Hay Balers and Rakes in Hempstead, TX

A round baler rolls hay into round bales. They shed rain well sitting in a field. A square baler presses hay into rectangular bales instead. Those stack tighter in a barn or on a trailer. Round bales suit pasture feeding. They also work well on bigger hay fields, since one bale holds a lot of hay and a tractor with a spear or forks can move it. Square bales take more handling by hand, but they store well where barn space is tight. It's worth asking the store which fits your hay. Browse our implements online, or call the store to ask more.

Feed the baler an even windrow at a steady speed. A windrow that's about as wide as the pickup fills the chamber evenly. A narrow one doesn't. If your windrows run narrow, weave gently from side to side so hay feeds both ends of the chamber. Otherwise you'll get a bale that's fat in the middle. Watch the moisture too. Hay that's too wet won't keep, and hay that's too dry sheds leaves. Keep the rake teeth out of the dirt. On Waller County ground, that keeps mud out of the bale.

A hay rake gathers cut hay into a windrow so a baler can pick it up evenly. Without raking, cut hay dries unevenly and clumps in the field. A wheel rake uses a row of spinning wheels to roll hay into a row. It works well on flatter ground. A rotary rake lifts and turns hay with tines, which can fluff a windrow and help it dry evenly in damp years. It's worth matching the rake to your field shape and how much hay you're moving each cutting. We carry Vermeer rakes at Navasota. The lot changes, so ask what's there.

You can buy a baler and a rake separately, picking each one to match your cutting. We carry both at our Navasota store. Buying them together just means fewer trips back and forth. You might start with a rake if you're already baling with older gear, then add a baler later. Or you can replace both at once when you add acreage or move into hay for the first time. That part's simple. Ask the store about specific models. Know your tractor's PTO and hydraulic setup when you ask.

Buy your baler or rake before first cutting, not after hay's already down in the field. Waiting until the last minute leaves less time to compare rakes and balers side by side. Shopping ahead gives you room to check hitch and PTO fit against your tractor. You can also think through working widths for your fields. Hay season across Waller County usually picks up through late spring and summer, so interest in balers and rakes rises then too. Getting ahead of that keeps more options open, since the lot changes. Stop by before you're deep into cutting season.