Getting Started in Small-Farm Hay Production You own a small farm with a few animals. You’ve decided you want to make your own hay. Maybe you’re tired of paying high prices for hay. Maybe you’re constantly disappointed by the quality of hay available. Maybe you’re fed up with the contract hay baler who doesn’t think

Tedders and Small-Farm Hay Production In a recent blog post we shared some tips for decreasing moisture levels in baled hay. Probably the most effective tip given was to prevent high moisture levels before even baling. One way to do this is with the use of a tedder. Here at Tractor Tools Direct we are

Mini Round Balers for Pine Straw With December and the holidays in full swing, pine trees are on many people’s minds. Therefore, it seems to be an appropriate time to discuss an alternative use for pine trees. Many may not realize it, but the southeastern United States is home to countless acres of pine tree

Preventing Hay Fires: Tips for Decreasing Hay Moisture Levels Last month we discussed how to calculate winter hay needs. Besides the fear of not having enough hay in the barn for winter, probably one of the next greatest fears for those dealing with forage is barn fire caused by improperly stored, excessively moist hay. It

Livestock Winter Hay Needs With winter coming on, it is time to make sure that you have enough hay in the barn to last until your pastures are growing again next spring. While there are many factors to consider when calculating winter hay needs, we are giving you some conversions to simplify the process—and even

Words from the Field Last month in our blog “Haymaking Equipment for Sheep and Goat Owners” we discussed the ways our compact hay equipment, especially our mini-round balers, can increase the efficiency and productivity of sheep and goat farms. This month, we would like to share the first-hand account of one of our customers, Ron

Haymaking Equipment for Sheep and Goat Owners Did you know that our team at Tractor Tools Direct can help sheep and goat farmers tailor a hay-making package to specifically fit the needs of a sheep or goat operation? With its compact size, our machinery, which can be run by tractors with as little as 25

Here at Tractor Tools Direct, we specialize in selling hay-baling equipment not only to small-farm operators who have been haying for years, but also to those just making the jump to haying independence. Therefore, we’d like to cover some of the basics in hay choices and their uses. For those customers who have been haying

In our communications with customers, we often field questions about the differences between brush hogs and flail mowers. Many people think that the two types of mowers are completely interchangeable; however, each type of mower is different enough to be suitable for different mowing conditions. To understand the uses of each type of mower, it

“How much hay can I expect to get from my ‘x’ number of acres?” One of the most frequent questions we hear from our customers who are considering making the jump to haying independence is, “How much hay can I expect to get from my ‘x’ number of acres?” While we wish there were an