Blog
Ibex Mini Round Balers: Bringing Economy and Efficiency to Pine Straw Production
At Tractor Tools Direct we specialize in small-farm hay equipment, but did you know that our Ibex Mini Round Balers are popular with pine straw producers too? Their compact size and maneuverability make them a perfect choice for harvesting straw between the narrow tree rows of a pine plantation. Read on to learn more about this alternative use for mini round balers.
The southeastern United States is home to countless acres of pine tree forests which are managed not only for their timber, bu
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May 1st 2021
Be Ready for Hay Season With These Mowing Tips!
Now that spring has sprung, it is time to start thinking about that first cutting of hay. Once your pastures have reached the optimum level of maturity, you will want to be ready to mow at the first sign of perfect weather. Here are a few tips to ensure that you and your mower are ready to go.
Preparing Your Mower
One of the most important steps you can take, even before hitting the hay field, is to make sure your mower is fitted with sharp blades. Sharp blades ensure a clean cut and reduce
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Apr 1st 2021
Customer Testimonial: “I Got Tired of Waiting for my Farmer Neighbor”
At Tractor Tools Direct we love hearing about our customers’ successes. Two years ago, Dave, located in MN, purchased a hay package from us containing an
Ibex TX31 mini round baler, a belt rake, and a compact drum mower. Like so many of our customers, he wanted to bring haying independence to his small farm so that he would no longer be at the mercy of the farmer down the road who previously baled his fields. Having control of his own hay baling gives Dave more control
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Mar 10th 2021
Tips for Storing Hay
Hopefully before you’ve even decided to embark on the hay baling adventure, you’ve thought about where you are going to store the bales you produce. The task of baling hay is far too much work to let bales rot in the field. Here are some tips to keep your bales dry and efficiently organized.
The best storage for hay--especially the small round and square bales produced on a small-farm operation--is in a barn or shed. The barn should be free of leaks and well ventilated. Air circulation is impo
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Mar 1st 2021
Shear Bolts: Simple, Inexpensive Parts to Protect Your Equipment From Damage
Many of the implements we sell here at Tractor Tools Direct require one or more shear bolts, either on the PTO shaft or on the machine itself. These bolts are carefully designed to break (shear) before the power applied by the tractor exceeds the design limitations of the implement. Because we sell implements that are designed for lower-horsepower tractors, these shear bolts are particularly important. You can use most of our implements with higher horsepower tractors, as long as the correct she
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Feb 1st 2021