Massey Ferguson and Hesston: Paired Perfection
California custom hay producer discovers that Massey Ferguson power and Hesston balers work hand in hand.
By Jason Jenkins | Photos By Jason Jenkins
Jon and Ena Bushnell have been married for 35 years, but Jon has an even longer relationship with Hesston by Massey Ferguson® equipment. Just after the Kingsburg, California, farmer graduated high school in 1979, he purchased a Hesston® 6650 self-propelled swather. Today, he operates a Hesston 9365 swather, and over the decades, he’s come to rely on the brand’s durability and dependability.
About four years ago, he took a new direction with his custom hay operation, abandoning a fleet of small square balers for the increased productivity offered by the Hesston by Massey Ferguson 2270 large square baler. He estimates he’s put up at least 25,000 bales with his MF2270, which he says has been extremely reliable.
“It can save me at least a couple hours every night,” he says. “I can bale a 40-acre field in an hour and a half, instead of three and a half hours with a small baler.”
The machine’s potential was fully unleashed when Bushnell paired the Class 5 baler with a Massey Ferguson® 8650. The tractor’s 205 HP-PTO provides more than adequate power to make perfect bales. “I started out with a Deere in front of it, but that just didn’t pan out,” he says. “However, when we hooked the MF2270 to the MF8650, it was the perfect combination. The monitors in the tractor worked seamlessly with the baler. I can monitor the flakes and the bale count, along with moisture content [with the optional moisture monitoring and control system]. The tractor is a great ride, too. I can go through the field and don’t ever have to get out.”
Bushnell says the service he gets from his local AGCO® dealer, Quality Machinery Center of Tulare, California, makes his choice of Hesston and Massey Ferguson equipment even easier. Should a problem arise, help is a quick phone call away.
“I’ve got most of the mechanics’ cell phone numbers, so they’ll walk me through it if I have a problem,” he adds. “Or, they’ll be right out here if I need them, which helps a lot. It really all depends on the service you get.”
