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Big Square balers

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  • 26-10-2006 12:01pm
    #1
    Wishfulthink
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23 ✭


    HI

    Wer thinking of buying a big square baler at home, but we would like to get an idea of the costs involved. Are there any comparative info of say big square balers vs round balers for straw.

    operation and maintenance (full service, twine, anything else?)
    pretty much yearly costs


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    #2
    maidhc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,667 ✭✭✭maidhc


    160+ HP tractor, probably 100k for the big square baler.

    By contrast a round baler is about 30k new and anything around 100hp will drive it fine.

    I can only speak of maintaining a round baler, but we run 2 welger RP12s (1989 & 1992!), and apart from the odd few bearings that I replace myself they cost peanuts to run. We only do 1500-2000 bales a year though. They were bought for IEP6000 (1992 model in 1996) and IEP1000 (1989 model in 2001).


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    #3
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,995 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    I've only ever known contractors to have big square balers. I can't imagine any 'ordinary' farmer having enough work to make it feasible to buy one. :confused:


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    #4
    MrFoxman360
    Registered Users Posts: 576 ✭✭✭MrFoxman360


    A big square baler requires alot of maintanance and you would need to do a lot of bales to justify owning one. The other option is to go for an older model, but older machines are more prone to breakdown. Also to get max capacity out of your machine you could do with a rake, of course that does depend how big your headder is. A big square baler is at max capacity on a heavy row going slow, where as the round one will work just as well on lighter rows at a higher forward speed.

    On the other hand the market is flooded with second hand round balers, so prices aren't too bad. If straw and other dry crop is your game go for a belt baler, its quicker on dry crop than a roller baler, but not as good on a damp or wet crop, such as silage.

    100hp on a round baler is plenty, but your looking at 150 upwards for a big square baler, but that mightned be a problem, if you have the power.

    It all depends how much you have to bale and what you intend to do with it. Round balers are more versatile but if you have serious acres to cover the big square baler will make it easier.


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    #5
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,995 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    I'd say the OP may have made a decision - the thread is almost two years old! ;)


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    #6
    Rovi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,570 ✭✭✭Rovi


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    I'd say the OP may have made a decision - the thread is almost two years old! ;)
    Holy carp!
    Is this forum in existence that long already?

    I remember when this was all green fields...

    ...actually, it still is, I suppose. :D


    Oh, and IBTL.


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    #7
    il gatto
    Registered Users Posts: 3,021 ✭✭✭il gatto


    If you're using them yourself, I imagine it wouldn't be very economical and I don't think they'd sell very well considering their size/awkwardness. Wait. I just read the post above. 23 posts since '06? Obviously the tardy replies p1ssed him off:D
    Anyway, boo to big square balers:o


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