Feedstuffs fixProducers putting up hay and handling feedstuffs often cite a particular machine as a key to their success.Bob Minner, Fallon, Nevada, farm fence post gate depends on quality baling equipment for commercial hay operation. "you have to keep up with changes in the machinery," minner says. and quality equipment is key to producing dairy-quality post hay for his customers, he says. good dairy test hay will bring $110 to $115, and he has received up to $117 a ton for some.minner shifted from small squares to big square bales eight years ago to meet the demand of local cutter and wireless fence dairy operations. he operates a hesston 8450 post and cutter self-propelled windrower and a hesston fence 4910 baler to cover about 6,000 acres a season. he double-rakes with a rotary machine for bigger windrows and to better post dry the hay. the bales, measuring 8 feet long and weighing 1,750 to 2,300 pounds, are then cutter picked up with a tractor-pulled fence bale wagon that hauls four bales at a time.

"purchasing a bobcat for general farm use has been a lifesaver -- for loading hay, cleaning out fence post rows, hauling rocks, etc.," writes jeff suess, henley, missouri. the gehl skid steer saves me time, labor, and my back. i use it more than i thought i would," says bill haas, bellevue, ohio.atv ready to rodeoatvs are near the top of the list of products rated by stockmen''s survey[tm] respondents. well over half of participants cite a favorite brand or model. "i''d be lost without my atvs," says cutter marty green of grand mound, iowa (pictured above). he jumps on either his polaris 300 or 400 4x4 every day april through september to check calves for scours, pinkeye and lameness, to check cows for heat detection, to fix fence, and to move cattle to different paddocks.