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[j845125]

Has anyone tried to burn hay bales in their boiler?? A friend with one does it and suggested I try it, so I bought a couple of bales. It smells BAD. The bale slips right in and smoulders, very nasty, for some time. My buddy says a bale burns for a day, and with junk hay selling for 2 bucks a bale I thought I'd give it a shot. If it works I could quit brush hogging an old hay field and buy an old baler and sickle bar mower. In case you're interested, I'll report back on how it goes.

[willieG]

i think to burn one of those bales it would take a big blower and a lot of air to get the smoke down to "livable" if you have ever seen one burn in the open they don't do well untill they get going hard enough to cause their own draft then they burn fairly quick

i have heard of a farmer out west that burns the big round straw bales...he uses a train car (round one) and has the end open and he says he puts three bales in for a day but he burns it in one burn with lost of air and has a water tank big enough to take all the heat in one burn that will last a day

just my opinion and i have been proven wrong many times...let us know how you make out

[j845125]

Well , a bale barely lasted through a 50 degree night. The smell enough is reason not to do it. It was fun giving it a shot though.

[pdboilermaker]

I would think that straw would be a better choice than hay, of course it would burn faster but shouldnt smell

[Jason]

I've seen hay and straw both burn.  They both smoke and they both stink.  Like Willie said, they just sort of smoke and smolder until they really get going, then they're gone.  It'd be handy if it'd work, but I think we're out of luck on this one.  I'm no expert, but that's my 2 cents.  It'd be a good firestarter but I think that's about it.