Any search for the best small baler needs to start with a little bit of planning. You will need to figure out what you will be using the baler for, since so many different varieties exist; choosing the wrong type of small baler can lead to damage to the machine and may risk injury to the user. Some of the various types of balers include hay balers, tire balers, plastic balers, and aluminum and/or steel balers. Most of these machines come in two distinct varieties: vertical balers and horizontal balers. Think carefully about the jobs you will perform when choosing the best one for you.
If you are choosing a small baler for farm use, it is a good idea to consider your towing vehicle before you purchase. Many of these devices work off of a tractor's power take-off (PTO) system, so your tractor will need to be compatible with the baling unit you choose. Various types of hay balers exist, from round balers to square; some machines, known as kick balers, will actually launch the bale into a trailing wagon once it has been compressed properly. This is useful if you do not have employees who can trail the tractor to move the bales.
Recycling plants often have a small baler or several on hand to create compacted bales of materials for storage or transport. Some are vertically oriented, while others are horizontally oriented. Horizontal balers tend to be easier to load with larger items; some tire balers, for example, are horizontally oriented because tires can otherwise be difficult to stack. In other cases, a vertically oriented small baler is best because smaller items can be loaded into a hopper more easily; the hydraulic arm within the machine can then press all the items downward against the ground or a fixed plate at the bottom of the machine.
It helps to determine what the optimal size of the bale should be for your purposes. The capacity of the machine is another consideration, as some small baler machines can fit more material inside its hopper at one time. A higher capacity machine will be able to compact more material into a small bale, thereby cutting down on the overall number of bales created. Try to find a high capacity baler that creates fewer bales, but make sure to choose a unit that is within your price range. You may need to do some research into the various costs associated with balers before purchasing.