What To Know About How Hay Balers Work Before Choosing Your John Deere Hay Baler

Hay baling equipment has been transforming the standard hay baling process for generations of farmers since the 20th century. If you’re wondering when and where hay balers were first used, you’ll have to go back a little further. Charles Withington patented technology for the first successful hay baler in 1872. Still, it wasn't until the internal combustion engine was invented in the early 20th century that hay baling equipment became more common practice on American farms — that’s when hay baler brands like John Deere entered the market with tailored hay baling solutions.

While early hay baling machines were stationary and required hand-operated feeding, today’s hay balers have evolved into the high-performing, heavy-duty, automated machines we offer at Grossenburg Implement Inc. through our robust John Deere Hay Balers lineup If you’re looking for hay balers for sale near you, here's what to know about our available equipment.

What Are the Advantages and Benefits of Using Hay Balers?

Hay balers have revolutionized the way farmers manage hay. Saving significant time and labor by automating the process, hay baling equipment offers advantages that benefit farming operations of all sizes:
• Storage and Transport: Packed into a compressed shape, baled hay is much easier to transport and store. Hay balers allow farmers to use storage space optimally, and baled hay is packed in a standard size most tractor loaders can handle.
• Reduced Waste: By compressing hay into tight bales, hay baling equipment prevents hay waste caused by harsh weather elements or spillage during handling.
• Quality Preservation: Hay balers quickly take loose hay off your hands, reducing exposure to moisture and sunlight that can lead to the degradation of hay.
• Labor Saving: Baling hay by hand is hard work. Using a hay baler reduces labor and the physical strain on workers, potentially saving labor costs.
• Flexibility: Most modern hay baling equipment lines, including Grossenburg Implement’s lineup of John Deere hay balers, offer flexibility in bale sizes so you can choose the baler that produces the size and shape you need.
H2: How Do Hay Balers Work, and What Types of Hay Balers are There?
Hay balers automate the process of gathering cut hay into compact bales through a pickup mechanism that scoops hay from the ground and feeds it into the hay baler. From there, hay is pushed into the bale chamber and compressed into a dense rectangular or cylindrical shape at a set size. The baler then wraps the compact hay into a tight bale using twine or netting to hold its shape. The finished bale is ejected from the baler and ready for use or storage.
Traditionally hitched to a tractor, hay baling equipment includes square and round balers that come in a range of sizes:
• Square Hay Balers: Square bales are easier to stack and store, and they can be more practical for small-scale farms or personal use as they are easy to break apart and distribute in smaller quantities for purposes such as feeding livestock. Square bales are also easier to pack into a truck or trailer for transport.
• Round Hay Balers: Round bales typically hold a larger volume of hay, making them efficient for storing large amounts of feed. They're instrumental in larger farming and ranching operations as they can be left directly in the field for animals to graze on. Round bales also offer superior weather resistance and can be stored outdoors because they shed water more effectively.

Types of John Deere Hay Balers

John Deere Hay Balers offer a decades-long reputation steeped in higher performance, efficiency, and ease of use. Packed with John Deere’s innovative technology, John Deere Hay Balers feature higher-capacity feeding systems and adjustable density controls that make your job easier and increase productivity. Featuring three categories, John Deere offers hay baling equipment built for a robust range of needs and farming operations:
• John Deere Round Balers: There are eight John Deere 1 Series Round Balers and a handful of higher-capacity round baler models. The 1 Series Round Balers produce bales ranging from 32-72 in. (81-183 cm) in diameter. Features include MegaWide™ Plus pickup with MegaTough™ pickup teeth, integrated Net Lift Assist that makes it safer to load net wrap, a new G5e Monitor Display that provides trackable data so you can adjust as you go, Bale Documentation that offers moisture and weight data stored through the John Deere Operations Center, and more.
• John Deere Large Square Balers: There are three models of John Deere Large Square Balers that produce 3x3 ft. to 3x4 ft. hay bales with a 2.2- or 2.5-meter MegaWide™ Pickup system. Advanced features include the John Deere moisture sensor that eliminates guesswork throughout the baling process, a weighing system that measures flake by flake and bale by bale, a Double-Tie Knotter System, and more. For an ultra-premium hay baling experience, look at the John Deere L341R High-Density Large Square Baler featuring John Deere’s most advanced performance and convenience features.
• John Deere Small Square Balers: There are three models of John Deere Small Square Balers that produce bales with a maximum height of 67 in. and width of 12-50 inches. Features include a Continuous-flow Floating Auger that automatically adjusts to hay volume to maintain control, a Bale Tensioner you can crank to manually apply the correct tension to the bale, knotters that reliably secure twine wrap, full-width feeding pickup, and more.

Buy Your John Deere Hay Baler at Grossenburg Implement

At Grossenburg Implement, we have a wide selection of John Deere Hay Balers for sale, spanning over a dozen square and round models designed to serve various needs and budgets.

We strive to provide customers like you with the best products at a reasonable price, and we know a hay baler purchase like this is a significant investment. That’s why we offer financing options with competitive financing rates that are hard to compete with through a longstanding partnership with John Deere Credit.

Whether you’re storing hay for next season or gearing up to make fresh bales for this season, it's always a good time to buy. We can also ensure your new purchase is compatible with your existing equipment. For example, if you’re wondering what size tractor you’ll need for hay baling, we can direct you to the hay baling equipment that will work with what you already have.

Find the Grossenburg Implement John Deere dealership closest to you and drop in today to chat with one of our friendly and knowledgeable team members about which John Deere Hay Baler will best serve you.