विवरण
Today I'm answering a great question that comes up occasionally — can you cut and bale hay with a compact tractor? The short answer is yes… but only if you've got a high pain tolerance! In this video, I break down everything you need to know before you hitch up that baler and head to the field.
I got a letter from a viewer named Mike who's got about 35 acres in hay production and is currently hiring it out. He's ready to start doing his own cutting and baling and wants to know if his Bobcat CT555 — a 43 PTO horsepower compact tractor with a hydrostatic transmission, cab, and air conditioning — is up to the job. It's a great question, and I give him a straight answer.
In this video I cover:
✅ How much horsepower does air conditioning actually steal from your PTO? (Hint: it could be 5 to 10 HP — and most manufacturers test PTO horsepower with the AC off!)
✅ What's the minimum horsepower you really need to bale hay? I take you back to the old 8N Ford days — those little 27-28 horsepower tractors were pulling sickle mowers, rakes, and square balers without breaking a sweat, and plenty of guys in my area are still doing it today.
✅ Why sickle mowers are labor-intensive and what happens when you hit thick, lush, wet grass — if you've run one, you know the frustration of gumming it up and stopping every few feet to clean it out.
✅ Why disc mowers changed the hay game and became the go-to choice for modern hay production.
✅ The smallest tractor I've ever known someone to bale hay with — a New Holland TC30 — and why, even though it can do it, your body will be paying the price by end of day.
✅ Why a hydrostatic transmission concerns me for hay production, especially during the heat of summer when you're working hard in hot conditions.
✅ The difference between a compact tractor and a utility tractor, and why I always recommend a utility tractor for serious hay production — the extra weight alone makes a massive difference when you're feeling every stroke of that square baler plunger.
✅ What size tractor I'd recommend if you're buying used: why 50 HP is the minimum utility tractor I'd want, why the 50–70 HP range can actually work in your favor when shopping used, and why an open station 70-80+ HP tractor might be the sweet spot for the budget-conscious hay farmer.
✅ Safety tips for running hay equipment on slopes and hills, especially as evening dew settles in — a square baler pushing a small tractor downhill is a situation you don't want to find yourself in.
I also tease what's coming in next week's video: what if you want to run a disc mower AND a round baler on a small compact tractor? There are some interesting products that can make that work, and I'll be covering those in detail — so make sure you're subscribed!
Whether you're a hobby farmer, a small-acreage landowner, or just getting started in hay production, this video is packed with real-world experience from someone who's spent years in the tractor dealership world and has seen it all firsthand. I'm not going to sugarcoat it — I'll tell you what works, what doesn't, and what to watch out for before you spend a dime.
🔔 If you found this helpful, please subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss future videos! Just click the Mike face icon and you're all set.
👇 Drop your experiences in the comments below — especially if you've got first-hand data on how much horsepower your AC is pulling from your PTO. I'd love to hear from you!
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