Enjoyed the bailing hay. As a kid, this was my afternoon work after school. Cutting, raking and baling. Bucking bales on a trailer, then stacking them on the ranch for Winter. Good video.
When you do something for the first time, you can not make failure,you can only learn. When you know how to do something and mess up,now that is something different,thats failure. Great that you are showing us the learning curve that you can have doing something new and exiting. Thumbs up. Wooooooooooo
I learned a lot of this when my Father had cancer. Before that I just helped. I learned to run the round baler when he pointed at everything and sent me to the field, to give you an example of just how city I was, as I climbed onto the tractor after my crash course in running the round baler I turned to him and said “you didn’t tell me how to make it pick up the hay” learned a lot since then. Great video keep up the good work. Tip from the city guy- while the baler is wrapping the bale back up a few feet, enough to allow you to pull forward after dropping the bale without picking up new hay, I have learned this will prevent jam ups. Farm on brother. Blessings from Michigan.
Looks good. As my mother in law always said. It’s better than snowballs in the middle of winter. Those animals will eat those snow cones just the same. Lol
Yep darn right...if your bailing it to keep on the farm.....well what does it matter .....we've only gone through about half our bales....now is the time that folks are despirate...so I"ll sell them for about $35 on craigslist
Stoney Ridge Farmer we keep some but sell most to a person that has show cattle. $45 a bale here in Michigan, which might have something to do with how long winter lasts.
I live on a farm in the north of england...the farms made big bales for well over 35 yrs...using contractors....I got a baler of my own last yr...like you I'd never made a bale till then....great to smell the hay as you bale it up for your livestock...well done...👍
Hey, I am really enjoying your channel. We just moved into our dream place in May and are attempting to start a small farm. It is really cool that you are doing the same thing we want to accomplish. We are learning a lot from you. In fact I purchased my first tractor after watching your video on how to buy a tractor and I got a really good piece of equipment for a really good price. Keep up the good work, and I'll keep watching. Be Safe,
Your living the dream bro. I learn new things on your channel all the time. Today was no exception. You and Mrs. Stoney Ridge are putting in the "Wrench Time " as we mechanics say. Farming equipment is unique and bizaar at the same time which keeps my interest. Your quick explanation of things is greatly appreciated. Thanks for making this an education and adding to my knowledge base. The good and bad times as well. I look forward to watching your farm grow and prosper. God bless you in your endeavors.
Thanks Hugh...isnt youtube awesome..all this started out when I was sharpening my bushhog blades and thought "people would like to see this"...now just steady growing here...thanks for the support!
Thanks Stoney, you put out a lot of great information for the regular joe like myself who’s looking to get into small farming and homesteading!!! I’m glad I found your channel.
Living in NJ most of my life and now being retired in the desert in Yuma, this is part of life I missed. But thanks to you and other high quality VLOGs, I can look into a window and see it. Thank you.
Ratings again from Currituck County North Carolina it's really good to see somebody from North Carolina actually doing really good videos for once as far as farming and Equipment care and some pretty neat videos of farm trucks and what not and I really do like that old messy Ferguson that thing is really neat
I am just getting back in the saddle, a huge amount of tractor seat time as a youngin' cutting, racking, baking, cutting silage, discing, ripping, etc. We sold a farm and now have bought our forever home and brought our horses up. Now time to buy our tractor, bush hog, disc mower, rake and baler . . . I can't wait to get back in the saddle again.
Right on BigDave...if I can help ya in any way please let me know buddy...very happy with the woods products..if I had to do another tractor I would go cab...Kubota!
Hi! I've been watching your vids for a few months. One thing that'll help you build better square shouldered bales is to set you rake's windrow width closer to the size of your baler's pickup width. Also, with a baler of that age, get a water can fire extinguisher. Add some Dawn dish soap to it and charge it. Mount it on the baler or your tractor. If you see smoke starting to build; leave the baler running, pull the hydro to eject the forming bale, and pull forward off of the windrow and then shut off the pto. Most people panic and try to disconnect the baler. Don't do that unless you just want the insurance company to worry about it.
One thing i have learned baling hay is to rake the hay in as straight and long of row as possible. Keeping a nice even windrow helps on the bale shape. I've made a plenty of crooked bales. But you learn pretty quick baling hay. Good video btw
I love the people who already know everything because they are more ignorant than everyone else if your not willing to learn something then you are not going to get anywhere farther than you are in life that's the way I was raised.
quick tip, when you finish your bale back up a few feet before you dump it that way when you pull forward to drop the gate it's not sitting over top of loose hay on the ground and not be able to pick it up. BTW getting the bale perfectly round just takes a lot of seat time but looks good for just starting out.
I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed your channel. I'm a retired accountant by training and have just purchased 28 acres of vacant land recently carved out of the Sam Houston National Forest. I have two sons about your age I'm guessing and we plan to start developing the property. No plans to live on it anytime soon but thinking about an orchard, vegetable garden, and enough grazing to support ourselves. I realize your property is much larger than ours but if you ever need an idea for a future educational blog, can I suggest that you share your planning, budgeting, and financing strategies. Where did you start and where do you plan to end up, progress to date and ultimately how you see it supporting your family?! Thanks again.
Well Leol..first of all thanks for the wonderful comment...and I surely will start to address finances as time goes on...right now we are pouring money into the farm to get it paid for..our goal is debt free in 4 years...which is saying something for a place this size...we could make a living on 1/4 the amount of property...I am so absolutely overwhelmed with "chores" here on the farm..I will discuss the financial plan as time goes on...cows.. poultry...eggs...veggies....and employees! Be patient with me buddy as time goes on more financial stuff will come out..as for now...we are spending...spending ...spending!
Before you eject the bale, back up to where the wind row where you stopped is in front of the tractor. As you pull forward, it will leave room for you to close the baler before pulling in more hay. Right at the end, you can see a slug of hay being pulled into the baker and right on the ground before the baler closed.
We rake our hay for one or two days after letting the dew burn off in the morning allowing the hay to air out better so it takes us usually 4 days to do about 20 or so acres ( we have to play dodge the rocks which is a bit of a guessing game up in New Hampshire)
I know I'm a little late in the game here caught on to you from arms homestead and keeping it dutch, but I love that rake!!! I wish I had one for my yard I hate raking! That was very cool to watch, I have learned a lot from y'all! Thanks for doing the vlog keep them coming we will be homesteading too before to long so the more information the better God Bless.
Only tip I have is before dropping the bale out of the baler is to back up a couple feet that way when you start baling again you don’t leave any of the windrow in front of the bale, great job with the farm, keep up the good work
Cool Josh, use old engine oil, dip in rags, wear rubber gloves, squeeze oil , rub metal joints, bare metal, rusted area, to keep out rust and to bare corrosion longer, it will collect dust but if too busy, use compressed air to dust off, equipments are out in field no shades, I love the raker....save time so much....woooo.....
Really enjoy your videos just started watching a couple days ago. I’m not going tell you how to do anything but when you go to eject the bale if you back up 10-15 ft then eject it you won’t lose any hay when you pull forward to close the gate. Keep the videos up!!
I sure enjoy your videos. We ranch in Texas and for generations use good ol yellow sulfur to help keep the chiggers off. If you put a healthy amount in socks & shoes before you go to field it should work for ya or at least help. Keep up the fun!
hey Josh this is James again on your stock tanks that you have for your cows you might want to get it off the ground because if the water gets underneath it it may rusted-out I would put four by fours underneath the stock tank that keeps it from other things from getting in it or underneath it
Hey i got some pointer for you i am from Nebraska and when we make hay here it normaly rains But ehrnbu are raking and baleing ib the summer it is beyyer to rake a few rounds bale ut then rake more round that way your windrows u raked dont get rain on and when u are baleing and u have a full bale back up so that the front end of your tractor is ant the end of the windrow where u had to stop so that when u pull forward u can close the back hate and don't lose any hay when u pull forward
When I rake hay I always try to start at the straightest point and keep my windrows as straight and go all the ways across then take an clean the head land up and tie them 2 passes in to the 2 out side windrow it seems to be easier when rolling and it keeps the rolls equal when going back and forth
Very good point brotha...I did the first field like a blooming idiot...by the time I hit the second one things got a bit better...having a bit of trouble getting my winrows up tight with the V-rake...gotta make some adjustments in the spring
Hey josh. I noticed that you didn’t back up before you dumped that bale. On our ranch we found that if you back up a few feet before you drop the bale your able to get the gate shut before the hay gets picked up by the pickup head on the baler. It cuts down on waste and is just a simple trick. Keep on keepin on man
Overwhelming is the best way to describe life on a farm. My wife and I own a farm for three months now. Buildings are dilapidated, water pipes leaking all over, no electricity, beehives neglected...... We are working for three months now with sometimes 10 people and I am still running my company on a daily base. Overwhelming indeed
adding a kicker to your round baler would be a nice upgrade. less wasted material.... or time later coming back to collect it and no chance of damaging the tailgate of your baler. if there's an upgrade kit available it's a nice upgrade to have
Enjoyed today’s journey.. whooo... Ever wonder what the guy was thinking when he invented the rake contraption? One day I hope to be able to cut, rake and bale hay. Even if I’m retired.
Couple tips on the rake and baler. First I would shallow up the "V" on the rake. It will roll much easier and makes a tighter wind row as your baler has the narrow throat. Second you need to back up a few feet before you release the bail. And make sure you pull forward before closing the gate so you don't hit your bale and damage the gate. For a first time not too bad. As with any equipment the more you run it the better you will get with it and trouble shooting problems. If it is a good baler you will be pleased but if it has gremlins and some do you will want to throw it off a cliff. You are living a lot of folks dream.
I agree with everything you say 100% I did tighten up the winrows on day 2 (today)...so far only one little gremlin..darn string feed on right side gets stuck....some adjusting or better string may be needed..I think it's a "lumpy" string issue..thanks Johnny! Once again a great comment and great tips buddy
Enjoy your videos. I'm sure others have mentioned it, but if you can invest in a hay Tedder it would cut your drying time even more. It also helps the v rake pick up the hay better.
I must admit I was criticizing (in my head) why you had such a big tractor for just grading the driveway and picking up sticks etc etc. but now after watching this video and the next with balers and rakers that tractor is looking a little small haha.. I assume you sold most of the hay from this years cut.. You have done extremely well to get the grass to where it is in a couple of years. Well done thats awesome. In australia, those bales would sell for $60 and up.. and what you call T posts, we call star pickets..
Yea....I need a bigger tractor than what I have....funny I didn't sell it but I used it for the goats and controlling washing on new land that was seeded and cleared last year....75 bales last fall and I have 4 left
For your your first time bailing hay your doing a great job. As long as it feeds animals it don't need to look pretty lol. One thing you should look into is a belt repair kit. Allows you to fix your broken belt right in the field and keep you rolling. We use alligator river brand one for our john deere bailer.
First time watching your videos. Are you new to hay bailing? I have questions. I use square bails for my horses and, some bails are heavier than others. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think that’s the moisture content in each? I’ve had some issues with dusty hay! Does cut hay have to dry a certain amount before Bailing? How do you figure out moisture percentage? If you are new to bailing hay than we both need this information. I’m always concerned when storing hay that’s just been cut. If there’s too much moisture it molds or worst case, could heat up and combust! Also stacking hay. Does stacking it end up or down flat matter? Thanks man! Looking forward to watching more!
When it comes to field work, I don’t know if there’s anything worse than round baling hay with an open station tractor. You’ll be hacking up & snotting out dust & dirt for a month after you get through baling hay with an open station tractor !! I literally thought that I was the king of the world after I finally got me an air conditioned cab tractor to bale hay with. I mean we’re talking about going from being completely covered in dust, dirt, sweat, grass & about everything else imaginable, to being able to step out of the tractor and go to church with the same clothes on !!!!
I don’t know to much about John Deere rollers we run new holland rollers when you have a bale back up because when you still have the door open on the roller and you pull up you loose hay love your video
I enjoyed the video! I have always wondered how a hay bailer works and now I know. Very informative, keep 'em coming and ignore the haters. If they already know everything why are they watching a farm vlog?
Do u reduce the RPM on the tractor, or turn the PTO off for dumping the bal? I use a john deere 510 and I don't reduce the RPM, Not sure if that's how it's supposed to be done.
I like the way you explain it to people a very good idea thanks buddy you are doing a very good job 👍 I enjoy watching you on the farm I hope your wife get over the chiggers there terrible I KNOW 😅 ticks are bad to Off helps I spay it on rags and tie around my ankles just saying to not spay on my skin it's poison probably not good to spay it on me u know have a great day and be safe my friend Bo
Try skin so soft from Avon I was in the Marine Corps years ago I remember we were advised to use skin so soft by Avon when we were bivwacking. I really appreciate your videos and you energy thank you
Hey Stoney...Instead of zip ties...Use some of your biodegradeable old baling twine to tie up your excess hydraulic lines of your v-rake...cow hitches around the lines and pull the twine through your toplink's hole and clove hitch those twines lines around the top link and those long hydraulic lines will be out of the way...:)
So I've been wondering I've always been told not to cut more than the top 1/3 of your grass off your lawn or else you risk to much damage and the grass takes longer to heal. So for hay farmers how do they get away with chopping so much down and it recovering time and time again? Is it because of fertilizer and irrigation that makes it come back so good or is what I was told nonsense?
I dont know if yo still have the massey 135 bt if yo do , it will work on the rake if yo have remotes I have one and it works well also, jst for yor information, the mlti,power is only to be sed in the p position , i have one and didnt know that myself , and burnt it ot . its only for se when yo need that burst of power if plowing or discing
One quick tip is try to take it all as straight as possible then rake the outside rounds it’s hard on drive shafts and u joints when your turning while baling
Thanks Justin...very good point buddy...this was my very first time baling, cutting and raking hay...I'm sure next years experience will be better....ya learn a lot on your first run for sure! Thanks buddy
stony ridge... have you had any issues with the baler tie system? I have a JD 430 I have as a backup and it's a pita. v rakes don't seem to fluff like a side delivery rake does but what I do is kinda go left and right over the wind rows and that seems to help with uniformity.
Hi Josh, are you comfortable discussing your expectations regarding the profitability of bailing hay? I know you're returning land to pasture and that's not cheap but does making and selling hay in the short term help recover any significant costs? Would it be a farm enterprise you would continue to run into the future or would it simply not be worth your time? I see a lot of what appears to be empty pasture and I've often wondered what it's actually being used for. Is bailing hay a profitable enterprise?
The answer is NO! Heck no hay is not gonna be the bread and butter of this farm.. cattle and pastured meat bird chickens as well as rabbits and egg production...however until that day..until fences are up and all infrastructure gets in place...we have to cut and bail hay to try and recoup some of the $$ we are investing into our farm...slowly we will improve our pasture land and have cattle to graze...then the hay really pays off for winter feeding
Thanks Josh. That's pretty much what I expected regarding the economy of it but your responses to the questions in mine and other people's comments really help round out and complete the information.
Been in the business 30 yrs, and no expert by any means; however some pointers if you wish: Starting with your rake, what you have is good for starters. Recommend looking for a H&S BF!12 or 14 HC (high capacity) each wheel is independent with its own spring so it follows the ground. I Do Not recommend a Vemeer, or John Deere hyd. rake (more expensive to operate and leaves hay in uneven field) H&S is easier to operate as you can fold it in for less, or extend it out for more volume of hay in the windrow while moving, or avoiding obstacles. 2nd you can adjust the back end to fit the windrow size to the baler. 3rd Put your outside raking wheel right against the outside edge of un raked hay; this ensures an even volume of hay in the windrow. Also measure the inside of the baler (should be 60") then adjust the windrow width to 58"- 59" (your baler does not have "Mega wide pickup reel) so you will not loose money by leaving hay in the field. 4th You are missing a gauge wheel on the right side of the pickup reel when facing the baler (pick up reel should have 2 gauge wheels). 5th In greasing the baler be sure to lubricate the PTO shaft (2 pieces) which slides in and out due to land contour; especially if it is Teflon coated. Failure to lubricate PTO shaft can cause shaft seizure, causing PTO on Tractor being yanked out and big expense farmers don't need. 6th grease the 3 U joints and the constant velocity joint on the PTO shaft. John Deere Balers are GREAT; owned 3 Vermeer's, I prefer DEERE!!! have questions contact me.
Enjoyed the bailing hay. As a kid, this was my afternoon work after school. Cutting, raking and baling. Bucking bales on a trailer, then stacking them on the ranch for Winter. Good video.
When you do something for the first time, you can not make failure,you can only learn.
When you know how to do something and mess up,now that is something different,thats failure.
Great that you are showing us the learning curve that you can have doing something new and exiting.
Thumbs up. Wooooooooooo
Thanks JAK...we did a little something different this time around too....I'm baling hay tomorow
I learned a lot of this when my Father had cancer. Before that I just helped. I learned to run the round baler when he pointed at everything and sent me to the field, to give you an example of just how city I was, as I climbed onto the tractor after my crash course in running the round baler I turned to him and said “you didn’t tell me how to make it pick up the hay” learned a lot since then. Great video keep up the good work. Tip from the city guy- while the baler is wrapping the bale back up a few feet, enough to allow you to pull forward after dropping the bale without picking up new hay, I have learned this will prevent jam ups. Farm on brother. Blessings from Michigan.
Looks good. As my mother in law always said. It’s better than snowballs in the middle of winter. Those animals will eat those snow cones just the same. Lol
Yep darn right...if your bailing it to keep on the farm.....well what does it matter .....we've only gone through about half our bales....now is the time that folks are despirate...so I"ll sell them for about $35 on craigslist
Stoney Ridge Farmer we keep some but sell most to a person that has show cattle. $45 a bale here in Michigan, which might have something to do with how long winter lasts.
I live on a farm in the north of england...the farms made big bales for well over 35 yrs...using contractors....I got a baler of my own last yr...like you I'd never made a bale till then....great to smell the hay as you bale it up for your livestock...well done...👍
Hey, I am really enjoying your channel. We just moved into our dream place in May and are attempting to start a small farm. It is really cool that you are doing the same thing we want to accomplish. We are learning a lot from you. In fact I purchased my first tractor after watching your video on how to buy a tractor and I got a really good piece of equipment for a really good price. Keep up the good work, and I'll keep watching. Be Safe,
Right on Glen..thanks so much for the support hope you can learn from my mistakes!
Thank you for your hard work!! I have never seen hay being bailed so interesting 😀
So nice of you
Your living the dream bro. I learn new things on your channel all the time. Today was no exception. You and Mrs. Stoney Ridge are putting in the "Wrench Time " as we mechanics say. Farming equipment is unique and bizaar at the same time which keeps my interest. Your quick explanation of things is greatly appreciated. Thanks for making this an education and adding to my knowledge base. The good and bad times as well. I look forward to watching your farm grow and prosper. God bless you in your endeavors.
These are the best viedo's I enjoy this more than TV and you can learn something no matter how old you are.
Thanks Hugh...isnt youtube awesome..all this started out when I was sharpening my bushhog blades and thought "people would like to see this"...now just steady growing here...thanks for the support!
Thanks Stoney, you put out a lot of great information for the regular joe like myself who’s looking to get into small farming and homesteading!!! I’m glad I found your channel.
Me too buddy, good to have ya!
Whoa, thanks for taking us along with you. This is all so new to me but I'm gonna have fun learning
Living in NJ most of my life and now being retired in the desert in Yuma, this is part of life I missed. But thanks to you and other high quality VLOGs, I can look into a window and see it. Thank you.
Ratings again from Currituck County North Carolina it's really good to see somebody from North Carolina actually doing really good videos for once as far as farming and Equipment care and some pretty neat videos of farm trucks and what not and I really do like that old messy Ferguson that thing is really neat
Thanks buddy...I appreciate the comment
I am just getting back in the saddle, a huge amount of tractor seat time as a youngin' cutting, racking, baking, cutting silage, discing, ripping, etc. We sold a farm and now have bought our forever home and brought our horses up. Now time to buy our tractor, bush hog, disc mower, rake and baler . . . I can't wait to get back in the saddle again.
Right on BigDave...if I can help ya in any way please let me know buddy...very happy with the woods products..if I had to do another tractor I would go cab...Kubota!
Hey from Maryland, it was great watching your show!! Thanks I was wanting to know how that baler works.
Hi! I've been watching your vids for a few months. One thing that'll help you build better square shouldered bales is to set you rake's windrow width closer to the size of your baler's pickup width. Also, with a baler of that age, get a water can fire extinguisher. Add some Dawn dish soap to it and charge it. Mount it on the baler or your tractor. If you see smoke starting to build; leave the baler running, pull the hydro to eject the forming bale, and pull forward off of the windrow and then shut off the pto. Most people panic and try to disconnect the baler. Don't do that unless you just want the insurance company to worry about it.
Very good tip buddy thanks
One thing i have learned baling hay is to rake the hay in as straight and long of row as possible. Keeping a nice even windrow helps on the bale shape. I've made a plenty of crooked bales. But you learn pretty quick baling hay. Good video btw
Love ypur videos used to farm with my dad , miss it
Thank you for bringing this content man. Enjoyed it!
I've never seen this being used. Would see them and wondered what the heck they do! Lol! Now I know! Thanks Josh!
Very cool video! We are moving onto 12 acres of old farm land that is now growing hay.. I'm excited to start harvesting some!!
Awesome! Get ready for some hard work!
This helps a lot my grandfather passed away last month so my mom inherited the farm and of course hey needs to be cut and bailed so this helps a lot
I farmed as a teen in Ireland for years... everyday is a school day, your uploads are fantastic. Send the haters my way, I'll fix their wagons bro...
WOOOO, too funny!!!goats pigs and chickens... your song is stuck in my head. lol
I am from Australia, love your videos and you have a great positive attitude. Keep it up
Thanks buddy!
I love the people who already know everything because they are more ignorant than everyone else if your not willing to learn something then you are not going to get anywhere farther than you are in life that's the way I was raised.
You are a fantastic instructor.....
quick tip, when you finish your bale back up a few feet before you dump it that way when you pull forward to drop the gate it's not sitting over top of loose hay on the ground and not be able to pick it up. BTW getting the bale perfectly round just takes a lot of seat time but looks good for just starting out.
Thanks buddy :)
I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed your channel. I'm a retired accountant by training and have just purchased 28 acres of vacant land recently carved out of the Sam Houston National Forest. I have two sons about your age I'm guessing and we plan to start developing the property. No plans to live on it anytime soon but thinking about an orchard, vegetable garden, and enough grazing to support ourselves. I realize your property is much larger than ours but if you ever need an idea for a future educational blog, can I suggest that you share your planning, budgeting, and financing strategies. Where did you start and where do you plan to end up, progress to date and ultimately how you see it supporting your family?! Thanks again.
Well Leol..first of all thanks for the wonderful comment...and I surely will start to address finances as time goes on...right now we are pouring money into the farm to get it paid for..our goal is debt free in 4 years...which is saying something for a place this size...we could make a living on 1/4 the amount of property...I am so absolutely overwhelmed with "chores" here on the farm..I will discuss the financial plan as time goes on...cows.. poultry...eggs...veggies....and employees! Be patient with me buddy as time goes on more financial stuff will come out..as for now...we are spending...spending ...spending!
Stoney Ridge Farmer Thanks Josh. I appreciate you.
Leol Franklin k
Before you eject the bale, back up to where the wind row where you stopped is in front of the tractor. As you pull forward, it will leave room for you to close the baler before pulling in more hay. Right at the end, you can see a slug of hay being pulled into the baker and right on the ground before the baler closed.
Thanks Dustin...as time went on I got better and better at backing and dropping....great feedback buddy thanks
We rake our hay for one or two days after letting the dew burn off in the morning allowing the hay to air out better so it takes us usually 4 days to do about 20 or so acres ( we have to play dodge the rocks which is a bit of a guessing game up in New Hampshire)
I know I'm a little late in the game here caught on to you from arms homestead and keeping it dutch, but I love that rake!!! I wish I had one for my yard I hate raking! That was very cool to watch, I have learned a lot from y'all! Thanks for doing the vlog keep them coming we will be homesteading too before to long so the more information the better God Bless.
You did Great for a first timers I love baling hay
Only tip I have is before dropping the bale out of the baler is to back up a couple feet that way when you start baling again you don’t leave any of the windrow in front of the bale, great job with the farm, keep up the good work
It took me a while to learn the rolling technics...I have a more difficult roller to deal with..but you'll get where u can make perfect looking rolls
Hi.... Thank you 🎥👍👍👍
Cool Josh, use old engine oil, dip in rags, wear rubber gloves, squeeze oil , rub metal joints, bare metal, rusted area, to keep out rust and to bare corrosion longer, it will collect dust but if too busy, use compressed air to dust off, equipments are out in field no shades, I love the raker....save time so much....woooo.....
Really enjoy your videos just started watching a couple days ago. I’m not going tell you how to do anything but when you go to eject the bale if you back up 10-15 ft then eject it you won’t lose any hay when you pull forward to close the gate. Keep the videos up!!
love it.. calling sassy is the best!
I love watching you working I love your music
Thank you Josh... Your video's are knowledgeable and awesome !!!
I sure enjoy your videos. We ranch in Texas and for generations use good ol yellow sulfur to help keep the chiggers off. If you put a healthy amount in socks & shoes before you go to field it should work for ya or at least help. Keep up the fun!
Hey! Keep doing what you do. Love your videos.
Very informative,really enjoyed it! Thanks for posting this!👍
hey Josh this is James again on your stock tanks that you have for your cows you might want to get it off the ground because if the water gets underneath it it may rusted-out I would put four by fours underneath the stock tank that keeps it from other things from getting in it or underneath it
Hey i got some pointer for you i am from Nebraska and when we make hay here it normaly rains But ehrnbu are raking and baleing ib the summer it is beyyer to rake a few rounds bale ut then rake more round that way your windrows u raked dont get rain on and when u are baleing and u have a full bale back up so that the front end of your tractor is ant the end of the windrow where u had to stop so that when u pull forward u can close the back hate and don't lose any hay when u pull forward
I buy 10 bales of the square bales for my wife’s horses in California every month. we pay 14$ per bale. Always wondered the process. Thank you.
When I rake hay I always try to start at the straightest point and keep my windrows as straight and go all the ways across then take an clean the head land up and tie them 2 passes in to the 2 out side windrow it seems to be easier when rolling and it keeps the rolls equal when going back and forth
Very good point brotha...I did the first field like a blooming idiot...by the time I hit the second one things got a bit better...having a bit of trouble getting my winrows up tight with the V-rake...gotta make some adjustments in the spring
Hey josh. I noticed that you didn’t back up before you dumped that bale. On our ranch we found that if you back up a few feet before you drop the bale your able to get the gate shut before the hay gets picked up by the pickup head on the baler. It cuts down on waste and is just a simple trick. Keep on keepin on man
THANKS VERY GOOD POINT ...AS TIME WENT ON I GOT A BIT BETTER AT THE BALE DROP...THANKS THOUGH...ANY ADVICE IS MUCH APPRECIATED
Overwhelming is the best way to describe life on a farm. My wife and I own a farm for three months now. Buildings are dilapidated, water pipes leaking all over, no electricity, beehives neglected...... We are working for three months now with sometimes 10 people and I am still running my company on a daily base. Overwhelming indeed
adding a kicker to your round baler would be a nice upgrade. less wasted material.... or time later coming back to collect it and no chance of damaging the tailgate of your baler. if there's an upgrade kit available it's a nice upgrade to have
Great video from a small farmer in England
Thanks!
Enjoyed today’s journey.. whooo... Ever wonder what the guy was thinking when he invented the rake contraption? One day I hope to be able to cut, rake and bale hay. Even if I’m retired.
I know this is old but those bales look better than some others I’ve seen that were made by someone that has experience baling.
Thanks to you I have some woods in my back yard that I would love to clear & make it into usable land
Couple tips on the rake and baler. First I would shallow up the "V" on the rake. It will roll much easier and makes a tighter wind row as your baler has the narrow throat. Second you need to back up a few feet before you release the bail. And make sure you pull forward before closing the gate so you don't hit your bale and damage the gate. For a first time not too bad. As with any equipment the more you run it the better you will get with it and trouble shooting problems. If it is a good baler you will be pleased but if it has gremlins and some do you will want to throw it off a cliff. You are living a lot of folks dream.
I agree with everything you say 100% I did tighten up the winrows on day 2 (today)...so far only one little gremlin..darn string feed on right side gets stuck....some adjusting or better string may be needed..I think it's a "lumpy" string issue..thanks Johnny! Once again a great comment and great tips buddy
You do a great job
Enjoy your videos. I'm sure others have mentioned it, but if you can invest in a hay Tedder it would cut your drying time even more. It also helps the v rake pick up the hay better.
Love watching your videos I always learn somethin, thanks
Thanks John...glad to have ya buddy
I must admit I was criticizing (in my head) why you had such a big tractor for just grading the driveway and picking up sticks etc etc. but now after watching this video and the next with balers and rakers that tractor is looking a little small haha..
I assume you sold most of the hay from this years cut..
You have done extremely well to get the grass to where it is in a couple of years. Well done thats awesome.
In australia, those bales would sell for $60 and up.. and what you call T posts, we call star pickets..
Yea....I need a bigger tractor than what I have....funny I didn't sell it but I used it for the goats and controlling washing on new land that was seeded and cleared last year....75 bales last fall and I have 4 left
Are you missing a small wheel on the left side of the bailer or does it only have one on the right side and could that be why your bail is lopsided?
Just love going to work I leave usually 6 days at a time. I drive a semi Ashley Furniture in Advance Nc which I live in Statesville. Great video
Right on Ralph...thanks buddy good to have a local fella on the channel
Stoney Ridge Farmer I miss the farm I grew up on 100 acre in Laurel De we had about 50 pigs 2 horse chicken geese etc. good old days.
Dude your awesome thank you so much i find this farm vlog to be very informative
For your your first time bailing hay your doing a great job. As long as it feeds animals it don't need to look pretty lol. One thing you should look into is a belt repair kit. Allows you to fix your broken belt right in the field and keep you rolling. We use alligator river brand one for our john deere bailer.
Cool....thanks...I will check into a kit...wish the baler had a toolbox built into it..that's an improvement I'd like to make on the bailer
First time watching your videos. Are you new to hay bailing? I have questions. I use square bails for my horses and, some bails are heavier than others. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think that’s the moisture content in each? I’ve had some issues with dusty hay! Does cut hay have to dry a certain amount before Bailing? How do you figure out moisture percentage? If you are new to bailing hay than we both need this information. I’m always concerned when storing hay that’s just been cut. If there’s too much moisture it molds or worst case, could heat up and combust! Also stacking hay. Does stacking it end up or down flat matter? Thanks man! Looking forward to watching more!
When it comes to field work, I don’t know if there’s anything worse than round baling hay with an open station tractor. You’ll be hacking up & snotting out dust & dirt for a month after you get through baling hay with an open station tractor !!
I literally thought that I was the king of the world after I finally got me an air conditioned cab tractor to bale hay with. I mean we’re talking about going from being completely covered in dust, dirt, sweat, grass & about everything else imaginable, to being able to step out of the tractor and go to church with the same clothes on !!!!
Looks great to me enjoyed your hay making good job , hay = money in the bank!!
I sure hope so..thanks buddy
I don’t know to much about John Deere rollers we run new holland rollers when you have a bale back up because when you still have the door open on the roller and you pull up you loose hay love your video
Thanks! This was my first time baling hay ...had a touch of learning to do for sure
Love it, informative and entertaining!
I enjoyed the video! I have always wondered how a hay bailer works and now I know. Very informative, keep 'em coming and ignore the haters. If they already know everything why are they watching a farm vlog?
I agree...thanks for the comment glad to teach!
You need a double water because of the v rake it's like bailing telephone poles because it walls a hey and a double water it flicks a hay in
Do u reduce the RPM on the tractor, or turn the PTO off for dumping the bal? I use a john deere 510 and I don't reduce the RPM, Not sure if that's how it's supposed to be done.
I like the way you explain it to people a very good idea thanks buddy you are doing a very good job 👍 I enjoy watching you on the farm I hope your wife get over the chiggers there terrible I KNOW 😅 ticks are bad to Off helps I spay it on rags and tie around my ankles just saying to not spay on my skin it's poison probably not good to spay it on me u know have a great day and be safe my friend Bo
Any chance of getting a more detailed video sometimes of how the bailer works. Like how the gauges work and how you tie the bale etc...?
Josh how many bales are you getting off of your fields and what size are the fields
35 acres here produced around 2-3 bales per acre
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer thanks Josh appriciate you.
Try skin so soft from Avon I was in the Marine Corps years ago I remember we were advised to use skin so soft by Avon when we were bivwacking. I really appreciate your videos and you energy thank you
I thank you for what you do Josh don't let know it all people upset you
I done two houses today & came home hopped on my tractor done some yard work
Great videos -- good positive spirit.
Hey Stoney...Instead of zip ties...Use some of your biodegradeable old baling twine to tie up your excess hydraulic lines of your v-rake...cow hitches around the lines and pull the twine through your toplink's hole and clove hitch those twines lines around the top link and those long hydraulic lines will be out of the way...:)
You know I have a small zip tie addiction right? lol
So I've been wondering I've always been told not to cut more than the top 1/3 of your grass off your lawn or else you risk to much damage and the grass takes longer to heal. So for hay farmers how do they get away with chopping so much down and it recovering time and time again? Is it because of fertilizer and irrigation that makes it come back so good or is what I was told nonsense?
We use a 20 foot V rake when doing our hay. Do you not Ted your hay though? Wish we could use round bales, but square bales sell better here in WV.
Tedder next on the list of farm implements to purchase
todd tefft fellow west virginian
PTO rake or pull along haven’t tried a pto rake yet
I dont know if yo still have the massey 135 bt if yo do , it will work on the rake if yo have remotes I have one and it works well also, jst for yor information, the mlti,power is only to be sed in the p position , i have one and didnt know that myself , and burnt it ot . its only for se when yo need that burst of power if plowing or discing
Thanks buddy great info..I've been looking at kits to run secondary hydros
Do you have to use a tedder?
One quick tip is try to take it all as straight as possible then rake the outside rounds it’s hard on drive shafts and u joints when your turning while baling
Thanks Justin...very good point buddy...this was my very first time baling, cutting and raking hay...I'm sure next years experience will be better....ya learn a lot on your first run for sure! Thanks buddy
I love your custom soundtrack. Do you have full cut of "Goats, pigs, and chickens"?
God bless too all farmers, and too you sir 🐂🐴🐖🇺🇲
Who is that golden voice singing your intro and exit tunes?
I'm buying my first tractor, do I'm enjoying your videos.
Thank you
I’ve mowed raked baled for last 15 years
Got a John Deere 6220 and a 592 baler
stony ridge... have you had any issues with the baler tie system? I have a JD 430 I have as a backup and it's a pita. v rakes don't seem to fluff like a side delivery rake does but what I do is kinda go left and right over the wind rows and that seems to help with uniformity.
I did have issues with the flow of the string on the tying system....seems one of the string feeders doesnt want to feed string smoothly
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer I hope you get that straight. Have you baled much hay this year?
Now I know. I never knew. Thank you.
When you take hydraulics off put tin foil on them keeps dirt and crap out
I've got plugs for them..but a very good Idea especially for the male ends
Country Boys I do the same
Hi Josh, are you comfortable discussing your expectations regarding the profitability of bailing hay? I know you're returning land to pasture and that's not cheap but does making and selling hay in the short term help recover any significant costs? Would it be a farm enterprise you would continue to run into the future or would it simply not be worth your time?
I see a lot of what appears to be empty pasture and I've often wondered what it's actually being used for. Is bailing hay a profitable enterprise?
The answer is NO! Heck no hay is not gonna be the bread and butter of this farm.. cattle and pastured meat bird chickens as well as rabbits and egg production...however until that day..until fences are up and all infrastructure gets in place...we have to cut and bail hay to try and recoup some of the $$ we are investing into our farm...slowly we will improve our pasture land and have cattle to graze...then the hay really pays off for winter feeding
Thanks Josh. That's pretty much what I expected regarding the economy of it but your responses to the questions in mine and other people's comments really help round out and complete the information.
Been in the business 30 yrs, and no expert by any means; however some pointers if you wish: Starting with your rake, what you have is good for starters. Recommend looking for a H&S BF!12 or 14 HC (high capacity) each wheel is independent with its own spring so it follows the ground. I Do Not recommend a Vemeer, or John Deere hyd. rake (more expensive to operate and leaves hay in uneven field) H&S is easier to operate as you can fold it in for less, or extend it out for more volume of hay in the windrow while moving, or avoiding obstacles. 2nd you can adjust the back end to fit the windrow size to the baler. 3rd Put your outside raking wheel right against the outside edge of un raked hay; this ensures an even volume of hay in the windrow. Also measure the inside of the baler (should be 60") then adjust the windrow width to 58"- 59" (your baler does not have "Mega wide pickup reel) so you will not loose money by leaving hay in the field. 4th You are missing a gauge wheel on the right side of the pickup reel when facing the baler (pick up reel should have 2 gauge wheels). 5th In greasing the baler be sure to lubricate the PTO shaft (2 pieces) which slides in and out due to land contour; especially if it is Teflon coated. Failure to lubricate PTO shaft can cause shaft seizure, causing PTO on Tractor being yanked out and big expense farmers don't need. 6th grease the 3 U joints and the constant velocity joint on the PTO shaft. John Deere Balers are GREAT; owned 3 Vermeer's, I prefer DEERE!!! have questions contact me.
I had alot of tractors as a kid,so I'm an expert, lol.
I love that tractor
What kind of grass are you cutting for hay?
Brome?
K32 Fescue mixed with Lespadeza
Avon Skin So Soft will keep little critters off. And it's not harsh chemical.
The music is great for these vids