In this month’s blog, let’s take a deeper look at the foundation of what we here at Tractor Tools Direct are proud to do each day – make haying independence a reality for our customers.

What is haying independence?

Haying independence is the goal of many small-farm operators. It’s the ability to make a farm fully sustainable by growing and harvesting your own forage for your own animals.

Why is haying independence important?

Many small-farm operators are tired of paying high prices for hay. They are often disappointed by the quality of hay available on the markets, or they are fed up with the contract hay baler who doesn’t think their field is a priority. Too often these scenarios result in hay that is both high priced and of poor quality.

Who can achieve haying independence?

Anyone with a compact tractor. Yes, you heard that right...anyone with a compact tractor...and the hay baling equipment to fit it. Tractor Tools Direct has everything you need and more.

What equipment do I need?

To bale your own hay, you need a tractor - any size will do as long as it has a 3-point hitch PTO. Then you’ll need a hay mower, rake, and baler sized for that tractor. Tractor Tools Direct is proud to offer hay baling packages that include these implements, in a size that will fit your tractor, regardless of how small. If you need a primer on hay baling equipment, our Buyer’s Guide can bring you up to speed.

Is the equipment easy to use and maintain?

Yes! Tractor Tools Direct sells only heavy-duty and durable equipment. Implements come with warranties and user manuals. Our website is loaded with informative brochures, videos, and blogs to help our customers set-up, operate, service, and maintain their purchased equipment themselves--enabling even further independence! We even have a service team ready to answer your phone calls--just call us from the field if you need to troubleshoot!

This all sounds great! How can I bring haying independence to my small farm?

That’s probably the easiest part of all! Simply check out the rest of our website to see what we have to offer. And by “check out”, we mean that literally! All of our products can be purchased online safely and securely. But that doesn’t mean you can’t talk to a real person! Members of our team are ready to assist you by phone during regular business hours. Just call 260-BALE-HAY today!

Well, what about the “bring” part of my last question? How do I get my purchase home?

At Tractor Tools Direct, every item we sell can be shipped directly to your door. We do everything we can to make the delivery process as simple and trouble-free as possible. If you prefer and your location allows, you can also pick up your purchase straight from our warehouse in Indiana. Just don't forget your trailer!

But what if I need parts? Baling supplies?

Don’t worry, we wouldn’t leave you in the lurch like that! Tractor Tools Direct sells parts and supplies for every piece of equipment we sell. From mower blades, to baler tines, from twine to net wrap--we’ve got you covered (pun intended!). All parts and supplies are shipped directly to your door.

I have never baled hay before. How can I learn more about the hay-baling process?

You aren’t alone! A lot of our customers are new to this too, and we have just the resource to help! TTD’s content writer and blogger has written a book that guides a reader through the process of assessing a farm’s forage needs, selecting equipment, following the baling process, and feeding hay. Check it out here!

Haying independence never seemed so easy! What if I have more questions?

As stated above, check out more of our website where you are sure to find the answers to most, if not all, of your questions. If you want to talk to a member of our team, call 260-BALE HAY. We do not work on commission, so don’t worry about high-pressure sales tactics. We love what we do and are proud of what we sell, so talking about it makes our day!

"You can bale when your pasture is at its nutritional peak—not when the farmer down the road gets around to it."

Do you operate a small farm? Do you own a little livestock and a few acres of hay pasture? Are you tired of waiting until the farmer down the road gets around to baling your hay—usually long after it has reached its nutritional peak? Then maybe it’s time for you to make the jump to haying independence. Fortunately, we at Tractor Tools Direct have developed a line of compact hay equipment that can help you do just that—and at a price that won’t break the bank!

Our company operates under the motto that “compact tractors do real work too”. We take pride in supporting the small farm operator who gets laughed out of the coffee shop for suggesting that his or her compact tractor can bale hay. That’s why we have partnered with manufacturers world wide to design machines that are ideally suited to small farm haying operations.

After much research and collaboration, we have done just that! We at Tractor Tools Direct are proud to offer our customers the Ibex TX Hobby Hay Package. This entire line of products—mower, rake and baler–has been specifically developed for the small farm operator on a small farm budget.

This package includes the Ibex TX45 Compact Drum Mower, the Ibex TX78 Mini Belt Rake, and the Ibex TX31 Mini Round Baler. All three implements are designed for the small farmer operating a compact tractor with a minimum 20 HP and wishing to bale up to 1,000 bales per year.

What are the Benefits of Baling Your Own Hay?

There are several reasons why a small-farm operator might want to consider baling his or her own hay. Of course, there is always the satisfaction of putting in a hard day’s work in the hayfield, but there are also other factors to consider. Some of these are:

• You can control the content of the bale. There is no question as to the nutritional value and cleanliness of the bale. You baled it, you know.
• You can bale when your pasture is at its nutritional peak—not when the farmer down the road gets around to it. Most contract balers bale too late opting for larger yields rather than quality yields. Simply put, your small acreage is of low priority to a contract baler.
• Owning your own compact hay equipment that is suited to the small size of your farm puts more of your acreage into production. Pastures and paddocks that are too small for standard hay equipment will no longer sit idle.
• You can control the size and density of your bales so that they work for you.
• You will not be at the mercy of supply and demand. You will be your own hay source.
• You can sell a little on the side. There is always a market for high quality hay!

Learn More About the Ibex TX Hobby Hay Package

"Pastures and paddocks that are too small for standard hay equipment will no longer sit idle."

The Ibex TX45 Compact Drum Mower

The Ibex TX45 Compact Drum Mower is perfectly suited for the small-framed tractors which are so popular with today’s landowner. Designed specifically for the lighter weight, narrower width, and smaller 3-point hitch of subcompact and compact tractors, the Ibex TX45 will cut faster and with fewer problems than other mowers on the market.

The manufacturer of Ibex Drum Mowers, situated in the Italian province of Padova, has been fabricating drum mowers for over 20 years. They have a proven design that has demonstrated its durability through years of use. Every drum is factory tested to be dynamically balanced, reducing vibration and prolonging machine life. Because of this exceptional attention to detail, the Ibex TX45 Compact Drum Mower is a high-quality machine that will give you years of trouble-free performance.

The Ibex TX78 Mini Belt Rake

The Ibex TX78 Compact Belt Rake is a great choice for hobby farmers and those wanting to gather hay with very small tractors. It has an adjustable raking width from 5 to 6 ½ feet and requires very little horsepower to operate. With its light weight and compact design, this rake is a perfect fit for subcompacts like the Kubota BX series and John Deere 1 Series and pairs well with our Ibex TX31 Mini Round Baler. Furthermore, the Ibex TX78 saves space in the barn and money in your wallet by taking the place of two implements, easily converting to a tedder with the simple removal of the hay stop.

The manufacturer of Ibex belt rakes, situated in the Italian province of Padova, has been fabricating belt rakes for over 40 years. They have a proven design that has demonstrated its durability and efficiency through years of use.

As a quality machine and the most affordable in the industry, the Ibex TX31 finally makes haymaking independence possible for the hobby farmer. The Ibex Mini Round Baler is the simplest, easiest to use mechanical baler on the market today and is as close as you can get to a “plug and play” baler. With the ability to produce 90 bales per hour, it’s perfect for small operations of 5-20 acres.

The Ibex TX31 Mini Round Baler

The Ibex TX31 produces a baler that is 28 inches long and 20 inches in diameter, making it easy to handle by hand. An average bale will weigh about 40 pounds, but this weight can be adjusted with the baler’s density setting. Bales stack neatly and compactly in the barn in a honeycomb pattern, reducing the risk of the stack toppling over.

The Ibex TX31 connects to the tractor’s 3-point hitch which allows for easy maneuverability in tight fields and paddocks. Its light weight, compared to square balers and large round balers, also enables safer operation on sloping ground. Furthermore, its small size means it can be easily stored in the corner of the barn or shed.

The Ibex TX31’s hydraulics are completely self-contained, meaning no messy hydraulic connections to deal with. It uses standard, inexpensive baler twine, either plastic or natural fiber, and can be run with any tractor of 15 horsepower or more. This baler is manufactured in China under the watchful eye of Ibex Equipment and, at the right size and the right price, allows more customers to take control of their own hay production.

Have questions?

Visit our website here or give us a call at 1-260-BALE-HAY(260-225-3429). Our team is always happy to answer your questions to help you determine the equipment that would best meet your small farm’s needs! Make haying independence a reality today!

At Tractor Tools Direct, we are committed to helping small farm operations achieve haying independence. Our extensive range of commercial-grade, high-quality implements for compact tractors is designed to make hay production not only feasible but also efficient for small-acreage farmers. In this blog post, we’ll explore why it’s a smart move for small farmers to start baling their own hay, empowering them to take control of their haying operations and improve their farm productivity.  

Hay Quality: Full Control Over What You Feed Your Livestock

One of the main reasons livestock owners opt to bale their own hay is the ability to control the quality of the hay they produce. When purchasing hay from outside sources, farmers have no say in the conditions under which the hay is grown or harvested. With home-grown hay, you can closely monitor and adjust the growing and baling processes to ensure your animals receive the best possible nutrition. This means no more worrying about receiving subpar hay, as you can take direct action to preserve its quality, ensuring your livestock stays healthy and strong year-round.

Navigating Price Fluctuations: Avoiding the Stress of Market Variability

Hay prices can fluctuate dramatically throughout the year, primarily driven by seasonal supply and demand changes. Weather events, such as droughts or excessive rain, can heavily influence the availability and cost of hay. By baling your own hay, you mitigate some of the uncertainty that comes with relying on the hay market. The ability to produce your own hay enables you to avoid the price volatility that often makes budgeting for hay a challenge. With your own hay production system in place, you’ll have a more predictable and stable expense for your livestock feed, allowing you to better manage your farm’s financial health.

Reducing Dependence on Outside Contractors: Prioritize Your Needs

For many small farmers, relying on contract balers to handle hay production is common practice. However, there can be times when these contractors do not treat your fields with the urgency they deserve. You may find yourself at the back of the line, waiting for your turn, which could result in hay being baled too late, after its nutritional value has already peaked. This dependence on outside services can be frustrating and lead to missed opportunities to optimize hay production. By making the decision to bale your own hay, you can eliminate this potential bottleneck and prioritize your fields, ensuring timely, high-quality harvests.

Increased Productivity: Compact Equipment Provides Efficiency

Every acre counts for small farm operators, especially when maximizing productivity is key to success. Standard haying equipment may be too large and inefficient for small, irregularly shaped fields that have obstacles like fences, buildings, or ponds. Compact tractors with specialized haying implements make it possible to bale these smaller, more difficult-to-reach paddocks that would otherwise go unused. With equipment tailored for compact tractors, you can increase the productivity of every inch of your farm and ensure that all available land is contributing to your farm's output.

Self-Sufficiency: Take Charge of Your Haying Process

Many small farmers take great pride in their self-sufficiency and their ability to manage all aspects of their farm. Baling your own hay is a natural extension of this pride. It allows you to take full control over the production process, reducing reliance on third-party suppliers and contractors. By investing in equipment like the Ibex TX31 Mini Round Baler with Twine Wrap, farmers can bale hay quickly and efficiently, without needing to depend on external services. This greater independence provides a sense of accomplishment and security, ensuring that your farm’s hay needs are always met, no matter what.

Side Income Opportunity: Balancing Your Budget with Extra Revenue

Baling your own hay also opens the door to additional revenue streams. Once you have the ability to bale hay for your own livestock, you may find opportunities to sell any surplus or even offer baling services to others in your area. The market for high-quality hay is always in demand, and whether you’re selling a bit of your own surplus or taking on custom baling work for other small farms, this can create a valuable side income. These additional earnings can offset the costs of hay production on your farm, ultimately improving your bottom line and helping you expand your farming operations.

Customized Hay Blends: Prioritize Livestock Health

Different types of livestock have varying nutritional needs, and the right hay mixture can play a pivotal role in keeping your animals healthy. By baling your own hay, you gain the ability to customize the blend of grasses, legumes, and other plants used in your hay production to meet the specific requirements of your livestock. Whether you are raising cattle, horses, goats, or any other animals, being able to control the content of your hay allows you to tailor it to their health and well-being. This kind of customization can be especially important for optimizing animal performance and reducing the risk of nutritional imbalances.

Satisfaction: Hard Work and Self-Reliance

While baling hay is undoubtedly hard work, it offers a sense of pride and accomplishment that is hard to beat. There is something deeply fulfilling about working the land and providing for your livestock with your own hands. Taking control of your hay production means you can look out at your fields and feel a sense of satisfaction knowing that all the hard work that went into growing and baling the hay will directly benefit your animals. This self-reliance and the tangible results it provides can be incredibly rewarding, boosting the overall satisfaction you get from your farming lifestyle.

Conclusion: Take the Leap Into Haying Independence

The benefits of baling your own hay are clear: better quality control, financial savings, and the freedom to manage your farm on your terms. Whether you're looking to optimize the use of your land, reduce costs, or increase your independence, producing your own hay is a smart and rewarding choice for small-acreage farmers.

If you’re ready to take the next step in improving your farm's productivity and efficiency, Tractor Tools Direct is here to help. Explore our multi-implement hay package deals and start your haying journey today. For more information or assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 260-BALE-HAY. We're here to help you succeed in your haying operations and support your farming goals.

“It is darn near impossible to find a contract baler to bale my hay!” Yep! It’s a story that’s being relayed to us all too often by those calling into the customer service department here at Tractor Tools Direct. Our Chief Operating Officer, Jason, recently came across a news story sharing this same sentiment. We thought we should address and further discuss it here in our blog.

The news story, out of Star, Idaho, (see link here) tells of a small-farm couple who have had to resort to mowing down and abandoning their hay pastures and, instead, are buying feed for their horses. They are finding that the local farmers upon whom they have relied to bale their fields in the past, are no longer interested. Some reasons the article gave for this loss of interest are:

• the advancing age of the contract balers in their area
• the risk of damage to these contractors’ equipment
• the cost of travel to and from these smaller farms
• the lack of younger people with the ability or know-how to do the work

This is exactly where we at Tractor Tools Direct come in. Our specialty is bringing haying independence to small-farm operations–making them more self-sufficient and less reliant on others for the hay needed to feed their animals. Our lines of commercial-duty, high-quality implements for compact tractors make hay production possible on small-acreage farms. The following are just a few reasons why so many of our customers have jumped to making their own hay:

Hay Quality

Livestock owners who purchase hay from others can’t control the quality of the hay available. When you make your own hay, you always know its quality and can monitor and adjust it as necessary. You can also control the type of bale you produce be that square bales or round bales.

Variable Price

Hay prices vary by season depending upon the supply and demand of the market. Weather is probably the most notable driving force of this market. Baling your own hay takes some of the unknown out of the hay budget.

Independence

Many small-farm operators are dependent upon contract balers for hay baling, and there can be times when the contractor does not make it the priority it needs to be. Your small fields may be last in line resulting in hay that is baled past its nutritional peak.

Productivity

Small-farm operators know the importance of bringing every available acre into production. Using implements specifically designed for compact tractors allows you to bale small, irregularly shaped paddocks around buildings, fences, and ponds that can’t be reached with standard equipment.

Self-Sufficiency

Many small-farm operators pride themselves on their self-sufficiency. Baling your own hay protects you from the mercy of hay suppliers and contract hay balers.

Side Income

Selling hay on the side can contribute a net gain to a small-acreage farmer’s hay budget. If you are baling for your own livestock anyway, or able to contract bale for others, there is always a market for good-quality hay. Selling a little on the side or baling hay for others can help offset your own costs of hay production.

Specialized Hay Mixture

Depending upon the livestock being raised, a farmer may need a specialized mix of legumes and/or grasses to keep his or her animals in top condition. If you bale your own hay, you can control the content and thus the nutritional value of the bales produced.

Self-Satisfaction

Yes, baling hay is work, but it also provides a lot of self-satisfaction. There is something to be said about hard work and being able to provide for your livestock yourself. Haying independence brings this satisfaction.

Maybe it’s time for you to make the jump to baling your own hay too! For help in doing so, please visit our website here or give us a call at 260-BALE-HAY today. And if you want to start climbing the hay making learning curve now before the start of the 2024 hay season, be sure to check out the Tractor Tools Direct exclusive ”Haying Independence: The Ultimate Guide to Small-Farm Hay Production with Your Compact Tractor” at this link. Written by TTD content writer and co-owner, Marti Livengood Goodwin, this guide will provide you with the information you need to select the right equipment, follow the baling process, and provide hay for your small farm yourself!