1066

pete in NC headed for KY.

As mentioned below a 1066 is a pretty big tractor for baling square bales. If you backed up to a 806-886 size tractor - especially with a German deisel - you gain a lot of efficiency.

I don't notice it so much on the big round baler, but my little old mower only takes a swath 12 feet across. Both the 966 and the 1066 are just too darned big to be "nimble".

The smaller framed tractors are just about right.

Allan

It will give you a new perspective on fuel consumption. When you step up to a parts counter, it can relieve you of thousands within minutes.

We had a 656 Hydro gas, and I can tell you replacing it with our 806 diesel just about cut our fuel bill in half. We also got our 806 cheaper than any 656 or 756 in the area, by a significant margin, and have had it for 10 years now without any significant repairs (knock on wood). I wouldn't hesitate to use it on whatever the 656 was used on. The 966 gets used on the round baler most of the time now, and the 806 gets used on the square baler. They are also both used for cutting.

That being said, a 1066 might be a little bit of a stretch for normal haying, especially if you have an older, lower capacity baler.

Yes, you can talk all you want about 100 hp tractors and high capacity balers, but unless you have a system to take care of bale handling and storage, what good will a 100 hp tractor be. Automatic pickup bale wagons are the only way I can see one could keep up with bale handling. I've never had a bale wagon, neighbor did and it worked well on flat land, but I have seen him uttering a few choice 4 letter words on hills.

Even when I baled with Farmall 300 and NH S-69 with thrower, it took 15 men to handle those bales at storage, and you had to be unloading two wagons at the same time. If you put slide chute on baler and pull wagon it will only add to the labor demand. Dropping the bales on ground will only add more labor.

Nothing wrong with big tractors, but you need the equipment system to make them work. I never had my 1066 hooked to my square baler. I did hook it up to my round baler a few times. I found the 560 or 656 could round bale just as much hay per hour as 1066 and they were doing it on 1.5 gallons of fuel per hour rather than 5 gallons per hour with 1066. Something else I noticed and my baler operation was always done by hired help. There was a lot more hay left on field with 1066 baling, why?, because the tractor was just too big and clumsy for the job.

Boy! That's an awfully big tractor to be putting up small square bales. :>)

Allan