9ft Haybine - Now What??????

I appreciate everyone's input on my 9ft haybine and small fields question earlier.

So I'm locked and loaded - on the lookout for a 9ft New Holland 488 or Hesston 1120 - hopefully in great shape and for a price even my Wife could smile about.... ;-)

But to get it home.....

Don't really have a trailer to haul a haybine and not to sure about towing.

The New Holland 488 is 12ft-2in in transport - a lane of interstate highway is around 12ft. Haven't measured our little back road, but I'm thinking the 9ft haybine is going to be a road hog - LOL.

Last year when towing the 68 baler some 110 miles, the bad thing was the wheels were the outmost part of the baler and when oncoming traffic came, the right wheel came really close to the pavement edge.

Looks to me like these haybines have their rear wheels in set to some extent. That makes me feel much better about towing the haybine down the road and keeping the wheels on the pavement.

What do you think? Hook the New Holland 488 or Hesston 1120 to the truck and tow and go?

Thanks!
Bill

Watch out for mailboxes, guardrails and such and you should be okay, especially if you're not going too far. When I bought my NH 461 at an auction for $165 it was November and cold so rather than drive the tractor 10 miles each way I paid a guy $20 to pull it with his truck.
Zach

A offset hitch on the truck is what most guys use, often a receiver tube welded to the left side of the trailer hitch right near the frame rail of the truck.

(quoted from post at 13:14:33 10/07/15) I appreciate everyone's input on my 9ft haybine and small fields question earlier.

So I'm locked and loaded - on the lookout for a 9ft New Holland 488 or Hesston 1120 - hopefully in great shape and for a price even my Wife could smile about.... ;-)

But to get it home.....

Don't really have a trailer to haul a haybine and not to sure about towing.

The New Holland 488 is 12ft-2in in transport - a lane of interstate highway is around 12ft. Haven't measured our little back road, but I'm thinking the 9ft haybine is going to be a road hog - LOL.

Last year when towing the 68 baler some 110 miles, the bad thing was the wheels were the outmost part of the baler and when oncoming traffic came, the right wheel came really close to the pavement edge.

Looks to me like these haybines have their rear wheels in set to some extent. That makes me feel much better about towing the haybine down the road and keeping the wheels on the pavement.

What do you think? Hook the New Holland 488 or Hesston 1120 to the truck and tow and go?

Thanks!
Bill

Click to expand...

Bill I started to post in the other thread but I'll post in this one. I'm not too far from you here in east TN. Similar terrain with lots of hillsides since I'm here in the mountains. I started off mowing hay with a New Holland 451 sickle mower which is the Cadillac of sickle mowers,but later I was able to acquire a New Holland 488 very cheap. I would not go back to a sickle mower. I mowed hay last night until it was dark using a Massey Ferguson 165. Even with dew on the ground I was going in 1st gear,high range,high multipower. No problems at all. Both machines you named are good but personally if you are going to be keeping the machine I would go for the 488. The reason I say that is they are still in production and there are thousands out there still being used so parts availability will not be a problem for many,many years. While you can get parts for the Hesston how long will Agco keep those parts available since they are long out of production. I have to be honest...every year I say I'm going to upgrade to a disc mower but I never do. That 488 of mine looks rough but it just keeps going. The rubber on the rolls is still intact and it still does a good job. I run the regular guards and do not have problems very often with the cutter bar plugging. I do sharpen the tips of the guards because some of the aftermarket ones are kind of misformed and blunt on the ends. It's been very low maintainence. I've put one bearing on the reel and the lower bearing in the wobble box and a couple of clips on the reel and that is it. As far as dragging the tractor sideways on hills I don't have any problems but I do have fluid in the tires...and I mow places that are so steep sideways I stand leaning back on the running board in case the tractor starts to roll. I pulled mine home about 17 miles with a truck. It's not too bad. I just had somebody go in front of me to flag people. It's certainly not as bad as the two pull type combines I've pulled home!!! Some guys pull the tounge out of the haybine and set them on a trailer sideways and haul them that way. The tounge isn't bad to take out. If you have any questions or if there is anyway I can help you still have my email don't you?

Bill I hooked mine behind my pickup and pulled it 70+ miles 1 way home. Hook it to the center hole in the bumper take it easy and go. I put new guards on it, filled the sickle a couple of times, put 1 belt on the reel, and 1 chain in 10 or 15 years (488) N.H.

Bill, towed a 488 about 50 miles with a Toyota 4Runner. No problems. Wheels are set in about 18 inches from edge of machine on each side. Also, I have walked a mile in your moccasins and have the perfect line up for you that will work without putting you in the poorhouse, forcing you buy another tractor, buying a drop deck trailer to haul equipment, or explaining your hay business get rich quick scheme to your wife??.. -
Get a good NH488, cost around $3K. Upgrade to a discmower in 5-10 years after you have made a few nickels and have your ducks in a row. If you took care of the 488 you wont lose much money on it trading up.
Get a 4 basket tedder that is not cheaply made. Yes, 4 basket. You will make up the extra expense in fuel and time in 1 year maybe, 2 years max. versus a 2 spinner. Cost $1500 to $2200. It will be a manual fold but hey, you need the exercise.
The rake can be a bit tricky. You can get by with a NH bar rake (55,56, 256 etc). Cost approx $1000. You can upgrade later to a rotary rake like an older Kuhn GM300, or you can go for it now. Cost $2500 to $3000. There are certainly larger rotaries than the Kuhn, but cost more of course. Again, if you?ve taken care of your bar rake you will be able to sell it for about what you paid for it when you are ready to go rotary.
There, we are up to your NH68 baler and wagons and you have spent ~$6K, actually less since you have gotten rid of your sicklebar mower and crimper. I know you can swing that.

On my rural roads you hook on and go. Plan out a path that avoids interstates and downtown cities.

No big deal.

If you are in a more civilized area, and I assume hills and curves and poor visibility on the roads of VA, that may not be good advice for 'there'.

Paul

Not sure of the laws in VA. Been to many years since I lived there when I was in the Navy. But that said here in Missouri it is legal to pull farm equipment down the road. I pulled a NH460 which is a 9 foot cut and about 12 foot wide 75 or so miles behind a 1991 Geo Tracker. I did not break any speed records and drove around 45 MPH. I would stop from time to time to make sure the hubs on it where not getting hot etc. Made it home with no problems.

I pulled a deere 920 discbine home about 100 miles this spring. I'd guess they're a similar width. Went along at about 45mph. Brought a spare tire and checked the bearings part way. All went well. Tried to pick roads with larger shoulders for the trip.

U sure can pull one with a pickup . I had to go through 2 tight towns so I got a buddy with a goose neck like the one guy said , made some ramps , backed it sideways , popped the tongue off and the 80 miles home went real quick . Topped off his truck and flipped him a 100 . Well worth it to me . That was a 492 , that I only paid 1500 for , and in good shape.

There are plenty of roads in western VA and WV you can't get a 12ft machine down period which is why the wide ones are cheap in that part of the world.

you can do pretty much whatever you want on the roads at 4 in the morning.

Back roads anyways.

Not sure I'd take one of those on the highway. Aside form the size - I'd be afraid of blowing a tire or a bearing. Way too much potential for misery.

Its not just the 9 foot either my 1209 is 14 feet from side to side.. I pulled mine from Seneca, KS to Lincoln, NE.. took a few hours but I had my dad run 1/2 mile ahead of me with two way radios.. he'd give me the all clear and I'd take the whole road..then id slow down and get to the side when he told me.. I towed it with a pickup.. Make sure the wheel bearings are greased good before. Red flag the sides..

I pull my 479 on the road all the time with a pickup. It may be a bit wider than a 488, I try to get on the freeway when I can because the lanes are wider and you can go faster. Never had an issue except on gravel roads with a sharp turn and hill at the end of a narrow bridge. Couldn't get a run at the hill and with a sloppy tongue I couldn't back across the bridge. Finally made it up the hill on the fourth try, was ready to unhook and go get a tractor.

A 9-ft NH 488 is tougher to tow down the road than a 9-ft 479. Tongue doesn't swing as far in road transport position. A 9-ft discbine with that long tongue follows you down the road MUCH better. To tow a 488 with a pickup, you'll want to hook it off-center - maybe a foot to the left of the normal hitch point - or your truck will have to be across the center line the whole way.

Gary, It was scary for me pulling a 20 foot trailer on the road to your house.
I am sure you are used to it though.
Richard

(quoted from post at 16:15:28 10/07/15) Its not just the 9 foot either my 1209 is 14 feet from side to side..

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I sure don't remember JD 1209's being 14 ft wide in transport position.

I have moved a few 488's . You will either be 3 ft over the center line with the truck or 3 ft in the ditch with the haybine. If you cause an accident you will be at fault. If you are on the interstate you could get a ticket for being over width. Just depends if the trooper needs the quota. An off set hitch will help a lot. Today on a 2 lane road about half the drivers would rather hit you head on than pull over and give you more room. on narrow curvy roads have a person in another vehicle go in font and wave a flag out the window to warn drivers. Sunday morning at daybreak is the best time. If they have good tires and bearings I have towed them at 60 mph. I would put insurance on it if it worth much money and always use a safety chain and a no jump pin. Good luck , the difference in mowing will be like night and day.

my bad 12 feet

Like others said, check & grease the wheel bearings and tighten all wheel bolts. Early Sunday morning is a charm. I have hauled one several times 25 miles one way. Not fun but no problems.

I know I'm a little late to the game but if you can find a Hesston 1010 they are a hydro swing just like the big ones. Tow directly behind you in transport, and cut to either side so no lost motion on headlands. Barring that go with the 488, much larger installed base for finding used parts, and you can still go to a New Holland dealer and buy one NEW.

Thanks everyone - very good info!!!!!!

Bill