[fbinkley]

I'm looking at buying a 348 John Deere or a 1840 Massey ferguson to bale alfalfa. They are same price and probably both do a good job I was just wondering what the pro and cons were for each and what everybody preferred.

 

[wheaty75]

The Hesston inline is way more productive. No bunching and twisting the alfalfa.

 

[SWFarmService]

Hesston hands down only little square to buy

 

[sawyer99]

Well I run NH's since 1975 and 575's since 2006, other local farms I move stacks for run JD 348's. All 3 brands make nice bales to pick with NH bale wagons and all can make poor bales. It all depends on the OPERATORS.

Some are so concerned about what color of baler to run and for me personally the square balers are .... the least of my concerns/problems. When it comes to making large volumes of sm. squares every year for me its the weather!!! Trying to beat thunderstorms and getting the hay in the sheds quick enough is enough to drive a guy mad some summers.

The NH's have proven to be reliable balers for me and seem to be durable machines. Bale shape hasn't been an issue, and to be honest "here" brand of baler don't make a diff. when it comes to selling the hay. It all comes down to quality and hay color.

Some years when selling straw bales I get guys asking what kind of baler do you use as many people make puff balls when it comes to straw bales. Then when they come they say " I've never seen bales like this before". Again I tell them its all on how you set your baler, plus we use #200 knot strength twine.

Actually now come to think of it I took on a new customer a few years back who got hay from a guy with a Hesston inline. First thing she said was boy your baler makes such nice solid bales compared to the last guy we got hay from. I explained to her that again it was how he set/operated his baler ...

Pic is of some straw picked with an old basic NH Super 1049. Note that's the right side of the stack (left side is perfectly straight), 3 bales end to end and most are with in an inch or less in length. That's close enough for me.

 

[onionfarmer]

Hesston balers big and small are second to none

 

[johndeere1]

Not jd!!

Nh and Hesston

 

[4x4ord]

We ran Heston small balers for years. When we replaced them with NH balers I wished we done it 7 years sooner. Both make good bales but we often baled in poor conditions and were constantly plugging the Heston balers up.

 

[sawyer99]

We ran Heston small balers for years. When we replaced them with NH balers I wished we done it 7 years sooner. Both make good bales but we often baled in poor conditions and were constantly plugging the Heston balers up.

Retired farmer I used to get bale for me made the same comment one day. He also baled hay for his neighbor with the Hesston inline. He said the Hesston was good, made nice bales, tied good etc. but he hated unplugging it. Said he had to be careful about not plugging it up in swath piles (going too fast) Now this was 10 years ago the new ones maybe designed differently.

 

[Cyclone85]

The plugging issue that several posters have referred to with Hesston balers was the reason for the changes that went into the 1840.