Pine straw baler

[jekjr]

Gotter going today. 1500 watt inverter will not start air compressor. Everything else worked incredibly. I baled 5 balers in a little while. That was all of the straw I had at the house to work on.



This is my straw rake at work also. Took these a few days ago.

 

[mowerman05]

I still can not believe people use that for mulch in your area. Here in Michigan you cant give it away, just hauled two dump trailers full to the landfill. Seems like a waste here in the north.

 

[DRH]

and you have it set up for a nice working height, that makes a difference by the end of the day, much less fatigue.
DRH

 

[DRH]

I still can not believe people use that for mulch in your area. Here in Michigan you cant give it away, just hauled two dump trailers full to the landfill. Seems like a waste here in the north.

I got lucky and have a neighbor who likes to till it into his garden. mine is marsh grass, not pine needles. Another neighbor uses my bales in his garden and also for covering up the flowers and plants and such for the winter months. if it weren't for those couple neighbors I would have to haul all my grass clippings to the landfill also.
DRH

 

[DRH]

what do you use for a bale stop while you are compressing? I didn't notice that part in the pictures.
mine I can stuff 3 times with the grass , the 3rd filling then is enough for a large tight bale.
I was hoping your inverter trick would have worked. my compresser is 30 gallon tank and that is enough supply psi to make about 16 bales then I need to haul back to the garage to refill the compresser. working psi starts at 120 and uses it up til it finally hits about 60 psi. below that isn't enough oomph though.
DRH

 

[DRH]

you've got a neat design too for the guide rails for the plunger.
Den

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I still can not believe people use that for mulch in your area. Here in Michigan you cant give it away, just hauled two dump trailers full to the landfill. Seems like a waste here in the north.

Yeah it would be useless over here, too.

 

[jekjr]

what do you use for a bale stop while you are compressing? I didn't notice that part in the pictures.
mine I can stuff 3 times with the grass , the 3rd filling then is enough for a large tight bale.
I was hoping your inverter trick would have worked. my compresser is 30 gallon tank and that is enough supply psi to make about 16 bales then I need to haul back to the garage to refill the compresser. working psi starts at 120 and uses it up til it finally hits about 60 psi. below that isn't enough oomph though.
DRH

Look at the metal rod in the openings on top. It is the bale stop. You place it behind a bale as you push. It slides the length of the openings till it bottoms out. The openings are for the string to be tied through. The rod is horse shoe shape sort of and is long enough that it runs all the way through. When you finish tying you release pressure on the cylinder and move the stop back behind the next bale, make sure that the string is not twisted through the next bale and then start putting straw in and push again.

 

[jekjr]

I still can not believe people use that for mulch in your area. Here in Michigan you cant give it away, just hauled two dump trailers full to the landfill. Seems like a waste here in the north.

Those bales are worth $4 each. Some of the stores that sell compost, mulch, and so forth get them in on a 52' van load. Who ever supplies them brings one van loaded and then takes the empty back. What they sell is many times not the quality we can actually bale locally. As far as I know I am the only one locally who is baling it.

It is possible to get paid to get it out of one yard. Take it and bale it and then sell I to somebody else and get paid $2 or more a bale to put it back in beds for somebody else. Believe it or not.

 

[jekjr]

I still can not believe people use that for mulch in your area. Here in Michigan you cant give it away, just hauled two dump trailers full to the landfill. Seems like a waste here in the north.

Hey why don't you start a new trend up there? Put some in at a place or two for free and sho them and start promoting it.