Mini baler and wrapping system

[bjreroberts]

Purchased an old Wolvo mini baler and wrapper earlier in the year and finally got around to using it on a test area over the last 2 days.

So far I am very happy with it, my only criticism being the manual is absolutely useless and as a result it has taken me several hours to work out how to get the net wrap working.

I now need to find sort out a mower before I can get underway properly as my £100 "bargain" PZ mower was not such a good buy!

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Steve, have a look at www.danelander.co.uk and phone them, as to speak to Steve Pearce.

Duncan

[Duncan MacIntyre]

John P in Skye may find some interesting stuff in this thread, a lot of reading in it, I had frogotten it went on so long!

I am now in my third season using the mini tractor and round baler, done about 500 bales silage and 160 hay so far, a bit to go on the silage if I can get enough weather as even for that I like a really good 24 hours to dry a bit. 2 days if it is not drying quickly.

Duncan

[JohnnyP]

Hello Duncan - yes, I am reading this thread, and it's fascinating and very helpful. You've got the system I want! Since our weather is variable, we have to be able to make silage, and the small round bales are much more suitable (I'd wondered about just getting a second hand small square baler, but what if it rains?) Like one of the other posters, I don't want poaching from feeding at a fixed site, and this past sodden winter was walking all over the fields with small square hay bales. Think I'd better get saving to be ready for next year. I may well call your Danelander contact, sounds excellent.

PS Our AI process starts on Wednesday, fingers crossed.

[davidw]

A major problem with second hand small square balers and to some extent with most farm machinery is that it's getting harder and harder to find machines that are in decent condition. There are so few small square balers being made now that many machines on the second hand market are getting to the end of their useful lives. Sellers will describe them as being little used or in A1 condition, but in reality very few are. Some are 25, 30 or even 50 years old! Most of the best machines are exported as a way of dealers keeping inventories as small as possible. A neighbour just used a small round baler on his silage and it was impressive in difficult conditions. Only issue in my opinion is that its a pretty labour intensive system by the time you have made, wrapped, carted and stacked the bales.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

For feeding I can lift one of my silage bales over a hedge or fence, roll it into the field a bit and open it, so avoid the excessive poaching in one place round a ring feeder etc. A relatively simple rylock fence round the stack of bales usually keeps them off if I have to run cattle in the same field as the stack.

I fully agree with David about the second hand square baler issue. I grew up with International B45, B46, old Masseyferguson models and a Bamford BL40, all great machines in their day but I went for the mini round to avoid knotter trouble (guarnateed cause of insanity) and the knowledge that the round bales could stand a shower before they are taken in. On the down side the round bales are not so easy to stack or build a load with.But if you are only carting a short distance a lot of small loads which stay on are just as easy as fewer big loads which need securing and might well fall off halfway!

[JohnnyP]

I've just come across a machine I didn't know existed - a small square bale wrapper, for example the McHale 995lm. Has anyone tried this? If it was any good, I could make haylage or silage with conventional small squares, which would probably be cheaper and stack much better.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Morton Muirhead who lives on Arran had a small square bale wrapper, not sure what make. He does not have dexters at the moment so probably not looking on here too often, but if he doesn't see this and respond I can put Johnny P in touch with him. I looked at the McHale version when I was doing my homework before buying stuff and certainly the new ones were expensive compared to the round bale machines. There are some wrappers which can do either but I don't think changing over is an easy business.

My main problem with my system this year is lack of decent weather - even for wrapping silage I need a bit of drying, or the bales are too heavy. Even the air seems heavy this morning, can't get up much enthusiasm for stacking bales, hope it is less humid in the afternoon.

Duncan

[Broomcroft]

I've just come across a machine I didn't know existed - a small square bale wrapper, for example the McHale 995lm. Has anyone tried this? If it was any good, I could make haylage or silage with conventional small squares, which would probably be cheaper and stack much better.

I've not seen one in the flesh, but I nearly went down the route of making small bale haylage, and after a lot of looking around I decided this was the best machine for the job. There was a downside. Can't remember exactly what, but it might be that you have to load the bales on by hand which I didn't fancy doing.

I also decided they needed to be square-shaped to make stacking and transport as easy as possible.

McHale are a good make.

[JohnnyP]

According to the British Farming Forum, the downside of the McHale wrapper is that if the bale is less than 30kg, it gets pulled off the machine. Think I'm still leaning towards mini round bales.

[davidw]

My brother used to have a wrapper for small square bales from McHale using 250mm wrap. It worked well. I built a hydraulic power unit so that it could be driven from a small diesel engine rather than tying up a tractor. Some time later, McHale offered a similar unit. There is also a similar McHale wrapper but for the mini round bales.
In my opinion the major drawback of mini round bales is the lack of mechanical handling equipment which makes it a pretty labour intensive system. I have a standard round bale system. With one 60 hp tractor and one person (me), I can cut, turn, row-up, bale, wrap, cart, stack and feed about 65 - 70 tons a year. I doubt if I could do that with the small bale system.

[Broomcroft]

According to the British Farming Forum, the downside of the McHale wrapper is that if the bale is less than 30kg, it gets pulled off the machine. Think I'm still leaning towards mini round bales.

mmmmm......That would be almost all small square bales!

[Duncan MacIntyre]

My main trouble with the small round baler this year has been making the bales light enough to handle due to the weather - rarely more than 24-36hrs dry all summer except week before last. I don't usually do anything to the swath except cut, let dry for 24 or even 48 hrs if poss, and bale. Not enough benefit for time and fuel to justify tossing it about and rowing it up again.

My wrapper has its own 4stroke engine, and can be wheeled around though wheels not very good. If I am in a hurry to wrap (which is usual) it is quicker to move the wrapper round the field wrapping groups of 6 or 8 as I go, but if more time or on a steeper bit I gather them in and wrap where stacking.Stacking round ones is best end on end, they say up to 3 deep but 2 deep is easy.

Duncan

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Pictures of latest effort just posted on Burnside Dexter Cattle Facebook page, sorry can't manage to get any on here

Duncan

[JohnnyP]

It's that time of year - and I've finally pulled the trigger on a mini-round baler system from Danelander. Very excited, but now having to clear some space to store the kit!

PS Pls don't ask prices, because I promised not to say. Although if you're thinking about a similar purchase, now would be good because prices are about to go up 8%.