OT: Cost per bale?

Casey in Ky · Jul 28, 2015

Just kinda curious, what's your guys total cost to get a square bale out the back of a baler? Not put up in the dry, just to get it baled? Small squares and lets say small rolls, 4x4's and maybe 4x5's.

dzc3 · Jul 28, 2015

Some people really don't want to know what it actually cost. Let's see New IH front wheel assist tractor, New IH disc-bine, New John Deere round baler two year old IH front wheel assist tractor for baler, about 150 acres of hay. Anybody want to venture a guess. I think my neighbor could buy hay cheaper than make it.

Greg1959 · Jul 28, 2015

Casey in Ky- You have stated previously, in another thread, that you do hay. IIRC, Somewhere near North-Central KY.

You said you dealt in many tractor trailer loads of hay.

So, what have you found to be the costs involved in a small square bale? For me, it's around $2.00-$2.45 per bale this year.

First cutting was good, second cutting looks weak.

notjustair · Jul 28, 2015

Every piece of equipment here for baling is paid for (the 24T baler A LOT of years ago). Just figuring supplies, fuel, time, and wear and tear, I tell people 2.50 a bale. If they are scared and run away that fine with me. The problem is when they agree to it!

This is not on my hay ground. If they want me to bale my hay for them it is 3.00. Both of these prices are on the ground. I hate picking up my own - I'm sure not lugging someone else's hay around!

Greg1959 · Jul 28, 2015

notjustair- That is why I just hit it with the rotatory cutter and put it back in the ground. I'm fixin' to that to my ground in the next week.

True Son · Jul 28, 2015

How many bale per minute, average hay, etc, will your 24t put out? At 8 bales per minute, that's $20.00 per minute, or $1,200.00 per hour. Could this be right? Pretty expensive bailing. True Son

GordoSD · Jul 28, 2015

24t lucky to get 4 bales per minute. more like 3

Pair-a-dice farm · Jul 29, 2015

(quoted from post at 16:59:00 07/28/15) Just kinda curious, what's your guys total cost to get a square bale out the back of a baler? Not put up in the dry, just to get it baled? Small squares and lets say small rolls, 4x4's and maybe 4x5's.

I've tried to come up with a cost several times. I make my bales 4x5 1/2. When I consider the cost of equipment, land, fuel, and fertilizer it always comes up right at $35 a bale. If I considered labor it would add more $$. The way I calculate the difference in cost of new equipment vs used is really small. I based the cost of land on what rent on hay ground is in my area.

notjustair · Jul 29, 2015

Depends on how thick it is. The brome/prairie mix I baled for a guy yesterday was very thick. I baled in A1 and it was at the plugging point the whole time. I actually ended up shearing the roll pin on the cross auger on the back swath. The bales seemed close together but they were maybe 15 feet apart. 900 a day isn't hard to get done by supper time if you only take 45 minutes for lunch. That's using the 4020 in third. It's been far too hot to not use a cab tractor this week, so I have been on the 4440.

Last year a baled 3000 for the same guy on his rented 80. The hay was horrible and he trains high dollar horses. Those year he gave up the 80 and paid me $3 for the bales. Better hay, less waste, and no travel for me. In a tough hay year I may scrounge to get that many extras off of the ground I have, but we've had a couple of good years.

OT: Cost per bale?

Casey in Ky

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dzc3

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Greg1959

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notjustair

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Greg1959

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True Son

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Pair-a-dice farm

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notjustair

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