Hay balers were first built in the 1850s. Except for the efforts of a few individuals, hay presses were given little attention for another two decades. Even then the development of hay presses came very slowly. The early balers such as this Buffalo were primarily designed for the needs of small farmers, requiring small capital outlay, besides the advantage of being a one or two-man operation. These balers were horse-powered. After a few hours of experience, a horse would walk the circle with ease. These units would eventually include toggle linkage, which greatly multiplied the pulling force exerted by the horses. According to John Gherini, this "Buffalo" baler is possibly the oldest farm implement on the island, dating to c.1900.