Bale Skis worth it for custom work?

[Lon Lon]

I do a fair bit of custom baling in central Kansas with a JD 338 and I keep seeing ads for Bale Skis. If they really save fuel and make more uniform bales it could help my operation since I'm putting up hay for different customers every week. The smoother the bale, the fewer complaints I get when stacking or hauling. Has anyone here run them while custom baling and noticed a significant difference?

 

[BIGbadshow]

These plastic liners are designed to reduce friction inside the bale chamber which leads to less wear on the baler itself and saves on maintenance costs and time spent on repairs.

For custom operation where you're working with different types of hay.... What;s good is you'll get consistent bales. The liners help produce a more uniform bale in terms of weight and density which can make stacking and transport much simpler and keep your customers satisfied.

 

[r9nger_hf]

I do a fair bit of custom baling in central Kansas with a JD 338 and I keep seeing ads for Bale Skis. If they really save fuel and make more uniform bales it could help my operation since I'm putting up hay for different customers every week. The smoother the bale, the fewer complaints I get when stacking or hauling. Has anyone here run them while custom baling and noticed a significant difference?

Yes, I think they fir your custom baling operation! They can significantly reduce drag which means your JD 338 would require less horsepower to pull the baler. This translates directly to fuel savings over a season! They also provide a much more stable platform for the baler across varying field conditions. This stability mechanically aids in forming a more uniform, square-edged bale which what you need exactly to reduce stacking and hauling complaints from your customers. They offer a strong return on investment given your focus on high-quality presentation, so I say go for it!

 

[Lon Lon]

I’ll plan to run a set through my JD 338 during the next cutting in early October and see if the bales stack tighter. Have you noticed any difference in density when switching crops or is the improvement mostly in shape?

 

[Brad Pith]

I’ll plan to run a set through my JD 338 during the next cutting in early October and see if the bales stack tighter. Have you noticed any difference in density when switching crops or is the improvement mostly in shape?

From my experience, the difference is usually more about shape than true density. Some crops compress a bit better, but the main gain with a JD 338 tends to be in how uniform and stackable the bales are rather than a big change in weight per bale

 

[Lon Lon]

That matches what others have said about uniformity being the main benefit. When you tried different crops, did you find any where the density made a real difference for transport weight?