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Thanks for adding that good info. Happy y’all have had great weather for haying! Regional differences in prices are interesting to see. Thanks for sharing, appreciate that.

Thanks for sharing! If you dont mind me asking, what area of the country you from?

Wow, that’s interesting! Thanks for sharing that info!

Thanks for the info from your area. Much appreciated!

Over some time all those amendments and work will indeed show up on the test paperwork. Where you had to have so much topsoil taken off is affecting that? Y’all have sure done a lot of work on your farm, and it shows. Susan says hello to y’all!

@8thdaychronicles yes, where we are rebuilding soil is the troubling area. The 2 acres where the soil was undisturbed is doing great. I didn't test that hay separately, but I think I will for the second cut.

@@tommywise1702 I have no doubt hay from Chigger Hill will land in the “premium” category soon. The amount of sweat equity you guys put into your farm is obvious and admirable.

Here in NW Texas I'm selling my mini rounds at $7 each, my baler is set up to keep them at about 50-55lbs so I can stay on the same level as those selling square bales. Private seller horse hay is running about $10-12 a bale. Upwards of $15 a bale at the feed stores. I have consistent buyers because I only fertilize according to the soil report that I do every spring. And yups, weed killer twice a yr. Most of my buyers feed my hay to their beef cows or sheep or their dairy goats. So they do not want a high content of synthetics in it. I'm going to lime the entire place this winter. The real battle is with the neighbors because they do nothing with their fields and all of that blows over into mine.

@8thdaychronicles we have went from no usable forage to saleable forage in 3 years. Thanks in great part to your videos, hard work, and an understanding wife. I'll bet we are not far from excellent hay in the foreseeable future.

Redlands says this baler bales up to 100 bales per hour. Of course thats all dependent on how thick or thin your hay fields are, etc.

Thank you!

The baler makes a 2’x2’ bale. The baler has different density settings also, light thru heavy. Mine is set on the medium-heavy setting and makes average of 45 lb bale. Thanks for watching!

Never mind…I do not know why I thought you were from Arkansas

That’s ok. One of the posts above says they are from Arkansas.

Thank you kindly! Maybe that brand twine has been around for awhile and I just never noticed or saw it until now, not sure, but I'm happy I found it...so far. Time will tell. My close friend (who is a professional welder/fabricator) that helped me build my drawbar, and I discussed building a few drawbars for sale but ultimately decided against it. Too many risks that some half-baked person might use it wrong, damage something, etc....so we chose to forget that idea. Praying for rain for you guys! Thanks a bunch.

The old-time way of doing things usually works good. Those farmers before us knew what they were doing. I always twist-test several spot before starting the baler too. I’ve found it’s like backing up a little short trailer versus a longer one. If you can back up a 6’ trailer, a 20’ trailer will be a piece of cake. If you can neatly rake a small paddock, a large field is no problem. We’ve been getting showers/rain the last few days and with that, cooler temps. It’s great! Thanks a bundle and we pray you and Mrs Sally have a great day!

No, mine didn’t either. I just looked closely at pictures and looked at a parts diagram on Kowalski website to make sure my assembly was correct. If you are unsure about anything while assembling, contact your dealer and see if he can get you a manual

I’m planning to lime again this winter also. Of course I’ll check with a soil test first, but it’s already on my radar. Thanks a bundle and our best to you and Mrs Sally.

Howdy. I just stick the appropriate length bolt up thru the plate and the spacers and hold it up with one hand line it up and with the other start the bolt. I kinda kick the bolt a bit sideways so the threads hold the spacers until I can get one bolt started. I have used a floor jack too, which is probably easier. If you have to, use a bit of tape like electrical tape to hold the spacers in alignment until you can hand-start the bolt. Once you get one started, the rest is easy. Ive added/taken off spacers multiple times by myself, its not difficult, just take your time, use safe blocks to block it up and even then, dont get nothing but your hand/forearm under those drums, just in case. If it falls somehow, it could be BAD if your torso was under there. And a bit of advice....dont put too many spacers to start with. Add 1-2, cut with it, look at your cut quality, if satisfied, maybe add 2 more, inspect the cut, etc, etc. I feel there is a limit with spacers to getting a good cut depending on how rough your field is and how thick your hay is. Ive heard some guys put alot on at once and find the cut quality dont suit them. Moderation is the key. Heck Ive heard some folks really like the cut at factory setting. Id suggest trying it at stock height one and see what YOU think. You may like it. Everyone likes things a little different. Do what suits YOU. Good luck!

Thanks a bundle for the kind words! Much appreciated and thanks for watching and welcome to our channel!

Thats great! Just "go easy" on the lift kit. Start with 1-2, check cut, add if desired, check cut, once it starts cutting a bit rougher, stop and take whatever spacers you added before the cut quality diminished back off. Too many throw too many spacers on and dont get a real clean cut. Heck you may be just happy as can be with it in the factory cut position....try it first. I lowered my cut height back down quite a bit just after this cut in this video. More to come later on that. Anyhow, good luck! For the money spent they are a good machine. God bless!

@@8thdaychronicles thanks for the advice.

Thanks!

Thanks, Rod. Much appreciated!

Our yield would have been better if we hadnt went thru such a hot, dry spell in June, but what is there is premium hay. Praying we get rains after this is in the barn! Best to you and Mrs. Sally.

Thanks a bundle!

Think about tilting the mower up on the front side. Those drums turn at high speed. When the front tilts up, the trailing side tilts down. Those blades go round and round, not just on the front. Personally, I’ve found if you don’t set a drum mower level and balanced to move with the contours of your field, you won’t get a nice clean of a cut as it’s capable of. So if you ask my opinion, no, tilting to raise cut height is counter-productive.

@@8thdaychronicles what height does yours cut at?

@@christopherpyle3503 I have factory lift spacers installed on mine, currently cutting around 3.5 inches. I may take a couple off in the near future and get it back down to around 3”. My mower is a Kowalski. Although drum mowers operate basically the same, there subtle differences in brands

@@8thdaychronicles thanks for the info. I am looking at a Farm Maxx and a Enrossi. The Farm Maxx has the spacer option. Waiting to hear back from the factory if the Enrossi offers a spacer option.

@@christopherpyle3503 If you go with the spacer kit, dont add 6-8 at a time. Add 1-2 and cut a section and look to see if its cutting to your satisfaction before adding more. Heck cut with it first once without any spacers and inspect the height. What one person deems too low may be acceptable to another. I know several guys that use theirs at factory settings and like it. Some dont. Ive heard of some folks install 6-8 right from the start and complain about the rough cut they got. The condition of your fields, I think, has some bearing on it too. The rougher and bumpier the field, the less spacers (if any) you need to get a nice cut. Good luck!

No idea on an assembly manual. Id suggest contacting the dealer you bought it from and request one. If no luck there contact the manufacturer and ask for one via email. My drum mower and the 165 model could have slight differences in assembly. If no luck with any of that, find an experienced hay farmer in your area and coerce them into stopping by to look at your machine to see if its assembled correctly. Good luck!

Thank you I think the wife and I got it together. The question I have the break away spring how would u know how loose or how tight it should be. The other stupid qquestion We have how much tension should be on the belts the deflection it does not state it anywhere just says tight?? We feel so bad asking all of these questions and sorry we know u are busy. Thank you very much.

@@BertSchmidt-jt5go no problem. Some of this is tough to answer without being there and seeing your individual mower. You will know if you’ve set the break-away spring tension too light. Mine broke away a time or two and I kept increasing tension until it stopped breaking loose at just stuff it should go over. You want it to break away when you hit something hard, immovable, but not at a small bump. I know that probably don’t help much but time mowing with it will teach you better than I can tell you… Hope that makes sense. Push on your drive belts with your fingers…if they deflect more that 1/2 inch or close thereby, tighten them. If you mow thru heavy hay and you hear the mower bog down a tad, tighten the belts a tad at a time until it zips thru heavy hay. Thick hay is usually no match for a drum mower, it shouldn’t even slow it down usually…unless your drive belts start slipping from being too loose. Hope this helps

Glad you learned something, lol!

Thanks but no thanks!

On medium-heavy density bale setting, it’s equilivemt to 1.25 of a standard small square bale. Easier to stack, handle and feed. Horse owners love the size (2x2). 45-50# bale.

On medium-heavy density setting, it’s equal to 1.25 of a standard small square bale.

Thanks.

That sounds great! My baler picks up long stemmy hay no issues and doesn’t seem to cause any problems that I’ve noticed. Thicker and larger the windrows, slower you have to go or you’ll jam it up. I haven’t tested the new to me sisal twine yet so I don’t know how it’s gonna actually work, but all indications point that it should be great. I’m planning on using it for 2nd cut on our test plot hay soon and if it does great, I’ll share that info then. Don’t really wanna put it out there untested. Thanks for watching, appreciated!

Thanks and glad it helps! And thanks for the good suggestion!

Thanks Tom and Mrs Sally! There’s a few different models out there that’s a little different but lots similar. Then there a couple that’s quite different, but a lot of prep things can be applied anyhow. No easy on-off back cover is a bad design in that particular area of the balers, no two ways around it. Hope you guys have had a great 4th holiday!

Ive obviously not weighed the bucket or forks on a scale but just from judging by sliding them around a bit on pallets, the bucket sure feels like it weighs much more. Sure appreciate the comment and watching! Thanks!

@@8thdaychronicles It surprised me that the forks weighed more, too. I do have a crane scale and verified it. My tractor is a branson 2515h which has a very strong front end loader, so the bucket is good build quality(pretty heavy).

@@Jtwizzle Thanks for that good info! I appreciate it much!

I’ll let you try that! LoL.

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing that info!

Feast or famine, LoL. Hope you had a great 1st cut! Thanks a bundle!

@@8thdaychronicles biggest yield we ever had.

Hope you have great luck with the new drum mower! Appreciate the kind words, thanks for watching!

A lot of folks had a great 1st cut, due to all the spring rain. Subsequent cuts due to dry and hot conditions may not be so good.

Thanks!

All the best for your hay crop this year! Most small-scale hay equipment is, while still expensive, affordable IN COMPARISON to larger-scale equipment. Youre exactly right, sometimes $20k for just a baler is difficult to justify on a small farm.

@@stevenrodda6449 Prayers for good weather for your hay crops as well! We have some rain in the forecasts in a few days, let’s hope that happens! Thanks a bundle for watching! We appreciate you!

This was filmed about a week ago as of 7/3. We had a sprinkle of rain a couple days ago, not enough to even settle the dust. I understand totally about seeding. I checked on a 50# bag of Timothy seed about a month ago….$170. How did seed become so expensive? Redicilous. Susan says hi! Same to Mrs Sally, we say hello!

@@stevenrodda6449 thank you kindly! Happy you enjoy the videos and thanks for the nice comment! Best to you!

Thanks a lot!

Thanks a bunch!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks much! Appreciate the nice words!

I'll sure consider it! Thanks for watching!

Thanks a bundle! Sweated like a pig in July sun raking all that hay back up the hill by hand.

Howdy, thanks for watching! Our baler is a Farm Maxx FMRB-330. I still really like our little baler. Ive done a couple modifications such as the twine holder bucket, and the best mod...custom built a drawbar system for it.The Fam Maxx baler is built in India. The Ibex is, ah-hum, China built. Thats a personal opinion that I dont buy CCP China stuff if I can help it. The IHI balers are Japan built. I hear they are great machines.....just expensive in comparison. Personally I dont much like net wrapped hay. Messy removing. and much more expensive than twine. Just opinion, I prefer twine wrap. Your preferences may vary. If I ever bought another 2x2 baler it would be either the Farm Maxx (made by Redlands) or the IHI. If I just had the money to spare and it wasnt any issue, Id sure like to try the IHI. None of them have like local dealerships you can stop at to get it worked on and such. You gotta be a mechanically-minded person to work on most farm machinery....these balers are no different. Good luck!

@8thdaychronicles thank you Sir.

@@richardbennick3120 I re-read my reply and feel I should clarify a bit. The Ibex balers, from my understanding, are China built. However…I know folks that have them and report they are happy with their baler. Not wanting an Ibex due to where it’s built is a personal opinion. All I could ever find the IHI machine in is a net wrap model. Again, just personal preference, I prefer a twine wrap baler. Farm Maxx is a Redlands built baler from India. Unifarm Corp. is at least at my understanding, the importer of the Redlands/Ashlyn Corp machines from India and labels them as “Farm Maxx”. I know of zero USA-built small round balers. I wish there was but if they are, I’ve never found one. I don’t want to seem to bash on anyone with an Ibex baler. Again, I’ve heard good reports from some that have one. It’s just a personal opinion. Just clarification on my above reply.