From Cutting to Baling: How to Choose the Right Vermeer Hay Equipment for Your Farm

Making good hay isn't about owning the biggest piece of equipment in the field.

It's about putting together a hay system that matches your acreage, your tractor, your crop, your weather and the way you want to feed or sell your hay.

That is one of the reasons we're excited to offer Vermeer Hay and Forage Equipment at Timberstar Tractor in Vernon, BC.

Vermeer has spent generations building equipment specifically around hay production, and its current lineup covers virtually every stage of the process: mowers, mower conditioners, tedders, rakes, round balers, silage balers and bale-processing equipment.

But having choices creates questions.

Do you need a mower conditioner, or is a straight disc mower enough? Rubber or steel conditioner rolls? Should you ted your hay? Which type of rake works best? Should your baler have twine, netwrap or both? And is a silage kit worthwhile if you normally make dry hay?

Let's work through it from the moment the hay gets cut until the finished bale leaves the chamber.

It All Starts With the Cut

There is a lot riding on your mower.

A good cutting system needs to put acres behind you quickly while leaving a clean, consistent stubble and setting the crop up to dry properly.

Vermeer currently offers several different approaches, including 3-point disc mowers, trailed disc mowers, mower conditioners and large combination mowing systems, with cutting widths extending from smaller machines for compact fields to machines approaching 30 ft in a single pass.

For most farms, the first decision is fairly simple:

Do you just want to cut the crop, or do you want to cut and condition it at the same time?

Straight Disc Mower or Mower Conditioner?

A straight disc mower is hard to beat for simplicity.

Machines like the Vermeer 3-point and trailed disc mowers are designed to cut quickly and cleanly without running the crop through conditioner rolls afterward.

That means fewer components, lower weight and generally lower horsepower requirements.

For smaller acreages, lighter crops, grass hay and operations where drying conditions are normally excellent, a straight disc mower can make a lot of sense.

Vermeer offers everything from compact 3-point machines such as the M5050, M6050, M7050 and M8050 to an extensive lineup of trailed mowers. The trailed lineup alone currently ranges from approximately 9 ft to more than 20 ft of cutting width.

For many Okanagan hay producers, however, we'd give serious consideration to a mower conditioner.

Why Condition Hay?

A mower conditioner doesn't simply cut the plant.

After cutting, the crop passes between conditioner rolls that damage or compress the plant stem.

Why would you intentionally damage freshly cut hay?

Because the stem is usually one of the slowest parts of the plant to release moisture.

Conditioning creates additional pathways for that moisture to escape. The objective is to get the stem drying at a rate closer to the leaves, reducing the amount of time the crop needs to spend lying in the field.

That matters whenever you're trying to beat changing weather.

If you're cutting a heavy first crop in the spring, trying to make high-quality alfalfa or simply staring at a narrow weather window, shortening dry-down time can become extremely valuable.

Vermeer's current MC90, MC105, MC120 and MC150 mower conditioners offer cutting widths of approximately 9 ft, 10.5 ft, 12 ft and 15 ft respectively. All use the Vermeer Q3 cutter bar and offer either steel or rubber conditioner rolls.

Rubber Rolls or Steel Rolls?

This is one of the most common questions we get when configuring a mower conditioner.

Vermeer gives you two choices:

Intermeshing steel rolls or rubber rolls.

Neither is universally better.

But for many of the farms we deal with, we lean toward rubber rolls.

Why We Like Rubber Conditioner Rolls

Rubber rolls provide effective conditioning while treating the crop relatively gently.

That becomes particularly important in crops where leaf retention matters.

With alfalfa especially, the leaves contain a significant portion of the valuable nutrients in the crop. Losing leaves means losing feed value.

Vermeer describes its rubber-roll option as being focused on crop leaf retention, while its steel rolls provide particularly aggressive crimping action and durability.

For a farm producing a combination of grass, alfalfa and mixed hay, rubber rolls offer a very attractive balance.

They're the configuration we'd recommend looking at first for the average Okanagan hay producer.

When Would We Choose Steel?

Steel rolls still have their place.

They're extremely durable and provide aggressive conditioning, particularly where you're dealing with large, tough stems and heavy crops.

If maximum crimping action and durability are the priorities, steel is worth considering.

But if you're asking us to configure a mower conditioner for a typical mixed hay operation without any other information, rubber would normally be our starting point.

The Vermeer Q3 Cutter Bar

One thing we particularly like about the current Vermeer mower conditioners and many of the newer trailed mowers is the Q3 cutter bar.

Hay season has a habit of making small problems happen at exactly the wrong time.

So serviceability matters.

The Q3 system incorporates features including the Quick-Clip blade retention system, Quick-Change shear rings and individual cutter-unit oil checks. Vermeer also backs the cutter bar with three-year cutter-bar coverage.

Those aren't glamorous features.

But when the hay is ready and rain is coming in two days, being able to service a machine quickly becomes considerably more important than how impressive it looked on the dealership lot.

Do You Actually Need a Tedder?

Maybe.

And that's an important distinction.

We're happy to sell you a tedder, but we're not going to tell every hay producer that they absolutely need one.

A tedder takes the crop and spreads or turns it so that more of the hay is exposed to air and sunlight.

Used under the right conditions, it can make a dramatic difference in drying time.

Vermeer describes its tedders as gently picking up portions of the crop, flipping them and laying them back down to encourage faster dry-down while helping manage ash contamination through proper machine adjustment.

A Tedder Makes the Most Sense When:

You've cut a heavy crop that is lying thick on the ground.

The bottom of the swath isn't drying.

Your first cutting arrives during cooler or wetter spring weather.

Rain hit the hay after cutting and you need to get the crop opened back up.

You're working with narrow weather windows where taking hours — or even a day — out of drying time makes a real difference.

In those situations, a tedder can be one of the most useful tools in the hay shed.

When Might You Skip Tedding?

If you're putting up a relatively light grass crop during hot, dry Okanagan summer weather, the sun may already be doing most of the work for you.

There is also such a thing as overworking hay.

Every additional time you handle very dry forage, particularly leafy crops such as alfalfa, you create another opportunity to lose leaves.

So the goal isn't to ted hay because you own a tedder.

The goal is to ted when doing so improves the crop.

Vermeer offers machines ranging from the compact TD100 at roughly 10 ft through large tedders such as the TE485 at approximately 48.5 ft, giving smaller farms and large-acreage producers appropriately sized options.

Then It's Time to Build a Windrow

Once the hay reaches the moisture level you're looking for, it's time to rake.

And this is another place where one rake isn't automatically the right rake for everybody.

Vermeer offers three major rake styles:

Wheel rakes, twin-basket rakes and rotary rakes.

Each has advantages.

Wheel Rakes: Simple and Fast

Wheel rakes are popular for a reason.

They're mechanically simple, can cover substantial acreage quickly and don't require enormous amounts of tractor horsepower.

For a producer putting up lots of grass hay and looking for speed, capacity and simplicity, a wheel rake is difficult to beat.

Vermeer offers several sizes, including carted wheel rakes and high-capacity models designed to gather large swaths.

They're especially attractive when you're trying to get a lot of acres in front of a round baler in a hurry.

Rotary Rakes: When Hay Quality Matters

A rotary rake approaches the job differently.

Rather than relying on ground-driven rake wheels, rotating tine arms lift and move the crop into a windrow.

The result can be a lighter, airier windrow, which allows additional airflow through the crop. Vermeer also emphasizes the gentle crop handling of its rotary rake designs as a way to help preserve forage quality.

This is where we'd particularly look at a rotary rake for:

High-value hay.

Alfalfa.

Fields where you want to minimize contamination.

Situations where the hay still needs some additional drying after it has been raked.

Producers focused heavily on forage quality rather than simply moving the maximum number of acres per hour.

If you're producing premium hay for sale, horse customers or a demanding feeding program, the extra control offered by a rotary rake can be very appealing.

Twin-Basket Rakes: A Great Middle Ground

Then there are Vermeer's R2300 and R2800 twin-basket rakes.

These machines can build clean, consistent windrows while providing excellent adjustability and substantial capacity. The larger R2800 gives producers even more working width for covering larger fields.

For many farms, a twin rake represents a very attractive middle ground between capacity, crop handling and versatility.

And ultimately, that's what a rake needs to accomplish:

Build a consistent windrow that lets your baler work efficiently.

A good baler operator wants to feed the pickup consistently rather than constantly weaving back and forth trying to find hay.

The better the windrow, the easier it is to make good bales.

Now Comes the Fun Part: Picking Your Baler

This is where Vermeer really has some depth.

The current Vermeer round baler lineup covers everything from straightforward machines for relatively small dry-hay operations through extremely high-capacity machines designed specifically for heavy silage production.

The first question we would ask isn't:

"Which baler do you want?"

It's:

"What are you actually going to bale?"

Start With Bale Size

One of the biggest decisions is whether you want a 4-ft-wide or larger round bale.

A machine such as the 504R Series produces approximately 5-ft-diameter by 4-ft-wide bales.

The larger 604-series machines can produce substantially larger-diameter bales.

The right answer depends on your tractor, handling equipment, storage, transportation and feeding system.

Bigger isn't always better.

A smaller bale can be easier to handle and sell, while larger bales can reduce the total number of bales that need to be moved when you're putting up large volumes of hay.

The Vermeer 504R Series: Classic, Signature or Premium?

We really like the way Vermeer has structured the 504R lineup because it makes the buying decision straightforward.

504R Classic

The 504R Classic is aimed primarily at producers putting up fewer than approximately 1,000 dry bales per year.

It's simple, relatively economical and doesn't force a smaller operation to buy technology it doesn't need.

If you're mostly making dry hay on your own farm and want a dependable baler without unnecessary complexity, this is where we'd start the conversation.

504R Signature

The 504R Signature steps things up significantly.

Vermeer positions it for both part-time and full-time operators putting up higher bale counts. It adds features including the Atlas Pro control system, standard moisture sensing and bale-shape monitoring.

Most importantly for some farms, it can also be equipped with an optional silage kit.

This is arguably one of the most interesting configurations for a farm that primarily makes dry hay but wants the flexibility to make baleage when conditions demand it.

504R Premium

Then there's the 504R Premium.

This is the machine we'd look toward for serious producers who want to handle both dry hay and silage.

The silage kit comes standard, along with heavier-duty components and additional convenience features.

Do You Need a Silage Kit?

This question is more interesting than it first appears.

If you live somewhere with absolutely predictable hay weather and you're certain you'll only ever make completely dry hay, probably not.

But farming rarely works that way.

A silage-capable baler gives you options.

A wet spring can turn what was supposed to be dry hay into a week of checking weather apps and hoping for three consecutive sunny days.

Being able to bale a crop at higher moisture and wrap it as baleage gives you another way to get that feed off the field.

For a farm that occasionally wants to make silage, we'd strongly look at a machine such as a 504R Signature with the optional silage kit.

If you expect silage to become a routine part of the operation, step up to a machine designed around it, such as the 504R Premium or the purpose-built Pro G4 balers.

When You Get Serious About Silage: Pro G4

The Vermeer 504 Pro G4 and 604 Pro G4 are a different level of machine.

These balers are specifically designed to handle both nutrient-dense silage and dry hay.

One of their standout features is a 17-knife chopping system. Operators can select different knife configurations to alter crop cut length, which can influence bale density, fermentation, feeding characteristics and mixing time.

The 504 Pro G4 makes bales from approximately 36 in to 60 in in diameter, while the larger 604 Pro G4 can extend to approximately 72 in. Both use 48-in-wide bale chambers.

If baleage is a major part of your feeding program rather than an occasional backup plan, these are the machines we'd want you to look at.

Twine or Netwrap?

This is another question where the right answer depends on what you're doing.

Twine

Twine is straightforward, familiar and inexpensive.

For an operation making a modest number of bales and storing them indoors, it may be perfectly adequate.

It also gives operators another option for tying bales when absolute speed isn't the priority.

Netwrap

For most serious round-bale operations, we lean strongly toward netwrap.

Netwrap can complete the wrapping process much faster than running multiple passes of twine around the bale.

When you've got a field ready to bale and weather moving in, every second the tractor sits stationary tying a bale is a second you're not picking up hay.

Netwrap also does an excellent job of helping a bale retain its shape.

Vermeer's current balers place significant emphasis on netwrap systems. The Pro G4 machines, for example, use rear-loading netwrap with adjustable tension controlled from the cab.

So Why Order Both?

Because flexibility has value.

Several Vermeer balers can be configured with both twine and netwrap capability. For example, the 504R Signature offers both systems as options, while the 504R Premium comes with netwrap standard and can be equipped with twine.

If the budget allows it, we like having both available.

You'll probably use netwrap the overwhelming majority of the time.

But the twine system gives you another option for particular customers, crops or operating situations.

Think of it less as deciding whether you're a "twine person" or a "netwrap person."

You're buying flexibility.

Your Hay Equipment Should Work as a System

This is probably the most important point.

Don't buy your mower without thinking about your rake.

Don't buy your rake without thinking about your baler.

And don't buy a baler without thinking about your tractor.

The entire system has to work together.

For example, imagine an operation producing a combination of grass and alfalfa with unpredictable spring weather.

We might build that operation around:

A Vermeer mower conditioner with rubber rolls to get the crop drying quickly while helping retain valuable leaves.

A tedder available for heavy first cutting, wet conditions or situations where the underside of the crop simply isn't drying.

A rotary or twin-basket rake to create a consistent, baler-friendly windrow.

And a 504R Signature with silage capability or 504R Premium so the producer isn't completely dependent on perfect dry-hay weather.

That's a hay system.

Another farm producing primarily dry grass hay in July and August might be better served by a simple Vermeer disc mower, wheel rake and 504R Classic.

That's also a perfectly good hay system.

You're not trying to buy every machine in the catalogue.

You're trying to build the right combination of machines for your farm.

Vermeer Hay Equipment Is Now Available at Timberstar Tractor

For decades, Vermeer has been one of the major names in North American hay and forage equipment.

Now Okanagan producers can buy and support that equipment locally.

Timberstar Tractor in Vernon, BC is your Vermeer Hay and Forage equipment dealer, serving producers throughout the North Okanagan, Central Okanagan, Shuswap and surrounding Interior BC communities.

We carry Vermeer:

Round Balers
From simple dry-hay balers to high-capacity silage machines.

Disc Mowers
3-point and trailed configurations for farms of virtually every size.

Mower Conditioners
Available in several cutting widths with rubber or steel conditioner rolls.

Hay Tedders
From compact machines for smaller farms to high-capacity models for serious acreage.

Hay Rakes
Including wheel, rotary and twin-basket designs.

Bale Processors and Forage Equipment

And most importantly, we'll help you configure the equipment around the way you actually farm.

If you're trying to decide between an MC90 and MC105, rubber or steel rolls, a wheel rake or rotary rake, netwrap or twine, or whether spending the extra money on a silage-capable baler makes sense, come talk to us.

Sometimes the right answer is the more expensive machine.

Sometimes it isn't.

Our job is to help you build a hay setup you'll still be happy with after you've put thousands of bales through it.

Find Vermeer Hay Equipment in Vernon, BC

Visit Timberstar Tractor to see the Vermeer Hay and Forage lineup and talk through your operation with our team.

Timberstar Tractor
7861 Highway 97 North
Vernon, BC
250-545-5441

From the first cut to the finished bale, we can help you build a Vermeer hay system around your farm, your tractor and your conditions.