Not to ask a dumb question, but I am assuming pine straw is just the needles off of pine trees. How do you bale it, and what is it used for? I have large pine trees on the back side of my house, and each fall the tree deposit 4 inches of pine needles onto the roof and gutters. I was just up on my roof a couple of days ago blowing the needles to the ground, and then I mow them up and get rid of them.
Yes Pine straw is the pine needles the fall off.
I have a baler that I made that compacts the bales. I will try to post some pictures later this week.
It uses an air cylinder to press the bales and I hand tie them and then release the pressure on the bale.
I also use a rake 52" wide on the front of my 4 wheeler to push the straw up into piles and then position the baler beside the pile to feed it into the baler.
Pine straw is used as mulch in beds in many parts of the country. In our area a bale sells for approximately $4.50 per bale retail.
Hope that answers your questions.
Over the lat few years I have built several different versions of balers and rakes trying to perfect my equipment.
The picture posted for my moniker shows my rake on the front of an old Craftsman mower. I have that same rake now on the front of my 4 wheeler and the winch raises and lowers it.....
