Ibex TX31 Mini Round Baler with Net Wrap

You spoke and we listened. You wanted a NET WRAP baler at a more affordable price point – something that could take care of your small farm’s hay needs but wouldn’t break the bank. While our Abbriata balers are built for commercial use, their price is slightly out of reach for many small hobby farms. Finally, we found the Ibex baler – a quality machine at a lower price – the lowest price in the industry to be exact.

The Ibex TX31 mini round baler with NET WRAP is our flagship model machine that is the simplest, easiest to use baler on the market today. This is as close as you can get to a “plug and play” baler. It simply connects to the tractor’s 3 point hitch, and its hydraulics are completely self-contained, meaning no messy hydraulic connections to deal with. It uses standard, inexpensive baler net wrap. The round bale is much more weather resistant than square bales, meaning a surprise rain shower or a heavy morning dew won’t ruin your bales in the field before you can get them inside. Adding net wrap gives you even better weather resistance, and also reduces loss from heavy handling. It can be easily run with tractors of less than 25 horsepower. And its small size means it can be easily stored in the corner of the barn or shed.

Finally, there is a baler for the rest of us – at the right size and the right price – to finally take control of our own hay production.

This baler is manufactured in China under the watchful eye of Ibex Equipment, a US based equipment company to ensure the highest quality production and parts to provide a machine that will be in the family for generations to come.

PTO shaft included. For cutting instructions, click here.

What size of bale does this baler make?

This baler produces a 20” x 28” bale that can be as light as 30lbs and as heavy as 60lbs. You can select four density settings to fine tune the bale weight. The bale size does not change based on the density setting.

Isn’t this the same as baler X? How is it different?

Ibex TX31 balers are not the same as others you may have seen. The design of the TX31 Net Wrap Baler is exclusive to Ibex Equipment. The TX31 is specially built to Ibex specifications and offers several premium features, like:

• Easy-access doors with simple latches rather than loose, troublesome knobs that can easily be lost in the field
• Heavy duty stand with a large caster wheel that makes moving the baler around the barn effortless
• A built-in shear bolt storage tray for convenient shear bolt storage and quick replacement in the field
• Replaceable bronze bushings in the tailgate hinge; without this component the frame will need to be specially repaired or the tailgate replaced after a certain amount of use

The TX31 also offers optional upgrade kits not available by others:

• Drawbar kit - makes hookup easy, and allows you to turn corners without lifting the baler off the ground
• Push button tailgate - dump your wrapped bale with the simple push of a button, rather than having to pull a rope

Where can I find the net wrap rolls? What is it made of? Is it biodegradable?

Our private label net wrap is made right here in America and can only be purchased directly from us. While it is possible to find competing products, we work directly with the manufacturer to engineer a roll that works flawlessly with the TX31. We can ship our net wrap directly to your home or farm, nationwide! The net wrap is a plastic product (polyethylene) and is not biodegradable. If you strongly prefer or require a biodegradable wrapping product, we would recommend purchasing a TX31 twine wrap baler, which has the option to use a natural fiber twine to wrap the bale.

How much does the net wrap cost?

We have two sizes of net wrap that can be found on our supplies page right here on our website. See the product page on the website for up to date pricing. You can easily estimate the cost per bale by dividing the price of the roll by the estimated number of bales that the roll makes, which is listed in the Specifications section on the product page.

What is the cost per bale of net wrap?

This will depend on how many wraps per bale the baler is configured to provide. On average a 3,300’ roll will make 230-260 bales, and a 5,000’ roll will make 350-400 bales. To find the average cost per bale, take the current cost of the roll and divide it by these numbers. You can visit the product pages linked here to get current pricing as well as other helpful specifications.

Will this bale my particular type of hay or other material?

The TX31 baler has no specific hard limitations on what you can bale with it, except that it is designed to bale hay and straw that is of an optimal length (2-4’ tall) and moisture content (no greater than 20% moisture). If your crop or material is very different from typical hay or straw, it may be difficult to bale. For example, if you are trying to bale leaves, it may be possible if the leaves are not too brittle or small. If you are trying to bale corn stalks, it may be possible if the individual pieces are not too long. The closer your material is to what the machine was designed for, the more likely you will achieve success!

How well do these bales stack?

Mini round bales stack very easily. You can stack vertically or horizontally like you would stack firewood. We have great pictures showing how some of our customers like to stack inside and outside of the barn in our blog.

Does the baler come assembled and ready to bale?

The baler ships with the wheels removed to facilitate shipping. You will need to install the wheels, prepare the twine mechanism for baling before use, and lubricate the machine. These steps are covered in the Quick Start Guide, which you will receive with the baler. Be sure to review it for some important startup tips. After that you should be ready to bale!

Are there any helpful videos or instructions?

YES! We offer quick tips and assembly guidance for the TX31 in the form of a Quick Start Guide as well as some helpful videos. We are also just a phone call away and always happy to help if you have any questions setting up your baler or when it’s time to go out to the field to use it, whether it’s the first time or 100th time!

Do I need the push button and/or drawbar kit?

It depends! Customers often choose the push button kit if they are using a cab tractor and/or prefer not pulling the rope to eject the bale. They’re also great for customers with more limited mobility or who benefit from an easier and smaller range of motion to eject bales.

The drawbar kits are best for those with smaller subcompact tractors that can’t physically lift the baler off the ground due to lower hydraulic lift capacities or limited weight in the tractor. It allows the baler and tractor to turn independently so that you can take tighter turns without lifting the baler from the ground, which avoids tearing up your field and/or ruining the tires. The drawbar can be installed and removed extremely quickly, so you can easily convert between drawbar and three point hitch hookup in a flash!

Does the push button kit control the net wrap cycle as well?

The push button kit only controls the rear tailgate function to eject the bale. The net wrap cycle is initiated by pulling a rope.

Does the baler require hydraulics in the tractor?

No, the TX31 has self-contained hydraulics! It uses a small hydraulic pump that is run by the rotation of the PTO. As long as the PTO is turning, you can operate the tailgate. No messy, pesky hoses or adapters to deal with!

Is this baler easy to maintain?

Preventative maintenance is crucial for any agricultural implement. These balers require minimal maintenance: chains must be regularly lubed, grease fittings must be greased, and the machine must be kept clean and out of the elements. Doing these things will give you prolonged longevity and smooth bailing each time and every year for years to come!

Can I flake feed my horses like I can with square bales?

Absolutely! If you are accustomed to flake feeding with square bales, it won’t take long to get used to feeding with mini round bales. They unroll like a paper towel roll, and you can simply unroll and tear off a flake just as you would peel one, two or three flakes from a square bale, depending on how hungry your animals are for that feeding.

Will this work for pine straw?

These balers are highly sought after and perfectly fitted for pine straw operations. They make for an extremely cost effective and consistent bale compared to hand baling. They work with all types of pine straw.

I have shear bolts from my other implement. I can just use those on the TX31, right?

No. The shear bolts that the TX31 uses have a specific shear strength and are a type and grade of bolt designed specifically for this baler. Always use the OEM bolts and nuts. The OEM bolts are designed to break before anything else on the baler can be subjected to damage. If a different bolt is used, it may result in catastrophic damage to the baler! The baler comes with eight free bolts, and spare sets are inexpensive and always in stock.

Ibex Mini Round Balers are popular with pine straw operators too! The compact size and maneuverability of mini-round balers makes them a perfect choice for harvesting straw between the narrow tree rows of a pine plantation.

The features of Ibex Mini Round Balers that lend themselves to pine straw production are:

• Both TWINE and NET WRAP options available.
• Minimum HP for operation is 15 HP thus allowing the baler to be operated by compact tractors small enough to maneuver between tree rows.
• Capable of baling up to 100 bales per hour (120 for net wrap model).
• Adjustable bale density to meet customers' needs.
• In-line baling position allows the baler to fit between tree rows.

Mini round balers increase efficiency of production and, as a result, increase earnings. Every producer should go through the calculations to see if switching from manual baling to a mini round baler makes economic sense for them. The situations vary for each producer. Here are some guidelines:

• A mini round baler can average about 2 tons baled per hour, or 100-120 bales. This is the equivalent of about 270 square bales weighing 15 pounds each.
• One laborer with a 25-horsepower tractor and a mini round baler can produce 900 bales, or 16 tons, of baled pine straw in an 8-hour day. That’s the equivalent of about 2100 square bales.
• A mini round baler can bale as much as 25 humans baling by hand.

When choosing between twine and net wrap options, pine straw producers should consider the amount of handling and the final destination of their product. If bales are simply being produced for bulk delivery to construction or landscaping companies, the more affordable twine option may be acceptable. If bales will be marketed to retail stores where more handling and a neater appearance is required, net wrap will likely be the better option. Also important to consider is the fact that net wrap balers can produce more bales per hour than twine since fewer rotations of the bale in the bale chamber are required to wrap a bale with net.

Maybe most importantly, all parts for Ibex balers are in stock and ship from our Indiana warehouse. You can’t afford downtime, so we get your parts to you in a hurry!

Machine requires assembly.