poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
Not seen one in reality. How much hay can you fit into a haygain one. There’s one for sale second hand, it’s a bit of a drive but maybe worth it if it’s workable
Hay gain one
- Thread starter poiuytrewq
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Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
It’s what I have. It fits about 3 sections of hay from a small conventional bale.
I made it work for three horses living out. I wouldn’t want a bigger one.
I made it work for three horses living out. I wouldn’t want a bigger one.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
Do you find it expensive to run?
Michen
Well-Known Member
I don’t see how it would work for more than one horse stabled for half a day unless you are willing to run it more than once. Or your horses only need a tiny bit and are mostly eating grass. The Haygain 600 worked for mine on a 90% hay diet so at least 20lb a day aka almost a whole bale.
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Haven’t done the sums for a while, but IIRC it was about 20p per hour’s cycle a few years back.
It is, as the name suggests, aimed at the one horse owner and you’ve got a few horses? I ran it twice daily in the peak winter hay demand period, but for the other 8 months+ per year I only needed to run it once with three living out. Now I’m down to two horses it’s perfect. They have a small net of hay and a doze in their stables after breakfast before they go back out again.
If you part stable your horses year round it’s not going to be big enough.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
That’s what I wondered, if I should hold out and look out for a bigger one.
It only needs to do one horse who is out all
Day or night but eats a lot!
It only needs to do one horse who is out all
Day or night but eats a lot!
Peglo
Well-Known Member
I’ve got the haygain one. Now I’ve got 2 horses I want to steam hay for I wish I’d splashed out on the bigger one but it is so much more expensive. I needed 2 loads a day to do my 2 for overnight hay. I get 3 nets out of it. It’s quite a tie trying to get it done on a work day.
But I will say I do really like it. It doesn’t take up much room, easy to use and clean. For one horse it is really good.
But I will say I do really like it. It doesn’t take up much room, easy to use and clean. For one horse it is really good.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
We used to have a big one at work and put it on a timer so it was ready as we arrived in the morning.
So much easier than soaking!
So much easier than soaking!
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Gotta love Facebook, I had looked up the current prices of HayGains after seeing this thread, then this ad pops up on my FB feed 
.
.Peglo
Well-Known Member
Can you remember what kind of timer you used? The one that came with mine doesn’t work reliably enough and I’ve had a look online but any recommendations would be good
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I’ve no idea sorry! Knowing the guy I worked for it would have been a really cheap pound stretcher type. It just plugged in to the socket with a dial and pins that popped up for the hours we wanted it on, I think an hour and a half a session maybe 
It wasn’t expensive or a proper haygain one for sure.
It wasn’t expensive or a proper haygain one for sure.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
Mad isn’t it!!Gotta love Facebook, I had looked up the current prices of HayGains after seeing this thread, then this ad pops up on my FB feed
View attachment 145466
FestiveFuzz
Well-Known Member
We have the HG600 but usually end up running it twice. I wish we’d gone for the full bale one now but worried it would take up too much space.
sollimum
Well-Known Member
I bought the full bale one secondhand a while ago and I have just bought a timer off amazon which is brilliant. makes life so much easier. this one:
Ceifer
Well-Known Member
Same.
I have to run it twice and it’s a bit of a pain.
I know lots of people say about timers - haygain do not recommend using timers and there are people out there who have had plugs melt. Yes they are in the minority but I wouldn’t risk it.
It is stupid that a piece of equipment that isn’t cheap doesn’t have the technology to have a time on it doesn’t exist but there we are.
ElleSkywalkingintheair
As excited as Kitty about to be a bridesmaid
I had two large bale Haygains and they melted two plug sockets of mine as well as an assortment of other issues. On telling Haygain they went very gaslight-y and said it had never happened before. A quick search of FB shows it's a common problem. Their remedy is to fit a 16amp plug socket which we did. However changing the plug in steamer ans getting a socket cost us about £500 which I wasn't impressed with.
Haygain have now been purchased by the same company that do the new Nuveq steamers.
That said of all the steamers that were out there Haygain were the best and the most robust. Just their customer service that was shocking.
I'd personally look at the Nuveq ones or see if they have upgraded the Haygains to stop the plug melting problems before buying one again.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I will do thank you. I've not heard of Nuveq.
TPO
Well-Known Member
I've got HG600. I have 3 horses so have to run it 2x. Tbf only 1 *needs* steamed hay so if time is short sometimes one gets dry or lightly rinsed hay instead.
Depending on section size I can fit approx 9 sections into thr HG600. I've got big bales just now so run it twice because I can't compact enough in.
I've had 2 plugs melt too. One time it didn't fully trip everything and the plug started sparking before it banged. A spark landed on my face and onto hay. Thankfully it didn't come to anything. My dad is an electrician so he's fixed it and is Mr Health & Safety so has done something to the socket to protect it.
I use a timer too. I've never had an issue with it. When the plug sparked, and previous one melted, they were plugged in directly and supervised.
Depending on section size I can fit approx 9 sections into thr HG600. I've got big bales just now so run it twice because I can't compact enough in.
I've had 2 plugs melt too. One time it didn't fully trip everything and the plug started sparking before it banged. A spark landed on my face and onto hay. Thankfully it didn't come to anything. My dad is an electrician so he's fixed it and is Mr Health & Safety so has done something to the socket to protect it.
I use a timer too. I've never had an issue with it. When the plug sparked, and previous one melted, they were plugged in directly and supervised.
blood_magik
Well-Known Member
We have 2x HG2000 and run them 3x daily in the winter for 7 horses.
Both on timers so we don’t have to worry about them running dry.
Both on timers so we don’t have to worry about them running dry.