In December 2014 Cody did an excellent article on modeling a hay field on the MR&T layout. Its a good article. In the January or Febuary issue somebody wrote in to tell MR that hay bales have only 2 strings around them. MR went on to explain that a certian model of Hesston baler put 3 around a bale. Indeed after some research MR is right. BUT Most small square balers in the midwest are 2 string balers.
So, now most of you are lost. I have baled thousands of bales in southern Wisconsin and have yet to see a 3 string small square baler. Living in a small town, I walked into the local farm gathering spot and asked the simple question. Has anybody seen a 3 string small square baler around here? NOPE. Balers are a religion in this part. I’m a New Holland guy, run a 2 string (correct term 2 knotter) twine tie 275 Hayliner.
I did some research today on 3 twine balers and it turns out they are popular on the west coast to make small heavy bales for export. Mostly us small squre guys are dinosaurs, mostly smaller farm and horse hay. I even cut have with a sickle a loose stack it on a flat rack for fussy horse people.
I guess it’s being Nit Pickin’ but like I said, makin’ hay is a religion.
Yep, I tend to agree. Tight, three- string bright green bales are possible, but they aren’t typical. I don’t bale/ cut hay myself, but with a herd of five hungry nags, I go through a lot of hay, both round and square bales. Two strings are typical… and properly cured hay is typically more of a dull green, usually with a slight hint of a straw colour. Usually the stalk of the grass is a lighter colour than the blades (leaves) which also affects the colour. Not everybody uses pure alfalfa. Most bales are a bit loose, too, so you can see the slight depression at each string from a reasonable distance. While the modelled scene may not be typical, it’s nice to see the effort made. Research is great, but even better if it’s backed up by personal experience- but we don’t all have that. Cody’s scene was far better than the typical model scenes of plowed fields, with the furrows running right up to the fenceline, with no room for the tractor to turn, no extra passes around the fenceline to plow those spots, and no gradual start to the furrows as the plow enters/ exits the soil… and remember the plow shares are staggered, not in line… nothing worse than a plowed field with the end of every furrow perfectly aligned. Possible with horse drawn single furrow plows, but even then, rarely that neat. We all have our areas of expertise and areas we don’t know much about… I’m sure I make my full share of mistakes! Steve Hunter
I thought I might make a comment about the topic. But, then I thought better of the idea, seein’s how it’s a pretty silly topic, so I won’t comment!
Then I got to further thinkin’: Didn’t I see one of my favorite singer/songwriters, John Prine sitting bales of straw with three strings around them on his first album’s cover? Took a look at the LP, again and by gosh, there he is sitting on bales of straw with three twine strings around them. Now John was from Maywood, IL, about 10 miles due west of downtown Chic-ee-ago. The question then arises: were these Illinois bales of Straw? Or, was this photograph shot out in Hollywood CA?
In 1987…I had to go to a farm near the Utah, Nevada line with a 48ft van trailer. Once at the farm, they loaded it from a conveyer and front end loader, little bales of alfalfa, no twine ties, or baling wire…they were too small. LOL. Three big piles of them in the trailer. Had to take them to the Port in Long Beach, CA.,where I had to back up a ramp, un-hook and the ramp lifted up and dumped the load into a bin, that was then transffered to 40ft container’s, then shipped to Japan. They were called ‘‘cow snack’s’’, I will never forget the smell of all that dust that they created. Probably would have made great hay bales for G-scale.
It seems like all of the bales of Alfalfa or Hay have had wire to tie them.
Many years ago in Texas I helped an uncle and his baler used wire. And now here in the rural farm area I live in the bales we have gotten, also were with wire not twine. [^o)]
Lot of farms around here, plenty of trucks (over)loaded with hay bales on the roads around here - never seen 3 strings on any of’em. My GF grew up on a farm, so I asked her. 2 strings. She is also mildly amused at grown men having an argument over model hay bales.
And I must say that I myself am mildly amused that there is an internet forum where farmers discuss the merits of 2 vs 3 tie bales. But then, they probably think talking about models of trains is kind of silly, too.