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At Tractor Tools Direct, our Ibex Belt Rake has quickly become one of our top-selling products. Interestingly, it's also one that many customers haven’t heard of—until they find it on our website. So in this month’s blog, we’re diving into the question: What is a belt rake, and why is it such a great choice for small farms? What Is a Belt Rake? While belt rakes have been widely used in Europe for years, they’re gaining popularity here in the U.S.— …

Small-farm operators who are new to hay production are often unsure of the differences between tedding and raking when it comes to baling hay. They confuse the two processes thinking they are one and the same and/or that the same implements can be used to perform both tasks. Let’s discuss this here. Tedding is the act of fluffing and spreading cut forage to increase air and sun exposure and decrease drying time. Tedding is typically done after the hay is mowed and before it is raked into …

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 ove …

At Tractor Tools Direct, we bring haying independence to small farm operations. Our lines of commercial-duty, high-quality implements for compact tractors make hay production possible for small-acreage farmers. In this blog, we will discuss the reasons why these farmers may want to make the jump to baling their own hay. Hay Quality Livestock owners who purchase hay from others can’t control the quality of the hay available. When you make your own hay, you always know its quality and can m …

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 your hay field is a priority. Ultimately, you don’t want to depend upon others for quality hay to feed your animals. You know you can do better but you’ve got a small tractor, and ever …