In 2014 a hay producer in western Kentucky drove to California, bought a three-tie baler, and hauled it home. Not because his equipment had worn out. Because of this:
Yes it came from garton tractor I pull it with a 7200 john deere. It works great I have it set at 40 inch bales weighing 125 lbs. It flakes off great and my customers absolutely love them. I was loosing customers to 3 tie western hay and now I can try to compete with that market as well.
— haymaker1979, HayTalk, "finally took the leap and bought a new 3 tie baler"
Somebody in that thread immediately asked the right question — where are you, that customers want three-string bales? The answer was that he farms in Kentucky and sells into Louisiana, and western hay had been landing in his market and taking his accounts.
That is the entire subject in one exchange. Two-tie versus three-tie is not an equipment preference, a quality difference, or a regional habit. It is a freight decision that hardened into a regional habit. Once you see what actually sets the bale dimension, every argument about which is better resolves into a much simpler question: where does your hay go, and how does it get there?
Short answer
The third string is a consequence of a taller bale chamber, not a choice made on its own. Two-tie balers run an 18-inch chamber. Three-tie balers run 21 to 22 inches. Two strings will not reliably hold a 22-inch bale together, so a third gets added.
The chamber dimension is set by what fits on a truck. Western and export hay travels far, so bale size is chosen to fill trailer and container space with the fewest voids. Eastern and Midwestern hay travels short distances and gets handled by hand, so bale size is chosen for what a person can throw.
Expect roughly 2 to 2.5 two-tie bales per three-tie bale. A typical two-string bale runs 40 to 70 lb; a three-tie bale runs 100 to 140 lb.
Do not confuse tie count with inline versus side-draw. They are separate specifications that happen to correlate. Complaints about how a bale flakes are almost always about feed geometry, not about the number of strings.
Switch only if a buyer is already asking. Three-tie balers are scarce, expensive, and hard to resell outside three-tie country.
Contents
- What actually differs: the chamber, not the string count
- Why the West runs three strings: it is truck cube
- Why the East and Midwest stayed on two
- The conflation: tie count vs inline vs side-draw
- What a heavier bale costs you in handling
- The conversion math for pricing and hauling
- Should you switch? A five-question test
- Frequently asked questions
What actually differs: the chamber, not the string count
Start with the physical fact, because almost every discussion skips it. The number of strings is downstream of the bale chamber dimensions, and the chamber dimension that changes is the one people rarely name.
| Format | Cross-section | Typical length | Typical weight | Where it dominates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-tie | 14 × 18 in. or 16 × 18 in. | 32–44 in. | 40–70 lb | East, Midwest, South |
| Three-tie | 14–16 × 21–22 in. | 40–48 in. | 85–140 lb (100–130 typical) | West, export channels |
Look at the second number in each cross-section. Two-tie balers run an 18-inch chamber. Three-tie balers run 21 to 22 inches. That is the real difference, and everything else follows from it.
A baled slab of hay is a spring. The taller the stack of flakes between the strings, the more stored energy is trying to push the bale apart, and the more the strings have to hold. At 18 inches, two ties are enough. At 22 inches, they are not — you get bale-face bulge, strings that saw into the hay, and bales that fall apart in a stack. So a third string goes on.
The clearest proof is what happens when someone converts a baler. A West Coast producer described exactly what the factory did to turn a two-tie New Holland into a three-tie machine:
Strawboss, New Holland just came out with a 3 twine baler that is a converted 2 twine. I am not sure of the model number. But they take a 16" X 18" baler add 4" to the side and then cut down the plunger to 15". That size of bale is ideal for shipping via truck.
— jeff outwest, HayTalk, "Three Tie Square Baler?"
A 16 × 18 chamber gains four inches and loses one, and comes out 15 × 22. The knotter count changed because the chamber changed. And read the last sentence again: that size of bale is ideal for shipping via truck. He is not describing a hay quality improvement. He is describing a shipping specification.
Manufacturers still describe their machines in exactly these terms. Here is how a new three-tie baler was introduced on the same forum:
They are 14x21 bales that can be as light as 85-90 lbs or upwards of 125+ lbs. it will also be available in 15x21 or 16x21.
— ThreeTieMan, HayTalk, "New Double Three Tie Small Baler"
Three width options, one constant: 21 inches. And the very first reply to that announcement went straight past the machine to the map:
Probably only a good potential seller on the west coast and AZ at those sizes.
Nobody asked about capacity, price or build quality. An experienced producer read a set of dimensions and immediately named the two places on the map where those dimensions sell. That is not equipment analysis. That is geography — and the rest of this article is why.
Why the West runs three strings: it is truck cube
Here is the heart of it, and it is the part almost no published comparison gets to. Same producer, two posts later:
Just remember when you go to cutting. Make sure it is on the pick up side. I am sure a machine shop can make a knotter shaft the proper length. A 14X22 bale would work just as well. I have heard that is the next big thing for retail hay out here on the West Coast is 14 X 22 inch bales. Anything to get the most number of bales on a truck. With 14X22 you get 14 on the bottom layer with it on edge and can stack 7 flat on top of that. That would be 560 bales on a California Double.
— jeff outwest, HayTalk, "Three Tie Square Baler?"
"Anything to get the most number of bales on a truck." That is the design brief. The bale is not sized for the field, the animal or the customer's arms — it is sized so that a whole number of them tiles the deck of a trailer with no wasted space, laid on edge for the bottom course and flat above it.
This matters more the further hay travels. A load moving 30 miles to a neighbor is priced on tons. A load moving 1,500 miles, or into a shipping container bound overseas, is frequently priced on the space it occupies as much as on what it weighs — and a trailer that is full before it is heavy is money left on the ground. Western alfalfa growing regions ship long distances by design, so their bale dimensions were optimized for the trailer decades ago and stayed there.
The most convincing evidence that this is about freight and not about hay is that the same logic runs in reverse. Here is a producer who paid real money to make his bales smaller, for identical reasons:
Wow......I just converted my Freeman 270 down to 14" tall to make lighter bales for my markets and also make for loading 7 layers flat in dry vans fit perfect. Those west coast horse owners must be tough bastards, LOL!
— maknhay, HayTalk, "Three Tie Square Baler?"
Two producers, opposite modifications, same reasoning: make the bale the size that fills my trailer and suits my buyer. Neither one was chasing a better bale. They were both chasing a better load.
One caution before you copy anyone's numbers: that conversion involved a new plunger, floor spacers, longer hay dogs, tension-rail brackets and a re-drilled stationary knife. It is a factory kit, not a weekend project, and the figures quoted in that 2011 thread are long out of date. Price it currently before you plan around it.
The export channel adds its own rules
Hay that leaves the country runs into a second set of buyer preferences, and they are not always about function:
I know of some problems associated with marketing inline bales in the export market. Cut side on the twine, doesn't always flake great, overseas buyers think they look funny and if one brand did a better job of overcoming these problems that would make sense but I haven't herd anyone say that.
— ThreeTieMan, HayTalk, "Inline three tie balers Hesston vs New Holland vs Freeman"
Notice that "overseas buyers think they look funny" sits in the same list as real technical objections. If you are selling into a channel with an established look, appearance is a specification whether or not it should be. That is worth knowing before you assume a better-testing bale will sell itself.
Why the East and Midwest stayed on two
Eastern and Midwestern hay solves a different problem. Distances are short, buyers are small, and a large share of small square bales are still moved by hand — off a wagon, up an elevator, into a loft, out to a stall.
A 45 lb bale can be thrown by one person all day. A 130 lb bale cannot. That single ergonomic fact keeps two-tie balers dominant everywhere hay is retailed in small lots, and it is why a three-tie machine can be nearly unsellable outside its home region. A Georgia producer put the market reality bluntly when asked about three-tie equipment:
As you can tell, threetieman, ain't many folks that use 'em.....I do know where a 16x18 two string NH is that is in excellent shape, like brand new......10k if ya know anyone interested. Hard to market here.....
— somedevildawg, HayTalk, "Inline three tie balers Hesston vs New Holland vs Freeman"
The same regional split shows up in equipment availability. Three-tie balers have historically been sold through a short list of western dealers — which is why the Kentucky producer at the top of this article had to travel to buy one, and why parts and service are a genuine consideration if you farm outside that footprint.
There is also an honest warning in these threads about building a business around one buyer:
My question would be: Is it worth buying one for only one customer--unless they are willing to write a multi-year contract. What happens when they decide to go some place else, do something different, don't like your price?
— rjmoses, HayTalk, "Three Tie Square Baler?"
That is the right question to put to any format change. A bale format is only as good as the market that wants it, and a specialized baler in a region that does not use the format is a hard asset to unwind. Our guide to dealing with hay customers covers structuring that kind of commitment.
The conflation: tie count vs inline vs side-draw
This is where most of the confusion in these discussions comes from, and untangling it will save you from buying the wrong machine.
Tie count describes the bale: how tall the chamber is and how many strings hold it. Inline versus side-draw describes the baler: whether the crop is fed straight up into the chamber from below, or swept in from the side. These are independent specifications. There are two-tie inline balers and there are side-draw three-tie balers.
They correlate because three-tie machines are overwhelmingly inline, so people who have only seen one three-tie bale attribute everything they notice about it to the string count. Watch the attribution slide in real time:
Did you buy that baler at Garton Tractor or Renner Equipment? I heard they were the only two outfits selling that baler. New Holland went inline with 585 to compete with the Hesston 4690 that over took the 3 tie market. They might have a comeback chance, now that the EPA has made PTO balers the only option. Had straddle a 3 ton windrow with a 100hp tractor. How do the bales flake? Lots of horse women hate inline bales because they don't flake like a side charge bale. What tractor do you use to pull it? Enjoy and let us know.
— jeff outwest, HayTalk, "finally took the leap and bought a new 3 tie baler"
The complaint is precise and correctly stated: inline bales are said not to flake like a side charge bale. That is a feed-geometry claim, and it has nothing to do with how many strings are on the bale. But in a thread titled "bought a new 3 tie baler," it reads to most people as a criticism of three-tie bales.
How much the difference matters is itself disputed by people who sell hay commercially:
Yes, life can be so cruel at times. I find that the bales I make with a 2 string inline are SLIGHTLY different but not enough to hate over......I sell here commercially and I have not heard that complaint from any of the accounts or customers. Maybe a regional thing?
— Vol, HayTalk, "finally took the leap and bought a new 3 tie baler"
And the man who actually bought the machine reported the opposite of the warning — "It flakes off great and my customers absolutely love them." Note that both of those producers are describing inline bales, one two-tie and one three-tie, and disagreeing about flaking. That is the clearest possible evidence that flake quality tracks something other than string count: crop, moisture, flake thickness, and how hard the bale is set.
Practical rule: decide tie count from your market, and decide inline versus side-draw from your field and handling setup. They are two separate purchases that happen to arrive in one machine. Our small square baler buying guide covers the inline-versus-side-pull decision in full, including capacity and windrow handling.
What a heavier bale costs you in handling
A three-tie bale is not just bigger. It changes what equipment you need and who can work on your crew.
- Hand handling largely ends. At 100 to 140 lb, bales are moved by machine. That is fine if you already run a bale wagon or grapple and it is a genuine problem if your business model is a customer backing a pickup up to the barn.
- Your handling equipment has to match the format. Accumulators, grapples, bundlers and self-loading bale wagons are all built around specific bale dimensions. Switching formats can strand a working system — see our small square bale handling systems guide for how those tiers fit together.
- Tractor demand goes up. Three-tie inline machines swallow heavy windrows, and one producer above describes straddling a three-ton windrow behind a 100 hp tractor. Capacity is the point of the machine; make sure the tractor is sized for it.
- Twine consumption per ton falls slightly. Three strings on a 130 lb bale is less twine per ton than two strings on a 50 lb bale, because you are tying fewer, larger packages. It is a real but small saving — see our baler twine buying guide for how to compare knot strength and length per spool.
- Storage stacks differently. A denser, taller bale stacks higher per square foot of barn but needs a floor and a stack plan that can carry it.
Worth noting that the same freight logic driving three-tie bales drives round-bale decisions too. Anyone hauling rounds any distance runs the identical calculation about how many packages fit on a deck and what it costs to get them there — which is covered in hay hauling cost and load counts. If your operation runs rounds alongside smalls, the wrap on those rounds is what keeps the package intact through the same handling and transport; our bale net wrap and the net wrap versus twine comparison cover that side.
The conversion math for pricing and hauling
If you are quoting into a market that thinks in the other format, you need the exchange rate. A producer asked it directly and answered his own question well:
Thanks ya'll! How many 2 tie bales (in your opinion) are in a three string bale? I'm figuring on 2.5 45lb bales in a 115lb 3string bale. I don't really want to buy a three string, but in order to sell some hay I'll do whats necessary.
— STRAWBOSS, HayTalk, "Three Tie Square Baler?"
Two and a half is a sound working figure, and the arithmetic behind it is simple enough to redo with your own numbers:
- Weigh your bales. Not the ones you think you make — put five on a scale and average them. Bale weight varies more with moisture and density setting than most producers expect.
- Divide. Three-tie weight ÷ two-tie weight = your conversion ratio. At 115 ÷ 45 you get 2.6. At 130 ÷ 60 you get 2.2.
- Price per ton, then convert back. Both formats are the same hay. Quote a ton price, then divide by bales per ton so the comparison is honest in either direction. Our hay pricing guide walks through this.
- Check the truck, not just the ton. Work out how many bales actually fit your trailer in each format. If one format leaves a void the other fills, that gap is real money on every load.
Keep in mind that bale weight is a moisture reading in disguise. A bale that gains 15 lb between morning and afternoon did not gain hay. If you are selling by the bale in either format, a hay moisture tester pays for itself in avoided disputes.
Should you switch? A five-question test
Run these in order and stop at the first "no."
- Is a buyer already asking for the other format, in writing, with volume attached? Every producer in these threads who was happy with a switch made it to serve demand that already existed. Nobody reported creating the demand afterward.
- Will that buyer commit past this season? A specialized baler bought for one account is that account's asset, not yours, until there is a contract.
- Can you get parts and service in your region? Three-tie machines cluster near western dealers. Outside that footprint, downtime in the middle of a hay week is a different kind of expensive.
- Does your handling chain survive the change? Accumulator, grapple, wagon, elevator, trailer and barn stack all have to accept the new dimension. Count that cost with the baler, not after it.
- Could a round baler serve the same account better? If the buyer's real requirement is tons delivered rather than bales handled, rounds may answer it with equipment you already own — see switching from square bales to round bales. And if the requirement is genuinely small squares from round-baled hay, re-baling rounds into squares is a real option that does not need a second baler on your farm.
Two-tie is the safe default in most of the country for a straightforward reason: it is the format your neighbors, your buyers, your used-equipment market and your existing handling gear are already built around. Departing from it should be a response to demand you can name.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 2-tie and 3-tie hay bales?
Chamber height. Two-tie balers make bales with an 18-inch cross-section dimension; three-tie balers run 21 to 22 inches. The taller bale stores more spring energy and needs a third string to hold it. Two-tie bales typically weigh 40 to 70 lb and three-tie bales 100 to 140 lb.
Why does western hay come in three-string bales?
Freight. Western and export hay travels long distances, so bale dimensions are chosen to tile a trailer deck or a container with the fewest voids. As one West Coast producer put it, the goal is "anything to get the most number of bales on a truck." Eastern hay travels short distances and is handled by hand, so smaller bales won there.
How many 2-string bales equal a 3-string bale?
About 2 to 2.5. A 115 lb three-tie bale is roughly two and a half 45 lb two-string bales; a 130 lb bale against 60 lb bales is closer to 2.2. Weigh five bales of each and divide rather than assuming, because bale weight moves with moisture and density setting.
What size is a 3-tie hay bale?
Commonly 14, 15 or 16 inches by 21 or 22 inches in cross-section, with adjustable length usually set between 40 and 48 inches. A 14 × 22 in. bale is popular on the West Coast specifically because of how it stacks on a trailer — on edge for the bottom course, flat above it.
Are inline balers the same as three-tie balers?
No. Inline versus side-draw describes how crop enters the chamber; tie count describes the bale. Most three-tie balers happen to be inline, which is why the two get confused, but two-tie inline balers exist and the two specifications should be chosen separately.
Do inline bales flake differently than side-draw bales?
Some buyers say yes, and commercial sellers disagree about how much it matters. One producer selling two-string inline bales commercially reports the difference is slight and has never drawn a customer complaint, while another says horse buyers dislike inline bales. Flake quality tracks crop, moisture, flake thickness and bale density more than feed geometry.
Can you convert a 2-tie baler to a 3-tie baler?
Yes, and manufacturers have done it — one New Holland three-tie machine was a 16 × 18 two-tie with four inches added and the plunger cut down to 15 inches. It is a factory-kit job involving a new plunger, floor spacers, hay dogs and a re-drilled knife, not a shop modification. Price it currently before planning around it.
Which is better for horse hay, 2-tie or 3-tie?
Two-tie, in most of the country. Horse customers commonly move bales by hand and buy in small lots, and a 40 to 70 lb bale suits that. Three-tie bales are standard for horse hay in the West, where hay is delivered and stacked by machine and buyers are used to the format.
Are three-tie balers hard to find?
Outside the West, yes. They have historically been sold through a short list of western dealers, and producers in the Southeast describe them as hard to market locally. Buying one east of three-tie country often means traveling for the machine and planning ahead for parts and service.
The bottom line
The third string on a hay bale is not a quality feature, a regional preference or a horse-versus-cattle thing. It is what it takes to hold together a bale that was made four inches taller so it would fill a truck more efficiently. Everything else — the handling equipment, the buyer expectations, the dealer network, the resale market — grew up around that one freight decision and then hardened into two separate hay cultures that mostly do not trade equipment.
So do not ask which bale is better. Ask where your hay goes and who picks it up at the other end. If it travels far and gets handled by machine, three-tie has real logic behind it. If it travels a few counties and someone lifts it off a wagon, two-tie is not a compromise — it is the right answer. And if you are considering a switch, make the buyer name their volume first.
Related guides
- Best small square baler — the inline vs side-pull decision, models and used-buying checklist
- Small square bale handling systems — accumulators, wagons, bundlers and what each costs
- Square baler knotter troubleshooting — because a third knotter is a third thing to tune
- Baler twine buying guide — knot strength, length per spool and cost per ton
- How to price hay — quoting by the ton and converting back to bales
- Hay hauling cost and load counts — the freight arithmetic behind bale size
- Switching from square bales to round bales — when the format question has a different answer
- Re-baling round bales into squares — serving a small-square account without owning the baler
Hero image: small square hay bales moving up an elevator into barn storage — the hand-handled, short-haul model that keeps two-tie bales dominant across most of the country. Photo via Wikimedia Commons, used under its stated license.
