Newer baler

Tuesday I bought a newer used hay baler.  You know the hassle I had with my very old John Deere 510 baler earlier this year. It is not good to have baler problems with hay down and rain in the forecast.  Earlier this week I saw an ad on Craigslist for a used baler that looked like it would work with my tractor.  I didn't completely trust the info I found on the internet so I doubled checked with the local John Deere dealer concerning this model of baler's PTO requirements.  My tractor has a 65 hp PTO and it seems as if most of the new large balers require at least 75 to 80 hp.  This baler says it only requires 55 hp PTO.

Another nice feature is this baler has both the twine and net wrap options.  I prefer net wrapping large bales.

The baler was located near Ronan, Montana.  67 miles and a drive of 1 hour and 27 minutes away.

Charles, the owner, recently had surgery and his memory wasn't always there.  He believes the baler is 10 years old.  He had checked the baler's monitor and said he had baled less than 1200 bales.  That is not many bales.  He hadn't used the baler since moving to Montana three years ago.

The baler is in very nice condition.  The price of the baler is a little on the higher side for this baler model.  A few thousand more than the highest price for this model of baler sold at some auctions around the U.S. the past few years, but in line with what dealers would ask for a baler like this.

After we went over the baler, engaged in some chit-chat, we agreed on a price.  A little more than I would have liked to pay; a little less than what he wanted.  But who knows when I would again come across a baler that seemed perfect for my tractor.   Time to raid my retirement account again.

I pulled the baler home with my pickup.  The baler is heavy!  It was like I was pulling my stock trailer full of calves. The fastest I drove was a little over 55 mph and that was going downhill.  Usually my highway speed was 45 mph.  I pulled off the highway a few times to let a string of vehicles pass me.  I made it home without any trouble.

Now I need to read the manual and also figure out the baler's monitor.  The baler apparently can be run without the monitor, but using the monitor makes it much easier to operate the baler.

Scenery near Ronan, MT.