Ford 520 baler

[@oby-1607]

Good for you in keeping an older machine alive and well. Most people blame the machine when it doesn't work properly such as knotters on a hay baler but it is the human that is at fault, not the machine.

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

Thanks. That's especially true of old, proven technology.

[@1978lauro]

i'm from Romania(Europe),i'm young farmer and i like your story,here i have 30 ha of land and y proud to work it. I have a international 440 baler(1976) and his work very well. Good luck to you and keep going !!!

[@Jethrosgarage]

Nice story! When I was a teen in the early 80's my family lived on a small hobby farm in central Minnesota (USA), we had a dozen sheep and a couple calves to make hay for, we had some cheap, worn out equipment, spent hours strugging with an Allis Chalmers 303 square baler, I was no mechanic but I tried. One day I hope to have a small acreage to "play" on, I have a 1951 Case SC tractor currently.

[@BillPrueter]

Thanks. Another video shredding the statements of those who claim a small tractor can not bale hay.

[@brianzybura7821]

Gary I highly respect your innovation and accomplishment. I like all the old machinery just as much as the new. Brian from eastern Canada.

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

Thanks for the praise. Yes, old machinery has a certain, proven quality.

[@TheRobertralph]

How very cool! I am a 37-year-old first time farmer in Kansas in the USA. I purchased a Massey Ferguson number 3 baler and it was all seized up and didn't work very well. I later purchased a John Deere 14t baler and we'll give that a go in the spring. Your story is very cool. I hope I can find a person that knows about the whole time balers my area.

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you like my story. It's never too late to become a farmer, though it would probably be cheaper to go fishing or take up watercolor painting. Good luck with the John Deere.

[@TheRobertralph]

Gary Moloney yup, I farm TO farm.... Not to make money. I enjoy it and lose money every year. :-)

[@bugbomb8048]

Super nice! There will come a day when those knotter’s won’t have a guy like him to call

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

Sadly that's all too true.

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I've been out of internet range for the past several weeks. The biggest problem we had with the knotters was getting things to line up accurately. At some stage in the past one of the needles had been broken and welded up and was tricky to line up so that it would place the string firmly in its little slot. Also that half of the knotting mechanism was sitting a bit higher than the other, possibly due to collison with the needle. I hope this helps.

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

I'm glad you liked the story and I hope you succeed in getting your acreage. It's the only way to live.

[@hennievandyk]

Well done Gary, great story and images. Hennie van Dyk

[@mikewoollett]

Great story and video......

[@benjaminwoodworth4906]

Awesome

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

Thank you for your comment and I wish you every success on your 30 hectares.

[@ozyrob1266]

Good story

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

Oh, and I wouldn't attempt to use the modern, synthetic string. The old sisal twine is still available.

[@fergie35X]

Great video, where is this. Thanks

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

South-east Queensland.

[@micah_lee]

I think our rake is a similar model to that New Holland

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

I think they were the Rolls Royce of rakes, and very popular too.

[@MharcMacCaba]

restoration of old farm machinery will soon be a forgotten art

[@Nias2sweetsorro]

I don't know what happened to the questions from TheFordsforme that prompted these responses. They just disappeared.