M vs baler

notjustair · Jun 29, 2015

I usually square bale (24T) with the 4020 but the neighbor was using it to rake. Everything else around here has duals, so I hooked the old M to the baler. I put about 300 bales through it. I forgot how fun it is to use that old tractor for something like that. I also forgot how itchy brome makes you.

Royse · Jun 29, 2015

I ran a 14T behind a JD 50 for years. Worked great.
I would think the M would handle it fine.
It did make me appreciate the independent PTO on the JD though!

DeltaRed · Jun 29, 2015

Yep.An M is a FINE baler tractor....Me and 'Malcom' have made thousands of (16x18) bales together.

Charlie M · Jun 30, 2015

I do about 1200 bales every year with an M.

fastfarmall · Jun 30, 2015

Looks like you have a bale turner, on the back,so is it safe to assume you have a bale wagon too.!! Those 16x18 are to tough for me.

Andy Martin · Jun 30, 2015

A SH makes a good baler tractor too, but I've used M's for twenty years. Never tried baling with a live PTO. A few years ago we were doing 12,000 to 15,000 per year. I use a bale wagon behind an M too. Started using the MTA on the Haybine this year because all my belly pumps need work and haven't taken the time to fix them. It's hard getting used to the live PTO on the SMTA. I'm used to hitting the clutch when something happens and of course that doesn't cut it with the SMTA.

GeneMO · Jun 30, 2015

We had an M&W hand clutch on our M (still have it) and we baled about a zillion bales with it. Also had Power steering put on it.

Gene

notjustair · Jun 30, 2015

I use that tractor on the mixer grinder every week but I had forgotten about throwing it to neutral when needed or dropping down a gear. Funny how those come back to you. I think that old baler does better on a tractor that gives a little. I ran it on the 4020 earlier in the day and it broke about one out of every 20 bales. I put it on the M and it never broke another.

rankrank1 · Jun 30, 2015

I have personally baled with 3 tractors in my life.

My 1946 farmall m is now my frontline baling tractor. It does have behlen power steering added but is otherwise stock flat top pistons so maybe 36 hp. My 1951 farmall h is my back-up baling tractor bone stock flat top pistons and well worn so maybe 27 hp. My 1977 (and a half) Kubota L285 compact diesel is my 3rd option. The Kubota has actually run my baler the most for me, but I use the other tractors now for the heavier drivelines just for insurance. The Kubota is 26.5 hp but actually closer to 22.5 hp at 540 pto rpm.

None of these tractors have live PTO. I rake accordingly knowing that in advance and have Zero issues with no live PTO. Admittingly, I am just a piddle patch operator but they get the job done just fine and real cheap too.

notjustair · Jun 30, 2015

Mine has Char Lynn power steering and a live pump
and loader. The loader will come off before long.
That should really make a good tractor out of it.

Hayfarmer · Jun 30, 2015

I run a NH 282 twine baler off of my SMTA now, the IPO definitely helps as does the TA when I get to heavy spots. I ran a NH280 off of an old JD MT and also my 430 at one time, then switched over to running it with my 1938 unstyled G. The G handled it well due to the torque and seemed like I broke fewer shear bolts with it. Like you say, a matter to throwing it out of gear when you need to slow down

Hayfarmer · Jun 30, 2015

forgot to add, a friend of mine here had a large hay opperation and used Freeman engine balers, I think he had 5 running at a time. He also had a bunch of Ms that they used to pull the balers. Part of the philosophy was that anybody can drive a M while some of the newer tractors take more knowledge

DR. EVIL · Jun 30, 2015

I've pulled an engine powered IH 55-T baler with a WD-45, D-17, D-19, maybe even used an M or Super M-TA
once too. The last year or so Dad farmed we had 20 acres of alfalfa down and the neighbor we traded help
with was gone. We borrowed his rack and PTO driven IH #37 baler and Dad & I baled around 1000 bales that
afternoon. We put my Super H on the baler and it handled the baler and loaded rack just fine and one half
of the field was pretty hilly.

I raked two seven foot swaths into each windrow. With the engine driven baler I used to rake them MUCH
bigger.

The idea that tractors without live PTO are worthless is just DUMB. There's a couple things they are nice
for but I'm not sure baling small squares is one of them if you rake properly.

Ellis Kinney · Jun 30, 2015

I have an M&W hand clutch on 2 M Farmalls. You can bale without the hand clutch but it is much easier with one. Ellis

Andy Martin · Jun 30, 2015

When baling in third do you shift to neutral then second without the clutch when the baler starts to load?

Royse · Jun 30, 2015

"The idea that tractors without live PTO are worthless is just DUMB."

I agree.

I mentioned independent PTO, which is definitely not the
same as Live PTO. The WD-45 you mentioned with its hand
clutch and the M&W hand clutch and my Ford 960 all have the
same basic idea for Live PTO. Stop the movement without
stopping the PTO.

Independent PTO on my JD and my Ford 4000 are completely
independent of the clutch and/or tractor movement.
Simply turn it on and off as you wish.

Want to make a sharp corner and not bind the PTO shaft?
Just shut it off. No need to stop. Want to turn it on a bit
before you get into the next row after turning around at
the end of the field or travelling to the next row/field you
want to bale? Then just turn it on, no need to stop.
Want to change gears? Stop and change gears. PTO won't care.

Those are the types of benefits I was talking about with IPTO.
Certainly can be done without it, it just makes things easier.

Chance M · Jun 30, 2015

IPTO is definitely nice, old long310 we used to have had the choice of live or independent. Loved that old lil work horse...tough as nails.

Paul from MI · Jun 30, 2015

For about 20 years I baled 1,000 bales a year with an old McCormick #45 baler, which doesn't really have a lot of capacity to say the least. I used a JD A,B or D on it--no live PTO and we got along fine. Just have to take a little time and anticipate the heavy spots. P.S. I still use them all, but just a load or so now.

WellWorn · Jun 30, 2015

An M? You need an M, or even an H to bale hay? Who forgot to send me the Memo??

I know it's not supposed to be possible, but I've baled hay with my worn out, flat top piston Super A hooked to our IH 46 or a neighbors JD 14T baler. No, I wasn't setting the world on fire, nor putting up thousands of bales a day, but for our small fields (especially when we have to cut around the wet spots, like the past 2 years) it's done just fine.

notjustair · Jun 30, 2015

I hit the clutch fast to get it out of gear and then drop it into the lower gear as the tractor slows. Some of this was really thick. I was in second and often first.

RyaninKS · Jul 1, 2015

I do all my baling with a Farmall M and IH 440 Wire Tie Baler! I've even ran it with the H in a pinch before, powered it ok but that big ol plunger really shook the little H!

M vs baler

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