reason to need to bale less than fit. Handling squares that were not really fit is also a pain in the ass. It's easy to leave a round bale out for a week or two, not an option with squares, a quick walk around the field and your nose (or even a temperature probe) will tell you if a bale should not go to the shed.

Maybe my little 46 just not packing as tightly helps, but that has been my experience. Of course a better option if it's suspected that the whole field is not going to be fit is to round bale and wrap the wetter parts a few days earlier.

Silverdream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122111271#Comment_122111271

That brings back memories of the late 1980s packing square bales into a hayshed with rain on the horizon. You could smell the hay heating from the next county.

Weather permitting you'd see square bales stacked 4 togather in the fields for a few days before bringing them in. Which reminds me of another thing, is there special ways to stack them in the field, I vaguely remember something about knots facing in or something like that.

(I must be expecting a great Summer!!)

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122113641#Comment_122113641

Knots down and out. Twas drilled in to us!

G-Man

Round bale has a rolled 'thatch' that resists rain. Square bales are backed in slices so rain goes thru them. What with more variable weather, heavier crops and labour shortage I'd say sq baling is very challenging in ireland.

Knots down and out...Supposedly sheds rain better due to the way the hay is packed in wedges. I can see nothing scientific on it. When us kids got older, dad switched to square staxks of 21...5 bottom bales on edges and the 4 rows of 4 and then a 2x21 bale grab on backnof tractor.....Where you going to buy one of them now.

roosterman71

In my youth, we made around 5,000 squares of our own every year. Knots down and out for the small stacks, and the cuts down for the bigger 5/7/9 stacks. We'd our own baler (Bamford super159 and it's still in the shed) and driven with a Nuffield 10/60. Bales would be packed as tight as they could. They'd be brought in as soon as the baler left the field and up onto a loft. No elevator. Was pure strength and ignorance. My mother drove the tractor around the field, sister rolled bales to the trailer, father pitched and I built. In the shed then I unloaded the trailer from the front. Was hardship when the stairs I'd remaining had to be dismantled to get them up to the loft. Father and sister moved them then and mother built in the shed. Over time she got beat and I was promoted to the shed.

Having said all that, and with the hardship of it all still in my memory, I'd love to go back and be at it again if nothing bar having us all together, with temperature and tempers raised!

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122115443#Comment_122115443

Would have had a similar enough setup here too years ago but no loft so starting from ground level. Like you I thought it would be great idea to try a handful again 2 years ago. I lost that thought fairly quick when the brothers showed up with 2 3 year olds and spent the whole time showing them the bales that their uncle was flat out piking into the trailer and watching the baler.

I changed tack after the first load and brought on the BILs loader with the silage pike. Absolute gift for drawing in. Get about 60 or 70 on the pike and drop them on the floor of the barn not to be touched again until winter. Had to stack alright when get the higher ones in but at least the bales are near you. Had the 500 odd in the shed in a few hours.

OH loves them in the winter as she'll throw 2 in the trolley and carry them to the feeder as a treat for the bulls. No sign of her on the hot summer day hauling them in though so it's easy love them.

Stationmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110288#Comment_122110288

And made for nothing too!