7 Pieces of Equipment for Making Hay on Small Acreage

Standing in a waist-high field of sweet-smelling orchard grass, the urge to put up your own winter feed is incredibly strong. Yet, trying to manage a small hayfield with massive, commercial-scale machinery is a recipe for frustration and broken gates. Having the right downsized equipment transforms this daunting chore into a highly rewarding, manageable weekend project.

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The Challenges of Making Hay on Small Acreage

Small-scale haymakers face a unique set of spatial and logistical hurdles that commercial operators never encounter. Tight fence corners, narrow gates, and undulating terrain make maneuvering standard 14-foot implements nearly impossible. Instead of sweeping sweeps, small acreage requires nimble, compact equipment that can turn on a dime without tearing up the sod.

Timing is another critical bottleneck when working on a smaller scale. Because hobby farmers often balance haymaking with off-farm jobs, the window of opportunity to cut, dry, and bale is incredibly narrow. Lacking the massive horsepower of commercial tractors, small-acreage farmers must rely on highly efficient, low-drag implements to get the crop down and cured before the next rainstorm.

Finally, storage and curing present distinct challenges on a homestead or hobby farm. Unlike industrial operations with dedicated, ventilated hay barns, smaller farms often rely on multi-purpose sheds or outdoor stacks. This makes proper moisture management and tight, uniform bales absolutely essential to prevent spoilage and hazardous heating.

Assessing Your Tractor Power and Hydraulic Needs

Before purchasing any hay tool, the existing utility tractor must be evaluated to ensure it can handle the workload. Many hobby farmers assume a 25-horsepower subcompact tractor can run a baler, but power take-off (PTO) ratings tell a different story. It is the PTO horsepower, not the engine horsepower, that determines whether a tractor can safely operate heavy spinning implements.

Hydraulic capacity is another make-or-break factor for small-scale hay systems. Some implements require active hydraulic remotes to raise and lower transport arms, while others rely on simple mechanical levers. Ensure your tractor has at least one set of rear hydraulic remotes, or be prepared to look for implements that offer manual operations.

Weight and stability must also be factored into the equation, especially on sloped pastures. Heavy implements like balers can easily push a light tractor down a hill or cause it to jackknife during a sudden stop. A good rule of thumb is to ensure the tractor weighs at least as much as the heaviest implement it will pull, utilizing wheel weights or liquid ballast if necessary.

Drum Mower – Tar River DPM-165 Rotary Mower

The mower is the starting gun of the haymaking process, tasked with cleanly slicing through thick forage without clogging. While traditional sickle bar mowers are prone to plugging in thick grass, a drum mower uses high-velocity spinning discs to slice through virtually any crop. This tool lays the grass down in neat windrows, initiating the drying process immediately.

The Tar River DPM-165 Rotary Mower is an exceptional fit for small acreage due to its heavy-duty, simplified design. Lacking the complex hydraulics and gearboxes of larger disc mowers, this belt-driven unit utilizes heavy spinning drums and free-swinging reversible blades. It requires a modest 30 PTO horsepower, making it highly compatible with mid-sized utility tractors.

• Working width: 5 feet, 5 inches
• Minimum PTO requirement: 30 HP
• Category 1 and 2 three-point hitch compatibility
• Simple mechanical transport lock for safe road travel

Operating this mower requires attention to belt tension and blade sharpness, as dull blades will fray the grass rather than cut it cleanly. This unit is ideal for landowners with 5 to 20 acres who need a bulletproof mower that ignores fire ant mounds and thick weeds. It is not suitable for subcompact tractors under 30 horsepower, as the heavy swinging weight of the drums can destabilize light machines.

Hay Tedder – Kuhn GF 222 T Pull-Type Tedder

Once the grass is cut, it must dry rapidly to preserve nutrients and prevent mold growth. A hay tedder uses spinning tines to lift, fluff, and scatter the cut forage, maximizing exposure to sunlight and wind. Without a tedder, thick green mats of grass will trap moisture underneath, stalling the curing process and risking crop ruin.

For small-scale operations, the Kuhn GF 222 T Pull-Type Tedder offers unmatched reliability in a compact footprint. This two-rotor machine features asymmetric tines that ensure clean pick-up and even spreading across its working width. Its pull-type design means it places very little weight on the tractor’s three-point hitch, allowing smaller utility tractors to pull it with ease.

• Working width: 10 feet, 6 inches
• Power requirement: 15 PTO HP
• Two-rotor system with 6 tine arms per rotor
• Articulated frame for excellent ground contour following

While highly effective, operators must adjust the tine height carefully to avoid digging into the dirt, which introduces dust and microbes into the hay. This tedder is perfect for part-time farmers working with limited horsepower who need to accelerate drying times. It is not necessary for those in extremely arid climates where cut grass dries completely within 24 hours without manipulation.

Wheel Rake – Tonutti T4 Pull-Type Wheel Rake

Raking is the final step before baling, gathering the scattered, dry forage into neat, uniform windrows. A well-formed windrow matches the width of your baler pickup, ensuring smooth feeding and consistent bale density. The rake must lift the hay gently to preserve delicate leaves, which contain the majority of the crop’s nutritional value.

The Tonutti T4 Pull-Type Wheel Rake is a classic, ground-driven machine that operates without any PTO connection. Its four finger-wheels spin simply from contact with the ground, making it incredibly fuel-efficient and mechanically simple. The heavy-duty tubular steel frame resists twisting, ensuring the wheels maintain consistent ground pressure even on uneven terrain.

• Working width: Up to 11 feet, 6 inches
• No PTO horsepower required (ground-driven)
• Four independent, spring-suspended raking wheels
• Simple manual adjustment for windrow width

Because it is ground-driven, operating speed dictates the raking action; driving too fast can scatter the hay, while driving too slowly fails to roll the windrow properly. This rake is ideal for budget-conscious hobbyists seeking a low-maintenance, highly reliable tool that works with almost any tow vehicle. It is less suitable for extremely heavy, wet forage, which can bog down the unpowered finger wheels.

Square Baler – Abbriata M60 Mini Square Baler

The baler is the heart of the haymaking operation, compressing loose windrows into dense, transportable packages. Standard square balers are massive machines that require significant horsepower and wide turning radiuses. A mini square baler scales this process down, producing manageable, lightweight bales that can be stacked easily by hand.

The Abbriata M60 Mini Square Baler is specifically engineered for small-acreage farmers working with compact tractors. This machine produces traditional two-tie square bales but in a downsized package that requires only 20 to 25 PTO horsepower. Its inline design means the baler runs directly behind the tractor, making it exceptionally easy to maneuver through tight gates and narrow orchard rows.

• Bale dimensions: 13 x 17 inches, adjustable length
• Minimum PTO requirement: 20 HP
• Heavy-duty knotters using standard baler twine
• Inline towing configuration for superior maneuverability

The learning curve on any baler centers around knotter maintenance and timing adjustments, which require patience and regular lubrication. The Abbriata M60 is perfect for horse owners and small homesteaders who want the independence of baling their own feed without investing in a large utility tractor. It is not the right choice for high-volume commercial growers who require high-speed throughput and massive bale weights.

Moisture Tester – Farmex HT-Pro Moisture Tester

Baling hay at the wrong moisture level is the single greatest risk to both crop quality and barn safety. If baled too wet, microbial activity will cause the hay to mold, lose nutritional value, and potentially combust. A reliable moisture tester takes the guesswork out of the process, providing instant, accurate readings before the crop is stacked away.

The Farmex HT-Pro Moisture Tester is a rugged, probe-style meter designed for quick field use. Featuring a 20-inch stainless steel probe, it penetrates deep into the bale or windrow to measure both moisture percentage and temperature. The digital display updates instantly, and the built-in calibration clip ensures the unit remains accurate season after season.

• Moisture range: 8% to 44%
• Temperature range: 32° to 225°F (0° to 107°C)
• 20-inch heavy-duty probe with illuminated LCD display
• Battery-operated with automatic shutoff to preserve power

Users must take multiple readings throughout a bale to get an accurate average, as moisture levels can vary significantly between the shady and sunny sides of a field. This tool is an absolute necessity for every single haymaker, regardless of acreage or experience level. There is no scenario where guessing moisture by feel is a safe or reliable alternative to a digital probe.

Bale Spear – Titan Attachments 39-Inch Spear

Moving baled hay from the field to storage is a labor-intensive chore that can quickly strain your back. While mini square bales can be moved by hand, handling them in bulk or moving larger utility bales requires mechanical assistance. A front-end loader bale spear transforms your tractor into a highly efficient material handler, saving hours of manual labor.

The Titan Attachments 39-Inch Spear features a highly versatile skid-steer style quick-tach system that snaps onto most modern tractor loaders. The main spear is forged from high-strength steel, designed to penetrate bales cleanly without pushing them across the ground. Two stabilizer spikes prevent the bale from spinning or shifting during transport, ensuring safe transit over uneven ground.

• Main spear length: 39 inches
• Weight capacity: Up to 3,000 pounds
• Standard skid-steer style quick-attach frame
• Dual stabilizer spears for load security

Operators must ensure their tractor’s front-end loader lifting capacity matches the weight of the bales being moved, always keeping the load low to the ground during transit. This attachment is perfect for landowners who need to move stacked pallets of small squares or occasional round bales with their utility tractor. It is not necessary for those who plan to manually load small square bales directly onto a low trailer in the field.

Hay Tarp – Inland Tarp & Cover SuperHayTarp

Building a dedicated hay barn is a massive capital expense that many small-scale operations cannot justify. Outdoor storage is a highly practical alternative, but unprotected hay will quickly rot, leach nutrients, and become unpalatable to livestock. A heavy-duty, purpose-built hay tarp provides weather protection comparable to a permanent roof at a fraction of the cost.

The Inland Tarp & Cover SuperHayTarp is built to withstand the punishing sun, high winds, and heavy snow loads that shred cheap utility tarps. Constructed from heavy-duty, UV-resistant polyethylene, it features built-in PVC pipes in the side hems to distribute tension evenly. This unique design prevents the wind from whipping the tarp, which is the primary cause of tarp failure and water intrusion.

• Material: 15-mil thick, heavy-duty woven polyethylene
• Securing system: Built-in sleeve for weight pipes or cinch straps
• UV-stabilized coating on both sides for multi-season durability
• Available in multiple sizes tailored for small stacks

Proper installation requires building a peaked top row of bales to shed water and anchoring the tarp securely with tension straps rather than loose concrete blocks. This tarp is ideal for hobby farmers who stack hay outdoors and need reliable, multi-season protection against rain and snow. It is not needed if you have ample, well-ventilated barn space dedicated solely to hay storage.

How to Time Your Cut Around Summer Rain Forecasts

Successful haymaking is a high-stakes game of chicken with the local weather forecast. Grass typically requires three consecutive days of warm, dry weather to cure properly from cut to bale. Cutting too early risks rain damage, which washes away soluble carbohydrates and ruins the palatability of the feed.

To optimize your timing, look for weather windows characterized by low relative humidity, steady breezes, and high solar radiation. A forecast showing 0% chance of rain is ideal, but pay close attention to dew points; high morning dew can delay your daily starting time by hours. Utilize regional agricultural weather reports rather than standard consumer apps, as they provide detailed soil moisture and drying index forecasts.

If an unexpected shower threatens your curing crop, do not panic. Grass that has just been cut can tolerate a light rain much better than hay that is almost dry and ready to bale. If the hay does get wet, wait for the top layer to dry, then use your tedder to gently turn the damp underside up to the sun.

Safe Storage Practices to Prevent Barn Fires

The threat of spontaneous combustion in stored hay is a terrifying reality that every small-acreage farmer must take seriously. When hay is baled at moisture levels above 18% to 20%, bacteria and mold multiply rapidly, generating intense internal heat. If the temperature inside the stack reaches critical levels, the hay can ignite without any external spark.

To prevent this catastrophe, monitor newly stacked hay daily for the first six weeks using your probe thermometer. Insert the probe deep into the center of the stack, where heat is most likely to accumulate. Any reading below 120°F (49°C) is safe, but temperatures rising toward 140°F (60°C) serve as a warning sign to increase ventilation and monitor the stack hourly.

Proper stack design also plays a crucial role in mitigating heat buildup. Leave small air gaps between rows of bales and avoid stacking hay all the way to the barn ceiling where hot air traps. If a stack begins to steam or emit a sweet, caramelized odor, it must be dismantled immediately, though caution must be taken as exposing a smoldering hot spot to fresh oxygen can cause instant ignition.

Deciding Between Buying New or Used Equipment

Navigating the machinery market requires balancing your budget against the value of your time and mechanical aptitude. Used hay equipment is abundant and often highly affordable, but it frequently comes with hidden wear, worn bearings, and outdated safety features. For a part-time farmer, a weekend spent turning wrenches on a broken baler is a weekend of lost curing weather.

Buying new equipment offers peace of mind, manufacturer warranties, and immediate parts availability. Modern implements often feature grease banks and simplified adjustment points that make maintenance far easier for beginners. However, the high initial depreciation can be hard to swallow if you are only putting up a few hundred bales a year.

A smart compromise is to buy critical, high-wear machines like the baler and mower new, while sourcing simpler implements like the rake and tedder used. A used wheel rake has very few moving parts to fail, making it a low-risk secondhand purchase. Always inspect used gear for frame cracks, worn PTO shafts, and gearbox leaks before handing over any cash.

Equipping a small acreage for hay production is an investment in self-sufficiency and high-quality livestock feed. By matching compact, efficient implements to your tractor’s capabilities, you transform a high-stress chore into a smooth, predictable routine. With the right tools in your barn, you can confidently watch the weather forecast, knowing you are ready to make the most of every sunny window.