Hay Equipment: Balers & Rakes in Silsbee, TX

An even, fluffy row about as wide as the baler's pickup. When the windrow is even, the baler feeds steadily and builds a uniform bale. A row that's lumpy or too narrow makes a bale with soft spots or a lopsided shape. Rake gently, so you don't roll the hay into a rope or pick up dirt. Set the rake's height so the tines lift hay without digging. Over Hardin County's sandy loam, a rake set too low drags soil into the bale. You'll see it when you feed.

It depends on the hay, but many hay crops rake best with a little moisture still on them. Raking very dry hay knocks leaves off, and the leaves hold much of the feed value. Raking hay that's wet slows its drying. So you're looking for the window in between. Legume hay is the most leaf-sensitive, and native legumes thrive in Hardin County along with grasses. Grass hay is more forgiving. Check the hay by hand, and rake when it bends without snapping.

It rakes hay with a pair of rotating baskets, moving the crop gently into a fluffy windrow. Vermeer builds twin basket rakes, along with wheel rakes and rotary rakes, so you've got a range to compare. Each style handles hay a little differently. Which suits you depends on your tractor, your hay and the size of your fields. Seeing them in person helps. Ask at our Buna store what's there today, since the lot changes. Then you can compare the styles side by side and see how each one is set up.

Shut it all off before you clear anything. A baler's pickup, belts and rollers can pull in a hand or a sleeve faster than you can let go. Disengage the PTO, shut off the tractor and take the key before you clear a plug or reach in. Keep the shields in place. Never step over a turning PTO shaft. Keep other people clear while it runs, and keep children off the equipment. Your baler's operator's manual has its full safety section, so read it before your first bale.

Ahead of first cutting, while you still have time to compare. First cutting is when hay tools see the most demand. Looking early gives you a chance to stand a Vermeer and a Krone side by side at our Buna store. You can learn the controls and set the machine up before the hay is down. Later cuttings come through the season too, so the same tools stay busy. Browse our implements on j5tractors.com first, then make the run up U.S. 96.