Hay Equipment: Balers & Rakes in Brenham, TX

Putting up hay takes more than one machine. You cut it, rake it, then bale it. Our Vermeer balers and rakes at Navasota cover the raking and baling part of that job. A rake gathers cut hay into a clean windrow. A round baler picks that windrow up and rolls it into a bale you can move and store. Need something for the cutting side too? Call the store and ask. Every hay operation's different. Browse our implements on j5tractors.com to see what's listed, since the lot changes.

Rake at the right moisture and keep the windrow even. Raking hay that's too dry knocks the leaves off, and leaves carry most of the feed value. Raking it too wet leaves damp hay in the windrow. Set the rake so the teeth skim the hay and don't dig dirt into it. That's the big one. An even windrow, sized to the baler's pickup, feeds a tighter, more uniform bale. Keep your tractor tires off the windrow when you can. On Brenham clay, a dusty or muddy bale is mostly a raking problem.

A hay rake and a round baler do two different jobs, and you'll usually want both. The rake comes behind the cutter and gathers hay into a windrow. It lines the hay up so the baler can pick it up clean. The baler then rolls that windrow into a round bale you can move with a bale spear. They work as a pair. Skip the rake, and a baler won't pick up scattered hay as clean. Run them together and the job goes smoother, from windrow to wrapped bale. We carry both at Navasota.

Round balers cover most hay operations, but they're not the only option out there. A square baler is the other choice, depending on how you store and move bales afterward. A round baler rolls hay into a bale you can move with a spear and store outside. That covers a lot of ground. It works from a small acreage place to a bigger cattle and hay operation, or more. Vermeer round balers and rakes are our hay line at Navasota. If you're weighing options for your place, talk it through with our Navasota store.

Line up your hay equipment before first cutting in late spring. Hay won't wait. Getting it sorted early beats scrambling once the grass is already cut. Vermeer balers and rakes cover the work from first cutting through the second and third cuttings that follow in summer. Demand doesn't stop there. Give us a call ahead of first cutting to see what's available, or look over the inventory anytime. The lot changes through the season, so it pays to check early.