Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
of fence posts in your future, it would pay to purchase a posthole digger for your tractor
($350-$500). Otherwise, it would be more economically sound to hire someone to dig the
holes for you ($1-$5 per hole). Or you can dig the holes by hand using a hand posthole
digger. You'll need one of these hand tools anyway to clean loose dirt out of the drilled
holes.
FLATBED TRAILER
Choose a utility trailer that you can use with your tractor and your pickup. A common size
is 16 feet long and 6½ feet wide with tandem axles. The weight limit on such a trailer is
7000 pounds, so if you wish to use it to haul hay, you can transport 3 to 4 tons at a time. A
flatbed trailer is handy to move panels, gates, and posts around the farm with a tractor.
HAY BALER
A baler is an implement that can collect, compress, and tie wire or string around grasses, al-
falfa, or straw. Balers have a pickup trough to bring up the grasses into an auger that moves
them into position to be pressed by a piston. When the pressed grass reaches a configurable
length, a mechanism is tripped to cause the string to be tied and cut. The bale is then ejec-
ted and a new one is started.
A hay baler, along with a mower, rake, field wagon, and other hay-making equipment,
could run you $20,000. Add to this the cost of gas, baling twine, and your time. Unless you
are putting up hay on at least 40 acres and enjoy doing it, it might be better to hire a custom
baler to work your fields for you. You might get a quote of something like $1.50 per bale,
or the farmer might offer to bale your hay on shares. Sharecropping usually involves you
supplying the field of hay; the custom farmer supplying the equipment, supplies, and labor;
and the two of you splitting the crop (percentage varies widely).
