[AT] Long Days Farming and exhaust thread

[Grant Brians]

Here in California, there are two types of balers that are used for many
years. The large rectangular balers that bale a bale of about a ton of hay
(Alfalfa, Sudan Grass) or less of straw for the mushroom operations and such
and the small rectangular balers. My baler is an old (1984) New Holland 505
three wire baler. Nearly all of the three twine balers (as no one buys wire
balers new because of the concern about metal in dairy feed) are powered by
Deutz air colled diesel engines on the baler. This allows flexibility as to
speed of operation, lighter tow vehicles (either a tractor or many are towed
by jeeps in the alfalfa in the central valley as they can drive fast and the
four wheel drive allows passing through slightly moist areas) and better
control of bale shape. In the old days before the poly twine came along, 99%
of baling was with wire bales. Now it is probably near 99% twine baling.
     There were a very few two wire balers sold here in California, nearly
all to farms in mountainous areas. But an odd thing has happened as people
have gotten fatter and less fit, starting about 20 years ago there started
to be a few operations that started baling horse hay in two twine bales
again with around 80# weight. Those balers also have engines on them for the
same reasons cited above. Returning to the large square balers, those are
PTO powered by 160-190HP FWA tractors as they are only sold with PTO drive
and also you do need a heavy tractor to operate them because the weight of
the baler combined with two bales of about 1 ton each can't efficiently be
dealt with using a light tractor.
     The Deutz powered New Holland balers make up over 90% of the new
regular bale balers sold in California and Arizona. They used to be
manufactured in Bakersfield, but I have no idea where they are built today
after the factory here closed. It made sense to me that they were made here
in California as our state and other western states makes up all of the
non-export market for these types of balers, the swathers that are used and
much of the market for high-speed wide rakes as well.
           Grant Brians
           Hollister,California farmer of vegetables, fruit and nuts

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of john hall
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 6:30 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Long Days Farming and exhaust thread


What kind of baler are you running that is that new with an engine? Is it
factory or an Amish conversion?

John Hall

----- Original Message -----
From: "Grant Brians" <sales at heirloom-organic.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 8:02 PM
Subject: [AT] Long Days Farming and exhaust thread


> Of the two current threads going on ATIS right now I have some comments as
> an active farmer. All of the tractors we have that we use hard (so not
> including the cultivating and pipe usage) that are pre 1995 do the fire
> type
> exhaust on them. I myself have run without lights working ground at night
> and red exhaust so many times I wcould not count them. When it is the most
> exciting is with the Baler and its Wisconsin V4 gasoline engine (vintage
> 1984.) To see that running red exhaust and with the aircooled engine
> knowing
> it is hot too while the nighttime air temperature is in the 50's is pretty
> impressive and a small concern....
>
>           Grant Brians
>           Hollister,California Vegetable, Fruit and Nuts farmer
>
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