Need Help Hay baler

Jeddiah · Mar 13, 2012

Got my ford NAA up and running have a few hay balers offered to me and not sour what to use

1 John Deere T14

2 John Deere T24

3 Ford 532

4Hayliner 68

i know i have a small PTO HP but i am trying to use what i got till i get some funding to get better equipment
have Two 5 acker fields that can be come a good hay possibility

Anonymous-0 · Mar 13, 2012

I did everything 2 years with my 24HP (when it was new) IHC diesel....
and a baler comparable to the t24. Not the fastest but did fine. Biggest problem was the baler weighed more than the tractor by a couple pounds and downhill was a little puckery.... You'll want an overrunning clutch adapter on the PTO (I did the 1st year without and the second with, best 50 bucks I ever spent)....... Have the next generation and 42hp this year so shouldn't be so much strain. If your fields are semi flat, you should be fine. I didn't pull a wagon behind my baler tho.... I'd pick the best condition deal from what you mentioned (balers) and go with it. Then you won't be asking later if you get a bigger tractor if your should get a bigger baler. If I hadn't have got such a good deal on my "new" tractor, I would have kept/used my little one still. BIGGEST improvement was the overrunning clutch adapter.

Good Luck.

Dave

Bret4207 · Mar 13, 2012

I don't know about the Ford as far as parts go. The JD and NH you can still get about everything for and there are scads of parts machines in fence rows across the country. I still use a 68 and 14T. The 68 will handle a bit more hay in a day IMO. The JD makes a slightly "squarer" bale, but is more prone to varying lengths. The 68 is slightly more prone to "banana bales" but rarely varies in length. The 24T is newer than the 14T.

It's a toss up. What dealer that is willing to work with a small timer do you have locally? That might be the deciding factor.

DeltaRed · Mar 13, 2012

IMHO,the Ford is probably the best and newest.But
the parts issue will be a real problem-lots of them
are NLA.I would rather have a wornout JD than a
slightly used NH(I,ve owned several NH balers).What
about a small massey,they were good machines.

DeltaRed · Mar 13, 2012

I always used to say "You can't run fast enough to GIVE me a NH baler". I still feel that way.

DeltaRed · Mar 13, 2012

I always used to say "You can't run fast enough to GIVE me a NH baler". I still feel that way.

paul · Mar 13, 2012

In that era, NH balers outsold everything else.

The 2 JD models you list were also good.

No other color of baler was at all popular, and don't have any kind of parts support.

I'd look for a NH 69 or newer model NH baler. The 69 through 271 are all very similar, good solid older lower power balers that put out 100's of thousands of bales with no trouble.

Of those you list, boy. Guess I'd look the newer JD over pretty close. Not really familiar with the NH 68 to be honest, that sounds like a little older design? Really between the JD & NH machines it comes down to the one in better shape.

I'm a blue guy, love Ford tractors. I'd stay away from the Ford baler just because here anyhow, I'd be the only one who owns one and couldn't find parts anywhere. NH and JD figuered out knotters first, got them to work right first, and that's really what a baler is all about - getting the 2 knots right 998 out of 1000 bales.... Less than that is a waste of time and effort.

--->Paul

mkirsch · Mar 13, 2012

If you're dropping the bales on the ground, you don't need much HP to run the baler. Pulling a wagon, hopefully your fields are flat.

There should be an overrunning clutch on the flywheel, so none is needed on the tractor.

Ford baler is an orphan. Get whichever of the other three is in the best shape for the money.

I prefer NH balers, myself. Grew up with IH balers which were horrible for tying.

Doug in IL · Mar 13, 2012

I"d buy which ever of the John Deere"s was in the best condition. Those are the only real choices on your list.

JDseller · Mar 13, 2012

The JD and NH balers would be fine. Like someone else posted a MF baler is not bad either. The cheapest and most plentiful parts will be for the NH. There are several models that are all about the same so parts are easier for them. With the NH you will need an over running clutch on your Ford NAA unless you have live PTO. The two JD have it built in in the drive line. With out an over running clutch the baler flywheel will keep pushing your tractor along after you have pushed in the clutch if you don't have a live PTO.

paul · Mar 13, 2012

I'm in the land of the 40 head dairy farms onf the 1950s and 60s, you see about 8 old NH balers of that era compared to any other. Probably see an equal number of JD & International after that.

NH earned it's reputation as a dependable, bullet proof baler around here in the old days. They had a few oddball models, and any one machine can be a lemon of any color, but I'm surprised by your views, you are one of the very few that doesn't go red & yellow for a baler.

--->Paul

IAJosh84 · Mar 13, 2012

Look the NH and the JD's over close. They are the best options.
Pleanty of parts available. Had a 14t when I was growing up and it
never would tie a good bale, could have been just that baler
though, some people swear by them. Have a NH 269 right now
which is newer than a 68 but I believe the knotters are the same.
From my experience NH balers like to be fed a lot of hay and make
good bales if you do so. Whatever baler you get make sure you go
get a owners manual for it. And post some pictures of when you're
baling this summer. Love to see older tractors and balers at work.

David from Kansas · Mar 13, 2012

The 24T will have more capacity than the 14T, but probably not an issue until you get more HP. The 214T was the heavy model of the 14T and also a good baler. I know cost might be a limiting factor, but the 300 series JDs were a much improved baler and very popular around here, though not many small balers being used. My son has a 348 with an accumulator and it is a great baler.

olliekid · Mar 13, 2012

around here just about all the older balers and newer ones actually,
are new holland. We use a 268 baler and we havent had many
problems. Personally, I'd go with the NH. It is easy to get parts for.

I dont know much about any of the others tho.

donjr · Mar 13, 2012

Around this area, the NH is generally considered the top baler, but I have an old 14t, and it does just fine as long as I don't try to force it. It's a 14 x 18 bale, wnere a 24t is a 16 x 18 bale and a little faster. The biggest problem I have with NH is parts- thay're now CNH and the prices have gone crazy. Someone closer to the top thinks everyone who buys parts must work for the government, because the parts prices are sky high. But, stick with the JD or NH- parts are readily available for both.

old · Mar 13, 2012

With that NAA you will have problems with any of those unless they have there own engines. Yes an NAA will have just enough HP to run any of them but the lack of Live PTO will get you in the end BTDT with my 841 which is just a big brother of the NAA and the lack of live PTO did and will cause problems.
As for which baler I would go with the NH. I have not ever had the ford but know parts can be hard to come by. I have had the JEDs and they are ok but by far the NH is the caddy of balers and have one I use now and found it to be much easier to use then the JDs where

gitrib · Mar 13, 2012

We have a NH 68 and a JD model 50. We bale 20 acrs of heavy Alfalfa ever year.Don't bo as fast as hot shot neighbor but have good hay baled at the right time.gitrib

Anonymous-0 · Mar 13, 2012

Do any of the JD or NH balers have kickers? On the JD balers of that vintage a mechanical kicker was an option. You do not want one! The 24T could be fitted with a #30 hydraulic kicker and they are pretty good. The NH belt throwers are not as good as the JD hydraulic kickers. If you are using a chute to a wagon or dropping on the ground the choice comes down to the NH or 24T. The 24T can be fitted with bill hooks to use plastic twine. the NH balers are said to do a better job with straw.

JayinNY · Mar 13, 2012

I guess which ever one works the best, you have to start
somewhere. In 1989 the farm I started working on had a old
Ford, that thing would tie one bale them miss the next 20,
finally they traded it for a brand new JD 327. 3 years later
that got repoed.. Then they got a used JD 336 w thrower, that
was a great baler, they almost went bankrupt again so they
sold it. I bought a IH 37. to get started in haying, got me
threw the summer but it was a pos. Next I bought a JD 346 w
thrower, that too is a great baler, I wouldn't want anything
else. Good luck to you,

JayinNY · Mar 13, 2012

I don't know about NH being cheaper for parts. My friend broke the arms for the pan thrower on his NH. Went to NH to get replacement, and found out they were more than Deere was selling them for. So now he has green arms on his red NH baler. The JDs and NH balers have the same kind of pan thrower there interchangeable.

oldtanker · Mar 13, 2012

I've got a super 68 NH. Got it cheap and it makes good bales and with the right kinda twine in it don't miss many knots. It is a heavy SOB. I could run it with an NAA but I would not pull a wagon at the same time. BIL has had a JD 14t and 24t and both were good balers. Last year he got a 300 series JD with a kicker.

Rick

wisbaker · Mar 13, 2012

We had a 24T that wasn't that old when we got it,
it had issues-the knotters every now and then
would decide to tie out of time to the plunger. We
bought it from the local NH dealer, they couldn't
fix it, they even had a guy from a JD shop look at
it and they couldn't figure it out. What ever it
was must of been catching 'cause about 4 years
latter the neighbors 24T started doing the same
thing. Learned real quick to check that the
plunger stop was working at each greasing interval
needles make real bad sounds when the plunger
takes them out.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 13, 2012

I use to run 24T's with a 65hp JD 2440 pulling a 16' wagon on flat ground. The wagon takes at least half the tractor power, but the baler occilation will push a smaller tractor around like a tail wagging the dog.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 13, 2012

Wow, never heard that before about the NH thrower being inferior. The hydraulic driven thrower on my 575 makes a JD kicker look like something the Amish should be using. I never knew baling hay could go so smoothly until I replaced my 24T with a NH 268 but that was thirty-some years ago. Nothing but NH since.

shaun wallace · Mar 13, 2012

There is a lot of newer balers than those. They all pushing 50 years old. In my part of Tx these were all scrapped 30+ years ago when big round balers caught on.

Jeddiah · Mar 13, 2012

Thank you all looks like i have a small er choice list

my friend sent the ford to the scrap Heep

an the 24 t got hit by a tree in the wind storm i think i am going to go with John Deere or the NH
i would like to find one with a motor on it any ideas or can i put one on.

The few that i was looking at have no hydrolics or kickers an i plan to pick up the hay with the truck after word
what would one of these balers be worth to day
Jed

JDseller · Mar 13, 2012

Jay you are right on the pan thrower. JD builds that in Ottumwa,Ia. They sold it to NH for just a few years. It would only make sence that JD would be cheaper on anything related to the thrower.

I was meaning the knotter related parts. The needles and needle frame all together are about three hundred dollars cheaper for the NH over the JD. Plus I have had much better luck finding used NH baler parts. There just where more of them sold.

JDseller · Mar 13, 2012

Yes sir that NH belt thrower will throw every bit of hay out of the baler. Now if you want it in the wagon with the strings still on then that is a different story.

In thin hay that belt thrower will burn the strings in two before you get a bale done. Also the belt drive on the older ones is a nightmare to keep going. The newer hydraulic driven thrower was a step up but it still will damage the strings in light hay.

Now I am not knocking the baler just the thrower. I have owned more NH balers than JD. I own three NH 276 balers right now for my personal use. We either load behind the baler or drop them on the ground and use a bale wagon. I really don't like any hay that has been thrown into a wagon. It will result in a bunch of twisted crooked bales. We used to sell a lot of the real good hay to horse people they would comment how much nicer the bales looked than the one they saw at a lot of places.

showcrop · Mar 14, 2012

Look for rust in the bale chamber especially under the knotters.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 14, 2012

Wow again. Over the years and hundreds of thousands of bales, I can't recall ever smoking the strings even in the thinnest hay on the drought years. Sorry but no inherent design flaw with a NH thrower.

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