Quick answer: Here's how to buy a used round baler without regret. For a first or workhorse machine, the forum consensus is a John Deere 567/568 (plentiful, reasonably priced, makes a solid bale) or a heavy-duty Vermeer letter series (L, M, Super M, N) — and to avoid the lightest "economy" models like the Vermeer Rebel/Rancher. Set your budget with the "$10 math": roughly $10 per bale you make in a year (300 bales → about a $3,000 baler). Buy on dealer support in your area, even used. Then inspect hard: bearings, pickup teeth and bands, belts and splices, the net-wrap knife and rollers, chains, hydraulics, and the monitor — and run it before you pay. Whatever brand you land on, good net wrap and the right roll size finish the job.
Knowing how to buy a used round baler well pays off for a decade: a round baler is a one-and-done purchase that can last 10 to 20 years, so getting it right matters more than almost any other hay-equipment decision. The good news: there is a deep used market, and hay growers are unusually candid online about which machines earned their keep and which ones bled them dry. This guide distills two long AgTalk buying threads — real operators with real bale counts — plus an independent inspection checklist, into a plan you can take to the dealer lot or the auction.
New vs. used — and the "$10 math" that sets your budget
Unless you are baling enough to justify a warranty and a trade cycle, used is where most operations start — and where the value is. A new baler is a $40,000–$70,000 decision; a sound used one can be a few thousand. The trick is matching your spend to how much baling you actually do. One grower's back-of-envelope rule has been quoted for years:
"I would buy a cheap baler so you would [k]now what to look for on the next one. I always use $10 math — 300 bales a year means a $3,000 baler."
— garvo, western Iowa · AgTalk thread 712348
The "$10 math" is a sanity check, not a law: multiply the bales you make in a season by about $10 to find a budget that won't take years to pay back. There is wisdom in the rest of his advice, too — a cheap first baler teaches you what to inspect on the next one. And right now the supply side favors buyers:
"It's a buyers market on round balers now. Take a look at Auctiontime and BigIron auction results."
— Gearclash, Sioux County, NWIA · AgTalk thread 712348
Before you make an offer, pull sold-price comps on TractorHouse, AuctionTime, and BigIron so you know whether the asking price is fair for the model, the bale count, and the condition.
Which brands and models hold up
Ask the forums for the most plentiful, trouble-free used baler and one answer comes up again and again:
"567 or 568 JD's are probably the most plentiful and priced reasonably. I've had a 567 for years and [it's] fairly trouble free, and they make a good solid bale."
— 30inch8400 · AgTalk thread 1209560
For a heavier-duty machine, the Vermeer letter series is the forum favorite — with a clear warning to skip the lightweight "economy" models:
"If you can afford to get a Super M or N, a Vermeer is significantly better. They're heavier duty in almost every way, higher capacity, vastly more reliable net wrap system. If you're looking at something older than that, a 567 Deere is also a decent baler."
— Farm Boy 37 · AgTalk thread 1209560
"Vermeer letter series. L, M, Super M, etc. Made here, very heavy… Not the rebel or rancher or whatever. Those are… some rebranded thing from Europe."
— GS2, North Central US · AgTalk thread 1209560
Here is the forum's working shortlist, with the caveat that condition and bale count matter more than badge — a well-kept lesser model beats a thrashed premium one:
| Brand / model | Forum reputation | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|
| John Deere 567 / 568 | Most plentiful used, fair prices, solid bale, wide support | Check the net-wrap pan for rust; MegaWide pickup wear |
| New Holland BR-series / 648 / 688 / BR780A | "Last of the really good" NH; BR780A+ adds wide pickup & stuffer | Plain 688 lacks the wide pickup/stuffer for tough crops |
| Vermeer L / M / Super M / N | Built like a tank, common bearings, very reliable net system | Avoid the light Rebel / Rancher economy lines |
| Case IH RB-series (RB455 / RB561) | Mechanically the same machines as the NH equivalents | Same notes as the matching New Holland |
| McHale | Heavy, high-capacity, strong in tough windrows | Higher price; parts/support vary by region |
If you bale cornstalks, baleage, or heavy windrows, lean toward a model with a wide pickup and a stuffer/cutter — capacity is where the light economy balers fall down.
Dealer support matters — even on a used baler
This is the point experienced buyers stress hardest, and it overrides brand loyalty: in season, a baler down for a part you can't get locally costs you the weather window. Buy where you can get parts and service:
"What dealers are close to you? It matters, even buying used… My preference is Vermeer. Just don't buy a Rebel model."
— dvcochran, Southeast · AgTalk thread 1209560
Before you fall for a specific machine, find out who stocks parts for it within a reasonable drive, and whether a shop near you will work on it. A slightly less ideal brand with a dealer 20 minutes away often beats the "perfect" baler with the nearest parts counter three hours off.
The pre-purchase inspection checklist
Whatever you go look at, inspect it like it owes you money. The forums are full of "I replaced …" stories that map almost perfectly onto a mechanical checklist — here is one operator's honest accounting of a baler that "worked, but I never loved it":
"I had a caseih rbx561 which is the same as a 688 new holland. I had net and twine. It worked, but I never loved it… I replaced several bearings, and lots of pickup teeth in cornstalks."
— redrover, NE South Dakota · AgTalk thread 712348
Work through these, ideally with someone who has wrenched on balers:
- Records & bale count — ask for the monitor's lifetime bale count and any service history; verify the serial/model.
- Frame & chamber — look for cracks, fresh welds, and bent or rusted/pitted chamber surfaces.
- Pickup — missing, bent, or broken teeth; bent tine bars; dented pickup bands; play in the pickup bearings. Cornstalk balers eat teeth.
- Bearings & rollers — spin every roller and idler by hand; listen and feel for roughness; check for heat discoloration. Small idlers often fail first.
- Belts & splices — cracks, splits, soft spots, tired splices, and how the belts track. (See our round baler belt guide — a fresh set is real money, so factor it into the price.)
- Net-wrap system — net knife/duckbill sharpness and alignment, the actuator/solenoid, and the feed rollers; on a Deere 567/568 specifically, check the net-wrap pan for rust. Cycle the wrap if you can.
- Chains, sprockets & gearboxes — stiffness, rust, stretch, worn sprocket teeth, oil leaks, and odd noises.
- Hydraulics & electrical — cylinder leaks/pitting, cracked hoses, corroded wiring, and a monitor that powers up and reads every function.
- PTO & driveline — u-joint play, shields present, correct length.
- Run it — hook it up, make a bale if at all possible, and watch the pickup, the chamber, the tie/wrap cycle, and the tailgate open and close.
None of these on its own is a deal-breaker — teeth, belts, and bearings are normal wear — but each one is a bargaining chip, and together they tell you whether you are buying a tired machine or a tidy one.
Net wrap vs. twine, and matching wrap to your baler
If the baler you are eyeing has a net-wrap system, that is a feature worth paying for. Net wrap is faster, sheds water, and holds bale shape far better than twine — and once growers switch, they rarely look back:
"Wife feeds her ewe flock and the heifers on her own. She grew up with twine, [has] been using net and loves it."
— eweland, east central MN · AgTalk thread 712348
It is also why a reliable net-wrap system is part of the buying decision in the first place — recall Farm Boy 37 rating the Vermeer's "vastly more reliable net wrap system" as a reason to step up. If you are weighing the change-over, our net wrap vs. twine breakdown lays out the cost and the trade-offs.
Once you own the machine, the last step is feeding it the right net wrap. Roll width has to match your bale width, and the bale diameter your baler makes determines how much net each bale uses. Use these to dial it in:
- Net wrap sizes guide — which roll width fits your chamber (48", 51", 64", 67").
- Baler size checker — look up the right net-wrap size for your exact model.
- Round bale size guide and how many feet of net wrap per roll — to budget rolls per season.
Whatever badge ends up on your baler, quality bale net wrap in the correct size is what turns a good machine into clean, dense, weather-tight bales.
Buying a used round baler, start to finish
- Set a budget with the "$10 math" — about $10 per bale you make in a year — and pull sold-price comps on TractorHouse, AuctionTime, and BigIron.
- Shortlist proven models — JD 567/568 or a Vermeer letter series for most buyers; match pickup width and a stuffer/cutter to your toughest crop; skip the lightest economy lines.
- Buy on dealer support — confirm parts and service near you before you commit, even used.
- Inspect hard and run it — bearings, pickup teeth/bands, belts/splices, net-wrap knife and rollers, chains, hydraulics, and the monitor; make a bale before you pay.
- Finish with the right net wrap — favor a sound net-wrap system, then match roll width and size to your bale.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best used round baler to buy?
For most buyers the forum consensus is a John Deere 567 or 568, which are plentiful, reasonably priced, well supported, and make a solid bale. For a heavier-duty machine, the Vermeer letter series (L, M, Super M, N) is highly regarded for build quality and a reliable net-wrap system. Avoid the lightest economy models like the Vermeer Rebel and Rancher. Condition and bale count matter more than the badge.
How many bales is too many on a used round baler?
There is no hard cutoff, because maintenance matters more than the raw number. A well-kept baler with 30,000 to 50,000 bales can outlast a neglected one with half that. Use the lifetime bale count from the monitor to judge wear items like belts, bearings, and pickup teeth, and price those into your offer rather than ruling a machine out on count alone.
How much should I pay for a used round baler?
Match the price to how much you bale. A common rule of thumb is the "$10 math": roughly $10 per bale you make in a year, so 300 bales a year suggests about a $3,000 baler. Check recent sold prices on TractorHouse, AuctionTime, and BigIron to confirm the asking price is fair for that model, bale count, and condition; the current used market favors buyers.
What should I check when buying a used round baler?
Inspect the frame and chamber for cracks and rust; the pickup for bent or missing teeth and worn bands; every roller and idler bearing by spinning and listening; the belts and splices; the net-wrap knife, actuator, and feed rollers; chains, sprockets, and gearboxes; hydraulics and wiring; and the monitor. Then hook it up and make a bale so you can watch the pickup, tie/wrap cycle, and tailgate work.
Should I get net wrap or twine on a used baler?
If the baler has a working net-wrap system, that is usually worth paying for. Net wrap is faster to apply, sheds water, and holds bale shape better than twine, which matters most for bales stored outside. Many growers who switch from twine to net never go back. After you buy, match the net-wrap roll width to your bale width and the size to your baler model.
The XES Netting team manufactures bale net wrap for round balers and writes these guides so forage growers can find clear, source-cited answers. Every farmer quote in this post is verbatim with a link to the original AgTalk thread — go read the discussions in full.
Featured photo: John Deere round baler 568 with MegaWide Plus pickup and Cover-Edge wrap by Dudley B. Batchelor, Jr., licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr / Wikimedia Commons.
