Small farm machinery

6 posts
Sun, 11/04/2012 - 12:20 #1

Member for

13 years 3 months
shazarella
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 09/23/2011 - 16:27

Small farm machinery

Hi Everyone,

I would first like to say Thankyou for this sight. The knowledge I find on here is pricless and I feel safe with taking on the advise.

I have a 60 acre property at Hilltown near the Clare valley in Sa. 40 is under crop in wheat at the moment in which a local farmer has done for me however the machinery i am surrounded be is all broad acre and both very inconvinient and loss of profit at the end of the day due to costs. I am wanting to purchase my own second hand equipment and get so be dazzled at where to do so. I have a great tractor a ford 5000. Slasher already. what im wanting to do is simply grow horse feed at the moment. i have been told I need a small combine. A rake and a small bailer. Would this be correct and if so where would I begin to discover to find these items and what costs. Look forward to any information. Thankyou

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Mon, 11/05/2012 - 13:47 #2
rmcpb
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 10/22/2012 - 11:13

I take it you want to grow pasture for your horses and bale the excess? Or do you just want to have fresh pasture for the horses?

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Mon, 11/05/2012 - 14:31 #3
shazarella
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 09/23/2011 - 16:27

Hi Thank you for your answering .  I would like to be able to do both at any stage as I have our different paddocks that i can section off.

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Tue, 11/06/2012 - 16:54 #4
katiepooch
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 10/01/2011 - 10:46

Hi Shazarella,

That sounds about right regarding the machinery you will need. Have you thought about using a contractor to sow, mow, rake and bale the horse feed. This could work out cheaper for you than buying the machinery. Are you planning on doing the 40ha each year and making it into hay?

If you are looking for second hand machinery I would start in the classifieds of the local paper, local machinery dealers and online. You will need to do a lot of research to get a feel for the market and what fair value is of each piece of farm machinery you are looking for.

Maybe some others have some ideas on the likely cost of each item of farm machinery.

Mary 

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Tue, 11/13/2012 - 10:17 #5
charlie
Last seen: 12/26/2018 - 09:21
Joined: 05/31/2011 - 09:44

Shazarella,

Thank you for your positive comments regards Farmstyle and that you feel comfortable using some of the advice on offer. One of our main intentions when establishing the website was to provide a platform that enabled small and new farmers to receive reliable advice.

I agree with some of the other posts that it may be cheaper for you to use a contractor rather than own all of your own farm equipment. A few months ago I wrote an article on Machinery ownership alternatives for small farmers. This may be helpful as there are a number of alternatives to ownership including hiring, hire purchase, leasing, syndication, share farming and reciprocal borrowing.

If you have your heart set on owning your own machinery I would look to buy good quality second hand machinery and only those implements (seeder) that you will use most regularly. You should be able to purchase a second hand combine for $2000-$5000 and a basic 3 reel rake from $1500-$3000. I would not purchase a baler as they are expensive and are a waste if they sit in the shed all year and only get used once. Look to use a local contractor for baling.

Look forward to your reply.

Charlie

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Mon, 12/03/2012 - 11:21 #6
tasmq
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 06/18/2012 - 21:55

I would be looking for a decent contractor to do the cutting and baling as both require specialized equipment that is expensive to buy and upkeep where as a contractor charges per bale and does the work for you. I would be looking for a spreader and decent trailer and elevator for small bales if thats the plan. Your choice for tractor is great for the amount of land you have and should serve you well.

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