Michigan Rancher Saves 66% of Fuel and Ends Maintenance Headaches

Published 8th December 2025
Customer Stories News United States

“I used a 1/3 of diesel fuel she did with her haybuster”

That’s 66% fuel savings—and over a season, that all adds up pretty quickly. It’s no wonder John Miller in Clare, Michigan now runs two Hustler Unrolla LX105 bale feeders.

But for John, it’s not just about fuel. He loves the flexibility to spread hay exactly how he wants—and the fact that his cattle don’t trample it. Another big win for efficiency and savings.

Listen up to the full story:

When hay is pulverized, those short, dusty particles pass through too fast — The

When hay is pulverized, those short, dusty particles pass through too fast — The cow’s rumen doesn’t get the chance to chew, churn, and extract all that goodness.

When hay is pulverized, those short, dusty particles pass through too fast — The cow’s rumen doesn’t get the chance to chew, churn, and extract all that goodness.

 

But with the Chainless, the hay stays intact.
It’s gently teased out, not chopped.

But with the Chainless, the hay stays intact.
It’s gently teased out, not chopped.

cow’s rumen doesn’t get the chance to chew, churn, and extract all that goodness.

 

But with the Chainless, the hay stays intact.
It’s gently teased out, not chopped.

The Old Way: Haybusters and Unrollers

Before switching to the Hustler, John used hay buster bale processors and hay unrollers on the back of a pickup or tractor. 

But his drawbacks were the same we hear from every rancher.

With the Haybuster:

  • Wasted feed: Dust is feed that never gets eaten.
  • Nutrition loss: Pulverized hay turns into short, dusty particles that pass through the cow’s rumen too fast. The cow doesn’t get the chance to chew, churn, and extract all that goodness.
  • Maintenance headaches: Need to constantly clean the tractors filters and clean down the tractor with the hay buster 

When his daughter ran the haybuster for one season while John ran the Unrolla LX105, 

“We washed her tractor and cleaned her filters three times that winter…and my tractor we never washed once and we never had to clean the filters.”

And then there’s the fuel:

“I used a third of the diesel fuel that she did with her hay buster.”

So with the Hustler, John is saving 66.66% of his diesel. Why? Hustler uses no PTO—it’s hydraulically driven. Safer, less maintenance, and way less fuel.

Unrollers? Same Story

“I never liked how the cows stood on it and messed on it”

Regular unrollers lay hay flat like a toilet paper roll—perfect for trampling. Whereas the Hustler fluffs hay into a palatable windrow so the cows eat it, not bed down on it.

With less trampling and more even feed distribution, every bale goes further, keeping feed costs down and herd condition up.

Key Results for John with the Hustler Unrolla:

  • Saves 66.66% of his diesel
  • Eliminates trampling and saves hay
  • Retains hay nutrition, improving herd health
  • No maintenance headaches

And not only that, the Hustler Unrolla costs a lot less than the Haybuster to buy up front. It’s a win-win for John. 

See more reasons why ranchers are: