There’s no doubt about it -- harvesting hay takes a lot of effort. From the growing to the mowing, you’ve got many days’ labor ahead of you when it comes to harvesting your crop and ensuring that it’s dried and baled correctly to reduce the risk of mold contaminating your hay. You can lessen your workload this coming hay season, though, by doing some preparatory work and ensuring that you have the right equipment for the job. With 7 locations throughout Southern Wisconsin, Mid State Equipment is primed to serve all your farm tool needs, from balers to forage equipment. We’ve prepared this list of tips to help you gear yourself up for hay season so that everything goes off without a hitch.

Buy Ahead Of Time

It’s best that you know exactly what you need before hay season begins and get it before the pre-season rush depletes the available supplies in stores. You can save money by purchasing things like netwrap, twine or wire, blades and even new machines during the lead-up to the season. You’ll be happy that you saved yourself the headache of running out of a vital supply just as you’re ready to start harvesting.

One Month In Advance

A month or more before the season starts, get your shop in good condition for mowing and baling. Label every tool and get it sorted so you know exactly where your stuff is when you need it. You can reduce the risk of injury to yourself and your workers by not leaving sharp implements like blades and pitchforks out where others might trip on them. This is a good time to have a look at your equipment as you pull it out of storage to see if it needs any maintenance before the season begins. Look at your owner’s manuals to refresh yourself on the proper operating procedures, too.

As The Season Goes

Your first mowing of the season will teach you what you need to adjust for subsequent mows. You’ll likely spend your first baling adjusting your equipment, tightening loose fittings and determining the most efficient way to mow your fields. Take your time on the first day to make sure you’ve correctly performed each step from adjusting your pickup height to knotting and wrapping. Shut down your equipment completely before you make any adjustments or attempt any repairs on it. Many manufacturers suggest that you lubricate your equipment daily during hay season, just so everything moves smoothly and you aren’t held up by a stiff or broken-down machine on the field when you’ve still got acres to mow.

Before Next Season

Ideally, you’ll prepare your hay baler for next year by doing some maintenance work before you store it for winter. This will save you time later on and ensure that you get major problems resolved so they don’t present themselves at the start of the next season. Clean your baler with a leafblower or compressed air, getting all the loose hay out of it. Wipe down grease fittings and add grease to them -- this will take time as there are dozens of fittings on a baler, and you’ll want to make sure you’re not adding so much grease that you blow out a seal. Adjust the gearbox oil levels now, too.

Make a list of the parts you’ll need to replace for next season, like tines or belts, and get these attended to during the off months. Mid-State Equipment will have some good sales you can take advantage of.

To see a great selection of balers, forage equipment and more agricultural machines, visit one of our many showrooms to see what we’ve got in our inventory. Mid State Equipment has locations in the cities of Columbus, Jackson, Salem, Janesville, Prairie Du Sac, Salem and Watertown, Wisconsin.