Can a Compact Tractor Handle an Old Square Baler? #farmlife #farming #tractor #farmequipment
Overview
A real-world test rather than a spec sheet discussion: the owner hooks a John Deere 2038R to an old International Harvester 440 square baler to find out whether 30 PTO horsepower and a ballasted weight of roughly 4,500 pounds can actually handle haying. He reports on pulling performance including uphill runs and bale ejection load. Useful for compact tractor owners weighing whether to invest in a vintage square baler.
An owner-operator channel that documents working their own 20-acre property, so expect a practical, first-person perspective rather than a dealer or manufacturer angle.
John Deere 2038R
- PTO horsepower
- 30.4 hp
- Loader lift capacity
- 1,949 lbf (pivot)
- 3-point lift capacity
- 1,356 lb
- Hydraulic flow
- 5.2 gpm
