Old Square Baler prices

In the booming 70's farmers bought lots of square balers it seems. Then in the late 70's early 80's round bales took over and the square balers got parked. Now many of those retiring farmers are having farm auctions and you tend to see them old balers that had lttle use from the 70's to early 80's go for a song. I'm kicking myself I didn't buy a nice old NH278 at an auction last fall I was at. There was only 2 interested me and another fellow. I went up to $1600 on it and let it go. Was worth a lot more for the parts alone. The 5500 hesston round baler went for $200 but the belts were tired. Customer of mine picked up a nice NH320 for $700 4 years ago at a farm auction. I guess he was the only one who was looking for a sqaure baler that day.

I also paid $400 for super 67 5 years ago. Worn out then, probably is a parts baler, but I've made it work. I'm in central Indiana.

Paid $1600 for it. Runs great. I'm in upstate New York.

At one time I was looking for something to use for pine needle mulch (pine straw) and avg. machine was $1000 for a rig that needed lots of work. Good functioning machines run $1800 and up. Most of them were just parked and robbed of parts for others still using square bales.

Toyed off and on of doing some small bales for the horsey crowd but work commitments always seem to interfere.

FWIW

At one time I was looking for something to use for pine needle mulch (pine straw) and avg. machine was $1000. Most of them were just parked and robbed of parts for others still using square bales.

Toyed off and on of doing some small bales for the horsey crowd but work commitments always seem to interfere.

FWIW

Bobg

1st location. If you�re out in the middle of farm country and your neighbors talk in sections (not acres) you will probably pick up a good small square for next to nothing. But take a junk baler to an area outside of populated rural American where 10 acres qualify for subsidies, and it'll fetch quite a bit more. I live in northern Ohio. Literally on the line between over populated rural and some really nice farming communities. If I go north I can expect double the price than if I go south.

2nd Name. Put JD or NH in front of the model number and you can expect to tripple/quad-tripple the price. I have seen junk NH baler with grass growing in bale chamber, missing knotter parts baler fetch $800. JD14 (it was in good shape) do $2000. Take a decent case, ford, IH, or AC - $2-400 tops. Currently run a ford that will bale 200 and hour and not miss a tie. I paid $85 bucks for it. The run down NH sixty something sitting next to it with a knotter missing, brought over $600. Bought a second ford for $130 for parts (it works as well) So a working baler and all necessary parts sitting in the barn for less than $250. Other than usual maintenance and adjustments I haven't had to do anything to them. BTW to date that little baler has produce something like 5000 bales for me (1.7 cents per bale).

On recent dealer visits, I looked over the inventory of bailers just to see.

NH 268, needs lot's-o work ?parts machine maybe - $1200
MF124, b-e-a-utyfull baler well cared for $1950
NH310, quote "working" but serious problems - $1900
NH315, looks as bad as the 268 but (again) "working" - $3500
JD328, Decent working machine - $6000

Had I been in the market I bought the case in a heart beat.

A friend gave 1000$ for a Massey Ferguson 228 last year (wide pickup) that didn't run so hot and has 5 lbs of welding rods into it.

A JD 14T in running condition fetches 700$ or so. Dealers think the balers are gold, they sell em high or part them out. Old IH balers and such they wany 1200$ and higher for and you look at the things sunk into the ground, 5 years with the knotters out in the rain.