While the combine harvester wins the prize for the biggest machine of the season, the big square baler is a close second, in particular those producing giant 8ft x 4ft x 4ft bales of straw. These titans are not too common in Ireland compared with combine harvesters, but usually work extremely hard throughout the harvest.

Square balers, large or small, are not for everyone. They can be difficult and temperamental; they demand a good level of mechanical knowledge and patience from their operators.

One contracting operation that has a handle on the large square-baling business, and has developed an experience with balers, is Hughes Straw and Agri Services, based just outside Kilkenny. Owned and run by brothers John and Brendan Hughes, the firm’s core business since 1994 has been the production of big square bales for the mushroom industry.

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The brothers also sow and cut cereal crops as well as sow maize and beet and they provide some general haulage services. But baling with big square balers has been at the core of their business, between baling in the field and transporting the bales to Walsh Mushrooms in Co Wexford.

At the heart of the business are four balers manufactured by Hesston in the US, even if not all are Hesston-branded. They have one New Holland BB980 and two Hesston 4900s, while their fourth baler is a Hesston 4910.

All of the balers produce 8ft x 4ft x 4ft bales, the largest practical-sized bales available on the market. They vary in age from 1994 to 2004. Two years ago, the four balers produced a staggering 22,500 bales between them but, most years, the total is in the region of 15,000 bales.

The tractors used to power these balers rarely put more than 600 hours on the clock each per year, according to John. “If they were doing 2,400 hours per year, none of the current tractors would be there,” he says.

The Hughes have purposely kept it simple when it comes to owning, running and operating their fleet of balers and tractors. “Everything is the same,” says John Hughes, adding, “the balers are all the same model and the John Deere tractors are all the same. This means that drawbars are all the same length and height, PTO shafts are all the same length and type, simplifying the fleet operation at many different levels.’’

Keeping machines working is the biggest stumbling block to a successful operation, especially with Ireland’s relatively unpredictable harvest weather. The brothers have a well-equipped workshop. They keep equally well-stocked stores, with replacements for just about everything that they can imagine giving trouble.

The Hughes brothers are aware of the need to ensure machine reliability. Before the season begins, they examine each baler. All balers do the same amount of baling regardless of age and all are kept to the same standard.

“Just because a baler is old, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t kept to the same standard,” states Brendan. As an example of what they do in preparation, John explains: “We dismantle, clean and inspect all slip clutches. Everything is checked and we do it all ourselves.”

They clearly know this series of Hesston balers very well and each machine has its own character, as John explains: “Each baler is an individual giving its own peculiar troubles.”

Many spares and tools are carried with each baler to facilitate on-the-spot repairs. This year, the duo has also put a fully equipped service van on the road. It will be ready at a moment’s notice to dash to the rescue with all of the necessary tools and spares on-board.

While some spurious or aftermarket parts are available for the Hesston balers, John and Brendan do not see enough value in them to move away from the genuine items. A pre-season stock order of genuine parts is placed through a Massey Ferguson dealer before the season kicks off.

This adds to the firm’s existing stock of new and used parts. They keep many of the used items because these may get them out of trouble while waiting for a new replacement. This is often at a critical time in the big baling season. The value of the new baler parts held by the Hughes brothers is typically in the region of €10,000, which is far more than many main dealers will carry.

Cleaning is a key part of maintenance when it comes to agricultural machinery. However, none of the important bits are power-washed.

“We used to power-wash balers but rust ends up in places where you don’t need it. Now, we just wash the panels the day before we start the season,” explains John.

To keep balers clean, they are regularly blown down with a road compressor. “You never know what you might see blowing down a baler on a wet day,” says Brendan. Something that needs attention is spotted and repaired before the baler goes back to work, preventing downtime during valuable Irish sunshine.

Maintenance and repair costs vary enormously, according to the Hughes brothers. In any one year, they may spend between €4,000 and €5,000 on a particular baler while, the next year, it may be €2,000. “Last year, we spent €16,000 on maintenance but, this year, we have not yet spent €1,000,” states John.

A change is on the horizon, as the brothers need to look at strategies to improve efficiency. “Fifteen years ago, we were making more money out of one baler than we are today. The cost of buying straw has gone up, while the selling price has gone down,” says John.

Calculator

As public relations officer for the contractor association Farm Contractors in Ireland (FCI), John advises that the most important thing you can have in the cab of your tractor is a calculator. “As a contractor, you have to be able to make a margin to keep the machinery fleet going,” he says.

John and Brendan are now looking at changing their ageing fleet of balers for two, or maybe three high-capacity, high-density balers. “The current baler capacity of any of our balers averages around 40 bales/hour; spot outputs can reach as much as 60 balers/hour,” says John.

“Four hundred bales per day is a good day’s work if nothing goes wrong, 2,000 or even 1,500 is a good week’s work if you can maintain that average,” he says.

The other significant cost for the Hughes’ business is the high cost of fuel and transport. “Very few baling contractors transport their own bales whereas we have our own trucks and trailers to transport the bales,” states John.

“We are looking at getting rid of our entire fleet and replacing it with a new fleet of three or four Massey Ferguson balers, each with a five-year maintenance contract,” adds Brendan.

“The manufacturer claims that the new balers are 15% to 50% faster but, even at 10% faster, it would shorten the season for each baler and make it available for more work,” he adds.

The increased capacity might allow the company to run one less tractor and baler than it currently runs, also reducing overheads. Even though Massey Ferguson was mentioned as the potential baler supplier, this is far from set in stone and other manufacturers, such as Krone, were also mentioned.

What is clear is that the baler would make a denser bale, producing fewer bales per acre and it would also dramatically reduce bale transport costs. This type of higher density baler would be most attractive. They are also aware that the potential increased capacity of a modern baler would allow the Hughes brothers to venture into other straw markets that are opening up, such as the energy sector.

John feels that financing such a change is not necessarily a problem. “If you can prove your case and the business plan is viable, it should stand up in financial terms for approval. But there is still the issue of meeting the repayments as they come up.

John points out that changing the balers raises another investment question – can the existing tractors drive a new high-density baler?

For the Hughes’ contracting business, the path to change for greater efficiency looks good. If they proceed with a change to the baler fleet, they are aware that it will be much less of the ‘‘box-standard hammer and chisel mechanics’’ as John describes it, and more ‘‘plug and play’’ mechanics used with the new machines. That’s a decision yet to be made and this season’s performance will have its own effect.



Hughes Straw and Agri Services

Address: Bennettsbridge Road, Kilkenny

Tel: 086-2535100

Email: johnhughes@live.ie