From someone who grew up doing hay every summer, incredible respect for doing this by yourself!

Unless you have done this kind of work you will never know how hard a job this is. This guy worked his tail off doing this alone, not to mention the heat.

At 6 years old, Dad put me in the seat (62 years ago) of the Farmall-H first gear at a dead idle he would load and stack the bales on the wagon without stopping, Dad be back on the tractor before we went into the fence row of trees. Fast forward to 14 years of age, Dad worked full time at the Mill, plus running a dairy farm. When it was time for bale straw, I'd drive the 504 Farmall, New Holland Baler and two wagons about eight miles on the two lane highway to the egg farm in Dry Valley and bale straw. And stop at VanHorns garage for a ice cold Niehigh orange soda. Thems was the good days.

Now, here’s a guy with a work ethic. I love how he doesn’t need all brand new modern equipment. Reminds me of the farm I grew up on. Thanks for taking me back to my childhood.

This video made me cry ,I remember my grandpa work8ng like you do,you are the true hero's of america,these kids today should all work on a farm for a while,so they can appreciate what they have,these spoiled,untitled brats hurt my soul,God bless you ❤

This video took me back to my younger years. Small farm (25) acres back pasture was about 10 acres. Pop cut about a 3rd of it and when on vacation for 2 weeks. Cut hay dried, racked and no one else at home but me. Baled just as in the video. But my experience was just a bit different. I was blessed with one front wheel on the wagon coming off and didn't even lose a lug nut. That wasn't so bad but the wagon was about 2,3rd full of hay. Old man was smart enough that he had 2 hay wagons. But at about 15 years old ,my day was going to be full of fun. ( lol) Hay transfer to another wagon including what fell off the first wagon. Replace damaged wheel and finish baling the hay. Just short of 200 bales. Day not over yet, it now had to be stacked in the range hayloft. Now that day will always be remembered as I stood behind the barn proud of what I had accomplished. Kids now days just don't know what work is. There's nothing wrong growing up every on a farm, even if it's 25 acres. My dad could work circles around all his 4 sons, even when he was 75 years young.

I hauled with my 2 brothers, we made 3 cents per bale, hauled and stacked in the barn. We never got rich, but we sure got strong.

I'm a 74 year old farm wife. I loved building the load on the wagon! When I was about 65 I all of a sudden couldn't do it any more. Just like that, from one year to the next. We have old equipment like you, too. I miss doing it and really enjoyed this video. Could tell the bales were bigger and heavier than we made them! You're doing a great job!

Every year, we invite my entire family, all city people, to come help load the loft with hay. Doing it alone is such an atrocious job and were all beat afterwards. BIG Kudos to you for being able to do all this alone!

I worked summers on a farm that used a kicker baler, so the wagons were fenced because the bales would shoot out of the baler with some pretty good force. There were certainly downsides: more broken bales since they were flying 15-20 feet in the air and often jammed in weird positions, which made getting them on the hay mow elevator a little challenging. Also, the wagons weren't nearly as neatly stacked so they probably only held about 40 bales before we had to swap out the wagons. Your method takes more busy work, but you handled it beautifully. I'll echo others' comments about the effort involved in baling - it's a lot tougher than hitting the treadmill, people. Thanks for the memories!

I baled by myself for a few years after working a 12 hour day job come home and work the fields. Used a truck and trailer to pick up 150 bale loads by hand and stack at the pile. You have to love it.

Now I remember why I left the farm and got into construction.

I remember doing this as a kid growing up on my grandparents farm and I am working on starting it again. Great times.

This guy is a one man team he takes me back to the days when square bales for a buck fifty my dad would store the hay and him and I would hit the road in the winter Idaho ,Montana,Alturas Ca fun times with my old man hes gone now he lived to be 99 years old before covid took his life man I miss him keep up the good work partner and God Bless you for the video👍👍👍

When I was a boy this is exactly the way we bailed our hay. We used two wagons and then a conveyor to load into the hay loft.

Back when i was a kid the summer was work in the hay field time . Good times

This brings back a lot of memories. I learned to wear long sleeve shirts when throwing bales. When we put them up in the barn, 90 degrees outside felt cold when we came out of the barn.

This was my teenage life and honestly the work that shaped me. We had a belt kicker on our New Holland but we put in about 35k bales a year and I touched almost every one of them! I'll never be that strong again.

When I saw your video of the tractor with the baler and wagon, it is EXACTLY like what I used to do!! Old IH super M, with no hood, cause it was easier to add power steering fluid!! Old new holland 68 baler, pulling a 4 wheel wagon just like that, but didn't have the stop on the back of it!! Wife driving, with a 1 year old on her lap!!! What great times those were!! Thank you for re-kindling the great memory!!! We all survived just fine, thank you!!! Used to do 90 acres that way!!!

You sir are an icon to show people what we go thru during hay season. Awesome video. 👍👍👍

My hat is off to you brother I love to see that somebody still uses the old equipment and to see that it still works as hard as you do. I do have a few suggestions that may help you if you have to do it all by yourself 1 put some sides on your wagon 2 put an offset hitch on your baler to move the wagon to the left and line up better with your chute 3 extend the baler chute to put the bales further back on the wagon 4 looking at your hay you may want to circle the field when raking a few times to build a bigger window so you have less baling laps (we usually go 2 or 3 then go in the other direction to make the window depends on grass thickness the v rake we use can be used with only 1 side down or both) I hope my suggestions give you good ideas. Hard work is the key and you have that down pat hopefully lady luck will touch you and we will soon see you riding in the A/C with all new shiny equipment so you will not have to work so hard. Bless you brother keep up the good work...

This is where you need to find a teenager looking to make a few dollars, I remember 35 years ago working for someone just like you! Taught me to appreciate hard work!

Most people come home tired, this man must come home exhausted

In 1965 Dad bought a bail thrower to throw the square bales into a sided wagon. This really saved one man from stacking them on the wagon. I was 15 at that time running the bailer with a 560 International Tractor.

You sir have made my day. Back in the sixties/seventies my grandpa in Pa would bale hay by himself this way when none of the grandkids were there. He’d push a few up on the wagon then climb off the farmall H and stack them. He always worked hard and his IH “45” baler would not always knot the bales. I really miss Him and helping him. Great memories!!

You are a very hard working young man. You will be amazed later on down the road at how much you have accomplished. 👍

This farmer has a good attitude, and seems like a nice guy.

Wow! This brings up vivid memories. Stacking the hay bales up in the barn is something everyone should experience if even for five minutes.

YOU HAVE A GREAT "CAN DO" ATTITUDE.IMPRESSIVE !

I make small squares entirely by myself, and having used a 1958 NH s68 exactly like you are doing here, I modernized and bought a 1970ish JD 24T with the bale ejector. Saves a lot of time, but sometimes I still stack bales as they get thrown in to maximize wagon capacity

Funny, the family that does our small squares, swear that drinking cold beverages is bad for them. They'll drink 'cool' water while working. The cold stuff comes out when they are done. Nice video.

started driving tractor around 7 years old driving the baler for dad, while he stacked the wagon.......memories

This sure brings back memories of some 45 years ago. I spent many a day working for local farmers, and baling was a specialty. The going rate was a buck an hour, but I always got $1.25 because I could stack bales two courses higher than a normal teenager (I am 6'6") without them falling off the rack on the way to the barn - meaning fewer trips.) My partner liked the barn work, but I got the tan.

Takes me back to my childhood on a farm in Maryland, square bales and all, though I never saw anyone try to do all this alone. It's very hard work, period, but excessively difficult on your own. You did a great job! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

Ah, the good old days, bailing clover and alfalfa in the hot summer sun.

We bailed hay like that when I was 15 . I am 73 now. It worked very well.

We always used hey hooks to grab the bails when we were stacking the trailer. Keep in mind, I was only about 12 or thirteen at the time. Ranching and farming is the greatest character building lifestyle there is for a kid. I loved everything about growing up in the country, specially when I was too far from the house chasing steers to catch the school bus. Oh darn!

I dont know how I came across this video but it sure brings back memories. Baled hay from the time I was 12 to around 18 after I was out of high school. I'm 33 now. One of the best jobs I ever did.

We did the same set up because my Dad only had girls. At 10 and 12 yrs old we’d ride the trailer and drag the bales into place. Occasionally Dad would stop and stack higher. We were lucky at the barn because he bought us a hay conveyor. Tea break! Good job.

One of the last of our kind,HARD WORKER 👍

Nice job backing the wagon in the barn with the truck!

That smile Evan after a successful day. These victories will shadow the failures. Keep smiling Evan.

Wow. Memories of the chaff crusted with sweat on the back of my neck stacking bales from a very similar baler and an old Allis Chalmers when I was a kid. I sure did sleep well during baling season!

I did this all the time when I was a kid...all aspects of farming... I wish I was still on the farm I sure do miss those days

Props to you for standing up to the strain, the dust, and the heat! 10:52 I hate to play Mr. Safety, but I was taught from a very young age to shut down the pto if you were off the tractor, no matter the reason. It costs maybe 10 seconds to do it, but it's worth not coming in contact with moving parts. Especially important when the guard over the pto shaft is missing.

Forked thousands of heavy bales back in my youth every summer in Ireland no elevator either in the barn . All good work glad I got to do it.

American spirit and work ethic on display

I'm retired now, and I remember baling hay alone myself, and it didn't take me very long to find someone willing to drive the tractor to save time, and eliminate my having to run back and forth between the tractor and wagon to stack the bales. Baling hay in this manner is counter productive.

That is the true definition of determination.

I married a dairy farmers daughter and I used to bale the hay for him. His set-up had a kicker on the baler and the trailers, he had three of them, had sides on them so I could fill a trailer with bales and drop the trailer and hook up onto another and keep on going for a total of probably 400 or 500 bales before we had to unload the wagons. The only time we had to handle the bales was when we unloaded them onto the conveyor. The weighed about 75 pounds apiece so handling them once was enough.

First time I worked on a hay wagon was in the early 80's and I was 44 yrs old, and NOT in working condition. A friend let me help him, paid in square bales for my meat steer. Three bales and hour (about $6) and all was going well until he left to go get something at the co-op and his Dad in his late 70's started driving. Working on a hill and he kicked it up a gear. I was keeping up, but staggering. He stopped and said, "Son, crawl up under that wagon out of the sun and douse yourself with some of this water." I survived and we became great friends. I picked up hay off the ground one evening along a hillside with my young daughter (first time on tractor)steering the tractor, my wife and I, and a Young Man gathering it up. YM would gather two bales, stack all of ours, help daughter steer around the sharp turns, and repeat. We got her done before rain.

God bless you sir and all that you do! We need more men like you... Honest hard working TRUE AMERICAN MEN... I am so so very proud of you, keep up the good work... It is God's work SIR

What a hard working man, and he still keeps smiling. Job well done 👍

5 bales instead of 4. Let them overhang slightly and you can tie the stack together.

Your my kind of farmer like me low budget. Keep going and thanks

Your bailler look like my Borga bailer. Haying is fun. Grease of the Netherlands.

Almost a thousand replies. Perhaps there is hope for us. All my helpers grew up and moved away. New ones come and go. The guy that makes it all work is stacking by himself quite often around here. Although I have seen some really awesome hay girls. Mine were to smart to stick around. Believe it or not the kids go off to careers but I quit a good job to do this all summer. It is bliss. The repairs. The fun folks that buy small bales. My favorite field is down by a creek. I have heard we can run old tractors on wood smoke. If I pull it off I will do a vid. Thanks guy for keeping the old stuff running. I was just logging with an 8n Ford from the mid 40s. Bone stock. Still running strong. Makes one wonder when a new John Deere goes down with sensor problems and the company won’t allow the farmer into the software that they paid 260 grand for. Even worse they prosecute you for hacking their software to fix their shoddy planned obsolescence. But I digress. Keep up the good work. We are doing such a good job our hay is making the whole country fat and happy.

You are a machine! Back in my day it’s a two person operation. Might I give advice that might help. If you put your bails longways down the center. Then longs ways on sides. With the last bails hanging of the sides of the trailer. And each tier alternate them so that they lock in the lower bails, you will be able to get more hay on your wagon. You have to stack it tight but it’ll work. it also takes a little practice figuring it out.

Thank you for the video. Excellently explained.

I remember those hot sunny days baling hay . The baler had a two or four cyl engine to bale the hay and a shall engine for a kicker . If you weren’t fast enough stacking the hay you’d get behind and the farmer wouldn’t slow down . When the stack would get high and you were too slow the next bale would knock you off the top of the wagon . Thank God we didn’t sustain any broken bones . One time the farmer was fueling it up while it was running and it exploded and knocked him off the baler . The baler engine to the normal guy would of been trash . But he had it running the next day . A couple of used valves from another engine . Valve job . Replace spark plug wires and other wires and we were baking hay again . I couldn’t believe it I’ve never seen another baler setup like it

Very very very impressed with how you could back in the hay wagon I don’t know anybody who could do that even 70 year olds that have Been farming there whole life

Nice work on going solo! Many of us like you and me end up doing a lot solo, but I am very impressed to be able to do HAY solo! Keep up the great work! Thanks.

You did a great job. I known how hard it is, I was always, the one stacking or on the wagon unloading. Thank you for not giving up. God bless

As a kid, I remember a lot of hours making ten bale stooks behind a new Holland baler, and it was pretty cool about twenty years later to find out that “New Holland” was a quaint PA town with a couple of really big manufacturing plants turning out those balers AND a bunch of other farming helpers. I still remember that gentle back and forth as the ram did its job...😑

%good work. Let me make one observation from an experience standpoint. When you are stacking bales alternate the direction. This helps lock them in and makes the load much more stable. So if you do north to south on the first row do east to west on the second but offset 1/2 a bale so there are minimal seams and that will help lock in the load and make it much more stable. This may not be required with your 4 to 5 able height but when we did 10 rows high it was imperitive.

This is why farmers used to have at least 6 kids preferably as many boys a possible. Together they represent the most reliable form of cheap labor available until they realize that they have to get to a better place and leave. A couple things to keep in mind. Cases have a slower running engine but can still easily make 540RPM on the PTO but at a lower engine RPM. Secondly the NH 78 is an up sized version of the standard NH 68. it can gobble down huge windrows . Trying to work a farm and a full time off farm job will make you an old man before your time. I did it and I'm physically paying for it now.

This farmer is very skilled, innovative, and dedicated to getting the crop harvested by himself. Backing a wagon into a shed with a tractor is challenging enough, but doing it with a truck is "over the top."

My job was to pickup the bales, load it on the trailer, take the trailer to the barn, and unload the trailer. Enjoyed watching this video to reminisce a time long since gone...

Great job, love to see old machines do their job. I remember as a cub , sitting up on the top the load hay, on the public road. I don’t recall any big health and safety advice, about how to hold on . Greetings from Ireland, where the grass is always greener, well that’s what they told me as a gusson ( small boy) 😄

I have soooo "been there, done that!" One of the best things I did in the early days was make a hitch that towed the trailer straight, then when I un hooked & flipped it over it offset the trailer. When bailing on my own (which I often did) it made the world of difference. I often bailed 350 to 400 bales at a time (2 trailers full) with no help. Yes, the hot days can be a bummer but more often than not, I bailed at night before the dew hit to retain as much leaf as possible. I tried to avoid raking in the middle of the day for the same reason. Ahhh, the nights of bailing flat out trying to beat a thunderstorm & breaking shear bolts in the process. Good times! Thanks for the video, you have brought back so many memories of good (but some times bad) days/nights.

You're amazing man. Awesome set up. 👏

Did this many times in my younger days. Got to be on your game for sure. Higher you get the tougher it gets but as my late father-in-law used to say, "No hill for a stepper."

This is straight out of a New Zealand farm of the 60's. You're what we call a good keen man...

Keep doing what you're doing. You're building the small hobby farmers confidence. I appreciate it!

Temporarily lost my job in 1975 and baled hay for some money and food and swore I would.NEVER do this for money again. The very next year, a good friend needed help baling hay and I did for free. Never say never. Can't imagine doing it all alone! Thanks for the memories....I think! Lol

I remember getting 50c a bale when I was young Hard work

I am retired, but we actually had the same set-up, but only with a bale-thrower. Long story about those days!

You’ve got a great work ethic and personal goals. I’m just returning to the farm after nearly 30 years. Some observations, but that’s all. When I sickle mow, I start with the tractor fence side first round. This allows for an even cut and straight lines. I return the second round with the bar to the fence, as the hay is still moist and won’t clog the bar. I also lift the 3 point at the end of standing hay and turn with the bar up. This allows me to cut all the hay and not leave tufts where the bar drags around the corner. I didn’t see your second cutting with the sickle mower, but your field looked much better this time. That drone view was great. One other suggestion. Turn two of your windrows into one when you turn it to dry the underneath side. That makes a larger row and the baler works better (IMO). We used to square bale 25K each year between my dad and I. Sometimes my mom would help. I love how your learning and working.

That’s some hard work my man. God Bless our Farmers.

Run your tractor counter-clockwise to stop your problem with bales falling off on corners. You are certainly not scared of hard work. Well done!

When I was a kid my friend and I used to get loaned out to several of the neighbors during bailing season. Alfalfa was the main hey in my area. Twice a year!

Love to watch this video. Reminds me of years gone by when my late wife would be in the hay field with an almost identical "train". Glad to see you got a wagon and a dump wagon to boot. My first wagon was a David Bradley. If you put a bale length wise in the middle on your first 5, then you can start interlocking front to back and side to side. Important when on a rough field and when transporting down the road. You just start with your first middle lengthwise bale and put 2 crossways on both sides letting bales overhang on each side. Our barn door was not much wider than that arrangement, so the whole load had to stay tight and straight. I never baled alone. If wife couldn'tdrive, I would get grown son to come and help or hire a teenager who was desperate for spending money. Still have the David Bradley and 2 made by Springfield Wagon in Springfield, MO. stored in a barn. We needed to be able to load 2-3 wagons an evening without stopping to unload. Where did you come up with the extension chute? Yes, square baling with old equipment goes much better if you don't overpower the baler with the tractor. My 730 Case gas tractor could run much faster than the baler was able to handle.

I'm office engineer. but man do I miss bailing hay back in HS. It made me so strong for basketball and football. I was still skinny but strong as an ox.

God bless you Sir, i was tired just watching you and more power 🔋 to you 😮😊😮. From Ireland 🇮🇪 ❤

Glad your young enough to do that! We had a 24 acres of alfalfa, irrigated, 1200 to 1500 85 lb bales, 5 cuttings a year.

Trial and error is the mother of invention.

You sir, are a working man!

I have hand stacked many truck and trailer and doubles in my younger years, I remember running up hwy 5 on my way to Tule lake and you could smell the cut hay laying in the fields, Night running, Memories

Evan, you are definitely a farmer with that impressive "can do " attitude. I grew up on a dairy farm and know how hard and hot baling hay is and you added drone footage on to doing it all alone, amazing. Glad your back is better.

Many's the day I spent on a hay wagon on grandpa's farm with a hay hook in each hand and bucking bales. My muscles ache just thinking about it.

Anyone who hasn't been there doesn't fully appreciate what you did. This brings back suppressed memories from my childhood. lol Kids today would consider it child abuse. Before I was strong enough to stack I had to drive the flatbed. Being a kid I couldn't reach the pedals and in the late 60s it wasn't automatic. I would shake the crap out of the boys in the bed, they called me everything but a white boy. Who could blame them. It was always exciting when you bail a snake and start to pick up the bail without looking. When the round bailers came along I thought they were the best things ever. Now I'm getting old and just rent the farm to a young guy and that's the best thing ever !

Love seeing old equipment 👍running and doing what it was designed to do. Great setup thanks 👋

Thanks for sharing this video and the good work demonstration! Really like the drone perspective! I can't tell you how many bales I've caught being the one on the wagon. My Dad & I went back and forth between the wagon and driving the tractor. At least there were the 2 of us. You did a great piece of work there!

That's why I purchased a round baler. The last time I did square bales I had 1800 bales on the ground and none of the help I hired showed up. I had to take off work to finish hauling hay all by myself. I had the kicker on my John Deere that shot bales in the wagon but still had to unload and stack in the barn. I feel for you brother. Love your videos.

i am 82 now and it brought back a lot of memories to me i farmed small alfalfa farm in New Mexico and had international model 47 baler with a 4 cylinder Wisconsin engine mostly i worked alone but i did a lot of makeshift things like that too... hahaha very good video young man thanks for the memories!!!! i didn't have much money but i guess i was happy.. Thanks

You did a great job

To avoid bales dropping off the trailer when you turn drive around the paddock in an anticlockwise direction, that way the bale shoot will point to the center of the trailer and not off the edge. Alternatively, get your missus to drive the tractor she can sleep at the wheel and you grab and stack the bales. Good effort to bale and stack alone, so much easier than picking up off the ground, you should sleep well that night after your toil.

As many have mentioned the answer to your dropping bales is to drive counter clockwise. Alternatively if you are set on driving clockwise get (or make) an offset trailer bar that would keep your shoot relatively in line constantly because the trailer would be towed further to the left of your bale chute.

This really takes me back, late 1960's Australia, dad would cut, I would rake, dad would bale. My neighbour and I would cart the hay with a truck, 16 foot tray, we loaded the truck in 10 minutes (160) bales , and unload in 15 minutes, yes it was a constant competition to see how fast we could do it. We each had cows to milk as well but we could move 1200 bales a day, hot hard work, but very satisfying.

I remember haying back in 1955, when I was 13, but had no hay wagon behind the baler. And, I'm a girl, and not near as strong today as I was back then. We had to grab the bales from the ground and lift them up on to the wagon.