Just my .02
If I understand, the OP is wanting to cut, rake, and square bale. He is also wanting to use a sickle mower and a side rake. For those two operations, a 25-35 HP tractor will work fine. When I was in high school, I hauled hay for some fellows that did commercial baling. They cut, raked, and bailed around 250,000 bales per year. All of it was cut with a Ford 2000 and a 6' sickle mower. It was raked with a Ford 3000 and a NH side rake.
The square baler was also a NH and it was pulled with a Ford 3000.
Prior to these fellows buying the 2000's and 3000 tractors, they commercial baled for years with a Jubilee cutting and 2 541's doing the raking and baling.
The rotary cutters and round balers take more HP. I knew a fellow that had a JD round baler, but it only made about 600 lb rolls, and he used a 990 David Brown with no problems.
Having said this, I'll be the first to admit that extra HP is a good thing, because you will always wind up trying to do something, where it is needed. That's just human nature.
