{"id":1172,"date":"2026-07-28T08:44:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T08:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foragebaler.com\/small-square-bale-weight-guide-alfalfa-grass-and-straw\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T08:44:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T08:44:22","slug":"small-square-bale-weight-guide-alfalfa-grass-and-straw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foragebaler.com\/ko\/small-square-bale-weight-guide-alfalfa-grass-and-straw\/","title":{"rendered":"\uc18c\ud615 \uc0ac\uac01 \ubca0\uc77c \ubb34\uac8c \uac00\uc774\ub4dc: \uc54c\ud314\ud30c, \ud480, \uc9da"},"content":{"rendered":"
Bale Weight Reference \u00b7 All Crops \u00b7 9YF Series<\/p>\n
A small square bale does not have a fixed weight \u2014 it is the outcome of three interacting variables: crop species, moisture at baling and the plunger density setting you run. Alfalfa bales from the same machine at the same length setting can range from 20kg to 38kg depending on these factors. This guide gives realistic weight ranges for every crop type in the 9YF series and explains what drives variation so you can produce the weight your market requires.<\/p>\n
Different crop species compress to different densities under the same mechanical force because their stem structure, diameter and flexibility differ fundamentally. Alfalfa at 16% moisture has dense, relatively solid stems that pack with fewer voids than grass hay from the same plunger setting. Rice straw has hollow stems with high silica content that spring back after each plunger stroke, producing lighter bales than any other standard baling crop. Corn stover with intact stalks compresses poorly in a standard chamber because the rigid stem bridges across the cross-section \u2014 shredding before compression dramatically changes the result.<\/p>\n
The practical consequence: if you know your plunger density setting and bale length but change crops without recalibrating, your bale weight will change. A setting that produces 24kg alfalfa bales will produce 18\u201320kg grass hay bales and 14\u201316kg wheat straw bales at the same length and density \u2014 three completely different market weights from one unchanged machine setting.<\/p>\n
Moisture adds weight to every bale. The same crop baled at 20% moisture weighs approximately 6\u20138% more per unit of bale volume than the same crop baled at 14% moisture, because 6% of the total bale mass is water that is present at 20% but absent at 14%. This seems like a small difference but across a 100-bale calibration run it is the difference between averaging 22kg and averaging 23.5kg \u2014 a 6% variation that can push bales above or below your market target weight without any change in machine settings.<\/p>\n
The plunger density setting (compression force per stroke) and the star wheel trip position (bale length) together determine how much material is packed into each bale before the knotter fires. Increasing density by one full step on the adjuster changes bale weight by approximately 8\u201315% in flexible crops like grass hay \u2014 from 20kg to 22\u201323kg in a typical example. Increasing bale length by one step changes bale weight by a similar margin. The two adjustments interact: the same target weight can be reached at different combinations of density and length, and the market preference for bale dimensions (some buyers have storage constraints) may govern which adjustment you make first.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
First-cut stems are relatively fine and flexible. At standard density, bales land in the 22\u201326kg range. At maximum plunger density, 28\u201332kg is achievable. The equine market target of 20\u201328kg is easily hit in first cut at moderate density settings.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Second cut is typically lower in yield than first cut and the stems are slightly finer \u2014 bale weight at the same settings is often 1\u20132kg lighter than first cut. High-quality second cut at 16% moisture and standard density: 22\u201326kg is typical.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Later cuts have thicker, more mature stems that resist uniform compression in non-shredding machines. At standard density, later-cut bales are often 10\u201315% lighter than first-cut bales. The 9YF-2200S shredder improves density uniformity in late-cut thick-stemmed alfalfa.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Baling above 18% moisture adds water weight to every bale. A 24kg bale at 16% moisture from the same setting becomes 26\u201327kg at 20% moisture. This water weight is lost during storage \u2014 the bale lightens and may shrink as it dries, potentially loosening the rope ties.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Grass hay bales are typically lighter than alfalfa bales from the same plunger setting because grass stems are thinner and more hollow than alfalfa stems at equivalent growth stages. The hollow stem cross-section springs back after compression \u2014 not completely, but enough to reduce the final settled density by 10\u201318% compared to solid-stemmed alfalfa. This is a material property, not a machine problem: any square baler produces lighter grass hay bales than alfalfa bales at the same density setting.<\/p>\n
| Grass Species<\/th>\n | Low Density<\/th>\n | Standard Density<\/th>\n | High Density<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| \ud2f0\ubaa8\uc2dc<\/td>\n | 13\u201317 kg<\/td>\n | 17\u201322 kg<\/td>\n | 20\u201326 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||
| \uc624\ucc28\ub4dc\uadf8\ub798\uc2a4<\/td>\n | 15\u201319 kg<\/td>\n | 19\u201324 kg<\/td>\n | 22\u201328 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||
| \ubc84\ubba4\ub2e4\uadf8\ub798\uc2a4<\/td>\n | 16\u201320 kg<\/td>\n | 20\u201326 kg<\/td>\n | 24\u201330 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Fescue \/ mixed grass<\/td>\n | 14\u201318 kg<\/td>\n | 18\u201324 kg<\/td>\n | 22\u201328 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Native prairie grass<\/td>\n | 11\u201315 kg<\/td>\n | 15\u201320 kg<\/td>\n | 18\u201323 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n All weights at 14\u201317% baling moisture, 460\u00d7360mm cross-section. Actual weights vary with field conditions, bale length setting and specific machine density calibration.<\/p>\n Wheat, Barley and Oat Straw: The Lightest Format<\/h2>\n |
| \uc218\ud655\uace0<\/th>\n | Without Shredder<\/th>\n | Single Shredder (9YF-2200S)<\/th>\n | Dual Shredder (9YFS-2.2)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn stover (14\u201318%)<\/td>\n | 18\u201324 kg<\/td>\n | 24\u201332 kg<\/td>\n | 26\u201336 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Grain sorghum (14\u201318%)<\/td>\n | 16\u201322 kg<\/td>\n | 22\u201330 kg<\/td>\n | 24\u201334 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cotton stalk (14\u201318%)<\/td>\n | 14\u201320 kg<\/td>\n | 20\u201328 kg<\/td>\n | 22\u201332 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Forage sorghum (14\u201318%)<\/td>\n | 18\u201326 kg<\/td>\n | 22\u201330 kg<\/td>\n | 24\u201334 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\nHow the Density Setting Changes Bale Weight<\/h2>\n |